#harlequin romance

[nerdherderette]

The Inheritance

Derek Hale, the Viscount Hemming and only son of the Third Earl of Beacon, was London's most notorious rake. His disinclination to appear with the same partner at social events was well-known; his discountenance to wed, even more so. Which is why no one was more surprised than Stiles when the dashing viscount—and Stiles' once childhood friend—presented him with a proposal he couldn't refuse.

[excerpt]: "Is Graceview Hall your only responsibility? What about love? Your family?" Derek jerked back in shock. She, of all people, knew what happened when he last fell in love. "You are four and twenty," Lady Belmont continued. "You cannot remain on your current path, carousing and bedding anyone who catches your eye. Why, even Lord Deucalion wed this past summer, and he was a reprobate of the first order." Derek may have owed his great-aunt what little remained of his dignity. This, however, was asking too much. "I will never enter the marriage mart," he swore.

For the amazing (and incredibly patient) @elisela, who challenged me with several things:

1. To write a historical romance

2. Make it a Sterek arranged marriage

3. Sprinkle in a bit of Marrish

4. And make it Friends-to-Lovers

I cut my teeth on Harlequin romances and this is an utterly self-indulgent homage to the genre. While it took me several outlines (and as many discarded drafts) to figure out how to make a friends-to-lovers scenario work, I finally came up with a story I'm excited to share! Thank you, elisela, for generously donating to FTH and for giving me something so amazing to work with!😘

Part of @fandomtrumpshate 2023. Posting on AO3

Please note: The image used to create the book cover is based on an AI generated image that was subsequently manipulated and then edited to make the cover. It's described in the tags but may be missed, and I don't want people to mistakenly reblog who didn't see the tags and who don't want any AI on their blogs

#sterek #stiles x derek #derek x stiles #fanfic #regency AU #bodice ripper #harlequin romance #The Inheritance #arranged marriage #friends to lovers #Fandom Trumps Hate 2023 #yes it's 2024 #gift fic #AO3 #base image generated by AI #and subsequently manipulated and edited

[fated-mates]

Our Trailblazer conversations continue this week with legend Nalini Singh, whose groundbreaking paranormal series changed the game. We talk about the early days of her writing (when she was a kid!) about building her career in New Zealand, about how she came to publish in the US, about her beautiful relationships with readers, about the way she thinks about her series and how the stories hang together, and about her moves into contemporary and beyond.

Show notes.

#nalini singh #new zeland #harlequin romance #romance books #paranormal romance #Youtube

[mikaharuka]

Relentless Seduction - Official Post

Heyo y'all! So... this is a bit new, if you aren't aware, I'm a major fan of Ace Attorney and love the Wrightworth (Narumitsu, Mitsunaru) ship! In fact, I had brain-rot years ago, but was only a reader at the time. One of my friends, Momo (@axolotlsupremacyowo), is a talented Ace Attorney writer (go check her out!), so when I stumbled across the Narumitsu Day exchange a couple weeks ago, I told her about it.

So... of course, she enabled me to join with her, and here I am now. And because the stars aligned, Momo was the one my fic was for. To top it off, my perpetual vampire brainrot persisted, so here I am now! That's right, I actually wrote a Narumitsu vampire AU. And not just that - I ended up creating yet another world I'll write for again in the future. Guess things go out that way sometimes, huh? No regrets XD

...oh yeah, also, this was the other fic I did the Harlequin Romance summary thing on, alongside Flora Fati. This was a wild ride!

Title: Relentless Seduction

Author: Mizuka

Rating: Teen

Category: M/M, Gen

Word Count: 4120 words

Notes: I ended up creating another world - the Summer Night Verse

Summary: (...part of this challenge was the summary - that is below)

