Jessica W.

  • Romance throughout American history

    Romance throughout American history

    Happy 241st birthday, America! You don’t look a day over 240 years old. In honor of Independence Day, here are a few romances from some eras of American history that aren’t as beloved in the romance world as the Wild West or the Civil War, in chronological order. Hamilton’s Battalion by Courtney Milan, Rose Lerner,… Continue reading

  • Romance by authors of color

    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

  • Second Chance Romance

    Everyone has their romance catnip, a trope or plot device that makes it an automatic read for them. One favorite is the rekindled romance with a spouse, often after an estrangement or a marriage by proxy. In Eloisa James’s The Ugly Duchess, Theo (Theodora) and James have known each other for years, and Theo thought… Continue reading

  • The Spy Who Loved Me

    What is it about spies that make them such fantastic romance heroes? Is it the air of danger? The ability to write in code? Or maybe it’s that, when a hero is a spy, you know that eventually they’ll have to let down their guard and expose their secrets to the woman they love, proof… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Young Adult

    ~posted by Jessica W. Young adult novels appeal to many people, often because of the plot-driven storylines, but also because they’re about people finding themselves through turmoil, whether it’s a breakup or the world literally ending.  The protagonist enters the book (or series) unsure and unformed, and leaves stronger, wiser, and often a leader in… 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: The Gamblers

    By Jessica W. Historical romance can be somewhat limited in where the romance happens. Is it this ballroom or that ballroom? Rotten Row or a country house party? In the public eye, rules can’t be broken. But in the gambling clubs and hells of London, the rules of society take a second place to the… 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: Movies for the New Year

    Check out these romantic movies that feature the classic combination of true love and a new year. When Harry Met Sally Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: Happily Ever After on Christmas

    Holidays can be the most stressful time of year. But if you’re stuck at home on Christmas with the in-laws and sugar-crazed children, take heart! You can sneak off for a few minutes and check out some of these Christmas-themed e-books through the Library’s Overdrive collection—you can check them out and add them to your e-reader without… Continue reading