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The Delaneys is a series of romance novels written by Iris Johansen and various other authors. The books began publication in 1986, with Iris writing half a dozen of them over the years.
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Order of Delaneys Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | York, the Renegade | 1986 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Matilda, the Adventuress | 1987 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | This Fierce Splendor | 1988 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Satin Ice | 1988 | Description / Buy |
As one might have guessed from the title, the Delaneys series explores the lives and loves of a particular family. The Delaneys are a complicated bunch. They either love too much or not enough. And their members are always embroiled in one form of scandal or another.
Written to be big dreamers that are passionate about what they like, the Delaneys seek love and companionship above all else. They do not always know it. In fact, the Delaneys are prone to spitting in the face of love when they find it. And it usually takes the right person and a bit of prodding for them to realize that they have always felt so lost and unsettled because they were looking for a home, and that home can be found in the arms of the one they love.
The Delaneys books tend to vary. The only thing connecting them is the fact that they are romance novels and a Delaney shows up in every single book in the series. Otherwise, Delaneys books can be historical in nature or contemporary. They can be erotica or bodice rippers.
Fans of the books will tell you that the series never disappoints because it plays with so many different sub-genres. And the Delaneys involved in each book are always unique and distinct in their personalities, facing challenges that are unique to them.
Iris Johansen, in particular, endeavors to make the Delaney books she writes as hilarious and insane as possible, what with the ideas of love and adventure she plays with.
A common element of the Delaneys series is Hell’s Bluff, a mining town reminiscent of the Old West which has been recreated in modern times by a tycoon. The town is a men’s only place. The only women allowed are the ones playing prostitutes.
Iris’ talent lies in elevating the Delaneys books beyond the romance fluff they should be.
Iris was a late bloomer. While she always wanted to write she did not take up the task until her children had left for college. By the early 1980s, Iris had cemented her place in the arena of contemporary romance, though it wasn’t until the 1990s when Iris experimented with historical romance and crime fiction that her name gained notable renown.
Iris Johansen has a son who won an award for his screenwriting abilities. Her daughter works in research.
Best The Delaneys Books
The Delaneys series should be a jumbled mess but the varied styles of writing somehow come together to produce compelling fiction, with some of the best Delaneys books around including:
This Fierce Splendor: Elspeth Macgregor’s father spent his life searching for the lost city of Kantalan, a legend that many dismissed as myth. And as a little girl, Elspeth saw the way his obsession drove him, which is why she wasted no time in undertaking his quest the moment she was old enough.
Finding the city for Elspeth meant drowning herself in textbooks and maps and legends. And even after learning what she needed to know about Kantalan, she still had no idea how to reach it; that is until she heard of Hell’s Bluff and the man that could make all her dreams come true.
Dominic Delaney is a bad boy with a poor reputation. He is also dangerous, his past exploits having made him a wanted man. The last thing he wants to do is to deal with Elspeth’s wild goose chase.
But something about Elspeth appeals to him and it isn’t long before he sweeps her off her feet and the pair embarks on a fiery adventure.
Matilda, the Adventuress: There is nothing Matilda cares about more than the black flame Opal. She can hear it calling out to her from the mines on Deadman’s Ridge. When she encounters film Director Roman Gallagher, she doesn’t think much of their meeting.
A cynical man, Roman should have dismissed Matilda’s little adventure. But then he became enchanted by her silken hair and the passion burning being her lips.
Other Book Series You May Like
You may also like the “Indigo Bay Sweet Romance” Series by Various Authors. These books tell simple, straightforward romance stories set in small towns and which follow the trails of different couples falling in and out of love.
“The Safeguard Series” by Kennedy Layne is another great one. Townes Calvert comes home from war having been damaged in more ways than one. As he tries to get his life together and adapt to civilian life, Townes and his former military buddies start a company that investigates crimes and protects the innocent.
What Is The Next Book in The Delaneys Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Delaneys Series. The newest book is Satin Ice and was released on October, 1st 1988.