The other day I was at Value Village with my sister. She was off looking for jeans, so I wandered into the book section and started browsing–and I came across the very first Blaze I ever read. Pure Temptation by Vicki Lewis Thompson. It was a festivus miracle! I’d been thinking about that story a few months ago, and couldn’t remember the title, the author, or the names of the characters. And there I am, at a used clothing store, and I find a copy of it.
I was a huge fan of Temptation and VLT’s books were always a favourite, especially the Three Cowboys and a Baby series (side note–thank you, Brenda, for finally helping me find out who the daddy was!). Anyway, when Temptation started coming out with the Blaze mini-series, I always thought it would be awesome if Blaze was its own line. There was just something so delicious about the Blaze stories. They were hot, definitely sexier, but still had those same romancey elements I loved about Temptation.
So after I discovered Pure Temptation at the store, I tried to think about the first Blaze (a non-Temptation Blaze) I ever read, and yet again I could totally remember the story but not the author. But I did remember a character name–Eden. And I remembered she was a bad girl. A quick Google search revealed I was thinking about The Pleasure Principle by Kimberly Raye. So now I have to track down that darn story used because I remember how much I loved it!
It’s weird how I can remember the plots of books I read so many years ago, but that goes to show that Blaze isn’t a line you can easily forget! Some of the stories have stayed with me for years, and it’s so cool to see how far the line has come since it first came out as a miniseries for Temptation.
So, question–who remembers the first category novel they read? And what do you love most about the Blaze line? Did you read Temptation and miss it as much as I do?
Oh, and finally–Happy holidays to everyone!
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I started reading the Desire series. The very first book I bought was The Daddy Salute by Maureen Child. It was one of the books in her Bachlor Battalion series, all books about hot Marines, and since I am married to a hot Marine the books caught my attention. Since then I have read over 40 of Maureens book and have made it my mission to get the rest of her books and read them, lol! As for Blaze the first Blaze book I ever read was Basic Training by Julie Miller. Again about a hot Marine, lol. Since that book I have read over a hundred other Blaze books and love them all! I never did read the Temptation books, but if I come across any on one of my trips to the used book store I will have to pick them up. I do have a list of over 80 old books by my favorite authors that I am working on getting, LOL, most of them Blaze authors I have fallen in love with.
Have a wonderful Holiday!! (*)
I have no idea what the first category romance I read was; it was way too long ago. But the first one to make a significant impression on me was The Ivory Key by Rita Clay Estrada (a Temptation). My mother read it first, then handed it to me and said, “Read this one.” I asked her what it was about, but all she would say is, “Read it.” Since she had never before recommended a book to me, I read it immediately. Holy cow! Nearly 20 years later that book remains burned into my memory.
The first Blaze I read was Kathleen O’Reilly’s Sex, Straight Up. I read the review at AAR, and it sounded up my alley, so I read the book, loved it, and then went on a major glomming spree — not just of O’Reilly, but of a lot of Blazes.
And yes, I still miss the Temptation line. Why can’t we have both the Temptation and Blaze lines?
Hi Elle, I actually cut my romance reading teeth on Mills & Boone. I grew up in Jamaica WI and that is what my mother read. I was a big Betty Neele and Anne Mather fan, then once I got older I got into the Presents, which feature Penny Jordan, Margaret Way, Diana Palmer, etc. I have been reading them ever since.
The first book I ever read even close to the Blaze line was What’s Your Pleasure by Julie Elizabeth Leto. I feel in love with her then, and all other Blazes to come. Then my aunt gave me some of her Temptation, which included Leslie Kelly’s Trick Me, Treat Me; Wicked & Willing and Two to Tangle. I was hooked since then. It wasn’t until Jules explained that Temptation Heat was the precursor to Blaze that it made sense to me. So, in essence, I have loved Blazes for a long time. Now, it is very difficult to choose just one particular line, so I just read them all.
Katie Mack, I passed on Kathleen’s book, but I kick myself everytime because I have the other two, and I am having the darnedest (sp?) finding Sex, Straight Up again. She is a great writer too.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Paula — Thriftbooks.com has 17 copies of Sex, Straight Up in stock. http://www.thriftbooks.com/viewDetails.aspx?ISBN=0373793928
Happy reading!
Thank you very much Katie Mack. I have gotten stuff from them before.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Hi Katie Mack, I discovered that I do have Sex, Straight Up when I looked at the cover. It was Shaken and Stirred that I was missing, the first book in that series. I got it now though, and I got an email saying that it is winging its way to me right now. Thank you very much for the link. I was able to buy some of my other misses too.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
The First book I read was a Love Inspired, And Baby Makes Five be Debra Clopton. The first Blaze I read was Private Confessions by Lori Borrill.
First series romance was Harlequin Romance : The Wool King by Kerry Allyne from 1978! First Blaze was Daring in the Dark by Jennifer LaBrecque. I loved it and then I bought the whole series. (Yes, I own every Blaze ever written and many , many Temptations too). I was a Temptation reader in the day and I am sorry they are gone. I miss them too. I got hooked on Blaze a little late but it is my favorite romance series line. Great authors (many from the Temptation line) great plots and characters with meaningful passion.
First romance series was a Harlequin Romance: The Wool King by Kerry Allyne in 1978. My first Blaze was Daring on the Dark by Jennifer LaBrecque. I was also a big Temptation fan and I miss them too. Many of their authors write for Blaze now. I like Blaze books because they have great plots and meaningful passion. Temptations were fun and sexy stories. I really think there is room for both lines still. Harlequin could put of 4 books from both lines each month. I know I would buy them all!