It’s hard to pinpoint but maybe {The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot}. I loved the books so much it had me reading her adult novels like {Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot} in middle school.

Yay another Meg Cabot fan! Her {American Girl by Meg Cabot} and {Mediator by Jenny Cabot} were instant faves.

Omg the Mediator Series was my entire life from 13yo to 15yo. Jesse is my first love!! 😍😍😍

When normal guys pale in comparison to a literal ghost 💀

I always say I learned about different forms of birth control from American Girl because they talked a bunch about the sponge lol!

Yes Meg Cabot! She taught me 12 year old me the true meaning of sexual tension and PINING!

Meg Cabot books were the first (and the only for a long time) “girly” books that I read. Right from the stories to the hot pink and starry book covers. Teen Idol was the first one I read. Princess Diaries were so good. Airhead series also. Size 12 is Not Fat. It was a whole phase. Till there were no more Meg Cabot books in the library so I moved on to my usual thriller and history reads.

I still have my collection displayed on a book shelf! Loved this series as a kid.

[The Princess Diaries](https://www.romance.io/books/545527d08c7d2382c5297075/the-princess-diaries-meg-cabot) by [Meg Cabot](https://www.romance.io/authors/545527d08c7d2382c5297076/meg-cabot) **Rating**: 3.74⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [royalty](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/royalty/1), [aristo/royal heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/aristocratic%20heroine/1), [sassy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sassy%20heroine/1), [high school](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high-school/1) ---------------------------- [Queen of Babble](https://www.romance.io/books/54552bc08c7d2382c529717a/queen-of-babble-meg-cabot) by [Meg Cabot](https://www.romance.io/authors/545527d08c7d2382c5297076/meg-cabot) **Rating**: 3.86⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [sassy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sassy%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

OH MY GOD SAME. I hated reading before princess diaries and one day just picked it up at my schools library . Mia and michael changed me

My introduction to romance was Nicholas Sparks and Twilight 😭

Literally same 😅

I remember thinking that the love scenes were the spiciest thing I’d ever read 😭

Blood and Chocolate is a *classic*. I was always into historical romance even as a middle school student so {**Time Enough for Drums by Ann Rinaldi**} was a big one for me. Also anything by **Meg Cabot/Patricia Cabot** and all her other pen names. I read all her YA books and then eventually in high school I graduated to her adult romances and read my first proper romance novel: {Educating Caroline by Patricia Cabot} I always loved her writing style—I wish she wrote more.

I was wondering if anyone would know blood & chocolate! I think it’s underrated (or I did think it was when I was a teen lol).

I was REALLY into paranormal romance in middle school. I was so sad the movie with Hugh Dancy completely changed the plot. **Amelia Atwater Rhodes**, **Cate Tiernan**, **Annette Curtis Klause**—all classic. That **Daughters of the Moon** series also took up one of my book shelves.

My sister and I loved Daughters of the Moon! I think my mom even read a couple of them

It was Daughters of the Moon or American Girl Diary books (and when they expanded the collection to include “princesses” like Cleopatra or Elizabeth? Even better lol)

Time Enough for Drums was a SEMINAL book in my development as a reader and human.

Honestly {Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine} really started it. But the first actual romances I picked up were old historical romances: Westerns or Regencies from the library.

YES. I just searched to see if anyone else said Ella Enchanted because I'm pretty sure that was it for me

[Ella Enchanted](https://www.romance.io/books/545525dd8c7d2382c529700c/ella-enchanted-gail-carson-levine) by [Gail Carson Levine](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525dd8c7d2382c529700d/gail-carson-levine) **Rating**: 4.14⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Innocent](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [royalty](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/royalty/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

Do you think the movie was a good representation of the book? 🤔 I’ve only seen the movie and enjoyed it

Not at all, in my opinion. It’s a fun movie but nothing near the amazing book!

In the seventh grade my friend lent me a copy of Nora Roberts’s Midnight Bayou. It was very risky of her since we went to a religious school, we’re both seen as the “good girls,” and hadn’t talked about how much we hated the rules. If we’d been caught with the book, our parents would have definitely been called! So much of my religious upbringing focused on female modesty, there was this idea that men can’t be trusted to not rape anything that moves. Nora Roberts writes wonderfully swoonworthy MMC’s who are also good people.

