Get Lost in a Romantic Comedy Book

Sometimes you need to escape in a funny, light-hearted book without the angst. The world news is getting the better of your peace of mind and you don’t want any more dark, tragic reads. So, it’s time to turn to romantic comedy. The only problem is, the best romcom books can be hard to find. 

When is a romcom not a romcom? When it’s labelled as chick lit, women’s fiction or a romance novel, of course. It doesn’t really matter what category or genre it’s labelled under, in my humble opinion, if it has these essential elements:

-   At least one main character who is ‘played for laughs’ with a funny voice, witty dialogue or hilarious internal monologue

-   A central romance or love story (other stuff can also be happening)

-   A happy ever after (HEA) or happy for now (HFN) ending – ‘everybody dies’ books are not welcome here…

Wacky plot details and accidental misunderstandings are entirely optional! So without further ado, here’s a few of my favourite romcom books, or whatever you want to call them.

Marriage of Inconvenience by Penny Reid

 

Penny Reid has become one of my favourite romantic comedy authors over the past year or so. I stumbled across recommendations of her writing from a few sources, including the fabulous Kylie Scott, so I thought I was on a winner. This book is the last (probably?) in the outstanding Knitting in the City series. I have been hanging out to read this one, so much that I tried to pre-order it twice. Take my money, Ms Reid!

Anyhow, Marriage of Inconvenience is the story of Kat and Dan, secondary characters in some of the previous stories. Kat is a secret heiress to a big pharma company and Dan The Security Man is well, a security man! It’s an opposites attract set-up with characters from two different worlds who nonetheless have a real connection from the first time they see each other. Kat has to marry Dan to secure her company and her freedom, fighting off her terrible cousin who’s just after the family fortune. 

If you’re new to the Knitting in the City series, I recommend starting with Neanderthal Seeks Human. You’re in for a treat reading about brilliant and eccentric Janie, purveyor of useless but fascinating facts. 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

I read this one a few months ago and absolutely loved it. The Hating Game is the debut novel from Australian author, Sally Thorne, and she absolutely nails the enemies to lovers trope. It’s very funny, from the moment the two lead characters appear on the page, glaring at each other across the partitions in their fictional publishing office. 

The white water rafting, corporate team-building scene is particularly memorable in a cringe-worthy 'how embarrassing' way. Highly recommended! I can't wait for her next book...

Playing House by Amy Andrews

 

This is an unusual Aussie choice from one of my favourite authors, Amy Andrews (who I’ve shamelessly fan-girled at the Romance Writers of Australia conference more than once). 

Playing House is the latest instalment in a series of romantic comedies set in the world of Australian rugby. I absolutely adore her writing, which is both super funny and super sexy. Playing House has a wonderful blend of light-hearted humour around a virgin heroine with a Mr Darcy fixation, a one-night stand and a best friend’s brother trope, and more serious issues which totally snuck up on me -- yes, I cried when reading this one. You have been warned! 

Don’t be put off if you’re not a fan of sports-themed books or if you don’t really know anything about rugby (Who does? Not this little red hen!) because this is all about the tough guy heroes who have it all in a wordly sort of way, with fame and fortune, but who need love in their lives. The interconnected stories are great fun and easy reading, but start with Playing By Her Rules if you want to read the entire series. 

Content warning: this book contains a pregnancy loss/miscarriage that may be difficult reading for some. 

**NEWS FLASH** -- Amy Andrews has just been announced as a double RITA Award finalist! Congratulations, Amy!

Lingerie Wars by Janet Elizabeth Henderson 

 

An ex special forces operative, Lake Benson, buys a lingerie shop in a remote Scottish town. Because of course he does! There’s a goregeous ex-lingerie model to compete against, and tactics get dirty. I love all the wacky characters in the town who add a great fun element to this book. There are tartan undies and a hilarious fashion show attended by the whole town. 

I’m going to continue reading this whole series by New Zealander (from a Scottish background) Ms Henderson, and I’m really looking forward to it. 

