Hanabatake

Iris Johansen writing romance again?

I am an avid reader of romance and Iris Johansen was an author I always picked up. I even tracked down all her Loveswept novels and read them multiple times, despite (because of?) the dated romance novel tropes that are present.

But years ago, she turned to writing thrillers and I tearfully clung to her older books and her darkly brooding alpha males.

I lost all hope and stopped even looking at her books in the bookstores.

A bright red hardcover caught my eye today while Christmas browsing. Iris Johansen is revisiting her roots and has written a sequel to one of her last romance novels, The Lion’s Bride. She continues the story in The Treasure, which takes place a few years after the events of the Lion’s Bride.

I wonder about it. I mean, Julie Garwood took a break from her contemporary triller-romances to write a historical. (Her The Gift was my first romance novel.)

I think it’s nice, since loyal readers can pick these new novels up (but in HARDCOVER?!?). I know I’m not the only reader who didn’t care for her new direction. Iris Johansen has a large fanbase, but it’s nice that her romance-genre fans can pick up this new story.

I’m not sure if I will pick up a hardcover, but I’ll be sure to read it. In fact, I’m looking forward to it.