I actually perfer my Romance with more internal than external conflict. When the conflict stems from who the characters are rather than some outside force, it means they have to resolve the conflict. I get way more couple time this way. 

Social class difference between the couple sets up an especially dynamic and interesting internal conflict. World views clash and shift.  Good stuff.

In Paranormal, Science Fiction and Fantasy Romance Class difference can be a great plot point as the whole world has been created. 

Here are some wonderful Paranormal Romances that deal with social class difference between the leads. 

To see and vote on the whole list, visit my Goodreads list: Class Differences in Paranormal Romance. 

My lists are never in any particular order.

1. Soul Kissed by Erin Kellison

While the world slumbers in Shadow, a fatal plague has swept through magekind. No one is immune to its ravages, and now that her father is dead, Cari Dolan must wield the fearful magic of her House to save innocent lives.

"The sexual tension is palpable. A stand-out page turner." --RT Book Reviews on Fire Kissed

At the mage Council's bidding, dangerous outsider Mason Stray joins forces with Cari to hunt down the fiend responsible. But can he trust the daughter of wealth and privilege, especially when his own son is at risk?

2. Troll-y Yours by Sheri Fredricks

SHE TAKES A CHANCE.

Determined to forge a better life, Ella launches her new business with high hopes—until a sexy Centaur bumps into her and throws her life off course forever. Voted “Most Eligible Bachelor in Boronda”, Aleksander shakes up her world and tilts her in more ways than one.

HE’S IN DANGEROUS TERRITORY.

Years of warfare and countless bedroom encounters have stolen Kempor Aleksander’s luster for life. He never expects to rediscover his zeal in the small, redheaded form of Ella the Troll, who fires his blood hotter than the deepest caverns in the forest.

A PASSION SO HOT.

But as trouble lingers in their midst—and edges ever closer—Alek and Ella spiral into troubled terrain. Turning to each other, the pair face down dangers that run impenetrably deep in their mythological world. But will the two lovers discover a passion that runs even deeper?

3. Heart Change by Robin D. Owens

Signet D?Marigold?s lonely life is shaken when a prophet reveals she is a catalyst for change. But to accept her new life?and the charge of the noble child Avellana?means embracing a danger that may be fatal for them both. Especially when Signet?s attraction to her new bodyguard signals a secret enemy sworn to destroy them.

4. Wolf Who Rules by Wen Spencer

Tinker: just a quick-witted girl from Pittsburgh - who happens to be responsible for depositing high elves and her hometown humans into a melting pot of magic. Now the draconian oni seek to destroy the elves by breeding human git to do their evil bidding. But half-breeds who are half-human may not be the slaves the oni imagined. The revolt is on! Its leader A certain newly-minted elven princess from Pittsburgh, PA, by the name of Tinker.

5. Lothaire by Kresley Cole

ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past…or risk everything for a future with her?

6. Justin by Allyson James

Welcome to the Tales of the Shareem--men created solely for women's pleasure. Shareem come in three levels: Pure sensuality; Fun and games; and the Ultimate experience.

Outlawed now, Shareem eke out a living in the back streets of their city, restricted by rules that keep them near-prisoners, each searching for the one woman who will fulfill his long-denied need for love.

Justin has spent much of his life as a free citizen, but he returns home to search for the daughter he was forbidden to have. But the fiesty female patroller following him around is getting in his way, especially when she keeps shooting him in the backside.

Justin needs to protect his secrets, but he decides that the patroller is worth a second look, and maybe some instruction in level-two games. He sets out to seduce, but discovers that Deanna, his pretty patroller, has a few surprises in store for him.

Deanna can't understand why the exasperating Justin won't follow the rules, considering the trouble he keeps getting himself into. She also can't understand why he excites her so much--patrollers are supposed to tame Shareem, not fall for them. But as Deanna uncovers his secrets, she learns exactly what Justin has given up, and what kind of courageous man lies behind the façade of the pleasure slave.

7. No Words Alone by Autumn Dawn

Stranded on a hostile alien planet, a beautiful young translator is forced to choose between trusting her own crewmates or the noble commander of the very alien race that shot down her spacecraft.

8.  Big Bad Beast by Shelly Laurenston

Ric Van Holtz is more than he seems, nothing you expect--and everything you want. . .

When it comes to following her instincts, former Marine Dee-Ann Smith never holds back. And this deadly member of a shifter protection group will do anything to prove one of her own kind is having hybrids captured for dogfights. Trouble is, her too-cute, rich-boy boss Ric Van Holtz is making it real hard for Dee to keep her heart safe. He's wanted the fiercely independent she-wolf from day one, but he never expected their teamwork to be so explosive. Now is his last chance to show Dee what she needs isn't some in-your-face Alpha male--but a wily, resourceful wolf who'll always have her back in a fight. . .and between the sheets.