Unrestrained. Unrelenting. And completely unreal! When prosecutor and vampire hunter Miles Edgeworth's best friend and colleague Mia Fey goes missing one day, he’s determined to find her. Only an ominous sigil marks her disappearance - the same symbol that marked his father’s death years ago, and he will not… cannot lose Mia too. With Mia's younger sister, the spirit medium Maya Fey, and his junior colleague, Klavier Gavin, working with him, they try to find Mia in time. Unfortunately, their only lead is The Borscht Bowl - a haven for the vampire-obsessed, run by a charismatic, mysterious, handsome man... Bar owner Phoenix Wright knows that there’s more to the gorgeous visitor than the formal suits and briefcases. In fact, his protégés Apollo and Trucy are sure that the newcomers are tied to Phoenix’s closest friend and longtime regular, Franziska von Karma. As the crew dives into the seedy shadows of the mystic world, unraveling the mystery around Mia’s disappearance, Miles and Phoenix turn to each other, discovering a sizzling hunger that won’t be sated… but will their connection survive the dark truth?

[Based on Relentless Seduction by Jillian Burns]

Tagging because I think you might be interested? @mrsmungus, @udaberriwrites, @magma-saarebas19, @aislinnstanaka, @writingpotato07, @lena-hills, @tsunderewatermelon, @bleepbloopbotz @axolotlsupremacyowo, @kayedium-writes, @sliebman10, @oceangirl24

#ace attorney #gyakuten saiban #narumitsu #mitsunaru #wrightworth #phoenix x miles #miles x phoenix #edgeworth x phoenix #phoenix x edgeworth #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #maya fey #klavier gavin #franmaya #klapollo #vampire au #harlequin #harlequin romance #unconventional courtship 2023 #slash fic #slash fanfiction #mizuka's fics #my fic #mizuka's ace attorney stuff #summer night verse

[victusinveritas]

#batman #comic #harley quinn #harlequin romance

[karizard-ao3]

Visiting my parents out of state this week. We arrived at midnight, they picked us up from the airport and showed us our room. There was a paperback book on my headboard. "Oh, what's this?" I said, picking it up and clocking the telltale aesthetic of a generic romance novel. "'Sentenced to Wed.' Is this one of Grandma's? Why is it here?" (My grandmother moved out years ago.)

"That's for you to read!" said my mom.

I put the book back down. "Oh, is it," I said.

"Your dad wants to know what happens in it," she said.

"So, to be clear, I'm supposed to read this so I can tell Dad what it's about," I said, looking at the cover again, more closely this time. The model on the front was wearing a blood splotched wedding dress, and it was calling itself a Harlequin Intrigue. "Yeah, I guess I can do that."

My dad appeared in the doorway, beaming at the good news. "I asked your mom but she wouldn't do it."

"I told him no," said my mom, who is very religious and wouldn't touch an unclean romance with a ten foot pole. My grandma loves that smutty shit, though. As a kid, I used to be mesmerized by the rows of mass market romance paperbacks she had lined up on top of the half wall of wood paneling in her basement. I wasn't allowed to crack any of them open, though, because they were inappropriate. How the times have changed. "We thought you might do it," said my mom

And that is how I, a known sinner who cannot be corrupted any further, was enlisted to read a naughty book for the purpose of letting my aging parents know what the plot is like.

I will commence tomorrow.

#books and reading #romance #i was roped into it #Harlequin romance #t

[viscountessevie]

The Boyfriend Subscription [ARC Review]

Release Date: 26th March 2024 Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

My Review:

Content Warning: Off-screen sexual assault and violence

The Boyfriend Subscription by Steven Salvatore is a contemporary queer retelling of Pretty Woman (1991) that follows the love story between Cole Vivien and Teddy Hughes. Cole is the CEO of a queer sex working app called VERSTL from LA who is in New York for an event to promote his company and collaborate with a potential investor. On the other hand, Teddy is a botanist and author who had made his home in New York in the last few years until his marriage ended and his plant business went down with it.

Both men find themselves running from their pasts, they find solace in a local New York bar and cross paths. After a fun evening out, Cole propositions Teddy to be his fake boyfriend for the week to impress the investor at a business meeting and his family at a wedding.