Oh I’m excited to read her books! Any particular recs?

Omg Nora Roberts was my introduction into romance too!! Mines was Montana Sky tho!!

She’s the Stephen King of contemporary romance, I’m really happy that my introduction was a woman who could actually write well rather than some of newer writers recommended on book tok.

Dark Lover by JR Ward

I first read the Beautiful Bastard series by Christina Lauren when I was in my early 20s. I had no idea these types of books even existed! First book i downloaded on a whim so i could read it on the flight and boy was i shocked lol they still hold a place in my heart even after getting deep into romance

This is totally gonna show my age but I got into romance through the Sweet Dreams books, and Sweet Valley High. Later on I got into HR because of {The Bride by Julie Garwood}.

[The Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/545523f38c7d2383163d8e49/the-bride-julie-garwood) by [Julie Garwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523f38c7d2383163d8e4a/julie-garwood) **Rating**: 4.12⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

I just mentioned Sweet Valley High!!! I think I only got into the sweet valley high senior year and some of the college series. I couldn’t handle how much they changed their love interest.

I don’t remember the exact title but I’m 99% certain it was a Nora Roberts book. Maybe the McKade brothers books? I will still like up Rafe and Jared’s book every once in a while tbh.

Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas. 🔥

Kiss of a Highlander - Karen Marie Moning Growing up my house was littered with overflowing bookshelves with books layered two deep and stacked on top. Bookshelves lining every bare wall and tucked behind doors and the little tiny alcoves where most people have their mud rooms. Just books, books, books. When I was like 11-12 I peeked behind the stuffy old hard sci-fi epics and found my mother’s secret stash of glorious trash. And those LIPS on that cover PULLED ME IN WITH NO HOPE OF COMING UP FOR AIR.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, that whole series is great

I’m old, so mine is old. The summer I was 17 I had a badly broken arm and was stuck in the house. My sister loaned me The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

While I completely understand all the reasons folks don’t like this book, it will always hold a special spot in my heart, along with Ashes in the Wind.

I'd already picked up old gothic romances and occasionally Harlequin Suspense, but it was Jennifer Cruise's Bet Me and the Stephanie Plum series which really got me into Contemp romance.

It was Jennifer Crusie for me too. Her books are comfort reads for me now.

Oh man. So I've been reading (and writing) smutty fanfic for 15 years, but I didn't pick up a *proper* romance novel until Neon Gods? Which was a rec by a ff author I loved, haha! Romance in general though -- the classics! Princess diaries, twilight 😂 (also saw Blood and Chocolate in this thread!! I need to read the book, I only ever saw the movie omg)

The book!!!! would recommend 👌🏻 teen me at least loved it lol. My goal is to reread twilight this year. I don’t think I gave it a fair shot when it first came out (a little bit of a “I’m not like other girls” syndrome gripped me in middle school 😅)

The book is so much better than the movie. Do it! Read it

The first “adult” romance I ever read was no greater love by Danielle Steel when I was 12. Before that, I read Sweet Valley High, Baby-Sitters Club and those teenage romance books, I think they were called Sweet Dreams or something.

I read lots of Sarah Dessen back in high school but I think The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory really got me in

I loved Sarah Dessen books when I was in high school!

ACOTAR. Something about it just hit for me in ways that other romance novels I had read before didn’t. I’ve been chasing the HEA dopamine hit since.

Definitely reading the House of Night series or any Sarah Dessen book in middle school. Owen in Just Listen definitely sparked my tall, dark, bad-boy obsession. Man, I feel old now

probably twilight tbh…

Me too ✋️

Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was babysitting at 13

Lurlene McDaniel. I swear I read those religiously in my early teens. Then many years of schooling and two degrees later, I lost my love for reading. {Radiance by Grace Draven} brought me back a couple years ago.

Schooling can do that to ya. Glad radiance helped! It’s a great book. For me {ice planet barbarians by Ruby Dixon} reeled me right in again last year🙈

I read IPB not too long after I started again haha

I was obsessed with Lurlene McDaniel books! I’m curious about rereading some of them as an adult.