Girl on a Plane by Cassandra O'Leary

 

Yes, I included my own book. Shameless self-promotion alert! I've been inspired by many awesome chick lit and romance writers and of course, romcom movies. There are quite a few references to these in Girl on a Plane. Careful readers will spot the When Harry Met Sally and Love Actually references, but can you spot more? 

I loved playing with the balance of humour and emotion in this book, and also the themes of travel and finding home. My Irish flight attendant character, Sinead, is played for laughs. Mostly. Aye, there's a bit of the craick. And some sexytimes. 

Romcoms to be read...

I've got a huge To Be Read list already, but let me know your romcom recommendations in the comments below!

About Cassandra O'Leary

**Winner of the global We Heart New Talent contest run by HarperCollins UK. Nominated for BEST NEW AUTHOR in AusRomToday 2016 Reader's Choice Awards for excellence in Australian romance fiction**

Cassandra O’Leary is a romance and women’s fiction author, communications specialist, avid reader, film and TV fangirl and admirer of pretty, shiny things. Her debut novel, Girl on a Plane, was published in July 2016. 

Cassandra is a mother of two gorgeous, high-energy mini ninjas and wife to a spunky superhero. Living in Melbourne, Australia, she’s also travelled the world. If you want to send her to Italy or Spain on any food or wine tasting ‘research’ trips, that would be splendiferous. 

Read more or sign-up for Cassandra's newsletter at cassandraolearyauthor.com

Love Gone Wild Down Under! by Cassandra O'Leary

I’m a new Genre-ista and I’m so pleased to be joining the blog this month with a round-up of happenings in Australia. A little about me: I’m a romcom and women’s fiction author, and my first novel, Girl on a Plane, was published by Avon Books/HarperCollins UK in 2016 after I won the We Heart New Talent writing contest. I love coffee, wine, movies, and hanging with my two little boys (and one big boy).

From 11-13 August I was lucky enough to attend the Love Gone Wild conference run by Romance Writers of Australia in Brisbane. I don’t think I’d be underestimating if I said the effect of the weather on my mood was magical. Goodbye, frosty Melbourne! Hello, sunny Brisbane! It’s winter in Australia, but I don’t think anyone told Brisbane.

As soon as I arrived on the Friday afternoon, I shucked off the multiple layers of Melbourne clothes and enjoyed the sunshine and 28 degree C temperature. And the super swish room at the luxury Pullman Hotel and my two fun room mates didn’t hurt either.



My attempt at a 'boudoir' photo in the fancy room at the Pullman Hotel, Brisbane. 

Love Gone Wild cocktail party

Then it was a chance to get ready for the Love Gone Wild cocktail party, a costume or fancy dress event that’s always a hoot! It was amazing to see some of the wild animals let loose. Check out the pictures below, I’m sure you’ll see what I mean!



My author friends Stefanie London, megastar USA Today bestselling author, and Lauren James (a former Genre-ista) on the prowl, looking like the pussycats they are.

Authors were mingling with each other, some unrecognisable in animal onesies and body paint. Another bestselling author, Amy Andrews, was looking fierce as a tiger! But she didn’t scare me...



Me and Amy Andrews, who actually had sequins glued to her face, no joke!

Business Hub

Over the next two days I set about learning lots of new information from the fantastic guest speakers in the new Business Hub stream. This was a new concept for the RWAus conference and a popular one. Whether authors are thinking of self-publishing or simply want learning more about online promotion, there was valuable information for everyone.

The content from Google, Draft2Digital and iBooks left my head spinning…but in a good way. I came away with heaps of things to research and study. I’m looking forward to implementing some digital marketing and promotional ideas over the next few months.

Top Tips from Google at RWAus

• Visit the Google self-study site named Digital Garage. 
• Videos and tutorials can help you learn about Google AdWords (advertising on Google and across the web) and Google Analytics (analysis of statistics about your website). 
• Improve your discoverability by being 'everywhere' online. Try creating a Wikipedia listing for yourself, guest posting on blogs, etc. 
• Make sure your author website is mobile ready. Try running your author website through Test My Site. It checks your website's download speed plus it offers suggestions for improvements. Handy!

