#Genere Contemporary Romance

[mermaidsirennikita]

Also, as a reader who doesn't like secret baby, I want a story centered around the main characters falling in love. If you add babies now it's like they have an external pressure to get together. It's too real in an uncomfortable way. Parenting is not necessarily related to romance.

I would say that if THAT is what you've read in romance novels, then that's not the trope's issue, that's the book's issue.

For example--to go with Enter the Duke, the secret baby book I'm reading right now... The kid has nothing to do with these two falling in love, tbh. They fucked once, he finds out about the kid 8-9 years later, after she's had a legal father (who passed) which in the 1800s was really all she needed. And she had time with a dad, y'know?

He's broke, so he can't offer the mother and child financial stability. In fact, the only way he can, if the Big Plot does not work out, is by marrying someone who isn't her mother. So in a lot of ways... not being with the mother and child is what is best for the child for most of this novel. That choice makes it so that the hero and heroine SHOULDN'T fall in love. Yet they do, and he's halfway there before he figures out that it's his kid anyway.

I would say that parenting usually doesn't have much to do with romance at all (aside from how two people in a healthy relationship can model healthy relationships for children, but that doesn't have to be between biological parents, or direct parents at all versus close extended family).

To me, "we must be together because baby" is an accidental pregnancy book. And I again don't really think that puts external pressure on the leads to be together, unless you as the writer choose to use the trope as a crutch. The trope should never be the crutch. The trope should be the trigger. The kid should no more be why two people fall in love than "there's only one bed" should be why they fuck. In the latter trope... If there's nothing there beforehand but they fuck because they happen to be sharing a bed, there's no romance. There needs to be good tension beforehand. In the former, good authors, if anything, use an accidental pregnancy storyline to keep the characters FROM bonding emotionally. The pregnancy or child causes proximity, but it does not cause emotional intimacy.

I would argue that secret baby, when done correctly, actually keeps people apart because it's a) essentially a lie of omission a lot of the time, if not an outright lie b) something one person feels guilty about not taking responsibility for, while the other may feel guilty about withholding c) a signal that the heroine did not feel like the hero could be a father, for whatever reason. Because he's a cold frosty duke, because he's betrothed to another, because he's a mafia hitman who can't protect the kid.

All of these things should create tension.... or the baby should be revealed after the relationship has been built, and the hero is like ".... honestly valid" because he deserved that shit. Like, again, the book I'm reading lol.

But yeah, to me if secret baby or "oops baby" is being used to put people together, that's just someone writing it wrong, you know? That's not the recipe. That's someone trying to do it without the actual flavor.

#romance novel blogging #which..... is a general problem w a lot of churn 'em out contemporaries atm #my biggest take with romance is that the love story should never be easy #this is not real life. this is a story. don't make it easy

[notadryseatinthehouse]

[Image description: the cover for Olivia Fade’s All the Feels, depicting a cartoon-drawn image of a couple. The man is tall, blonde, and sports a beard and a slate blue Henley tee, and he is gazing down with affectionate teasing at our shorter fat heroine, with chin-length light brown hair, who crosses her arms across a white t-shirt that reads “BHE” and smirks up at the man. They are descending a set of stairs with the Hollywood sign in the background.]

In this book Alex does this thing where whenever Lauren clamps her hand over his mouth to stop him from saying something dumb or outrageous, he licks her palm. At first this is a childish prank that makes him seem incredibly juvenile, but as their relationship develops, these palm-licks become more and more sensual and promising, and for some reason, this had an outsized impact on me. 🥵🔥🔥🔥

(This is not permission for @i-fucked-your-milkshake to lick my palm. Maybe. Probably.)

Anyway, Alex and Lauren are hot af together and I liked this better than Spoiler Alert, Dade’s first book in the series.

#romance books #contemporary romance #olivia dade #all the feels #also Dade does a great job with representation in general #the heroine is not only fat but conventionally unattractive #and the hero has adhd and second hand abuse trauma #my god she writes good characters #Alex and Lauren forever

[tleeaves]

There is something incredibly beautiful and oddly nostalgic about the Edwardian era. All the art, the writing, the fashion. But why? That is what I can't figure out. If I were living then, I would have little agency and rights. So, why do I also feel nostalgia for a time I do not know and probably should not want to know?

#this is not about tsc btw #this is as general as general can get #I find the edwardian era enchanting #and I find a lot of people take inspiration from it for many things #or the victorian era #esp when it comes to steampunk and romance genres that aren't contemporary #edwardian era

[thesistersarcheron]

1000% agreed on not trusting SJM to give us a satisfying romance (or even a coherent plot) in the next book.

Do you happen to have any recs for other ongoing fantasy romance series? I don't have a strong preference on sweet versus smutty, but I prefer plotty with ensemble casts. Found family is a bonus.

