Alyssa Goodnight started reading romance novels in junior high, but only those she considered to be of the respectable sort, such as Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt. Quickly realizing that there were only so many of those to choose from, she grudgingly decided to explore other possibilities. Having teased her older sister incessantly over the racy, over-the-top covers of modern romance novels, she was much relieved to discover that if she didn't first judge a romance by its cover, the story would speak for itself. Properly contrite, Alyssa determined to catch up, reading them throughout high school and then college.