There was a lot of talk in general about the growth of mobile devices and phones for reading, so this information was very useful.

Awards Dinner and Butterfly Ball

The Awards Dinner and Butterfly Ball on Saturday night was a great chance for all the authors, publishers and other industry guests to eat, drink and be merry, just for a change. :)

Later we got to shake our tail feathers, at the Escape Publishing after party following the formal awards. The soundtrack rocked, with Love Cats and Eye of the Tiger and all other animal themed songs making an appearance.



My friend Savannah Blaize and me all glam at the Awards Dinner. 

The RuBY Award Winners

The Romantic Book of the Year or RuBY Awards are the biggest on the Romance Writers of Australia calendar. This makes up the formal part of the evening, when awards are presented to finalists and winners across many different categories, from Aspiring and Emerging awards to the books judged most outstanding by an expert panel of industry experts. 

Congratulations to the winners and so many talented authors who were nominated. I was just so excited to be there, cheering on some outstanding writers.

For RuBY Award winner Amy Andrews, the honour was special because she shared it with her sister, Ros Baxter, as they were co-authors of the winning Romantic Elements book, Numbered.

"Winning a RuBY is such an incredibly special experience. To share that accolade with your sister and fabulous co-author? That is the cherry on top! Being together at the awards gala when our names were read out is something I'll never forget," said Amy Andrews.

Amy Andrews and Ros Baxter with their RuBY Award for Numbered.



Avril Tremayne, winner of the Long Romance and Romantic Book of the Year awards.

The big winner for the evening was Avril Tremayne, whose book Escaping Mr Right, won both the Long Romance category and the overall Romantic Book of the Year. I loved this book, so I was so glad Avril was recognised with the awards.

"I occupied myself during the early part of RuBY night with trying out my 'I'm ridiculously ecstatic even though I didn't win' face on whoever would let me - not joking! Being a finalist alongside some seriously wow-calibre authors was humbling in the extreme. I have no idea what I actually looked like when Escaping Mr Right not only got the gong for long romance but was also named Romantic Book of the Year, but I'm guessing 'stunned' mullet' might be close to the mark!" said Avril Tremayne.

At my table of Melbourne Romance Writers Guild members, we were so excited for one of our group, Miranda Morgan, who finalled in several emerging author contests and won the Ripping Start contest. According to Miranda, she made a plan and stuck to it throughout the year, aiming for writing contest success. 

"At last year's awards dinner I sat in awe as several of my amazing writing friends and critique partners accepted awards. Perhaps it was the wine, or the glittery dresses and low lighting, (did I mention the wine) but I realised that I really wanted to be part of it all. There is no better feeling than standing amongst your peers and to receive validation that you're at least on the right track," said Miranda Morgan.

Miranda Morgan and fellow award nominee from the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild, Janis Linford.

Networking like a #LoveArmy

Most of all, the conference was a chance to network with like-minded romanciers, the fabulous (mostly) women writers who focus on the positive, the good, the love in the world. Something we all need right now. Someone on Facebook mentioned that Romance Writers of Australia is like an army of love. I totally agree and propose we all need #LoveArmy buttons.

Special mention to Marion Lennox

The keynote speaker on Saturday morning of the conference, and recipient of the RWAus lifetime achievement award, was the amazing Marion Lennox. Marion has written and published an astounding 115 books and was a truly inspirational speaker. She spoke about the need to find your magic as a writer, the thing that makes you truly happy, which resonated with everyone.

I also loved her tip about buying special writing boots with heat pads for writing in the cold weather. Tax deductible too!

If you’d like to see more RWAus conference photos, please hop across to my blog with lots more photos, or check out my Instagram feed. The hashtag is #rwaus17 if you’d like to take a look.

ENTANGLED PUBLISHING'S Baby It's Cold Outside Anthology and Holiday In Crimson by Patricia Rosemoor

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 We asked the authors of Entangled Publishing's holiday anthology what they enjoyed most about contributing to Baby, It's Cold Outside - and we asked them for blurbs of their stories.

Their answers follow, and then our Entangled Holiday Weekend ends with a post by Patricia Rosemoor about her holiday novel, Holiday in Crimson. Enjoy!

