Unlike some, I tend to go back and reread my favorite stories and sometimes I'm reminded of just why I enjoy them so much.
A case in point is Janna Leonard. She's no longer writing but she has left a fine body of work for us. What I've found I like so much about Janna's stories is that they mostly don't deal with the silver spoon set, no bankers or stock brokers. The characters aren't managers or CEOs, not even engineers and programmers. They're deputies, privates, nurses, mechanics - in short they're the people getting their hands dirty. Yet she treats them with dignity and compassion.
The stories are mostly set in the upper midwest of the United States - more than one in North Dakota of all places. They mostly deal with gentle romances between women, romances aimed at a lifetime together. Her characters face tragedies and disappointments and help one another through them. All in all they feel lifelike, but without being repetitious or boring.
Gentle, compassionate, empathetic, uncertain and dignified. That's really saying quite a lot.