Recently, Shannon of The Tale Temptress had a really good discussion post up about Happily Ever Afters in the novels we read – do we need them or not.  (Use that link up above to go check it out)  The discussion got quite lively and enjoyable.  During commenting back and forth we got talking about series that Do Not Have Cliffhanger Endings – Which I Hate.  Just sayin’.  And after mentioning a few ongoing series that I love that keep the overall story arc but each novel within is still totally complete, HEA and all,  I offhandedly said I should make a recommended post.  This is that post.  *fingers crossed*  And if this works, I might (might) make this a Feature.  We’ll see what happens.

Crime & Mystery & Romance combined.  I think an excellent example of a mystery and romance ongoing series that gets deeper with time is J. D. Robb’s In Death series.  Roarke & Eve.  The billionaire, reformed thief & the focused, dedicated, non-people-person Lt. Detective Eve Dallas.  Slightly futuristic, set about 50 years in the future, far enough for there to be fun gadgets and near enough to not be sci-fi this is a series that is now forty, yes, 40 novels and novellas long and counting.  Each one can be read as a stand alone crime, mystery and romance.  Really, it can.  However – since we almost step into the In Death world like a tv series – the characters grow, change, come, go, get more at ease with each other, and still hold tight to the love, and friendships that bind them all.  There is a constancy there as there would be with visiting with old friends.

Paranormal ~ Vampire  One of my absolute genre.  Maggie Shayne’s Wings in the Night.  The first vampire series I followed like clockwork, and still do since she is taking it into Twilight Reborn.  During a time when any paranormal romances were harder to find than vampires who walked in the daylight, Maggie Shayne was my heroine and go to vampire author.  Christine Feehan’s The Dark (Carpathians) vampire series.  This is such a beloved, long lasting, still feels new series.  We are always running into favorite characters within the individual novels.  This is a tight community and it shows.  Another series that I think just gets better with time.

Pure Romance For long ongoing Romance series I do not believe you can beat Debbie Macomber.  Her Cedar Cove series (which was turned into a tv series) or her Blossom Street, even her early Mannings – all have individual novels with a arc of town, communities and families which always leaves me satisfied and ready for the next installment of any of her series.

And that is all I have for this post.  I realize that some readers may think that these are older series – while that may be true for most, also realize that these authors have given us long, ongoing series that have captured our hearts and imaginations for years.  It takes a good author, one in it for the long haul and the love of telling tales to give us these stories.

So, now it’s your turn.  Do you have any favorite ongoing series where each novel has it’s own happy ever after yet remains within a over arc of a story, community or family?  Then please share in the comments – I’m always up for a new to me author.