Mutual Attractions: Julia Quinn's Favorite Romances

In the first installment of Avon Books and Powell's Books Mutual Attractions series, long-time resident of the Pacific Northwest and one of the most beloved names in Romance, Julia Quinn (her newest, The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy, is out now!), shares a selection of her favorite Romances. Whether you love the genre or are new to it, you're bound to find something steamy to love on this list.

Something New: Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare

You know you're a true bibliophile if you feel giddy when you get to read a book before it goes on sale. So when Say Yes to the Marquess landed in my inbox last Thanksgiving (a full month before it reached bookstores)... well, let's just say I let out a squeal worthy of any true fangirl. And, as usual, Tessa Dare did not disappoint.

Clio Whitmore made the match of the decade when she was betrothed at the age of 17 to Piers Brandon, the heir to the Marquess of Granville. Problem is, now she's 25 and he still hasn't married her. A rising superstar in the field of diplomacy, Piers has been dashing about Europe, doing all sorts of important things while Clio waits. And waits.

And waits.

When Clio unexpectedly inherits a castle, she decides she's sick of being a laughingstock, and she asks Piers's younger brother Rafe to sign the papers that will dissolve the engagement. After years of trying — and failing — to meet his father's exacting standards, Lord Rafe Brandon has turned his back on society and become a hardened rake and champion prizefighter. He has no intention of letting Clio back out of her engagement, and with Piers due to finally return home, Rafe vows that the wedding will proceed as scheduled — even if he must plan it himself!

I adore Clio, with her common sense and determination to finally take charge of her life. And Rafe... oh, Rafe... he's strong and he's principled and he's so determined to do the right thing even as he's falling in love with his brother's fiancée. If you can finish Say Yes to the Marquess without falling in love with Rafe... No, scratch that. You can't finish this book without falling in love with Rafe. It simply isn't possible.

Recommended Read: The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long

There are a lot of romances in which the hero saves the heroine from a dire fate, and there are quite a few in which the heroine saves herself. But I love it when the heroine kicks some you-know-what and saves the hero. In The Perils of Pleasure, Madeleine Greenway does just that, rescuing the dashing (and wrongfully convicted) Colin Eversea from the hangman's noose with only moments to spare.

I am a huge fan of Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Green series, which follows the lives of the Eversea and Redmond families. You could pick up any of her books and be immediately swept away, but if you'd like to start at the beginning, go with The Perils of Pleasure. Long's books are always fiercely witty and intelligent, and her heroes are beyond swoon-worthy.

New Discovery: Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

While Chase's Lord of Scoundrels is often cited as the finest historical romance of all time, I have developed a soft spot for her lesser-known Mr. Impossible. Rupert Carsington, the honorable but reckless fourth son of the Earl of Hargate, has been shipped off to Egypt by his father in an attempt to keep him out of trouble. Rupert being Rupert, however, trouble is the first thing that finds him. When he witnesses a soldier beating an unarmed man, he immediately behaves honorably (and recklessly) and intercedes, earning himself a spot in Cairo's deepest dungeon for his trouble.

Daphne Pembroke is a brilliant linguist in a time that doesn't respect — or really even recognize — female intelligence, and so she has been forced to let her brother Miles have all the glory for her recent triumphs in the field of hieroglyphics. When Miles is kidnapped, she turns to the British consul for help, and they respond by giving her Rupert. She thinks he's a brave but brainless fool, which suits her just fine. She has intelligence enough for the both of them.

But Rupert is far from stupid. Rather, he knows how to see the humor in life, and he doesn't overthink things. He is a man of action, and he and Daphne are perfect complements to one another as they journey through Egypt in search of her brother. And I love love love how much Rupert adores Daphne's "huge brain." He is not threatened by her intelligence, and as any smart woman knows, a confident man is sexy as hell.

Desert Island Keeper: A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

Anna Grazinsky is a young Russian noble who is forced to flee her home after her father is killed in the Russian revolution. She makes her way to England with her mother and brother, but they are left penniless after a trusted servant absconds with the few jewels they had managed to take with them. Determined to do her share, Anna takes a job as a housemaid for the Earl of Westholme, but she keeps her identity a secret. She knows that she will never get a job if people know she is related to royalty. And more importantly, her earnings are enabling her brother to continue his education, and she knows he will be horrified if he learns that she has entered service.

When the young and handsome earl returns from World War I, he, too, is intrigued, but he is engaged to another — the beautiful but mean-spirited Muriel Hardwicke. As Muriel's true nature reveals itself (she is, among other things, a fervent supporter of the study of eugenics), the earl begins to regret his proposal, but he is too much of a gentleman to jilt a lady so close to the wedding. And sadly, he needs the money that Muriel will bring to the marriage; his father's demise has left him with a crippling tax bill. But he's falling in love with Anna, and everyone seems to know it...

There is something truly magical about Ibbotson's writing, and the reader is swept along as if in a fairy tale. Except it's not a fairy tale. The details are too gritty, the pain of the characters too real. It's an enchanting read, though, and oh so romantic. This classic by Eva Ibbotson was originally released as a novel for adults, but the romance is quite chaste, so it's perfect for teens as well.