Growing up an impressionable teenager, I was surrounded by my spinster aunt’s romance novels in particular Mills & Boon and Barbara Cartland. These were the non-racy romance novels, later I was to discover what truly risqué romance novels were like. I read all the Barbara Cartland novels in my aunt’s collection, the storyline/plot was so predictable and yet I was hooked. It was always some high class gentleman such as a Duke/Count/Earl/Lord falling for some poor wench who disliked him intensely at first and then fell hook, line and sinker for his charms after he had saved her from some predicament or danger, usually more than once. However, I have to thank Barbara for being so informative as I learned much about English and French history through her novels, cheesy as some or most of them were.
Then in my late teens, I discovered Johanna Lindsey on a trip to the US and that was a whole different romance genre altogether from the “safe” romance novels I had been reading thus far. The plot usually centered around buxom women who fell for rogues who were buffed and muscular (the men usually had long, flowing locks on the cover of the novel). The heroes on the cover would have their hands clasped tightly around the woman’s waist as she fell back with her eyes closed. From reading Johanna’s books in bookshops (never did purchase any of her novels) I also learned about history and how easily it was for women to swoon over bad boys. Now her novels were truly bodice rippers with the men literally in hot pursuit of initially hostile and reluctant-to-advances women.
MAC A Novel Romance Collection has everything a girl needs to make a man stop in his tracks. Want to make a man the prisoner of your desire and captive of your heart? I think I have what it takes to churn out a romance novel or two but whether it would sell even one copy is highly debatable.
Eyes can go all smoky and sultry with MAC’s 3 Quads in this Collection – A Novel Romance Quad, An Amorous Adventure Quad and A Passionate Quest Quad. Cheeks can be flushed with desire and desirability with the 2 Powder Blush – Fun Ending and Animal Instincts. The lip products will make anyone’s quivering lips highly kissable. But I am getting carried away, the whole point of this post is another Giveaway!
The prize is one (1) set of A Romance Novel Quad and A Romance Novel Lipstick, together worth over RM220.
Terms and conditions of this Giveaway:-
1. Giveaway exclusively for those who have ‘liked’ Juniper’s Journal’s Facebook page & with Malaysian addresses only.
2. Giveaway ends at 10pm Wednesday 24th September 2014. .
3. Winner will be contacted via email once results are announced in this same post. Please respond within twenty four (24) hours otherwise another winner will be selected.
To participate, please leave a comment on:-
Are you or have you ever been a fan or avid reader of romance novels? Who were your favourite authors and what did you like about their novels?
Updated 26th September 2014
Winner of this Giveaway is:-
Xin Yu
First of all, thanks for having another awesome giveaway Juniper! You’re always so generous to your readers!
To be honest, I’m not an avid reader of romance novel and in contrast, I’m a huge fans of adventurous novel such as Harry Potter, Darren Shan, Narnia and etc. Although I’m not an avid fans of romance novel, I did read some of them and my favourite will go to The Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas. There are so many twists and turns in the love story between Marguerite and Armand and I feel so helpless as I read the book. When Marguerite decided to quit her courtisane life for Armand, Armand’s father came in and made her left Armand for good. The Lady of the Camellias is a very sad story and unlike most of the other romance novels, the lovers did not manage to live happily ever after. Instead, Marguerite died and left behind Armand in deep sorrow and regrets. This is a very special story and I like it!
Too bad that I’m not an avid reader of romance novel. The only one which draw my attention was the Twilligt series by Stephenie Meyer.
The story line is not only based on romance but involving others element like fantasy and supernatural ability. The way she expresses the forbidden love between Bella and Edward is just thrilling. Both of them overcome all the struggle and obstacles to be together and finally have a happy ending!
Once again, loads of thanks to juniper journals editor for this awesome giveaways.
Nope，I’m not an avid reader of romance novel.I prefer thriller and sci-fi novels. But, recently I bought and read ” The fault in Our Stars” after watching the movie. It’s written by John Green. It’s a beautiful yet heart-wrenching story.The story revolves around two cancer patients, Hazel and Augustus, whom they met each other in a support group and then started a romance relationship. I’m captivated by the love of these characters have for each other. In the plot, Hazel is a positive role model and moves on when the love of her life dies. The love life of this two young souls has actually convinced me that it is better to love and be broken then never to have loved at all.