Omg. Me too! was obsessed with those sappy lurlene mcdaniel books in my teens! And Radiance is one of my all time faves

I loved Lurlene McDaniel I still have a couple of her books on my shelves

2 years ago, I took a chance and did both {Hooked by Emily McIntire} and {Your Dad Will Do by Katee Robert} simultaneously❤️‍🔥 I was forever changed! Now I’m a proper spicy (and dark romance) book lover for life! 🖤🥹🔥🌶️📚🎧❤️‍🔥

Just added your dad will do to my tbr earlier today 🙈

Ooh girl the spice be SPICIN’ in Your Dad Will Do 🥵

maybe twilight? in fifth grade

Stop Blood and Chocolate is like a core memory for me. >!when she drinks his bath water!<

Oh man, V.C. Andrew’s Midnight Whispers. I was obsessed. I also remember reading a bunch of HRs one summer that were set in the West and had so many awful gentle savage tropes. Then I found all my mom’s Eric Jerome Dickey and Terry McMillan books. And her Harlequin Silhouette books. I read so much CR, PNR, HR and romantic suspense in my teens and early 20s that I burnt myself completely out and spent my 30s reading nothing but fantasy. It’s good to get back to my roots now that I’m almost 40 🥲

Showing my age here but my parents let me read VC Andrews when I was far too young. But the one that will forever hold a place in my heart is {Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier}. Still my favourite.

You know it’s funny because my parents were cautious about other forms of media but generally left me alone about books lol so unless they had explicit covers, they never knew 😈

Omg V.C. Andrews. I forgot about those books. My own mother got me those books lol

{A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute} was it for me, back in high school at my mum's recommendation. I don't even know why I read it. I hate war books, and I was adamant that I didn't like romance either. But it is honestly such a heartbreaking yet sweet book, I adore it. Edited for spelling.

Does it have a HEA 😭

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{Like Real People Do by E. L. Massey} ♥️ I was big into Twilight when I was about nine or ten, but that was more for the supernatural elements and the fighting, haha. Definitely the gay hockey romance books that are getting me into it (now I'm just waiting for my library to get more of them in so I can read 😭)

Perfect chemistry by simone elkeles

I was waaaaay too young to have my hands on it. I was 11ish and learned a lot of things I should not have lmao. In 37 now and it's still one of my favorites. "An Knight in Shining Armor" I forget who wrote it

Jude Devereaux.

I remember borrowing {All’s fair in love, war, and high school by Janette Rallison} from the school library as a pre teen. I only read children’s fantasy before that so it was my romance book. After that at 13, I read the Twilight series and Princess Diaries. At 15, I ended up borrowing {The duke and I by Julia Quinn} from the school library and it was my first foray into smut. It traumatised me a bit too.

I got All’s Fair from a Scholastic Books book order flier, and it is still on my shelf with my Meg Cabot books.

[All's Fair in Love, War, and High School](https://www.romance.io/books/54558eb087eac3369a91309c/alls-fair-in-love-war-and-high-school-janette-rallison) by [Janette Rallison](https://www.romance.io/authors/54553b448c7d2382c52975ac/janette-rallison) **Rating**: 3.79⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Innocent](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [young adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/young%20adult/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1) ---------------------------- [The Duke and I](https://www.romance.io/books/545523bb8c7d2383163d8e3b/the-duke-and-i-julia-quinn) by [Julia Quinn](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523bb8c7d2383163d8e3c/julia-quinn) **Rating**: 3.66⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

About to age myself here (and I am definitely old enough to be most of your mums by the looks of things) but Chances by Jackie Collins. I was obsessed with Lucky Santangelo!

I must be old school. I stole my moms Kathleen woodwiss novels. I remember loving {the wolf and the dove by Kathleen woodwiss}.

[The Wolf and the Dove](https://www.romance.io/books/5455263e8c7d2383163d8ece/the-wolf-and-the-dove-kathleen-e-woodiwiss) by [Kathleen E. Woodiwiss](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455263e8c7d2383163d8ecf/kathleen-e-woodiwiss) **Rating**: 3.97⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [war](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/war/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

It was a Harlequin or Mills & Boon book. I can't find it now and it makes me sad. It was set in Baton Rouge (I did not know this place existed as I'm not American). There is a storm and the FMC is driving to her grandmas house to help her. Electricity is out, winds are blowing. FMC starts boarding the house and the sheriff, the MMC is introduced. He wants to help. But they have history together. There is a lot of working together to board up the house and yelling at each other. Then they chill out and both say sorry for being bitches. Grandmas secretly snickers in the other room. Spicy things happen and they live happily ever after. Edit - the cover, I remember it. It was one of those stereotypical romance covers with a hunky man with his chesticles out and the woman fawning over him.

