I agree that having romance as the main thing is not my cup of tea. Most books fall a little flat without some romance but it's hard to find actual romance books that I really enjoy as much as other genres. As a teenager I read every Victoria Holt I could get my hands on and I still enjoy those but I haven't found any other romance writer that keeps my interest these days.

I might have to check out Ms. Holt's books, then. Sounds like we're looking for the same level of "romance". :)

Hers are Gothic romance but as a teenager I ate that stuff up. That's probably why I still enjoy them, nostalgia. They do have the romance front and center.

I've read one of Phyllis Whitney's "Window on the Square" and it was considered gothic romance. Between my mom and myself, we wore the front cover off that book, lol.

I read a lot of Phyllis Whitney in high school too! That type really appeals to high school girls. Maybe I should revisit a few and see what I think now.

If you come across any particularly good P.W. ones, let me know! Window on the Square is the only one of hers I've ever read. It's held up well over the years as a re-read (I had to upgrade it to a hardcover).