Not a fan of JLA, was into the Black Witch Chronicles until LF jumped the shark on the latest book...

I really think she's lost the creativity and motivation to write that inspired Throne of Glass and the early ACOTAR books, and now she's just writing for a paycheck/to fulfill a contract/to prolong her fifteen minutes of fame as the top YA-NA romance author at the moment. The last three books she's written read like someone sitting at a desk desperately searching for things to keep them amused until they can clock out for the day.

The romance is secondary, but I love the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik! The final book is out on Tuesday. It's a dark, more adult take on the magic boarding school genre with a lot of excellent fantasy worldbuilding. Students are stranded in their magical school without outside contact and have to fight to graduate, so found family abounds.

The Malice duology by Heather Walter is great if you're an ACOTAR fan, as well. It's a queer Sleeping Beauty retelling focused on the villain.

#book rec #surprisingly i don't read much fantasy romance now that i'm looking at my shelves #after the initial acotar/tfota/fbaa binge i kind of rely on acotar fics instead #and read more dark academia/thrillers and generational fantasy and contemporary romances #i also read a lot of nonfiction so if you want women's history lmk lol

[animezinglife]

When you’re in the middle of a particularly hot scene in one of your WIPs and the neighbor’s vacuum firing up makes you jump about ten feet and lose your train of thought:

#anyway. #writing #writerblr #writer probs #WHOSE VACUUM IS THAT LOUD? WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT? #adult fiction #contemporary fiction #general fiction author #contemporary romance #writing romance #original fiction

[rasparagus]

trying to get back into fiction again bc usually read nonfiction when i read normal books. turns out finding good fiction books is hard and u cannot trust anyone’s recommendations.  

#the proposal by jasmine guillory is not good #i was excited bc i like romance centered around black women #but the dialogue is awkward and the narrative is corny #maybe its just not targeted to my age range but none of it seemed like real people doing real things #i probably just don't like contemporary romance in general #but it read as very ...trying to be cool and snarky but not succeeding #ro's.chats

[somewherelostinbooks]

Heavy Shot- Review

Heavy Shot By Toni Aleo Genre: Contemporary, Hockey Romance Series: Nashville Assassins: Next Generation #7 Publication Date: July 31,2023 Source: Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review Rating: 4 Stars Amazon Description: From the Nashville Assassins: Next Generation series, comes your next book-boyfriend! Dimitri Titov was on hockey skates before he could walk. All he’s ever…

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#4 Stars #ARC #books #Contemporary Romance #Heavy Shot #hockey romance #Nashville Assassins Next Generation #New Release #Reviews #romance novel #romance novel reviews #Romance Novels #sports romance #Toni Aleo

[thecreatorscommunity]

#contemporary art #ai #ai art generator #ai art #fake art #love #romance #romantic

[mermaidsirennikita]

controversial but brave opinion that MacRieve by Kresley Cole, a werewolf book, is maybe the best depiction of trauma that I've read in a romance novel

#romance novel blogging #[i'm right] #and tbh in general i find that subgenres that aren't contemporary kinda deal w this stuff better #i have theories as to why #but yeah this book just *chef's kiss* the nuances of trauma #and dealing with trauma while in a relationship

[lilibetbombshell]

#arc review #arc reader #arc reviewer #book review #book reviewer #book blog #book blogger #indie author #independent author #dana isaly #cruel beauty #the triad next generation #contemporary romance #dark romance #forbidden romance #kindle unlimited #ku #mafia romance #romance universe #bodyguard romance #age gap romance #new release tuesday #new release #new release alert #new release book #new book #new book alert #new book release #fivestarreview #5starreviews

[thegirlwiththelantern]

#book #book recs #books #asian #contemporary #historical #generational #fantasy #romance #nonfiction #Youtube

[danielleurbansblog]

Review: The Inheritance by JoAnn Ross

Review: The Inheritance by JoAnn Ross

Synopsis: With a dramatic WWII love story woven throughout, JoAnn Ross’s women’s fiction debut is a generational saga full of sisterly affection and rivalry, perfect for fans of Susan Wiggs, Mary Alice Monroe and Lisa Wingate. When conflict photographer Jackson Swann dies, he leaves behind a conflict of his own making when his three daughters, each born to a different mother, discover that…

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#Amazon #cancer #contemporary romance #death #DIVORCE #Engaging #entertaining #family #Fiction #fun #generational saga #Goodreads #grief #Harlequin #Harlequin Books #Heartbreaking #historical #HQN #JoAnn Ross #life #loss #love story #marriage #must read #must read book #new #New Beginnings #New Release #novel #NY Times Bestselling Author

[meezcarrie]

First Line Friday (week 316): The Christy Award 2022 winners

It's still Friday so it's still time for #FirstLineFriday! Today I'm featuring the first lines of all 10 of the 2022 winners of The @ChristyAward with my heartfelt congratulations!!

