Do you have “keepers”? Those books you’ve read over and over again, so much so, that the covers are dog-eared or falling off? Ahem, some of us still read paper backs and hard covers.
I have “keepers”, my “go-to” books for when I need a quick pick-me-up. I know the books inside out because I’ve read them so many times, so I just go to my favourite scenes. Some of my keepers are: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas, Duchess by Night by Eloisa James, Bet Me by Jenny Crusie and of course – the entire Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn.
Here’s a scene from one of my “keeper” Scottish medieval romances, Ransom, by Julie Garwood. (1999) The hero, Brodick is a highlander and the heroine, Gillian is a proper English lady. In this scene they have just been married and she’s asking him about his home:
He was humbled by her faith and love. “Now that I’m married, I’ll have to make some changes,” he remarked.
“Such as?”
“You’ll probably want a home.”
“You don’t have a home now?”
“No.”
“Where do you sleep?” she asked, trying not to sound appalled.
“On the ground. I much prefer it to a soft bed.”
“But what do you do when it rains?”
“I get wet.”
The first time I read that scene, I burst out laughing. Brodick and Gillian have such a vibrant chemistry, with lots of humour. I still laugh when I read it. Even after fifteen years, the hero and heroine of Ransom are still alive and well and their story is still as funny and sweet as it was when I first read it. That’s why I go back to those scenes. Because they still evoke that “happy place” feeling I got the first time I read the book. In fact, now it’s like the warm glow you feel when visiting an old friend. And that’s what “keepers” are. Wonderful old friends, that never let you down. They are always there to make you smile.
If you’re interested in some possible keepers of your own, check out our Lachesis Publishing authors.
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Joanna D’Angelo is Editor in Chief at Lachesis Publishing Inc. She loves Cinnamon Dolce Lattes, a good story, and her old paperbacks.
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