9. B Cubed Book One: Born by Jenna McCormick

Born: Natural born humans are precious few and dwell in darkness.

Bred: Genetically engineered slaves who are the protectors of the Born.

Borg: The cybernetically enhanced enclave that split from the Born humans.

B Cubed: These three factions are all that remains of the human race after the world stopped turning. Scavenging in the darkness for what little is left, the war between them rages on though few know why. It begins with a child's prophesy and can only end when they unite.

Or die.

10. Would-Be Witch by Kimberly Frost

In the small town of Duvall, Texas, the only thing that causes more trouble than gossip is magic.
 
The family magic seems to have skipped over Tammy Jo Trask. All she gets in the way of the supernatural are a few untimely visits from the long-dead, smart-mouthed family ghost Edie. But when her locket—an heirloom that happens to hold Edie’s soul—is stolen in the midst of a town-wide crime spree, it’s time for Tammy to find her inner witch.
 
After a few bad experiences with her magic, Tammy turns to the only one who can help: the very rich and highly magical Bryn Lyons. He might have all the answers, but the locket isn’t the only thing passed down in Tammy’s family. She also inherited a warning…to stay away from anyone named Lyons…

Got more? Gimme! 

Sometimes I need a little feathers, glitter, and body oil (okay I never need body oil) with my Romance.

Here are some great Romances where heroines (and sometimes heroes) make or made their living working a pole, doing the bump and grind, and other sexy topless dancing. 

Strippers and Showgirls in Romance! My lists are never in any particular order. 

1. Forever Buckhorn: GabeJordan (The Buckhorn Brothers) by Lori Foster

Jordan

Jordan Somerville thinks he wants a woman who's a paragon of virtue. But then the gentle veterinarian—rescuer of strays—meets Georgia Barnes, single mother and exotic dancer. She's a far cry from Jordan's dream woman—and she's made it clear that he's hardly her dream man, either. So why is he suddenly tempted to break all his own rules?

2. Lightning that Lingers Sharon Curtis

Philip Brooks is a man with a passion for biology, wildlife, and restoring his old family home—all of which add up to a pile of bills that require attention. Moonlighting as the Cougar Club’s hottest dancer is a job, nothing more, nothing less—until lovely Jennifer Hamilton nearly faints during one of his shows. Her sweet innocence tugs at his heart and makes him painfully aware of his longing for the kind of love a woman as perfect and real as Jennifer can offer.
 
Watching her most secret fantasy come to life on the dance floor is almost more than Jennifer can bear. Now, the sexiest man she’s ever met is near enough to hold. For a shy, bookish lady with little experience in the romance department, life feels as if it’s spinning out of control—and not in the direction, or with the kind of man, she ever imagined. Can she believe in the passion Philip ignites and take a chance on a dance that could last a lifetime?

3. Solar Flare by Autumn Dawn

Hero goes undercover as a stripper. Slow burn.

Azor agreed to take Brandy off planet to avoid a scandal, never knowing they’d ignite a white hot passion of their own. Sassy, sexy, Brandy makes him burn. If the hostile aliens don’t kill him, his companion just might.

Hunted by a shapeshifting assassin, fighting an infection that's killing her, he knows that time is short. Can he reach her distant family before time runs out?

4. Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole

A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK...

Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers -- until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.

A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS...

To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth's brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER?

Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

5. Skintight by Susan Andersen

Professional poker player Jax Gallagher should have known better than to wager a World Series baseball that wasn't his to lose. Now the man who won the collectible is demanding his prize... or else. Trouble is, the ball is owned by his estranged father's widow--a flamboyant Las Vegas showgirl. Jax will do whatever it takes to get it back.

Yet Treena McCall is anything but the ruthless gold digger Jax expects. She's built a life for herself filled with good friends and hard work. And she's got enough on her plate trying to hang on to her job as a dancer without being wined, dined and seduced by sexy Jax Gallagher....

6. The Notorious Scoundrel by Alexandra Benedict

Like an irresistible siren, the veiled dancer with the bewitching green eyes lures dukes and earls down into London's underworld to see her dance--and succumb to her spell. Some say she's a princess, but only one man knows her darkest secret.

She is Amy Peel, an orphan from the city's rookeries, and she believes the bold rogue who unmasks her to be nothing but a scoundrel--albeit a dangerously handsome one. He may have rescued her from an attempted kidnapping, but she will not give in to his sensual seduction or to the wicked desire she begins to feel . . .

He is Edmund Hawkins, swashbuckling pirate turned reluctant gentleman, and he will not let the lovely Amy slip through his grasp, especially when he learns she's in greater peril than she could possibly know. He will do everything in his power to protect her--for this notorious scoundrel has truly, unbelievably, lost his heart . . .