Hi Juniper,
Such amazing giveaway again! To tell you the truth, I don’t really like reading romance novels so I do not have any favourites. I have read the famous PS I love you Cecelia Ahern, Twilight Stephenie Meyer and the famous Wuthering Height by Emily Bronte. I felt asleep the few minutes I started reading the first few pages and it took me a long time to finish reading them. I find that the female characters in those novels are way too weak and there will always hot handsome guys who are willing to do anything to save or protect them. Besides that I think I get bored with one very pretty girl being loved by a handsome dark prince. I think it is just typical fairy tales that actually doesn’t excite me.
I prefer action thiller with romance in which there are strong female characters. I know I am weird but I like the movie The edge of tomorrow which is based on All You can do is kill. The plot is really interesting with a strong independent main female character. Although the ending was actually sad because the main characters lost the person that he wanted to protect. They were forced to kill each others so that one of them could live( both of them have to put their countries’s interest first although they love each other) , I think it was really a good twist from the typical boring predictable romance.
Jane Austen who wrote sense and sensibility as well as Pride and Prejudice. I don’t know if one would consider her books as sort of romance but with female characters that are much more intelligent in choosing someone to be their husband and not just base on love alone.
I am so sorry but I am not the type who loves romance and I don’t even watch romance movies. The kind of love I have would be different which is for beauty products, food and enjoying the sceneries.
i used to read a lot of danielle steel. i enjoyed her work because her stories are not your regular “fluff” romance novels but are more realistic and always chockful of exciting twists and turns!
I am entering this giveaway in hopes of winning the makeup set for my wife.
I was a literature minor at University and was very much drawn to the works of Jane Austen. Her use of the reality of women and her biting social commentary on life during her time never failed to draw me in, and to date, she remains one of my favourite authors.
Yay!! another giveaway!!! which I have time to join… being super busy…
Besides being a makeup junkies, i’m a bookworm too as age catching up.. =p
Romance novel never interest me maybe because I usually read during my commute to work or while waiting for someone and I’m a sucker to packaging and book covers! lol! At this moment I’m more into those fantasies genre, takes me away from reality life hehehhe….
Hello Juniper!
Thanks for having another giveaway again!
I seldom read romance novel and among the few romance novels that I have ever read, my favourite will go to the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I like the plot of the story, which makes me to feel nervous and anxious for the love story between the vampires. I enjoyed the adventurous journey of the main characters too!
A lovely giveaway and I believe I am just squeezing in before the deadline tonight.
I’ll confess that I’ve never read an ‘airport romance’ novel but I would be lying to say that I haven’t read a love story or two 😉
I personally lean toward the tragic love stories because I love the drama and one of my favourite books is Tess of the d’Urbevilles by Thomas Hardy. Its so very, very sad.
By the way, I’m running a Blog Giveaway too (ends Oct12) and would love to see you drop by and enter if you have the time.
To begin with I was never much into reading, for my graduation I choose to take up English literature I came across this book…which was a part of my syllabus…and I fell in love with it.
WHUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte, It’s about two unfortunate lovers, a combination of love, passion, jealousy, revenge…..
A little boy (Heathcliff) is adopted from an orphanage (By Mr Earnshaw) and introduced to the other two children of Mr Earnshaw Catherine and Hindley. Catherine loves him and Hindley would do anything to destroy him….
Catherine and Heathcliff grow up playing together and then they meet the Lintons, Edgar and Isabella who welcome catherine but shoos away Heathcliff.
Initially catherine tries to spend time with both Edgar n Heathcliff….and soon it was only Edgar she wanted to be with which obviously made Heathcliff jealous as he leaves the house and when he returns he finds Catherine had married Edgar and for revenge he gets married to Edgars Sister soon after which Catherine gives birth to a daughter and dies….Heathcliff wants revenge and does everything to hurt everyone!!
Through all of this, though, the ghost of Catherine haunts Heathcliff. What he truly desires more than anything else is to be reunited with his soul mate. At the end of the novel, Heathcliff and Catherine are united in death. Heathcliff and Catherine find their peace of self and love for each other in their after life together. Love triumphs over hate and revenge.
Ahh. Romance romance, must be a very young and cute and cheesy thing. Too bad I missed that out during high school time. My all time favourite author is going to be Cecilia Ahern. Her stories are full of imagination with a tinge of magical touch. Does that count as romance? Probably not. Hehe.
But thanks again for the awesome giveaway. Must be good to feel young and dreamy once again. =D
Congratulations xin yu
Thanks! Woohoo!!
Congrats Xin Yu