Home is where the heart is thus the popularity of housekeepers as romantic partners in romance.

I always wonder if the heroine still gets to draw a salary after becoming the wife or if she gets a housekeeper. You will see that there is an overabundance of those not good at housework becoming housekeepers. I would love to see some competetance around housekeeping. I could only gasp in wonder. 

Here are some Contemporary Romance Novel that explore this theme. 

My lists are never in any particular order. Enjoy!

1. Let's Misbehave by Lisa Plumley

With no skills besides scoring the perfect stilettos, maxing out her credit card, and partying till dawn, Marisol Winston is about to get a lesson in the real world—and in love... 

After years of perfecting her party-girl image, Marisol wants to open an L.A.-based deluxe boutique. Unfortunately her father refuses to foot the bill until she agrees to do a stint in shopaholic rehab. Surely she can survive a few weeks without Dior, right? But part of Marisol's anti-retail remedy entails getting a real job as a nanny/housekeeper in Podunkville, Arizona. Suddenly she’s knee-deep in PB&Js and dirty laundry, surprised to find herself just a teensy bit smitten with her three sticky-fingered charges—and their deliciously distracting Dad (even if he does wear discount denim). 

Quarterback Cash Connelly has one last shot at being re-signed to the pros, which means he needs a nanny who runs a tight ship. Marisol seems to know way more about Tiffany’s than T-ball, and she has more miniskirted sex appeal than is strictly 
necessary for laundering jockey shorts. But his kids seem positively smitten. Well, who wouldn't love a woman who serves up ice cream for breakfast? Now if only Cash can find a way to stick to his strict hands-off-the-nanny policy...

2. Once in a Lifetime by Gwynne Forster

With a young daughter to support, recently divorced Alexis Stevenson jumps at the chance to become household manager for wealthy businessman Telford Harrington and his two brothers. Though she knows it won't be easy turning their bachelor-pad mansion into a home, she is determined to handle any obstacles, while maintaining a separate life for herself and her daughter. But Alexis isn't at all ready for the red-hot chemistry crackling between her and Telford—or the fact that she's suddenly caught in a maze of unexpected secrets and deep mistrust. But if she and Telford find their way through it—together—can they both embrace the love they so deeply desire?

3. The Twelve Nights of Christmas by Sarah Morgan

His housekeeper, or his Christmas present? Unexpectedly homeless for the festive season, and exhausted from transforming the penthouse of the hotel where she works into a dazzling winter wonderland, chambermaid Evie Anderson secretly sleeps over. Woken by an outrageously sensual kiss, Evie feels her body come alive...until she realises her seducer is Rio Zaccarelli, her dangerously attractive new boss! This Christmas, it's imperative Rio's reputation appears spotless - but innocently enticing Evie is a temptation he can't resist! Their scorching chemistry leads to twelve nights of endless pleasure. But will it last once the decorations come down?

4. Unexpected by Karen Tuft

Eleven years ago, Ross McConnell was devastated by the betrayal of the woman of his dreams. Time does not heal all wounds, and after more than a decade, Ross is no closer to finding love. When his well-meaning family attempts to play matchmaker, he concedes by creating a list detailing his perfect mate: A member of the Church. Beauty-queen looks. College educated. Never married. Perhaps he’ll give love another try, if such perfection exists . . . 

Natalie Forrester is no stranger to heartache. After two failed marriages, the beautiful single mother of three is determined to make it on her own. Without a college degree, she starts at the bottom: working as a housekeeper may not be glamorous, but it’s her first exhilarating step toward independence. And Natalie’s most recent cleaning job is ideal—the guy is always out of town, and the pay will go a long way toward supporting her missionary son. Maybe luck is finally on her side. And then Ross and Natalie meet . . . and meet again. And following a series of awkward encounters, Ross is shocked by his growing attraction for this woman. Natalie couldn’t be further from his ideal woman, and she is firm in her determination to keep her heart closed to love. But as their tenuous friendship develops and deepens, will the unlikely pair have the courage to set aside the disappointments of the past to catch hold of a bright new future?

5. Housekeeper's Happy-Ever-After by Fiona Harper

Ellie Bond's heart has ached ever since she lost her beloved husband and little girl. Now her head is telling her it's time to get her life back on track. Her first small step: answering big-shot music executive Mark Wilder's Housekeeper Wanted advertisement!

