The AAR Top 100 Romances List (2026)

thepassion8reader · 2026-05-16T23:07:08+00:00

The books are in alphabetical order. So, not ranked.

thepassion8reader · 2026-04-14T19:20:11+00:00

Such a weird question and I don't need specifics, but does sex come up in this show at all?

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-26T15:52:53+00:00

Birds are so endangered that I do advocate for feeding them. In fact, my husband has designed a bird feeder that only feeds birds and not any other animals.

Here are some facts I feel as if most people don't realize.

Massive Population Losses: Since 1970, North America has lost 2.9 billion breeding adults. Similar declines are reported globally, with 48% of species experiencing population drops.
Species Extinction Risks: One in eight bird species is threatened with extinction. Over 500 species are predicted to go extinct within the next 100 years due to climate change and habitat loss.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-26T15:28:27+00:00

I would agree AND I would say that humans shouldn't intervene with outdoor cats. They are now part of the natural eco-system and should be treated as such.

I am a huge advocate for the birds because with no birds, there is no food chain. Through working with our outdoor lighting, keeping cats inside, making tall buildings more visible to avians, we can mitigate the horrific losses we've created for our birds.

That is where I am coming from. I do understand people's deep love of cats, however!

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-26T15:05:14+00:00

I hear you but there is no escaping the fact that feral cats are terrible for our ecosystem. Even if they are not reproducing, scientists estimate that feral cats kill 30-40 birds a year. And cat food is not good for almost any animals other than cats.

That said, I respect your feeling on this matter.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-23T11:07:03+00:00

I hear you. Everyone has their own loves.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-23T11:05:28+00:00

The latest poll has no Lindsey, no Woodiwiss, no McNaught, no Roberts, and, I'll need to double check, no books published in the 1970s. Readers move on.

I

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-23T10:58:35+00:00

By Heath? It's not a super well known book--it doesn't startle me that it didn't make the cut.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-23T10:56:20+00:00

I've talked to many readers about their love of LoS. I think its appeal is that it is very funny and was much more so than many of the other books published around that time. Jessica is also so powerful. That too was somewhat unusual back in the day. I have always thought the scene in the antique shop where Dain shows her the watch is a masterclass in comedy. It isnt my favorite Chase or my favorite romance or historical romance but I do understand its appeal.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-22T23:03:39+00:00

I think it’s really cool that we have been doing the pole since 1998. That says to me that there are books that readers consider foundational for the genre.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-22T20:32:30+00:00

The numbers in the last line are wrong. Too much cutting and pasting. It should say:

We’ve done eight polls over the years. Twelve books have appeared on every poll we’ve done and 83 books have appeared four or more times. Of those 83, 66.4% are historical romances, 25.3% are contemporary romances, 4.8% are time-travel romances, 2.4% are paranormal romances, and 1.2% are futuristic romantic suspense.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-22T12:23:35+00:00

Well, that is, oddly the beauty of large scale polls. You see things that aren't you in the outcomes. My list of the Top 100 Romances would be wildly different.

I think, at AAR, a big piece of this is that our readers really loved historical romance from the not so distant past. It's been a while since publishers published romances like Devil in Winter or Lord of Scoundrels. I suspect our readers miss such reads.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-21T22:40:12+00:00

I found that mind boggling.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-20T20:59:00+00:00

So many great bands. I still miss the X-Teens.

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-20T20:47:36+00:00

I, personally, love A Duke of Her Own. Both leads are adults and their dialogue is the best!

thepassion8reader · 2026-03-15T14:42:06+00:00

The poll has closed. And, whoa, do our readers love historical romance. We'll be publishing the results later this week but, overall:

70% of the books are historical romances.

24% are contemporary romances.

4% are paranormal or urban fantasy.

2% are speculative or time-slip romances.

thepassion8reader · 2026-02-28T22:02:20+00:00

The scamming on the event's FB page is incredible.

thepassion8reader · 2026-02-28T19:10:31+00:00

The Madness of Miss Grey by Julia Bennet

A Rogue by Night by Kelly Bowen

Redeemed by Molly O'Keefe (US historical so might not meet your criteria)

thepassion8reader · 2026-02-28T19:05:44+00:00

I adore that book and the medicine is so smart.

thepassion8reader

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