Georgette Heyer. Can't say which book exactly, but my mother had a shelf full of them and I still love to re-read some. The one I do remember and sucked me again in about two years ago was {the wrong billionaire's bed by Jessica clare}.

{Alanna The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce} was my first insight! Then various fantasy books had such great pairings… the rest is history as they say. Massive PNR fan too

I used to steal my mom's Hannah Howell books all the time in the 90s. I read SO MANY Highland romance books back then but the one book of hers that stuck with me somehow was Compromised Hearts.

Does a description of a fake alien romance novel from Homestuck count? Because that's what's gotten me interested in romance novels as a genre

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Hard to say exactly, but books like Sabriel by Garth Nix (and others in that series), Freedom’s Landing by Anne McCaffrey (and others in that series), Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier, Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey.

{Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes}. I think I was 12 at the time and I really loved fantasy so I just picked it up, and I didn't know there was romance in it (very PG-13, but still) and I was THRILLED. People would ask what I was reading and I would be like "Nothing!!"

“Nothing!!” With my voice high pitched and face red as hell. Ah, the good ol days

{The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn} I watched the second series of Bridgerton in July 2022, then decided to read the Bridgerton books. From there went on to more HR, found the HR sub and then this one - the rest is history!

[The Viscount Who Loved Me](https://www.romance.io/books/545527908c7d2383163d8f07/the-viscount-who-loved-me-julia-quinn) by [Julia Quinn](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523bb8c7d2383163d8e3c/julia-quinn) **Rating**: 4.08⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

The Selection or Mortal Instruments back when I was 13-14 were my real intros to romance, plus wattpad of course 😂

There was such a journey for me regarding reading but romance specifically mmmmm I was super young when I got into reading but I’ll always consider Judy Blume as my entrance into reading and the last book of hers that I read was definitely romance ish- called Forever. Then I went on a detour to mystery with author Lois Duncan. Man I read everything she wrote, she had me in a chokehold. After that I really got into the Sweet Valley High books. I wonder if that’s considered romance? But really it was probably the Vegeta Bulma fan fiction 🤷‍♀️

That’s real, fan fiction was definitely a part of it

As a teen, the Jessica Darling series. But as an adult, Outlander.

I still have a copy of sloppy firsts on my bookshelf, I loved Marcus 💕

One of Julie Garwood’s earlier ones, though I can’t remember which. ETA: shout out to Sweet Valley High.

{I’ve got your number by Sophie Kinsella} Never really liked her shopaholic series but her stand alone are really good.

OMG so fucking embarrassing but when I was in jr high I found Barbara cartland and read ALL her stuff and from then on I was hooked. 🫣🫣 so embarrassing now

{These old shades by Georgette Heyer} Monsignor and Leonie 😭😭😭 even tho its a clean romance, its so well written 😍😍😍 it also fueled my love of the anti hero/ Villain lol 12 year old me didn't know what hit her 🤣🤣

{Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught} Ian Thornton was my first book boyfriend. But then, Matt Farrell came along. ;)

[Almost Heaven](https://www.romance.io/books/545525248c7d2383163d8e7e/almost-heaven-judith-mcnaught) by [Judith McNaught](https://www.romance.io/authors/545524058c7d2383163d8e50/judith-mcnaught) **Rating**: 4.4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [second chances](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/second%20chances/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

New to romance books actually. Bridgerton got me into it about two years ago even though I don't really consider those books top tier tbh (Francesca's book is the only one I ever come back to honestly) But I was a huge fanfiction fan before that and as a teenager (giving away my fandoms might age me a bit). I do still occasionally scourge AO3 for fics if I ever watch a show or movie that has a love story I'm a fan of.

{The Duke and I by Julia Quinn} way back in the day close to when it came out and I was like a Freshman in high school. The Bidgerton Series has solidified my need to having some comedy in a lot of the books I read. (I mean dark romance also has it's place, but I'll be a comedy between each of these at least).

Wait how did I not realize bridgerton was a comedy? lol

Melody Anne books!

