Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is one of the first books people think of when they hear 'time travel romance', and it's one of the best, with a heroine caught between two worlds and two men, and a hero you'll fall madly in love with, not to mention an amazing setting and intricate historical details woven into the story.

Wishes by Jude Devereaux is magical, both within the story itself and in the storytelling. It's well-crafted, blending humor and deeper emotion seamlessly with the paranormal elements of the tale.

Maggie Shayne was writing vampire romances before there was even a bandwagon for other authors to jump onto, and hers still rank as my favorites. Her incredible 'Twilight' series kicks off with Twilight Begins and continues still today. Along with the darker elements fans of the genre love are characters readers care about, smooth storytelling, and steamy love scenes. What's not to like?

The Outlaw Viking by Sandra Hill combines several elements readers love: humor, time travel and a sexy hero who knows what he wants. Humor is a staple in all of her books, whether the story is a contemporary or a paranormal, and the steam level is always high.