The Catch? Cole Vivien doesn’t kiss or fall in love. Will the sparks flying between them be enough for Cole to break his lifelong rules for Teddy?

~~~

I would like to firstly say: I LOVED this book! This is really brilliant as far as modern retellings of a beloved classic film goes. Steven had wonderfully adapted this book to follow the movie’s beats to keep the heart of Pretty Woman while refreshing the story to reflect our contemporary times. Teddy and Cole feel like their own characters while sharing similarities to their film counterparts. I would say the same for the plot, it feels like their very own love story.

Speaking of our characters, I liked how Steven had mixed and matched traits, backstories and personalities of both Vivien and Edward to instill into Cole and Teddy. You can’t really pinpoint who is supposed to be Vivien or Edward which makes them stand on their own as original characters.

Cole Vivien truly felt like the love child of Vivien and Edward. He felt like he embodied most traits from the original film’s couple. From sharing Vivien’s name, No Kissing rule and line of work while holding Edward’s CEO position and inheriting his Daddy Issues. On the other hand, while Teddy shared Edward’s name, was the hired ‘escort’ in the position and was given his own version of Kit. I really liked the original touch to Teddy by making him a botanist and author. These two also felt very real and new. Steven giving them little idiosyncrasies like Cole’s obsession with crystals and using them to cope and Teddy’s botany metaphors breathed life into them.

Of course, every good book is supported not just by their main characters but strong secondary characters too. As mentioned, we have a new version of Kit who is just the coolest Black lesbian a part of a triad I have ever read! She is the best friend anyone can ask for. Jason is…. Jason. Not to give anything away, you just have to read how everything plays out with Cole’s best friend. He was definitely well suited for the role he was given. I also loved Mallory, Cole’s sister. She was a new addition just for the retelling and she fit right in!

Onto the plot, Steven Salvatore has crafted a very well fleshed out version of Pretty Woman. The book format allowed them to have more depth and nuance than the original film and characters. The conflict and stakes in this story also felt much higher than the film. My main two complaint with this near perfect book is that 1) I wished it was longer. I could have read about Cole and Teddy forever. 2) As per the warning, I hoped for a better conclusion for the sexual assault and for the perpetrator to face actual consequences. I think a longer book could have covered this while giving us more time with Teddy and Cole.

Other than that, this was a wonderful book that has made me a new fan of Steven Salvatore. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves classic romcoms and of course the fellow queer people in our community, this one felt so true and relatable for us. Happy reading to everyone!

Thank you to Steven Salvatore, Afterglow Books by Harlequin Romance and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #ARC Review #The Boyfriend Subscription #Steven Salvatore #Queer Books #Pretty Woman retelling #Cole Vivien #Teddy Hughes #Afterglow Books #Harlequin Romance

[potato-head-kids]

[ID: a photo of a softcover paperback of "The Silver Slave" by Violet Winspear. It’s a Harlequin romance with greenish yellow accents. The illustration shows a blonde woman in a green blouse and a dark haired man in a white shirt with a black tie. End ID.]

#slave mention #book #current read #bookblr #harlequin romance #vintage books #ok to reblog

[triviareads]

ARC Review of Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez

Summary:

Gillian Armstead-Bancroft returns to her hometown Freedom, Kansas divorced with two small children, jobless, and feeling like her bruja powers no longer work. She runs into Nicky Mendoza, her childhood friend and former lover. Their renewed friendship may be tenuous, but they have to work together if they want to contribute to the ongoing renewal of the bar Gillian owns with her sisters, as well as Milagro Street as a whole.

My review:

Gillian and Nicky have history— they were friends on and off between elementary school and college. She asked him to divest her of her virginity after her freshman year of college. I got the sense he was her, to use historical romance terminology, "bit o' rough". On his end, he definitely saw her as some unattainable princess. It's revealed later that he was really cut up about her leaving, so based on this, I expected a little more of a Persuasion vibe where he's resentful towards her when she returns, but Angelina subverted those expectations straight away in the first couple chapters when they meet again. Really, the only thing keeping them apart for most of the book is their intention to leave Freedom at the end of the summer. Oh, and also, there's Gillian's shitty ex-husband :/