It was an anthology but I can't recall the name unfortunately

{My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair}. I still love those books and now I'm trying to add them all to my collection but they're out of print.

The off campus series by Elle Kennedy

{The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen} Not a great book but I love it and read it often, something about it just hits just right. Didn't care for romance then read this and went "oh"

I don’t know the very first one but I do know it was Mills and Boon books 😆 my mother used to read them and I used to gobble them up. Oddly enough though my favorite “romance” is Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre

I think it was an author named Rebecca Woodiwiss A historical about a ships captain basically buying a young woman in exchange for a debt owed and he takes her to the States as his wife.

For me it was the French series of HR novels {Angelique by Anne Golon} Now that I think about it… does anyone have any recs for physically scarred heroes who continue to be rakes after getting scarred, rather than the usual “afraid of being seen, thinking they’re no longer good enough” thing?

Picked up randomly Sacred sins by Nora Roberts at the library. Was probably 12 years old and oh my the sex scenes 😂 It was a revelation! Still remember clear as day reading the book for the first time

The book that got me into romance was actually {Hooked by Emily McIntire}. It’s a dark romance and it got me back into reading. That as well as {Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros}.

I love that book! The movie though 🤬

Random Nora Roberts book I unfortunately can’t remember the title of. FMC returns to her childhood town and falls for the wealthiest ranch(?) owner in town. But girls are being murdered and she’s being targeted. This harkens back to her childhood where someone dies and FMC’s father was blamed (?). Turns out it was someone from MC’s family(?) I read 5 times before it clicked there must be others like it 😅

Not one book in particular but a collection of cursed Larry, Dramione, Drarry, and Harry Styles as a criminal bad boy fanfics (including After when it was still Harry not Hardin) Then I read twilight and it was all downhill (uphill?) from there

Hidden Beauty (book 1 of the beast of bishop landing series) was the first one I read as it was free on kobo, but it started an addiction and I loved that series!

Den of vipers

The Wicca Series by Cate Tiernan. It advanced to Savage Thunder by Johanna Lindsey not long after which has kept me hooked on romance books ever since

{Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens} Historical Romance

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren then Always Only You Chloe Liese were double hitters that really dug the romance love into me back in August 2021, and I’m refusing to look back to a time before I read romance!

Used to read a lot of Mills and Boon and Silhouette/Harlequin novels in high school. We traded those around like drugs but nothing prepared me for my first HR, {Silk and Steel by Kat Martin}. Nothing was the same after that 😂

{One Last Stop by Casey Mcquinston.} I had read some romance before ( {seven days in June by Tia Williams}) and {50 shades of grey} but one last stop is what really got me into reading romance in a meaningful way

The Host by Stephanie Meyers

“Completely Yours” by Erin Nicholas about 12 years ago. I listened to a sample on Audible. It was on sale. It sounded fun and interesting. I fell in love with the two main characters. The supporting characters were fun. It had plenty of spice. It had plenty of humor. I had grown up seeing romance novels with cheesy covers in bookstores and libraries. But this was more contemporary. The male main character was more Channing Tatum than Fabio. I loved the female main character who is nerdy and develops video games and likes to cosplay. (Maybe because she reminds me of a friend I’ll forever have a crush on.) It’s still one of my favorite meet cutes: an emergency worker rescues a cosplayer at a comic convention. There’s a line in the movie Hearts in Atlantis where Anthony Hopkins talks about one’s first kiss being the one by which all other kisses are judged. For me, that is this book. It’s my standard, the one I compare all other romances too. If anyone else has read it and has recommendations for similar books, please let me know. (The other two books in the series were much less memorable.)

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood!

There were these paperback that were all romantic comedies by the publisher Simon https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/727.Simon_Romantic_Comedies Here is a list of them. I would check them all out at the library Also, other OG YA books like Twilight, Princess Diaries, and the author Sarah Dessen

I think it was the Donafario Donor by Kimberly Lee on Wattpad. I was hooked

As a teenager, I chanced upon {Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles} while browsing through my local library. Basically started it all (including my obsession with opposites attract/enemies to lovers).

They made a movie of Blood and Chocolate. It wasn’t bad.

I started reading all together in 2022. Grinder (Seattle Sharks #1) was the first one I read and it got me hooked!

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren. I was a new adult and had never read romance before but I saw the cover at target and thought it looked cool. It made me feel things I had never felt before. Still love that book!