Outwardly Mark is supercool, überpowerful and can make or break careers, but it's the compassion beneath his public exterior that's reawakening Ellie's zest for life.  

6. No Less Than a Lifetime by Christine Rimmer

FROM A MODEL EMPLOYEE…

For ten years Faith Jones had waited for Price Montgomery to see her as anything but the efficient employee she was. For ten years she'd kept not only his house, but his secrets—all the while hoping that one day he would see her as a woman, not a worker.

…TO A BRIDE IN TRAINING?

But time was up—and Faith was ready to call it quits. And suddenly Price was noticing that his prim and proper housekeeper had a softer side. One he'd like to get to know better—if only he could convince her to stay. After all, good help is so hard to find….

7. Jackson's Jewel by N.J. Walters

The last thing Jackson Connors wants is a housekeeper. He likes his life just as it is—solitary and uncomplicated. Emerald Jewel is a New York designer with a stalker on her trail. She needs a place to hide out and Jackson’s farm is the perfect solution to her problem. The last thing she wants is to be attracted to her sexy new boss. Neither of them is prepared for the explosion of passion that flares between them. They try to resist, but the desire will not be denied. Jackson knows Emerald’s life is in New York and his is on the farm. He’ll eventually have to let her go, but he’s not about to let her face this threat on her own. But the stalker is getting closer to finding Emerald and will stop at nothing to possess her. As the threat around her escalates, she must face leaving Jackson to draw the danger away from the man she’s coming to love.

8. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership. 

Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake. 

But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

9. The Ring on Her Finger by Elizabeth Bevarly

eiress Lucinda Hollander is in something of a bind. After being proposed to by a man in a Bozo the Clown suit—who jams a ring on her finger the size of Gibraltar and then disappears—she's accused of a murder she didn't commit and is forced to go on the lam. Although she's never touched a dust mop, never mind used one, she hides out as Lucy French, housekeeper, on an elegant estate far from the scene of the crime. Hey, she knows her way around big houses, and making floors sparkle sure beats making license plates.

She finds more than she bargained for in the servants’ quarters, however, not the least of which is Max Hogan, the car guy. He’s gorgeous and sexy, and, wow, does he know how to work with his hands. But he’s more than a little silent about his past, which makes Lucy wonder what he’s up to—and what will happen when he discovers her own secrets. Throw in a fiery nanny, a scandalous horse breeder, and a lonely little girl, and Lucy has more than enough to take her mind off her troubles. Until one of those troubles becomes falling in love with Max. How will she ever be able to put things to rights?

And how can she get that darned ring off her finger...?

10. The Heart Won't Lie by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Just get up and ride… 

Much to his family's displeasure, Michael Hartford pens popular Western paperbacks. But despite his cowboy image, he's more Central Park West than Wild West. With a major photo shoot coming up, he'll need to be a cowboy—not just look like one! And Michael has only a week at the Last Chance Ranch to get the giddy-up in his game…. 

After a girl-fight scandal, socialite-turned-housekeeper Keri Fitzpatrick is cheerily unrepentant as she waits for the dust to settle. It's not long before she discovers Michael's secret and a whole lot of similarities…including an irresistible temptation to play Naughty Naked Cowboy! 

But does this scrappy socialite have what it takes to ensure her would-be cowboy is both saddle sore and satisfied?

Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Feather Duster: Housekeepers in Contemporary Romance

 The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams is a nice easy read but the characters are a bit flat and the storyline is a bit too silly - even for a bit of fluffy, glittery chick-lit.  However, it's exactly what I expected it to be and whiled away a couple of hours while I didn't have anything else to do.

Some more great books for wedding season!  Get out those ugly bridesmaid's dresses and settle down for a good read!

My lists are never in any particular order. Enjoy!

1. Bolted by Meg Benjamin

Greta Brewster McBain is in a bind. Two, if she’s really counting. First there’s the can-barely-breathe bridesmaid’s dress from hell. Second, the stranger who just carried her “perfect” brother’s fiancée out the church door has made it impossible to tell her own mother about her own divorce. 

Rather than confirm her reputation as the family screw-up, Greta takes a drive to clear her head. 