7. Stripping Her Gears by Sahara Kelly

She's a long-legged blonde who loves people and dancing and needs a part time job. What could be better than joining the staff of Boston's hottest private club - Goggles and Cogs. In her Steampunk outfit, Cora Standish taps her way through old-time music hall numbers three nights a week and waits tables as well, loving every minute of it.

Jack Brandon is thrilled his club is a success and fascinated by one particular blonde. When an old friend books a bachelor party for a closed door event, Jack offers three of his best girls a chance to make some big money. All they have to do is entertain--in the style of the best burlesque shows. He's torn between business and desire. He wants the booking but would rather have Cora strip just for him.

When the power fails, Jack and Cora take a chance...learning that lap dances are more erotic when done in semi-darkness and that passion doesn't need anything but the right couple. But are they right for each other? A stupid mistake may wreck it all and strip her gears for ever...

8. Beefcake & Cupcakes by Judi Fennell

Sugar is sweet, but so is revenge

All Lara Cavallo wants to do is make her bakery business, Cavallo's Cups & Cakes, a success, and be able to stop accepting alimony from her rotten, cheating ex-husband. But first she needs to find her clothes and escape the strange hotel room she wakes up in before she embarrasses herself any further in front the owner of that gorgeous naked keister she spots through the bathroom door. She needs to keep her mind on her cupcakes. She doesn't have time for beefcake, no matter how enticing.

Cupcakes are sweet, and so is Lara…

All Gage Tomlinson wants is to find a way to help his single-mom sister pay the hospital bills for his six-year-old nephew, badly injured in a hit and run accident. Working construction during the day and as the owner of the exotic male dance troupe BeefCake, Inc. by night doesn't leave much time for indulgence. Too bad the sweetest thing he's seen in ages passes out on him and then takes off before he even gets a nibble. He's got a sweet tooth, and only Lara's "cupcakes" will satisfy him.

But when cupcake finally meets beefcake, it's hot enough to melt the buttercream right off the cake.

9. Bride of Shadow Canyon by Stacey Kayne

Respectable showgirl

When the widowed boardinghouse keeper he has come to rescue turns out to be a scantily-clad showgirl, Jed Doulan knows he's in for trouble. With his shadowed past, he'd be mad to let this spirited—and surprisingly innocent—woman get close.

Rebellious bride

Bound by a hasty marriage to her reluctant hero, Rachell Carlson senses his struggle to keep a distance between them. But the message in Jed's eyes makes her pulse quicken—and even dares her to believe in love.

10. The Nerd Who Loved Me by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Nerd to the rescue!
Shy accountant Harry Ambrewster never dreams his crush on Vegas showgirl Lainie Terrell will amount to anything.  But then he agrees to babysit for her precocious four-year-old son Dexter and her drunk ex-boyfriend shows up demanding to see his kid.  Escaping out a second-story window with Dexter isn’t Harry’s style, but Lainie and her son need a hero, and Harry isn’t about to let them down . . .

Alarmed by her volatile ex’s sudden interest in Dexter, Lainie’s desperate to keep her son from harm.  Harry offers his mother’s security-enhanced home as a safe haven for Dexter while he and Lainie attempt to mislead her ex by posing as a husband and wife checking out a Sedona timeshare.  What starts out as a platonic arrangement quickly morphs into red-hot passion, but can either of them trust emotions created in a powder keg?

Did I miss your favorite? Do you simply need more? Visit my Goodreads list: Spangle: Strippers and Showgirls in Romance.

Some of my favorite things are Dragons and Dragon Shifters are even better!

They fly, breath fire, ice, whatever, and horde.  They are big grumpy warrior men who shift in too even bigger, grumpier more deadly dragons. Awesome! 

Here are my favorite love stories featuring Dragon Shifters. A number of these are series that I recommend all of so I just noted the first book. 

1. Dragon Bound (A Novel of the Elder Races) by Thea Harrison

I am cursed with a terminal case of curiosity," he said. "I am jealous, selfish, acquisitive, territorial and possessive. I have a terrible temper, and I know I can be a cruel son of a bitch." He cocked his head. "I used to eat people, you know.”  Dragos

2. Accidental Mates: Draco (Book 1) by Brenda Steele Free! 

With temporary genetic enhancements to her body, to make her sexier, Harmony sneaks into the dragon shape-shifter’s room to either seduce him or kill him—whatever works to keep the beast from forcing her sister to marry him. The Drelconian lords were a race of the hottest men, with the “stiffest” equipment a girl could ever dream of. They descended to Earth looking for breeders in exchange for desperately needed fuel. And when Draco pinned her against a wall with an offer of all night fun as payment for releasing her sister from his bond, how could Harmony possibly refuse?

3. Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin) by G.A Aiken   Fergus 

Now. Now, Annwyl. No need to curtsy. A simple nod of your head and absolute worship will be more than enough.” 