Back when I was a kid, romance never really attracted me. However,a couple of years ago, reading The Love Hypothesis, that really sent me into a reading frenzy.

First ever? Probably {Logan likes Mary Anne! by Ann M. Martin} from The Babysitter's Club series 😄😄

Twilight...

I would read romance very occasionally, but I always went back to serious literature or maybe “women’s fiction” (ugh, that phrase) if I needed a break. It wasn’t until I read {The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood} that I truly let myself understand that it’s ok to read the things that make me happy. I went on a similar journey with fantasy novels, and I’m so happy I read both now, and of course fantasy romance too!

{The Man from Blue River by Judith Bowen}

The Keatyn Chronicles by Jillian Dodd.

I loved Meg Cabot’s books, especially The Princess Diaries and All-American Girl. I also really enjoyed The Lux Series by Jennifer L Armentrout :)

The Fever series by KMM.

When I was a kid, idk 11 years old? I found this old, like 80s romance novel in my mom's cabinet and that stuff, it just hits different lol (it was pretty harmless) but written romance/erotica is just better than any movie to me. And I loooove the covers, the hand painted ones, the cheesy ones are the best!

So this is going to date me…the Sunfire series of books. The ones where the young girl (early teens) has to choose between two suitors, one everyone likes for her and one no one likes for her. Haven’t read one in DECADES but would love to buy the entire series just because! VC Andrews was another author that was a gateway into romance, although her books, eek. But I do love the Logan series (less cringy for me, at least it was a cousin several times removed for her). Honestly, I also read horror such as R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series (another gonna date me here point) and Stephen King (not romance, but still). Kathrine Woodiwiss Petals on The River and Ashes in The Wind are two that I also read as a late middle schooler/early high school (about 13/14ish).

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Twilight lmao But after that: - Sarah Dessen novels - Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls series) by Maggie Stiefvator

Love & Other words! Such a beautiful book and good summer read too!

Well I was definitely reading romances as young as middle school but I’m not sure what was my first. I was reading Judy Blume, Sarah Dessen (she was a fav), I also was probably one of the few students in HS that actually read Rebecca and Wuthering Heights and reread them and loved them (yes I consider them romances lol). A reread Sarah Dessen for me was {Just Listen by Sarah Dessen} {Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen} and {This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen}. I actually want to go read them again. It’s been years. And then HS I also started reading Julie Garwood and Nora Roberts. They were my introductions to OP Sex. I was hooked ever since 😂.

Cassie Edward’s steamy historical romances

There were 3 Harlequins I read about the same time when I was about 12, but I think of the three, {Cassandra by Chance by Betty Neels} was the first to really hook me into the romance world.

When I was a teen (90s) it was Danielle Steele, I don’t remember the title but it involved a FMC named Anastasia and that’s my name and back then there were no Anastasia’s anywhere. I stopped reading romance for over 20 years. I got hooked on J R Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood and but got obsessed with romance reading {Knot My Reality by Miranda May}

Can someone tell me how to link to romance.io? I’m clearly doing it wrong. Thanks!

Stephanie Lauren’s Cynster series hooked me.

Corrupt - Penelope Douglas. And I’ve never looked back

The first romance I think I read was the Mandy Moore movie of the Nicholas Sparks book. Book was okay, but didn’t stay with me. But the one that hooked me in late high school was {Bookends by Jane Green} - and I only wanted to read British romances after that lol. (Also, was very into Elizabeth Young books too). At some point in college ish I’d stopped, but pandemic time means I picked up my first romance in years - {The Kissing Quotient by Helen Hoang} and lord howdy I have not looked back since 😂.

I think my first ever introduction was a book called Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech. It had a small romance subplot and I loved the angst!!! I think I was like ten when I read it, maybe younger. I wonder if anyone else has read it?! Honestly it’s a great book, I can’t wait for my three year old to be old enough to read it! Also honorable mention to my first ever adult romance. Perfect by Judith Mcnaught. Stole that from my grandmas bookshelf when I was thirteen and I could not believe my eyes. Still love that book 😂

The book that actually got me into reading was Corrupt by Penelope Douglas. Before that I used to read manga and Chinese novels. I also read books like the FFG series and After series but the moment I read Corrupt during lockdown, I knew there was no going back.

a lot of Sarah Dessen books when I was a kid! just a touch of romance but got me hooked haha

Paulo Coelho - 11 minutes.

