This is a new feature I developed where each month we will look at our favorite – the best – series in a genre or topic.
The topic here, by my definition, is a series with a setting in California. These are the ones which came to mind. I enjoyed some more than others. The team had to help me find some of these.
Since I haven’t read everything, it’s a subset of the possibilities. I’m sure I am forgetting some great authors. There are also plenty of authors I have yet to read. Please share your favorites with me in the comments, also.
My favorite California series are (in no particular order):
Silver Springs Wildstone Detective Margaret Nolan
by Brenda Novak by Jill Shalvis by PJ Tracy
The Rajes 7th and Main Eve Ronin
by Sonali Dev by Elizabeth Hunter by Lee Goldberg
What are your favorite series?
Vote for your top 3 favorites! You can vote for my favorites or add favorites of your own. Remember this is how the winning option is chosen for the giveaway.
Then enter the giveaway below. The winner will get the first book in the winning series! Open to anyone who can receive an Amazon digital ebook, or Book Depository for an Intl winner.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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While I’ve read three of the authors (Novak, Shalvis and Goldberg) listed, I have not read those particular series. A few of the series I like set in CA (for part of the storylines at least) are: Seanan McGuires’s Incrytid and October Daye series and Juliet Blackwell’s Haunted Home Renovation series. Of course, there’s the famous Sue Grafton Kinsey Millhone series (though I gave up around “P”) and Earlene’s Fowler’s Benni Harper mystery series. Marcia Muller’s Sharon McCone mysteries were a favorite too.
The reason why I like McGuires and Harper work is because McGuire’s series are different from the usual UF in terms of characters and world building. Both authors (and Muller’s) really promote acceptance and that family can be more than the standard definition.
Thanks so much for sharing! I can’t believe I forgot about Kinsey Milhone and Sharon McCone. I read both of those series. I had a bit of feeling that McCone might have been set in Seattle but of course, it’s San Francisco. I have only read the first of the Juliet Blackwell series and would love to read more of it. But this is why I ask for other favorites. I would vote for these 3 as much as any of the other 6.
Another one of my favorites by Novak is Whiskey Creek. And, I can’t leave out my most favorite California set series, Virgin River by Robyn Carr.
More great titles!
I love the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr and it’s set in a fictional town in Northern California, but I can picture it easily. More so now that it’s a TV series. They got a lot right with the setting. The storylines, not so much. The books are way better, but I still can’t help but watch, lol. I want to read more Brenda Novak. I read my first book by her last week and I’d like to read more. Maybe I’ll start with the Silver Springs series!
I’ve read many of Novak’s titles. Several are set in California.
The Sonali Dev series is probably my favorite that is set in California, but I’ve also enjoyed a few books in the Virgin River series, which is also set there.
There are a lot of options in CA so my picks are a small subset of possibilities.
I love books set in California. I used to live there when I was younger, and my family stayed there, so I visit at least a couple of times a year. My favorite California series is the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr. I voted for the Sonali Dev series as I enjoy that series very much.
Well obviously Virgin River series is popular. I’ve only read the first book so I didn’t remember that it was set in CA. There are so many great choices.
I haven’t read the ones you listed but they sound great and I have added them to my list! I love Christine Feehan’s Sea Haven world which consists of thee series! The Drake Series – complete with 7 books, the Sisters of the Heart or Sea Haven series which consists of 6 books and Torpedo Ink – ongoing! They have a little bit of magic, psychic abilities, suspense, romance and you can’t help but fall for these characters and get caught up in their world!
OH I might like those with the physic abilities. Thanks for sharing Eva.
I can’t remember the last time I read a book set in Cali.
I just finished one last night. Another series by Elizabeth Hunter.
I have such a hard time remembering settings but I feel like I have read a lot of books set in California. The Shalvis series is a great one!
yes lots of Shalvis settings in California. There are many other series but like I say I don’t know them all and certainly haven’t read them all.
I love the Wildstone series 🙂
I pretty much love everything Jill Shalvis.
I love Jill Shalvis and Brenda Novak. I think the Fool’s Gold series by Susan Mallery is set in California. I quite enjoyed that one. And Stacy Finz wrote a series called Nugget, also set in California, that was all right. That’s all I can think of now.
yes I have read and enjoyed Susan Mallory’s Fools Gold series, it was just awhile ago. For some reason, I’ve kept up with current series from Jill Shalvis and Brenda Novak but not Susan Mallory. *shrugs*
Yeah, I know. I know I sometimes forget about a series if there wasn’t anything new added to it in a while.
I’ve only just started the Sonali Dev series, but love them!
I have read all 4 so far and the new one, The Emma Project is releasing in May. I really loved them.