bad guys, good sex, true love

my (current) favorite romantic suspense novels

Romantic suspense is an entertaining genre—in a great romantic suspense book, there’s a fabulous romance and a compelling mystery/suspense as well. It’s two for one! I prefer books that balance each of those pieces equally—I want there to be as much romance/sex as there is mystery/suspense. I added in the sex component, because, in general, that’s something I look for in romantic suspense. The vast majority are set in modern times and there’s just no reason the heroine and hero shouldn’t be able to get down and dirty whilst trying to trap the bad guys.

I’ve probably read somewhere between 100 and 150 romantic suspense novels in the past five years. Of those, this list comprises my favorite 25. I love Anne Stuart’s Ice series and much of Shannon McKenna’s McClouds and Friends series. I’m also a fan of Pamela Clare—her I-Team books have gripping suspense plots and her macho heroes can be hot as hell.  I put Heat in here because I’m not sure where else I’d put it. I don’t read paranormal and I see Heat as a paranormal romantic suspense. It’s my list and I can do what I want, right?

These are my current favorites, published between 1992 and today. This is a list that, as I read more romantic suspense, will grow and I will add to it as it does. Happy reading!

Anne Stuart	Black Ice
Anne Stuart	Cold as Ice
Anne Stuart	Ice Blue
Anne Stuart	Fire and Ice
Beth Kery	Sweet Restraint
Beth Kery	Explosive
Cynthia Eden	Deadly Heat
Linda Howard	Death Angel: A Novel
Lisa Marie Rice	Midnight Man
Lisa Marie Rice	Midnight Run
Nora Roberts	Honest Illusions
Pamela Clare	Hard Evidence
Pamela Clare	Unlawful Contact
Pamela Clare	Breaking Point
R. Lee Smith	Heat
Roxanne St. Claire	Edge of Sight
Shannon McKenna	Behind Closed Doors
Shannon McKenna	Extreme Danger
Shannon McKenna	Ultimate Weapon
Shannon McKenna	Blood and Fire
Susan Andersen	Be My Baby
Susan Sey	Money, Honey
Susan Sey	Money Shot
Suzanne Brockmann	The Unsung Hero
Toni Anderson	Sea of Suspicion