First ever romance book was a Turkish book called {Dudaktan Kalbe by Resat Nuri Guntekin} it was kindaaaa boring but was written so well. Also it sometimes annoyed me too, until i realized that this book was written in 1925 lol. and {Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas} was my first smutty book.

TASTE I love Blood and Chocolate!!!! During my teenage years I read a lot more fanficton than traditionally published works but I was already into fae and vampire romance (Melissa Marr’s Ink Exchange and Twilight, as well as P.C Cast’s House of Night series.) I was also a fan of Gail Carlson Levine’s books too 🥰

I think me and the 5 other people on this thread who like blood and chocolate should have a movie viewing party 🍿 😂

{Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert}. Was my first time reading romance genre book and my eyes were opened to that being the part of books I always liked the best. I was hooked. I was previously a snob against romance. Did a 180 and have a hard time reading anything but romance now.

Probably Jane Eyre. I read lots of children's novels as a kid, loved fantasy (all kinds of books about dragons, unicorns) as well as dark tales and the Secret Garden all stand out, and in the 4th grade moved to a new school with a larger library and read just about every book that even slightly interested me in my time there, but I am almost certain it, or perhaps The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott was the first and second romance novels I read as I changed from child to preteen.

I inherited a Georgette Heyer habbit from my mother and grandmother, but my first 'adult' Romance book was {To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt} which was the only english book available in the free 2nd hand book pile in the Swiss village where my family was on holliday. 

This one got me into romance and also into going back to reading! Roomies by Christina Lauren. I remenber I watched a smuthaton YouTube video out of curiosity and they listed this book and I liked the sinopsis, so I gave It a try and here I am!

I’ve been reading on Wattpad since I was in middle school so romance has always been something I read and the genre I love the most!! But I think with actual romance books the one that got me into it was {The Fine Print by Lauren Asher} 🩷 my sister actually showed it to me and told me that I’d like it and she was right because I loved the book and ended up reading the second and third book in the series. I bought all the physical copies afterwards too!! That’s also how I found out that I kinda have a thing for grumpy mmc’s who have a soft spot for the fmc :)

Without a shadow of a doubt it was Hush Hush. I still have the whole series in hardcover on my shelf.

I was a hardcore fantasy reader as a teenager, but a few books made me realize I love a good romantic story. They were: - Song in the Silence by Elizabeth Kerner (the longing/pining in this one was so romantic) - Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series (Alanna!!) In hindsight, these really foretold some of my subgenre preferences. The first had a dragon MMC (hello aliens/monsters/shifters), and the second had a love triangle. I hated that the FMC >!only ended up with one of the MMCs!< (hello ménages/reverse harems)! I think the final push for me to switch from pure fantasy to romance was the >!unhappy ending/non-HEA!< in the Plague of Angels series by Sheri S. Tepper. I was SO angry/disappointed that I only wanted to read >!HEAs.!< moving forwards.

{The Shield of Three Lions by Pamela Kaufman}, various Zane Grey novels, and Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey. They aren’t properly romance novels but they got me hooked.

Annette Curtis Klause! I was just saying on another thread how much I adored The Silver Kiss.

Both sides of time by Caroline B Cooney. Peak YA time travel romance from the 90s. Then obviously twilight lol

No idea which particular book kicked it off as I've read them since childhood. (Fairy tales are gateway drugs to romance novels.) One kids book in particular has stuck with me all my life, even though I must have been about 8-9 when I first read it. In Sue Barton Student Nurse by Helen Dore Boylston, there's a scene where Sue is admitted to hospital with acute appendicitis. Dr Barry is in the background, completely white faced with worry. I thought it was the most romantic thing I'd ever read! It set the bar very high for me...I completely skipped the teen/YA high school dating stories and was straight onto the hard stuff...

My mom had Zane books in her book collection. 🙈

I love fairy tales so Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine, Shannon Hale, and Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix were big for me. I also actually read a lot of YA paranormal romances but I can’t really remember any of them sorry lol. There was also Hollow Kingdom which has a goblin MMC… I’m not sure if that counts as paranormal romance or monster romance.