 

Aimee Carson

Aimee Carson

The BEST thing about writing for this anthology was tossing around ideas with my fabulous fellow authors, Amy Andrews, Heidi Rice, and Kate Hardy. Writing is such a solitary endeavor and it was an absolute pleasure to have company along the way!

Tis the Season to be Tempted

After the worst year ever, including divorcing her cheating, rock star of a husband, free-spirited Evie Lee rings in the New Year alone, swearing off men forever. With her parent’s upcoming thirtieth wedding anniversary, on New Year’s Day she has no choice but to battle her fear of flying and climb on a plane to travel home.  Things get complicated when her brother’s childhood friend, the perfect man with the perfect life, Wes Campbell, winds up on the same plane. She’s determined to ignore him. He’s determined not to take her seriously.  But when a snowstorm traps them at the airport with no way to finish their commute, his perfect body is tempting her to break her vow and expand her horizons—if only for one hot night!

Wes Campbell is famous for always doing the right thing. His years of sacrifice have earned him an enormously successful business, a divorce, and a past that included resisting his fascination with his best friend’s little sister. After ten years running into Evie Lee again is torture. He’s determined to continue his hands-off attitude. But with only one hotel room left, chivalry demands he offer Evie a place to crash for the night. Unfortunately, he wasn’t counting on the little hellion’s infectious smile, her killer body, and the hint of vulnerability in her eyes. Worst of all, she appears determined to change his mind about her. And, for the first time in his life, Wes is tempted to do the wrong thing…

Amy Andrews

Amy Andrews

The best thing about writing this holiday anthology for Entangled (apart from working with my three fab co-authors) has been the complete novelty of a snowy Christmas. You see, in my part of the world, Christmas is very different to log fires and sleigh bells. Here, in Australia, it’s usually stinking hot and we spend all day either indoors with the air-con set to freeze or lolling around the pool trying to stay afloat with three kilos of turkey and a hefty dose of pudding weighing us down!

When I was a kid – well actually even as an adult – my favourite Christmas cards were the ones with snowy scenes. Fields sprinkled with powdery white, gingerbread houses dripping thick coats of snow from the eves, a sleigh being pulled by liveried horses tinkling their away across a frosty frozen lake. Sigh…to a girl from the tropics those scenes could have been set on Mars they were so removed from my life experience. But, as a writer, I get to go to different worlds and it was fun being in that Vermont cabin with the snow bucketing down, drinking eggnog and hearing the crackle and pop of the fire in the hearth.

I shall think of it with fondness as I dive into my pool this Christmas Day!

Tis The Season to be Kissed

Thirty year old Tamara Green unexpectedly finds herself snowed in at her friend’s family cabin in Vermont on NYE. Depressed and freezing, she puts on all the clothes in her bag and tucks into the eggnog to keep warm. When she attacks an intruder with a golf club she has no idea it’s her friend’s younger brother - Sgt Luke Jackson – who’s on his way back home from his second tour of Afghanistan.  Slightly inebriated at nine in the morning Tamara is mortified. But with loosened lips she not only goes on to confess the sad state of her love life and her self-enforced year-long celibacy but strips off most of her clothes as Luke gets the fire going. 

Things start to hot up - in more ways than one.  Luke is attracted to the cute little pixie rugged up like an Eskimo who defended his family’s cabin and he’s determined that their NYE shouldn’t go to waste. Perhaps he could steal a NYE kiss? But Tamara has a 10 date rule before she allows such liberties so with 15 hours to go before the ball drops Luke sets out to woo her with a range of dates from a trip to Hawaii to a game of strip scrabble.

And when the clock strikes midnight, Luke and Tamara set off some fireworks of their own!

Kate Hardy

Kate Hardy 
I think the best thing about writing a holiday-themed novella had to be liaising with three other authors who are good friends, brainstorming the ideas and planning who was going to do what. It's such fun working as a team. And, as I'm a bit of a Method Author, I also had great fun making the gingerbread from my novella (and my family definitely enjoyed eating it!).