Listen, Nicky is a smooth operator. Always was, based on the flashbacks, and always will be. So he and Gillian, who is a little uptight and a perfectionist, work really well together even after picking up where they left off 13 years ago. It's one of those cases where the only things holding them back are themselves (their respective ambitions and realistically, GIllian has two children to think about as well). Like, I never had a doubt that had it not been for timing, they would have been together a lot sooner.

I'd say setting is a huge part of what made this book stand out. It's a small-town setting but in the best way, particularly because Angelina M. Lopez continues with the same theme from After Hours on Milagro Street, which is just how interwoven Mexican-American culture is in Freedom, Kansas, and how much the Mexican-American community contributed to the town. it's unlikely, as many characters in the books point out, because when you think of small town America, you think of, well, white people. But pocket communities like this exist all over the country, and it was established really well here, complete with an intricate fictional history. Revitalizing the town, specifically Milagro Street is a large part of the overarching plot, and both Nicky and Gillian are involved in different ways: Nicky with his mural in the historic train station, and Gillian with her financial planning skills that would directly benefit Loretta's and other minority-owned businesses in the area.

There is also a magical and supernatural element to this story, one deeply ingrained in the culture. The community at large simply accepts this idea that ghosts and La Llorona exists, that some people can be haunted, and some people are brujas (witches) who can use their powers and milagros for the betterment of individuals or even a building or community. At first I was surprised by this casual acceptance in the modern era, but then I realized there are cultural equivalents of this all over the world. I mean, I come from a culture where astrologers are regularly consulted, horoscopes still matter, and folk rituals like bhoota kola are performed. It's just a part of the culture (dating back to a pre-Christian America), and I loved how Angelina incorporated it into the story. Specifically, Gillian is a bruja (she learnt the art from her mom) but she's "lost" her magic and is now convinced she is a curse of sorts. Nicky is haunted by a cadejo, a spirit that appears as a black dog.

The sex:

It felt like there were less overall sex scenes compared to After Hours on Milagro Street, and I would say the tension between Gillian and Nicky is more of a simmering variety compared to Alex and Jeremiah in the first book. The sexual dynamic between them was a little teacher/student, a little "I'm the eldest daughter who feels responsible for everything and would like to be taken care of during sex", with interesting sides of a mild exhibitionist kink and "hot mom".

Here's what I appreciated most, sex-wise:

a) Listen if there's one thing Angelina loves to write it's an immediate sexual scene, let it be the heroine pretty much mounting the hero in the first 3 chapters (see: Lush Money and After Hours on Milagro Street), or in this case, immediately propositioning him upon meeting him again after 13 years. And it's great. It's like instant gratification for me 😂

b) I personally loved the tidbits she gave us of Nicky/Gillian's initial sexual relationships 13 years ago (similar to how Angelina did it in Hate Crush). It's an awesome way to get insight into their characters and the hints you get are pretty damn sexy.

c) Even the slightly out-there stuff during her sex scenes like some of the dirty talk (see: any use of the word "mommy") works because it feels real. Angelina writes the weird quirks of sex really well which actually makes the scenes hotter.

Overall:

Small-town romances can sometimes get trite real fast, but this book is definitely not one of them. It has the romance, a complex family dynamic, a mystery based on town history, along with supernatural elements. The love and care in the way Angelina described Mexican-American culture really comes across. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone in need of a good contemporary romance that's sexy and emotional in equal measure.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#arc review #arc #netgalley #angelina m lopez #harlequin #harlequin romance #contemporary romance

[old-romance-covers]

House of Memories by Margaret Way Illustration: Fred Oakley Harlequin Romance 2609 – March 1984

#harlequin romance #contemporary romance #1980s #Margaret way #Fred oakley

