…Well, searching, anyway.
I asked for romance novel recommendations a couple weeks ago (here and elsewhere), and came up with a long list of possibilities. My laundry list of expectations and requirements for the perfect romance novel was improbable, but I thought I’d try anyway. Here’s what I sampled:
Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery: Lightly enjoyable and entertaining. Not nearly as compelling and well-written as Anne of Green Gables. The story line was interesting if predictable once it got going (could see the ‘twists’ coming miles away). Biggest criticism: I could not get excited about a man named Barney Snaith. Seriously. But a decent romance. Written in 1926 and set in Canada helps with the charm, I suppose.
Highland Fling by Katie Fforde: A guilty pleasure. This contemporary novel was highly entertaining (I’m easily amused), but not particularly well-written (much less masterly) nor particularly decent. British chick lit set in Scotland has an appeal of its own.
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner: A unexpected hit with me. Three women. Three different places in time. One with a tragic story. One with a lifetime of sorrow and regret, but with a handful of days left to find happiness. One with the whole future ahead of her. I found the historical setting, the Salem witch trials, to be fascinating as I haven’t learned much about that era yet. The author did spell out the ‘lesson to be learned’ for the readers, but I’ll forgive her. The romance (what there was of it) was understated and decent. Some of the modern elements threw me a bit, as they always seem to leach a little of the elegance out of a story. This one left me thinking after I closed it up, though, and I appreciated that.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: Oh. my. What do I say about this one?… It’s a page-turner ~ all 600+ of them. Time travel. Scottish Highlands in 1743. Adventure. Alpha-males all over the place. I was quite immersed in the story. Caveats: Very, uh, adult content. (Did I mention the adult content? Just making sure…) Improbable. Brutal. And the male hero is fair and red-headed. Unforgivable.
Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Well-paced, fun, romantic. Very modern and not-so-innocent. Used up a whole day on this one, without putting it down. I feel pretty guilty about losing a whole day.
Conclusion so far: it might be impossible to find a masterfully written, complex, clean love story with a happy ending. But I’ll keep searching and let you know.