@Marti, I come from the academic world, where it's APA format, Times New Roman 12-point everywhere. I can spot it a mile away. When I read a fiction book in TNR12, it's distracting—like, why is this person ignoring APA or MLA rules? Oh yeah, this is just for fun... So for my own sanity, the last font I would use as a print typeface for my book is Times New Roman.
But I'm an odd bird. I don't know how many other people in the world have the same visceral reaction to Times New Roman. It might be a fine choice. But the world of typefaces and typesetting is deep and rich with nuance. A tasteful choice of typeface will distinguish your book from others and make it a pleasure to read. Even for those who don't realize that the typeface is part of what creates that pleasure. The atmosphere, tone, voice, and/or theme of your work is what determines which subtly-different typeface you might choose. Or which one a pro might recommend—until you are familiar with things like leading, kerning, serifs, etc. and can tell the difference between Georgia and Garamond at a glance, it's a good idea to let a pro make that call for you. This RPatton we're conversing with sounds like he might be able to help you.
(I know just enough to be dangerous, haven't worked as a copysetter since the 1980s!)