[jack-the-bussy-slayer]

Reading shitty harlequin romances just to feel something but the feeling is rage aha ;) your daddy issues don’t give you an excuse to be emotionally or physically abusive to your partner! <3 suffer

#kiss me liar #when his eyes opened #harlequin romance #text post #Chen Shang #manga #black lotus #sadistic beauty

[bree-unabashedly]

Throwback Category Romance ❤️

#harlequin romance #read category romance #category Romance #romance novels

[fated-mates]

Eva Moore explains why you must listen to the Elda Minger episode.

#elda minger #eva moore #condoms #harlequin romance #romancelandia #book podcast #Spotify

[mikaharuka]

Flora Fati: Fragaria Vesca - Official Post

I'm here with the first of my two fics, written for the Unconventional Courtship event, where I wrote a fic based on an M&B or Harlequin Romance novel plot... all the way down to modifying the summary! I have to say... writing in that melodramatic romance way was fun XD

(Side note - the UC's M&B/Harlequin prompt generator is amazing!)

This fic was also written for the Seven Wildflowers challenge, where I was given wildflowers to write about, whether literally or in flower meaning or similar. I requested five flowers - the first of which is the wild strawberry (hence the scientific chapter name - Fragaria vesca). I also added a final perfectly themed flower to the end for 6 chapters!

Title: Flora Fati | Chapter 1: Fragaria Vesca [Wild Strawberry]

Author: Mizuka

Rating: Explicit [Teen for this chapter]

Category: M/M

Word Count: 1573 words

Notes: You can read this without having read canon or Apricity - it's a divergence + AU that can stand alone, though I did have the Winter Light Verse's characters in mind, while writing this fic.

Summary: (...part of this challenge was the summary - that is below) A Dream… For years, Beau Swan has had recurring dreams of Florentis - of a land of flowers, of ruins, of the night, and of a mysterious, handsome man. But when evidence of his dreams begin to manifest in the real world, Beau is caught up in feelings of love, desire, and circumstances that began many centuries before he was born.

A Journey… For years, Beau Swan has felt increasingly out of place in Florida - from his mother Renee, his stepfather Phil, his newborn twin brothers, and his mundane life. With the visit of a red-eyed raven and the wistful voice of that man, Carlisle, calling to him, Beau sets out for Florentis - even if it means leaving his life behind!

A Memory… For years, Beau and Carlisle met beneath the moonlight every night, fated to grow closer to each other, fall passionately in love, and eventually reunite someday, in that ethereal land of flowers. But as memories flash by and Beau solves the mystery, will they find their happily ever after - or will they be separated for good?

[Based on The Ninefold Key by Rebecca Brandewyne]

(fandom/Apricity-blind friendly by default)

Tagging because I think you might be interested? @mrsmungus, @udaberriwrites, @magma-saarebas19, @aislinnstanaka, @writingpotato07, @lena-hills, @hylianjo, @0nelittlebirdtoldme, @tsunderewatermelon, @bleepbloopbotz @axolotlsupremacyowo, @kayedium-writes, @sliebman10

#twilight #life and death #carlisle x beau #bellisle #beau swan #carlisle cullen #twilight fanfiction #slash fic #slash fanfiction #gay twilight #wildflowers #flower language #dark fantasy au #fantasy au #reincarnation au #dreams #harlequin romance #harlequin #unconventional courtship 2023 #carlisle x bella #bella x carlisle #winter light #winter light au #mizuka's fics #my fic #hades persephone

[sonyaheaneycategoryromance]

(via A New Duet Coming Soon!)

#harlequin books #mills and boon #mills & boon #medical romance #romance books #harlequin romance #contemporary romance #romance novels #books

[karizard-ao3]

How was that novel your father wanted you to read for him?

I haven't made much progress. I was too busy on my trip but I'm home now and I'm ready to get back into it. I'm taking notes on every chapter so I can write up a full report for my dad and all of you lol. I can report that each chapter begins with a recipe for something that is not food. (The last one was for someone called Peanut Butter and Jammed and the ingredients called for different sizes of boys. I'm sure it was supposed to be a joke but I didn't understand it at all. Also, there is now a little orphaned boy in the mix.

#sentenced to wed #harlequin romance #books and reading #answered asks #my asks #ask me things

[laceyauandromedus]

Lately I’ve been obsessed with these vintage Romance/Suspense novel covers. I’m dying for a romance cover print for my room. If anyone knows of someone who makes art in a style similar to this please let me know !

#romance #suspense #book art #book cover #vintage retro #art #art print #romance novels #harlequin romance #thriller