For too long romance has been a maligned genre, often referred to as “bodice rippers” or “trashy books.” I discovered them as a teenager through a friend, and after that, read all the Nora Roberts I could get my hands on. I proudly include romance on my reading lists!
If you want to explore different romance genres with a like-minded group of people, come to the first official meeting of the Hoboken Public Library’s newest book club “Romancing the Stacks,” Tuesday, March 31 at 6:30 PM. The first book I have selected for the club is Jennifer Robeson’s The Gown, a historical romance with a royal twist, spanning 1947-2016. In this book we meet Heather Mackenzie, who is grieving the loss of her grandmother, a woman she called Nan. Heather receives a final gift from Nan: a box with a piece of embroidery. The embroidery is striking and closely resembles the embroidery work on the train of Princess Elizabeth’s Wedding dress from her marriage to Prince Phillip in 1947. Nan never mentioned working in embroidery, or for that matter, mentioned much about her past. Heather sets off to find out what she can about her mysterious gift. The reader then learns more about Nan’s life after WWII and what brought her to North America.
If you like romance, you will love “The Gown.” If you have never read romance, this is the perfect first book for you; I had it along on a beach trip, and could not put it down.
You can also participate in our Mystery and Science Fiction/Fantasy Book Clubs!
Written by:
Lindsay T. Sakmann
Reference Librarian
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 
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