Trapped in a hole and unable to reach his cell phone, Hank Mitchell is resigned to becoming a permanent part of his own archeological dig when help arrives—in the form of a woman who looks like a Gone With The Wind refugee. Behind the ruffles and lace, though, is something he appreciates: a woman who isn’t afraid of a little dirt. 

Their instant connection draws Greta into the eccentric world of the Hotel Grand, where she impulsively trades her hoopskirts for an apron. Soon things are getting hot—not only in the hotel kitchen, but in Hank’s arms... 

Warning: Contains hot moonlit sex, a melancholy turtle, two wisecracking seniors, and the world’s ugliest bridesmaid dress.

2.East of the Sun by Julia Gregson

s the Kaisar-I-Hind weighs anchor for Bombay in the autumn of 1928, its passengers ponder their fate in a distant land. They are part of the “Fishing Fleet”—the name given to the legions of English women who sail to India each year in search of husbands, heedless of the life that awaits them. The inexperienced chaperone Viva Holloway has been entrusted to watch over three unsettling charges. There’s Rose, as beautiful as she is naïve, who plans to marry a cavalry officer she has met a mere handful of times. Her bridesmaid, Victoria, is hell-bent on losing her virginity en route before finding a husband of her own. And shadowing them all is the malevolent presence of a disturbed schoolboy named Guy Glover. 

From the parties of the wealthy Bombay socialites to the poverty of Tamarind Street, from the sooty streets of London to the genteel conversation of the Bombay Yacht Club, East of the Sun takes us back to a world we hardly understand but yearn to know. This is a book that has it all: glorious detail, fascinating characters, and masterful storytelling.

3. The Eldritch Conspiracy by Cat Adams

Not every bride needs a bridesmaid who can double as a bodyguard. But Celia's cousin Adriana is no ordinary bride: she's a Siren princess, and she's marrying the king of a small but politically important European country. She's getting death threats from fanatics who want to see the whole Siren race wiped out-including Celia herself, who is half Siren.

Luckily, Celia is on duty when a trip to a bridal salon is interrupted by an assassination attempt, so everyone survives. When Adriana returns to the Siren homeland to try to prevent a coup, Celia is free to hunt for the terrorists and the vile mage who is helping them (while keeping her eyes open for the perfect maid-of-honor dress). 

Assuming the bride and groom both live to see their wedding day, this will be one royal wedding no one will ever forget.

4. Ripped by Sarah Morgan

With a rip louder than the “I dos,” Hayley’s hideous bile-yellow bridesmaid dress explodes. She’s always had enviable curves, but nearly naked wasn’t quite the look she’d been going for at her ex’s wedding.

She’s rushed from the altar under the best man’s designer tux jacket. Hayley’s expecting a blast of icy disapproval from sexy, sophisticated Niccolò Rossi—his usual reaction to anything she does. What she gets is a kiss that nearly melts what’s left of her polyester nightmare gown.

It’s impossible on a million levels. Exuberant engineer Hayley and buttoned-up lawyer Nico have never seen eye to eye—but skin to skin? Oh, mio…. So when Nico shows up at her flat on Christmas Day to give her a fabulous gift—himself—Hayley’s delighted to do the unwrapping. But it’s just a holiday fling. By New Year’s Day, she’ll come back to her senses…unless Nico’s sensual skills tear away all her resolve.

5.  Bridesmaid for Hire by Nancy Warren

Tasmine Ford is such a perfect bridesmaid, she’s made a side business out of it. But, when a gorgeous designer wedding gown is handed to her, after the bride who is supposed to wear it climbs out the window on her wedding day, she starts to wonder, will she always be a bridesmaid and never a bride? It’s not that she doesn’t know exactly who she wants to marry. But Eric Van Hoffendam wants to cry on her shoulder not ask for her hand in marriage. 

Now that the jilted groom is free, she begins to wonder if maybe their friendship could turn into something more, when she discovers exactly why he got jilted. Can she reform this bad boy into the amazing man she knows he could be? 

Five brides, one (possibly cursed) designer wedding gown. Will any of these brides actually walk down the aisle in the fabulous dress? Follow five runaway brides in this romantic comedy series as they find love in the most unexpected places.