Tis the Season to Kiss Santa

 With the help of a sprig of mistletoe and some snow angels, a recently single pastry chef teaches a highly successful and sexy Scrooge the true meaning of the holidays on a snowy Christmas Eve that quickly heats up.

Heidi Rice

Heidi Rice

Easily the best thing about writing Tis the Season to Go Shopping was getting to brainstorm with my three fabulous writing friends Amy Andrews, Aimee Carson and Kate Hardy. We pinged emails back and forth between Oz, the US and the UK coming up with the snowed-in theme together then had a ball trying out story ideas, thinking up titles and then pitching it to Entangled. And the icing on the cake? Reading the other stories in the anthology and getting that lovely sexy, seasonal, snowed-in feeling in August! I am so ahead-of-the-game with Christmas this year now. That said, I haven't done my Christmas shopping yet. Ironic, huh?

Tis the Season to Go Shopping

Unlucky-in-love department store marketing manager Kate Braithwaite really doesn’t think her Christmas could get any suckier after being dumped via email on Christmas Eve. Until a trip into work on Christmas Day leaves her snowbound in the deserted Fifth Avenue department store with her boss’s far-too-tempting playboy son Ryder Sinclair. 

Ryder’s rugged, reckless and none too pleased to be stuck in a place he hates with an uptight workaholic like Kate. But as the night draws on, the lights go out and the temperature rises, until they’re both wondering is this the season to get lucky?

You can find Baby It's Cold Outside at Entangled Publishing

Holiday In Crimson by Patricia Rosemoor

Patricia Rosemoor

As a child, I lived in the far reaches of the city, then in the suburbs of Chicago. I didn’t know much about the downtown area, nearly twenty miles away by electric train, except that I always looked forward to my infrequent trips there. My mom treated me every holiday, taking me downtown to see the Christmas windows of the department stores. My favorites were always the windows of the iconic Marshall Field’s (now Macys) on State Street.

That’s why I used Marshall Fields as the model for Westbrook, the main setting for HOLIDAY IN CRIMSON and NIGHTMARE IN CRIMSON, the related holiday romantic suspense novels from Entangled Publishing for their Dead Sexy line.

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About HOLIDAY IN CRIMSON:

Westbrook Department Store's Christmas party wasn't that wild--until, that is, Santa ended up dead. Now window designer Shelby Corbin is the prime suspect in his murder, and the holidays are anything but festive. If Shelby doesn't figure out who killed Santa, she'll be ringing in the new year behind bars.

Westbrook's impossibly sexy co-owner and CEO Rand McNabb's romantic attentions both thrill and frighten Shelby. But is he really helping her search for the truth about that fatal night? Or does Rand have a deadlier motive for courting the only possible witness to the crime...?

In thinking about a holiday romantic mystery, I knew I wanted to use a department store like the one I loved as a child. I wanted to involve the Christmas windows. And I wanted the murder victim to be Santa Claus. No, wait! Not the realSanta. The department store one. Rather the one dressed as Santa for the annual Christmas party. Okay, so I have a bizarre sense of humor.

Part of me is in my heroine Shelby. TheYay! It’s Christmas! part. From the time I moved out on my own until we learned my late husband was ill, I had an annual Christmas tree-trimming party. I made dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies and gave most of them away I collected a new special Christmas ornament every year, just as Shelby does, so I could experience my holiday history every time I looked at the tree.

Because I always loved Christmas, I enjoyed creating this intricately plotted romantic mystery. A fun task, and a fun story, one I hope readers will make readers smile.

With more than 90 novels and seven million books in print, Patricia Rosemoor is fascinated with "dangerous love" – combining romance with danger. She has written various forms of romantic and paranormal romantic thrillers, even romantic horror, bringing a different mix of thrills and chills. Patricia has won a Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America and two Reviewers Choice and two Career Achievement Awards from RT BOOKreviews, and in her other life, she teaches Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing, credit courses at Columbia College Chicago.

You'll find Holiday in Crimson at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

You’ll find Patricia at http://PatriciaRosemoor.com   

or on FACEBOOK