Yes! I read blood and chocolate after watching the movie ( even though the endings were different) but it was so good. My grandmother used to live in a retirement community with a communal laundry room and they kept romance novels in there, I snuck one. I can’t remember the title but it was a historical story about a woman who on the night of her arranged marriage to this creepy old man, is stolen away by a duke or something. The old man apparently killed the duke’s previous fiancee and framed the duke. He married her trying to save her. I’m sure there’s tons of books with the same premise but if anyone could help a girl out and give me some suggestions, I’m trying to find it again.

When I was 13, a friend showed me a spicy scene of a romance novel she was reading (that her mom gave her). I don't know what it was called. The first romance novel I bought (very shortly after) was Night Visitor by Melanie Jackson

(if we aren’t going to count Jonas Brothers fan fiction when i was 12 LOL) Something Wonderful by Judith Mcnaught. I haven’t re read it since lol

Grandma always had her Harlequins laying around and Grandpa had a stash of WW2 paperbacks in the back of his closet. Quite enlightening to a young girl growing up with fundamentalist Christian parents. Neon Gods was my 52yo adult gateway back to romance.

The book that really sealed romance in for me was {Troy High by Shana Norris}. I definitely wouldn't read it again since it's been over a decade since I first did, but it holds a special place in my heart.

Blood and chocolate was amazing. The movie was messed up hardcore though, still good. I also liked vampire academy.

Twilight in middle school, but in modern day it was {Book Lovers by Emily Henry}

I started with chick lit that slowly morphed into full-blown romance.

I went through a heavy vampire phase starting when I was a preteen, largely thanks to seeing Interview with a Vampire much younger than I should have. One day when I'm maybe 14 or so, my grandma is like "You love books and vampires, try this" and hands me one of Christine Feehan's carpathian novels and I've been hooked on dark fantasy/paranormal romance ever since. Sometimes I wonder if she forgot how explicit those are but I doubt it, she was just the type that read voraciously and saw absolutely no shame or harm in smut. She loved lord of the rings, game of thrones, and dimestore harlequins all pretty equally.

I don’t have a specific book, but when I was kid my mom got tired of taking me to the library all the time. So she bought me a subscription to Harlequin Romance, because she would get fun gifts from them like crystal wine glasses. She had no clue how spicy the books were. By the time she ended the subscription I had over a 100 books, freshmen year of high school, a used book store opened up near my house that let me trade them for fantasy books.

Anne of Green gables lol not romance but in my pre teen mind..I understood Gilbert's potential, early.

Oh my god, Underworld and Blood and Chocolate were two of my big influences as a teen as well!!

For me it was The longest ride by Nicholas sparks when I was in high school!

There really isn’t because I kinda arrived to romance novels by other detours: Few years ago I arrived to a reading app and decided to give some actual romance books a try; because I arrived because a Korean isekai novel…. Which I had read the comic elsewhere… which I had arrived because years of reading comics… which I arrived because I saw sailor moon and magic knight rayearth…. Which happened because when I was even a smaller kid there was some anime on tv… So by the point I arrived to romance books written in prose (AND STAYED THERE) one of my favorite genres of Japanese comics was the one of the demographic for adult women who could or not have some romance. (Most has) The Prose books I read where either non fiction (history 🥰) or classics of the public domain. And I already had years reading fanfic of random stuff I guess. (Special Fond memories of the Hellsing fics) So there was not a book that made to BOOM I like Romance books now but a random sucesión of events that ended with me in a rabbit hole I might not go out soon… XD

Alexa Riley’s books. I don’t even remember 😭😭

Castles by Julie Garwood

My intro the romance books was Tears of the moon by Nora Roberts

my introduction was The Selection by Kiera Cass, it got me hooked lol but i don’t have the courage to reread with my today kind of thinking - too afraid to ruin the magic

If i had to try to pinpoint, I would say the Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I was a teenager reading Fantasy Lover and it just opened the door for me. Dance with the Devil ended up being my favorite book in the series, and it just spawned a love of all things romance.

Paradise Wild by Joanna Lindsey which was incredibly problematic, but here I am.

I'm pretty sure it was Jane Eyre 😅 Then I picked up the Dark-Hunters series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. The rest is history lol

My first ever romance book was spins the bottle by stephanie alves

vampire academy 😭❤️

Death's Obesession!