contemporary romance
-
Choose Your Own Romance Adventure
With cold weather and dark nights, there’s nothing I enjoy more than curling up with a warm romance book. If you’re new to the genre, you may be overwhelmed with all of the settings, tropes, and pairings, but here’s a small selection of some of my favorites to sample! Fake Dating One of the most… Continue reading
-
50 Ways to Find Romance at your Local Library
No, not that kind of romance, silly! Not that we don’t know some wonderful couples who first met at the public library, but we’re not recommending our libraries as pick up spots: that would be creepy. However, every week dozens of new fresh romance novels arrive on our shelves, ready to be taken home by… Continue reading
-
Read Something Amorous
Maybe it’s Bridgerton, or the promise of Spring; Valentine’s Day, or the promise of vaccination day, but more and more readers these days are discovering the wondrous and diverse world of romance fiction. Ever one of the most popular genres around, last year saw rising numbers of romance readers, with more expected in the year… Continue reading
-
Romance by authors of color
Over the past week, there’s been a spirited discussion on Romance Twitter (yes, it’s a thing) about the way the industry and publishers treat authors of color as well as readers of color. Authors told stories about being shunted to “ethnic” imprints, seeing books by white authors featuring characters of color with racist tropes in… Continue reading
-
Noteworthy 2015 RITA Award Finalists
-Posted by Eric G. The Romance Writers of America (RWA) announced the winners of the 2015 RITA Awards at their annual conference on July 25th. The RITA is one of the most prestigious awards for romance writers and its numerous subcategories showcase the variety within romance publishing. That being said, there were many excellent books nominated that… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Staff Picks
For the past two years we have been highlighting the robust and diverse romance genre on Wednesdays. Despite its staggering popularity, the romance genre doesn’t always get respect or recognition from mainstream press and book awards. It’s been our goal with this column to give romance the love it deserves (pun intended) and acknowledge its massive readership, which… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Just Like Starting Over
By Jessica W. Every year, January comes around and we make resolutions. Find love, learn a new language, go to the gym, we try to give ourselves a new start, a fresh page with the beginning of a new year. Some of us go farther than others when we want a new start—we don’t just… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Librarian Favorites of 2014
By Eric G. Library Reads, a website that compiles the favorite books of librarians each month, recently released their “Favorites of the Favorites 2014” list, which highlights the books that have stood out among the favorites this year. I wanted to highlight three titles that made the cut because they also offer sweet, unconventional love stories. Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Spotlight on Nora Roberts
By Jessica W. There are few authors in literature who are more prolific than Nora Roberts. With over 200 books to her name in 33 years of writing, she’s the undisputed queen of the contemporary romance novel. While people may want to write her off because she writes romances, the work she’s done in the… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Best Bets for Fall
By Eric G. Every season is a great season for romance books, but there’s something especially enjoyable about reading them as the leaves change, the days shorten, the temperatures drop and the holidays approach. All that’s missing from the following books is a blanket, a fireplace and a hot beverage – preferably pumpkin-flavored. In Your Dreams… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: 2014 RITA Award Winners
By Eric G. It’s that time of year again! The Romance Writers of America (RWA) recently announced the winners of the 2014 RITA Awards, which recognize achievements in romantic fiction. The Sweet Spot by Laura Drake Drake’s novel indeed hit the sweet spot, snagging the Best First Book award. The story focuses on bull rider Jimmy… Continue reading
-
Adult Summer Reading Challenge: Contemporary Romance
By Selby G. Set in the here and now, contemporary romance novels deal not only with love but also current social issues. Single motherhood, military members with PTSD and illness feature heavily in these works. Contemporary romance can run the gambit from chaste kisses between potential partners in an idyllic small town to drinking too… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Best Bets for the Beach
Posted by Eric G. I know what you’re thinking: aren’t most romance books good for the beach? Despite this embarrassment of riches, I handpicked some recent, particularly noteworthy novels to slip into your beach bag. The Beekeeper’s Ball by Susan Wiggs In this sunny sequel to one of my favorite romance books of 2013, The… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: If You Liked The Fault in Our Stars
Posted by Eric G. John Green’s popular and acclaimed novel The Fault in Our Stars gets the big screen treatment this week! Here are some books that form a complementary reading constellation. Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon On the surface this story of cancer-stricken teens seems very similar to Green’s novel, but this humorous,… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Wedding Season
~ posted by Eric G. Both of my siblings are getting hitched in the next year, so I’ve got weddings on my mind! In honor of the start of the busy wedding season, I’ve pulled together a list of mostly new wedding-related romance titles. Mazel tov! It Happened One Wedding by Julie James Julie James’… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Can’t-Miss Contemporary Series
Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins Higgins is one of my go-to authors for smart and humorous contemporary romance, and I find myself suggesting her books to a wide range of readers. Once you start one of her warm, character-rich stories, you’ll be laughing, crying, cheering and swooning – sometimes on the same page! This… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Love Yourself
To quote the inimitable RuPaul, “if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?” The characters in the following books are trying to do just that, and I encourage you to join them. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz Tough Ari meets… Continue reading
-
Romantic Wednesdays: Remembering Janet Dailey
Prolific romance writer Janet Dailey passed away last month at the age of 69. According to Dr. Pamela Regis, author of A Natural History of the Romance Novel, there are more than 300 million copies of Janet Dailey’s books in print, making her one of the most successful fiction writers of all time. Continue reading