1: Allison by Morgan Morgan writes an excellent tale, and this is a great example. A very personable heroine, some non-pc comments, great sex and some excitement too.
2: Another Favor by aloneagain A slowly developed love story with a moving ending. Delightful.
3: Arlene and Jeff by RoustWriter This is a science-fiction epic; it has tension, adventure, congenial, three-dimensional characters, aliens, and lots of good sex. The hardest part is waiting for each week's episode. Beware! This story is addictive!
4: Australian Story by Oz Ozzie This story was recommended to me by a reader of one of my short stories, because I had a character 'Jamela Esfahani'. I had to read it and once I started, I couldn't stop. It's a love story, and it's about loyalty, love, changed lives, redemption... and standing up for justice. Immigration, race, culture... such emotive matters. A story like this helps to remind us that we are all human beings, and everyone matters. Somehow, we have to all live together.
5: Bec by BarBar I hand out very few 10's. This is one. This is an incredibly engaging, involving and emotional look into part of a young girl's struggles with life. I fell in love with her, wanted to find her and hug her, and I was happy she had people round her to do that. I laughed and I wept for her and I was amazed at her insightful comments. Lambrecht's Syndrome may not exist, but that doesn't matter - there are conditions which share the aspects of this fictitious condition and this puts you into the mind and the life of someone dealing with being different.
6: A Blossom Fell... by Dag123 If you can read this without a box of tissues next to you, you're a lot tougher than I am.
A beautiful, touching, account of young love.
7: The Bob Claus by Lubrican A delightful Christmas fantasy: elves, reindeer, magic, and elf sex.
8: The Christmas Audit by colt45 Intriguing premise, hilarious, irreverent picture of 'Christmas Town' and a nice bit of romance too.
9: Cindy by oyster50 A delightful, romantic story of an older man rescuing a young girl from a trailer park, only to discover that she is gifted in many ways. Just one of Oyster's 'Smart Girls'. Read them all, then follow them into 'Community'.
10: Diamond Rose by Cotton Nightie A delightful, touching romance with a little tension to counter the sweetness. Acceptance, forgiveness and reconciliation. The bad guys are exposed and the goodies live happily ever after. Wonderful!
11: Doing it all Over by Al Steiner This epic example of 'second chance' stories is justifiably high scoring. Convincing, attractive characters, a plot that proceeds with just the right amount of friction; the main character believably 'bad' at first. Two, perhaps three redemptions... no, I've just remembered another... and a very neat twist at the end. Love it.
12: The Fat Girl by WTSman I love the gentle romance in WTSman's writing and I could have chosen several as a favourite, but I particularly like this one with the recognition and gradual realisation of the beauty within Fran.
13: Finding a Place by Don Lockwood There's a message in this story; if you're a geek, there's hope, if you're arrogant, learn that others are human too. But it's a very, very enjoyable romance that had me reaching for tissues once or twice.
14: Finding an Editor by qhml1 I read the review, or I wouldn't have found it. This is an intensely moving, sometimes tear-jerking, romance. Yes, there's a cheating wife - "The best revenge is to live well." I didn't read it in one sitting, but it only took three in one morning. The reviewer had it right!
15: Finding Shelter by Jay Cantrell Damsel in distress? Corruption? Philosophy? Divorce and animosity? Love and romance? This has got it all in an engrossing, engaging and readable style.
16: Fringe Benefits by Michael Lindgren If you have any geek tendencies, this is a geek fantasy. He's fed up of the daily grind at the computer. Anything more would be a spoiler. Great fun, funny, satisfying and romantic.
17: Girl, Refurbished by Argon Argon writes compelling stories in his Clearwater Universe. This one is an engaging, believable tale of developing love and its triumph over corruption and prejudice.
18: Hatchery Road by ShadowWriter A beautifully constructed and engrossing story, with enough tension and uncertainty to make it a compelling read
19: The Healer by QM Excellent Sci-Fi. Imaginative, convincing and engrossing. The variations in planetary mores recalls Heinlein.
20: Honkytonk Hero by Joe J A moving, gripping and most ejoyable story of the life of a wounded Vietnam veteran, overcoming brain-damage to find love and live a rewarding and inspirational life.
21: A Just Reward by Kaffir A very sweet Damsel in distress story with a happy ending, evoking life in fifties England.
22: The Last Dance by rachlou I challenge you - if you have an ounce of romance and sentiment in you - to read this without needing a box of tissues. Intensely moving and romantic, full of hope.
23: The Last Wish Blues by Lubrican This is a wonderful, moving and romantic story; I've lost track of how many times I've read it. The characters are real and engaging and the setting perfectly brought to life in words. Wildlife, horses, wild country and a little native American spirituality. Excellent.
24: The Making Of A Gigolo (1) - Tilly Johnson by Lubrican This story is really a representative of the series and Robert Lubrican's work in general. Well written and convincing despite the unlikelihood of some of the plots. Generally enjoyable, well written and free of error, with some sensual sex thrown in. Quite a lot, actually. I like this one as it sets the scene for the series. No-one gets hurt (except the baddies), everyone accepts Bobby for who (and what) he is, and there's a happy ending... in the end.