6. Bad Girl Bridesmaids by Susanna Carr 

These bridesmaids are ready to trade in their taffeta dresses for something much sexier. At a wedding, Kelsey Morgan meets a hot millionaire who's really going somewhere-and wants to take her with him-in "Serial Bridesmaid on the Loose." Tara Watkins started a blog called "The Bridesmaid Diaries." Now she's about to see the best man who's been reading up on her-and is determined to relive a wild night from their past. Feeling like the "Wedding Wrecker," Amber Hughes is a bridesmaid again-and this time she runs into a seductive former classmate who hopes to make this wedding even crazier than her last.

7. One Night with the Best Man by Noelle Adams

Raney wants to enjoy being a bridesmaid at her friend’s wedding, but the best man, Justin Woodward, keeps putting a damper on her mood. He’s brilliant and kind of geeky—not at all the kind of guy she’s used to—but she’s always been nice to him, so she can’t figure out why he acts so cool and obnoxious with her. 

It shouldn’t matter what he feels about her, but she can’t stop thinking about him. So her mission for the weekend is to get Justin to like her. Her attempts don’t seem to work at all. 

8. Always the Best Man by Fiona Harper

The best man...for the bridesmaid? Standing at the altar, Damien's breathless as the woman he loves walks towards him - to marry another man. Knowing bridesmaid Zoe's watching him makes it harder still. The opposite of the bride, Zoe's too loud, too vibrant, too...everything. She's the only woman he really can't stand! Catching Damien looking at her critically, Zoe can't resist provoking him. Just once she'd like to see 'Mr Perfect' lose his cool, she can tell there are fireworks smouldering behind those pale blue eyes. Before the wedding night is over Zoe will succeed in breaking Damien's iron-hard self-control...but their unexpected connection will threaten to undermine everything they both believe about themselves and what they really need...

9. The Bridesmaid by Katie Crabapple

This is the third story in the Parkside Christian Church Series. Kennedy and Anna were roommates in College, and Kennedy feels privileged to be part of her wedding. When the youth pastor of Parkside Christian Church takes a new job as a senior pastor for another church, his replacement makes Kennedy’s heart sing. Will the on-going problems of PCC keep them apart?

10. Seducing the Bridesmaid by Katee Robert

She has a plan. He’s about to change it. Regan Wakefield is a headhunter in both name and personality: driven, motivated, and unafraid to pursue what—and who—she wants. Naturally, she’s thrilled when her friend’s wedding offers her an opportunity to score Logan McCade, the practically perfect best man. Unfortunately, groomsman Brock McNeil keeps getting in her way, riling her up in the most delicious of ways. But Brock’s smooth southern charm isn’t part of the plan…so how exactly did they end up having searing-hot sex? Regan may pretend the erotic electricity sparking between them is merely a distraction, but Brock knows better. She refuses to see beyond the devil-may-care façade he presents to the world, while he sees straight through hers. Changing her mind—and getting under her skin—is a challenge he can’t resist. And when he wins, Brock will do whatever it takes to convince Regan that the best man for her is him.

Do you have a favorite Bridesmaid? Let me know!

Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads lists: Always a Bridesmaid in RomanceNovels.

Yesterday, we talked about Summer Christmas. Ahhh. I can feel the sand in my toes and smell that salt air. 

But today, lets snuggle up with Snowed in Romances. I don't know about you but it is crazy time around here and Series Romances (Loveswept, Mills and Boon, Harlequin) are the perfect bon bon size for sneak reading. Sneak reading is my sport as we near the holidays. 

Enjoy these couples who are snowed in! I wonder how ever will they pass the time? My lists are never in any particular order.

1. One Christmas Knight by Kathleen Creighton 

2. Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson

3. Snowbound with the Soldier by Jennifer Faye

4. Snowbound in the Earl's Castle by Fiona Harper

5. All That Love Is by Ginger Chambers

6. Winter Kissed by Michele Hauf

7. Stranded with the Tycoon by Sophie Pembroke

8. Proposal at the Lazy S Ranch by Patricia Thayer

9. A Very Special Delivery by Brenda Harlen

10. Mountain Midwife by Cassie Miles

Get the Vote Out! Goodreads List--Snuggle: Snowed in Series Romance Style