Romance Has Something for Everyone

Romance Reflection

I originally saw this retweeted on the Bad Romance Takes page and it didn’t sit right with me because this isn’t a bad romance take at all. It’s simply an observation from someone who isn’t excited for the string of reality show based romances scheduled for release this year. Which is fair since it’s not their preferred sub-genre.

We all have our preferred tropes and sub-genres. So, logically, we all have the ones that we could do without. There are handfuls of tropes and sub-genres that I don’t enjoy. One example is the modern billionaire/millionaire romances. You can blame that series about the various facets of a monochromatic tone if you’d like; I’m sure that’s a factor. But honestly it’s just never been my bag. I don’t actively go out of my way to pooh-pooh those books; I just don’t seek them out.

I think that sometimes romance readers get so used to being defensive against people who hate the genre that it bleeds into interactions with our fellow readers who prefer different flavors. The popular phrase goes “Let people like what they like” but it should go without saying that the opposite is true. People should also be allowed to dislike what they don’t, both inside and outside the genre.

Book Riot Romance

Don’t forget to listen to this week’s episode of When in Romance, where Trisha and Jess discuss more romance news, give romance recommendations for the Read Harder Challenge, and discuss various sport romances. They also announced the next WIR book club pick, Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur.

Make sure to get your own Read Harder Book Journal from Book Riot to track your reading for the year!

Around the Web in Romance

And speaking of WIR, be sure to sign up for this event for the release of April Asher’s Not the Witch You Wed, hosted by our very own Trisha.

There’s still time to sign up for this event from Love’s Sweet Arrow to celebrate the release of Electric Idol.

Fancy some second chance romances?

Check out some (or all) of these recommendations of science fiction romances hybrids.

Here are thirty-six of 2022’s most anticipated romances, according to Goodreads.

Recommendations

One of my goals this year is to not spend as much money on new books. I know a lot of people are taking on a ‘no-buy’ rule and I commend them for being that disciplined. I am not, so I’m being more realistic about the person that I am. There is so much that has been weighing me down the last couple of years, as with us all, that I take the joy where I can. For me, book buying bans are not joyful.

That said I am still working on keeping the count between books acquired and books read close. It’s possibly a Sisyphean task but I’m still trying. One way I’m doing this is by enlisting some friends to buddy read with me. Sometimes even just thinking someone is reading along with me is enough for me to buckle down and pick up that book that is collecting dust.

So, my recommendations today are books that I purchased last year that I still need to read. There’s no real connection between them but that and hopefully thinking someone out there is reading along with me will help light the proverbial fire under me.

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

When Hollywood star Jo is caught making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, rumors instantly begin to fly about their relationship. While they continue to maintain they are not romantically linked, a ‘source’ keeps telling the media something different. And, as the two women spend more time together, they begin to wonder if the world saw a spark between the two that they had been ignoring all along?

If the Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Amanda is the personal assistant to a well known diva in Hollywood and when a bout with the flu renders the star inaccessible for Oscar night, she decides to use her ticket and go. This leads to a one-night stand with the handsome actor Sam; but when she leaves the next morning she ends up taking his rewards statue as well. Sam is eager to find her and not just to get his reward back; so when happenstance lands her at his family’s farm, he is determined to show her that they shouldn’t limit themselves to just that one night.

He’s Not My Boyfriend by Jackie Lau

Iris is the last single granddaughter, a title she is determined to keep. Unfortunately for Iris, her family is equally as determined to see her tie the knot. Things begin to pile on her when her latest one night-stand, Alex, turns out to be her new boss, and she moves in with her grandmother who is constantly setting her up on blind dates. To make matters worse, she begins to develop feelings for Alex.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

And that’s all I have for you today. I hope that your upcoming weekend is full of rest, relaxation, and reading. If you’re already following me on Twitter, I can be found under @Pscribe801, where I post on a semi-regular basis. See y’all Monday with more romance news and some new releases.