Happy Friday & welcome to the First Line Friday link-up! It’s still Friday, right? I apologize that this wasn’t up on time today but I was out of town for the Art of Writing conference & Christy Award gala and my laptop refused to be cooperative last night after the gala. Anyway, without further ado… it’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today, I’m…

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#contemporary romance #debut novel #First Line Friday #general fiction #historical fiction #historical romance #mystery/suspense #speculative fiction #The Christy Award #winner #young adult

[animezinglife]

I’ve gotten a surprising amount of writing done these past two days and have been surprised by some of the ways characters have evolved.

It’s all in good ways, but I’m less thrilled about revisions that will now need to be made. I’m up to the challenge either way.

My main character’s love interest—and I hate calling him that, but for simplicity’s sake will use it here—has finally hit his stride and everything where he’s concerned has finally “clicked.”

He’s a sweetheart. I finally got over the fact he won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but the entire book isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. No book is.

I’m excited about what the two manuscripts I worked on over this break are becoming, and I refuse to give up on them in 2023.

#writing #writerblr #general fiction #contemporary fiction #writing romance #love interest

[sunderwight]

Okay, concept:

Luo Binghe grew up very poor prior to arriving to QJP. And when he first got to QJP, he was ostracized and neglected. So there are probably a lot of phrases, terms, and ideas that he didn't know were things until SY arrived and started actually teaching him. Right? So the bulk of what he did learn, he learned directly from Shen Yuan's own slightly messy attempts to fake ancient scholarly credentials.

Plus, QJP is supposed to be the peak of scholars and well-read, fancy intellectuals, and YQY probably also doesn't know shit about most of that stuff (having also been a former illiterate street child) and of course is incredibly predisposed to take Shen Qingqiu's side on virtually anything. Especially something frivolous or linked to their shared past, such as someone, say Qi Qingqi, accusing Shen Qingqiu of making up a literary reference or "gibberish" word. If something Shen Qingqiu says is something no one else seems to know, that just proves he's more worldly and well-read than the rest of his peers. Also, Shang Qinghua will probably know it, and despite his many (many) character flaws, Shang Qinghua reads a lot too. There's really very little to convince a former street child turned Demon Emperor whose former education began and ended with Shen Qingqiu specifically and Meng Mo (wildly out-of-touch with human culture anyway) to suspect that some of the difficult-to-source references his master makes really have no worldly source (in this world).

So Luo Binghe, in his quest to become as knowledgeable of all things about his shizun and keep up with him as well as possible, and maybe also put down some arguments he's overheard once and for all, eventually gets annoyed because CLEARLY there is a wealth of cultural knowledge contemporary to Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua that didn't survive to his own generation. His efforts at hunting down all the sources being referenced and origins of certain philosophical ideas or terminology keep coming up empty in certain departments. He's been over the entire QJP library with a fine-tooth comb, but QJP focuses on things pertaining to cultivation, history, and knowledge. Obviously, there are gaps. The archives are unlikely to keep pop cultural references and lowbrow literature, and Luo Binghe begins to suspect (from what tastes his master seems to share with his shishu) that that is that actual source he's missing.

The trashy yellow books and romance literature of their generation! Bawdy poems and lewd artworks so on! Heck, that's probably even where the shared "code" (bad English) comes into play -- disciples are always trying to sneak forbidden material past their teachers and smuggle naughty books into the dormitories. Knowing Shizun and Shang Qinghua, Luo Binghe honestly wouldn't be surprised if the two of them were racketeering that shit in their own disciple days. Shang Qinghua acquiring materials, Shen Qingqiu acquiring buyers, both of them making their extra spending money off of secretly supplying Cang Qiong's population with contraband fiction and art.

Also, that would explain why both Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua get flustered and refuse to elaborate if someone asks them what this or that strange turn of phrase refers to. Shen Qingqiu has a very thin face for actually discussing erotica, and Shang Qinghua doesn't like being caught doing illegal shit.

Luo Binghe desperately needs access to trash lit that's older than he is. However, most of that stuff is not printed to last, and turning it up is like trying to find old Spirk zines without the internet.

Shang Qinghua, the obvious go-to source, also seems to not really have anything that old anymore (intimidating him is laughably easy, if he had anything he would have coughed it up by the second or third time Luo Binghe asked and frowned at the same time), and if Shen Qingqiu did have anything he wouldn't want to be questioned about it. Asking too much might even get it destroyed in an act of excessive embarrassment.

Which means there is just one other person Luo Binghe knows who might be able to lead him to some sources. One other person he is absolutely, 100% certain was extensively reading trashy literature around the same time that Shizun was a young man. Someone who would know where to go to even begin looking for it.

Luo Binghe is going to have to ask Tianlang Jun for help with something.

#svsss #bingqiu #scum villain's self saving system #scum villain