4.. The Barbarian Prince (Dragon Lords) by Michelle Pillow

Going undercover at Galaxy Brides as one of the prospective mates to these Viking-like barbarians, Morrigan has no intention of getting chosen to stay. But when Ualan of the Draig picks her to be his wife with the aid of his mystically glowing crystal, it is all she can do to say no.

Waking up from a drug-induced night of torturous and unfulfilling pleasures, Morrigan discovers her spaceship has left without her and Ualan is claiming she is his wife. It's not exactly the story this reporter had in mind. And to make matters worse, Ualan refuses to take no for an answer. 

5.  Abandon - Half Blood Club book 3 by Viola Grace 

Graylin Treel is on a deadline. With only a few hours to go, she needs to put herself in the path of the dragon that she has chosen as a mate. The problem is, he thinks she is a pathetic human. When the glamour drops and their senses are aroused, can any structure of man take the heat of two dragons in the throes of passion?

6. Eternity and a Day (Desires of the Otherworld) by Aline Hunter

Dreading the one night per tide he's forced to travel between the realms, Draigen Eric Locke has only one desire on Samhain—to retrieve the fae transporting daemon relics through the realms and escort her to the Dark Court to face the sidhe king. When he mistakenly recovers the wrong fae, the dragon under his skin responds in a way he never could have predicted, and he discovers he's found the woman destined to him by the Fates—his Chosen. 

7. Ride the Stars/Once Bitten by Autumn Dawn 

Ever kissed a Drac? Careful, they bite....

Bali Itara is the daughter of a mad scientist and daddy's favorite toy. Domino is the man who can help her escape the madness, for his bite holds the cure. There's only one catch....

8. Master of Dragons (Mageverse) by Angela Knight

he last time fairy princess Nineva Morrow engaged in magic, evil forces rendered her an orphan-isolated and incapable of trusting in anyone's survival. But after years of hiding on Earth, she'll use her powers once more-and attract more knights than she can handle.

9. Up In Smoke: A Novel of the Silver Dragons  by Katie  MacAlister

“Carrie Fay always says that nothing is really horrible unless it eats away your face.” 

10. The Dracons' Woman (The Soul-Linked Saga) by Laura Jo Phillips 

One day Lariah Daniels is a beautiful but shy historical librarian on Earth. The next, she is fleeing across the galaxy from a sadistic crime lord who will stop at nothing to hunt her down and torture her for information about her sister, a psychic undercover agent for a shadowy intelligence organization. Lariah selects as her safe haven the distant, pastoral world of Jasan, known for its peaceful, rural setting, and the practice of its shifter inhabitants of mating three of their men to one human woman.

And one to grow on!

11. Heart of the Dragon (Atlantis) by Gena Showalter 

She stopped at the desk and held up a can for his view. "This looks like an ordinary hairspray can, right?"

"Of course." he said though he had no idea what hairspray was.

First let me say this -  I was born in 1972. I grew up with Star Trek, Dune, Star Wars,  and all the other sci-fi odd movies, & Tv shows.

I needed to tell you that because I'm pretty sure that's effected how I felt about the book.

The author has named one of the bad guys..Khan. Some of you may not know who Khan is, but to some one from my generation. This is all we see in our head when we read the word "Khan"

or for the newer fans...

Seriously, I could not get either of those images out of my head.

Other things she's included in this book 

A TRACTOR BEAM!

A Sandworm

(yes picture Kyle MacLachlan riding one here)

I kinda felt like this could have been a historical novel , you know minus the "aliens".

Happy Veteran's Day Weekend here in the States! 

Continuing my salute to those military heroes and heroines of Romanceland as well as their real life counterparts, I gather those fine men and women of the Air Force that are romantic leads. 

This was actually the hardest list to put together. I have only found 10 books by different authors that feature the Air Force and I have only read four of them myself. 

1. No Words Alone by Autumn Dawn, a great Science Fiction Romance

2. MacKenzie's Legacy by Linda Howard, part of the wonderful MacKenzie Series

3. Ryder's Wife by Sharon Sala, a lovely category romance. 

4. Once a Pirate by Susan Grant, a 5 star time travel romance 

Some other good reads I found to add to the list..

1. Catherine Mann's Renegade comes from a well loved series featuring Air Force heroes and heroines.  

2. Kaylea Cross's Deadly Intent

3. Jaxine Daniel's A Soft Place to Fall

4. Dee Henderson's True Valor

5. Gina Wilkin's A Perfect Strange

6. Linda Hudson-Smith's Top-Secret Rendezvous 

If you have any good recommendations  please let me know! If you would like to vote for the best of best go to the Goodreads list: Flyboys and Flygirls: Air Force Heroines and Heroes of Romance.

Here are the blogs for Marines and Navy.