What was Julie Garwood’s Secret to Writing Amazing Romance?

At this point, if you’ve read any of my other “favorite” blogs, you may notice that Julie Garwood is probably my #1 favorite romance author. Her passing in the summer of 2023 rocked the entirety of the romance community, hitting especially hard for those who thoroughly enjoyed her work. While she may have been considered “classic”, especially by 2025 romance standards, there is a reason why her romances stand the test of time and are still amazing reads even today.

Garwood’s romances, historical and contemporary, contain a level of romance I’ve rarely seen in other works. What is it that made her romances flow so smoothly, with hardly a hiccup in any direction? What makes her heroes and heroines so strong and relatable? What makes readers continue to fall in love with these main characters year after year?

Julie Garwood’s romance novels include strong themes that can be found throughout each of her stories, tying the novels together in a beautifully recognizable style that set her apart from other romance authors popular around the same time. So what elements did she incorporate in her novels that set her apart from others? Well, I have some thoughts on that. Check it out below:

As humans, we crave friendship. Whether we want to be around people or not, friends are a great sounding board outside of family. In modern days, some friendships run deeper and more securely than family ties.

Strong, undeniable friendships run throughout Garwood’s novels, for both the men and women leads. Ransom, for example, features a blossoming friendship between Gillian (the female main character) and Brigid, a woman she meets during her travels to Scotland. Additionally, Broderick (the main male character) surrounds himself with other loyal men who take “protective” to a new level. Not only will they not allow Broderick to go at life alone, but they will stick by any woman under his protection as well.

The Secret is another perfect example of friendships that transcend culture and country as Judith (female main character) travels to be with her best friend since childhood during her time of birth—beautiful friendships like this run throughout Garwood’s novels. Along with creating a thread to the books not necessarily tied to the “romance” aspect, these friendships serve a purpose of helping to tie certain books together, creating interconnected standalones (my favorite)!

Family is another thread that runs throughout Garwood’s romance novels, creating a sense of romance that goes beyond the physical love between the two main characters. The idea, the romance, of having unshakable family ties is such a strong draw. Families united by blood and loyalty are found in these books, providing a beautiful example of how family doesn’t always end in blood.

The newer, contemporary romance novels by Julie Garwood each focus on a family member or friend of one of two families: the Buchanans and the Madisons. Both families have a strong sense of familial obligation and a deep love for their siblings. This goes on to include the strong friendship between the Buchanan siblings and Noah Clayborne to create a familial tie, knowing that Noah will do everything in his power to protect and care for their other siblings.

Another amazing example of familial ties throughout Julie Garwood’s novels is the shared love between the Clayborne siblings in the Rosehill, Western series. Though not united by blood, the Clayborne siblings have some of the strongest familial bonds I’ve ever seen on page or in person. Their collective determination to care for and protect each other is a wonderful thing to read.

All I can really say is, if you’re lucky enough to have the types of friends and family Julie Garwood’s heroes and heroines have, hold on to them tightly and never let go!

Who doesn’t love a heroine who is out to conquer life as her own person? Throughout Julie Garwood’s contemporary and historical romances, headstrong heroines kick butt and take names, in some of the most endearingly awkward ways. Brenna, the main female character from The Wedding, is a perfect example of how a strong female character can chart her own path, even if she ends up a little off of that path, thanks to a rogish man. Gillian from Ransom is another woman determined to handle the rough situation thrown her way, finding unlikely friends and allies along the way.

Many of Garwood’s heroines go through some pretty extreme things, especially in her historical romances, when women’s rights were virtually nonexistent. I think it’s important to remember that, especially when their heroes begin to step in. That’s why seeing the progression of stories like Saving Grace and The Prize is so important. The growth that the heroines go through makes them stronger people and, in the end, with their heroes in the corner, there’s nothing they can’t do.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. It just so happens that most of Garwood’s heroes come in the shape and size of tall, broad, and handsome beyond compare. The majority of the heroes found in the pages of Garwood’s novels are broody warriors who don’t believe they need and definitely don’t want the distraction of a woman. That’s where Julie Garwood excelled at proving them wrong. Each hero is perfectly tailored to their heroine. They learn to accept their quirks, their needs, and the differences between hardened men and the softness of a woman in their midst.

Ultimately, it is my opinion that the hero could be shaped like a toad (it doesn’t hurt that they aren’t), but the way they learn to support and protect their heroines is absolutely swoon-worthy. My favorite example of this comes from Saving Grace, as Johanna learns to stand on her own feet, develops a sense of self-worth, and establishes her place in the world, all with Gabriel at her side. Though I’m mentioning a lot of the same titles here, these are just my favorite examples. There’s plenty more where that came from!

Romance novels have one thing in common (if they are labeled as a “true” romance novel). All romances must end in either a Happily-For-Now (HFN) or a Happily-Ever-After (HEA). I am pleased to announce that Julie Garwood never left a reader hanging! Each book, even those that are interconnected standalones, focused on a couple or two, and their ultimate destination of happily in love.

Julie Garwood’s novels feature very realistic emotions and situations that tug at a reader’s heart, and there are some points where tears are NOT out of the equation depending upon how deeply an emotion hits. The heroes and heroines of Garwood’s books go through heartbreak, desire, passion, pain, and journies to find their self-worth, overcome self-doubt, and carve a space for themselves come hell or high water. In the end, it never fails, they get their happily-ever-after, making Julie Garwood’s romance novels a sweet read, especially when you’re feeling blue.

You don’t have to take my word for it, though! I mean, after all, these are just my opinions. Perhaps you’d like to see for yourself? Julie Garwood may be gone now (rest in peace), but her novels remain, a testament to her mastery of the romance genre and the beautiful, enchanting way she wrote love.

You can find everything you need to know about Julie and her novels here: https://juliegarwood.com/

If you’re a Julie Garwood fan, drop a comment with your favorite novel and why and as always, Happy Reading!