Thank you to all who voted in the AAR Top 100 Romances poll. This is a reader determined poll and we are thrilled so many participated. Later this week, we will be releasing the Top 100 Romances list which will NOT be ranked. Today, we share the Top Ten Romances which are ranked.
The list is a love letter to historical romances. That genre has long been the favorite at AAR and the voting reflected this. Out of the Top 100 Romances picked in the overall poll, 70% are historical romances. They are what our readers love.
This year we have TWO Top Ten lists. One is the ten books that got the most votes. This is the way that, in previous years, we picked the Top Ten. The other is the ten books readers picked as the Top Ten romances–these are books that readers felt belonged at the top of the romance cannon. There is overlap between the two lists but they are different.
The ten books picked as the ten romances that are the pinnacle of the genre are, in order of votes received:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley
The ten books that got the most votes, in order of votes received, are:
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase
Again, thanks to all who voted.
Well done and a sad goodbye to the group. I’ve read every one of these and all are worthy……..however lots of other worthy titles are still out there. I did figure out that one Ten list came from the dedicated Top Ten list and the other was the leaders of the Top 100. The entire contest brought back memories of great romances and a desire to get back into rereading. I did miss seeing my Georgette Heyer favorite (Venetia), any Carla Kelly (Mrs. Drew Plays her Hand), and any Anne Mallory (One Night is Never Enough) . Each of them a fabulous wordsmith. But, hey, there was an embarrassment of riches.
Thanks, AAR, for years of wonderful reading and goodbye to Caz, Dabney, and Lisolette (who recommended Eva Ibbotson and many others)
I too am very sad about the closing–in some ways–of AAR. I feel as if the romance world has lost something that they will miss.
Bye Trish, big hug!
Thanks! I’ve always enjoyed your recommendations. All the best to you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It’s sad to see you going, but certainly you are leaving in style! I’ve read and reviewed all of those titles, and they are very good novels. It’s clear that they are the favourite of many people. And that gives me hope.
Hope that there are still readers out there that enjoy a well-written love story with a happy ending.
This is a love letter to a genre in general and to historical romance in particular.
Yes, they are not my top ten and I’d have liked more variety in names and genres BUT —But that’s the point, not to be the top ten of ONE person but of a whole community saying ‘these novels are worthy of your time and money, these are books that you will enjoy reading’. If that’s the message we are sending, I agree with that.
Again and again, thank you very much for all your hard work.
I think you will be happy with the Top 100. The canon is, by definition, the classics.
I love Lord of Scoundrels, Devil in Winter and What I Did for a Duke; I consider them some of the best that the genre has to offer. But I’m definitely surprised to see they got more votes than Flowers from the Storm, I would have assumed the reverse would be the case. AAR reader polls always have interesting results, tis sad indeed that this is the very last one.
I too would pick Flowers from the Storm over those other stellar reads. And I think Kinsale is a more challenging read which maybe means she’s a little less popular.
I’ve read most of these and loved them. I hope Lisa Kleypas sees these results – three of the top 10 vote getters are hers. I think this shows the respect and admiration historical romance readers have for her work. I do hope she’s at work on a new book – I’ve missed her! And I will miss AAR very much. You’ve been my go-to for reviews for many years. I have been introduced to several “new to me” authors through you and have always appreciated your civil and educated discourse. i don’t know where – or if- I will be able to find that elsewhere. I wish Dabney, Caz, Lisa and all the other reviewers the very best.
Thank you!
And, coming in October:
https://amzn.to/4lKZxQO
Thanks for the info. The description sounds like a departure from historical romance, though. But it’s Lisa Kleypas, so I will be reading it