25: A Matter of Taste by wordytom It's short, there's no sex, but it's an intensely moving, well observed tale. Romance as it should be; independent of looks.
26: Money Well Spent by qhml1 Ignore the odd typo and misspelling, make sure you have a box of tissues, and plenty of time to sit and soak up a gripping and emotional tale.
29: Oh Teacher, My Teacher by Coaster2 Coaster2's writing is always worthwhile and it is hard to choose just one as a favourite! A young, reserved, self-conscious new teacher is astonished to be approached by the beautiful colleague dubbed 'the Ice Maiden', but they each find in the other the life-partner they wished for. Some tense moments and difficult emotional growth make for gripping reading with a most satisfying ending. Read and enjoy!
30: Oil of Roses by Jim Reader Convincing and attractive characters, tension, lots of interesting sex, romance, and an insight into the world of BDSM... or at least, something that makes sense of BDSM to me, as I personally know nothing about the scene. It flows smoothly, is mostly free of errors and is a gripping and addictive read.
31: POW (Prisoner Of The Widows) by Joe J A gripping, convincing and plausible story set in the Iraq of the second Iraq war. Ignore the changes of tense and person - they do work, somehow - and just enjoy the colourful picture of changed lives.
32: Rebecca Danced by EzzyB I can't believe I hadn't added this delightful story to my favourites list before!
I am not fond of rock music and many of the references to popular music in this tale go right over my head. However, I do understand how important music can be and the actual style is almost irrelevant to the enjoyment of the story. Almost! I'm sure anyone who recognises the titles would get even more out of it.
But the story is a wonderful tale of young love, in which a young girl is helped to overcome a disability, find her role in life as a singer and indeed find love in the person of the young man, two years older, who in the beginning is only there to help her manage in her wheelchair.
33: The Reclamation Project by OldSarge69 It'll make you smile, make you weep, then go back to Old Sarge's page to read his other stories.
34: Redemption by Shrink42 This very long tale held my attention throughout. There's plenty of loving sex, the rescue of damsels, some tear-jerking scenes, and some fascinating psychology. Well worth the read, but set aside plenty of time!
35: The Reset Manifesto by Lazlo Zalezac If you've ever complained about the power of corporations or the filthy rich, or about corruption in high places (or low places, even) you need to reed this. No - there's no sex, just an in depth indictment of 'the way things are done', which applies pretty well anywhere in the world.
36: Revenge of the Nerd by RPSuch A very different coming of age story; she shot him down in High School, and is intrigued by him without initially recognising him in College. The development of their relationship, with the growth of Ashley's personality; her change from Campus Queen to empathetic human being... Her family, which is almost indescribable, though the author manages horribly well...
A gripping, enthralling, endearing and occasionally hilarious love story
38: Shut Up and Drive! by Denham Forrest A fun read by a fellow countryman of mine. An unlikely knight (in, perhaps, tarnished armour) saves a lady from a 'fate worse than death' and changes her for the better... we hope.
39: Six Bells by Patricia51 This is superbly crafted love story which is also a touching tribute to those who risk their lives for us every day. Make sure you have a tissue handy.
40: Steward of the Wood by Les Lumens This is the first of a delightful magical fantasy series. Read, enjoy, and wish.
These stories are part of the inspiration for my 'Dryad' series.
41: Synergy by colt45 Colt45 has a way with humour in his story-telling. This one is a journey from unhappiness through difficulties and sadness to happiness, with the journey lightened by his humour. His world is imaginative, yet convincing, and you may well recognise some of the characters who populate it. Oh, and there's some sweet, loving sex, too, just not overdone.
42: The Unicorn by qhml1 Brilliantly composed and written, engrossing and emotional. Allow plenty of time and a box of tissues.
43: A Well-Lived Life - Book 1 - Birgit by Michael Loucks Warning! This is seriously addictive. The first of a series of equally long stories - don't start unless you are prepared for the long haul. It's a well planned, well written, well edited, gripping, sometimes harrowing tale. I'm taking a break at the end of book 10, which is the first place I could comfortably stop.
44: Winter's Wonderland by Paige Hawthorne Oh, my. Complex, fascinating, elements of the classic PI story, sexy in places, oh, just read it - it's worth it! Then plan on reading the sequels.
45: Wolf and the Cat. (7) by Brian in the Dark I love the imaginative Dizyntk Imperium stories and this is a good example of the development of a romantic relationship between human and Dizyntk. Attractive characters, a female warrior from the past with enormous powers, a human pilot and the Dizintk religious orders. Excellent
46: Young Gordy by Peter H. Salus This is the first in a series about a young Australian entomologist. All the stories are excellent and paint a picture of Australian life, particularly in the outback and contain fascinating technical and anthropological detail as well as some nice romance and adventure.
