Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I ended up reading Be Not Afraid by Alyssa Cole. It was actually quite enjoyable. She's a good writer and this one had the added bonus (for me, not a fan of romance) of being a novella.

Rachel wrote: "Hi all. I'm the author of the Read Harder Challenge. I've been looking at some of the comments in this thread, and while I generally do not wade into these discussions because I and Book Riot do no..."

So I'm not a big romance reader, but my wife is, and I have tried it. I have no objection to it as a genera and have even enjoyed some. But I wanted to ask, because I've been told it over and over and I saw in it your comment. Why dose it have to be happily ever after or even happily for now? I'm not trying to bend the topic, I will find something that fits, but there are books that I have read and deeply enjoyed that I have been told by romance readers are not romances because the people are not together at the end. But they are love stories, the relationship is the point of them, and some end with them going their separate ways after having helped each other grow or some are left open ended as to if they will get together. I have always felt a little slighted that the romance reads I know discount those.

Natix wrote: "Why dose it have to be happily ever after or even happily for now? ..."

That's just the definition of the genre. There are a lot of books that involve love stories that are not shelved as "romance" - the love story is necessary but not sufficient to make it a "romance" - a book shelved as "romance" has a HEA of some sort.

Natix wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Hi all. I'm the author of the Read Harder Challenge. I've been looking at some of the comments in this thread, and while I generally do not wade into these discussions because I and ..."

A part I have to add on after asking my roommate, who is also a big romance reader about this, there are romances where one person or both die. She says she reads them a lot (though it was followed by her being confused why she keeps doing that to herself.)

Doug wrote: "I ended up reading Be Not Afraid by Alyssa Cole. It was actually quite enjoyable. She's a good writer and this one had the added bonus (for me, not a fan of romance) of being a nove..."

Like you, I'm not particularly crazy about the romance genre, so the shorter the story, the better. I read a preview, enjoyed what I read, and bought it for my nook. Thank you for the recommendation!

Thought I'd share a couple that are on my "maybe" list that I don't think have been mentioned yet:

- The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randal (Winner of the 2017 RITA award for Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance)
- A Song for the Stars by Ilima Todd (Set in 18th-century Hawaii and written by an author of Native Hawaiian descent. Scheduled for publication in April)

Leah wrote: "Here is a link that may be helpful:

Also, as I'm not a fan of typical "genre" romance (believe me, I've tried!), any non-traditional recommendations ..."

Just thought I'd second using the link for WOC In Romance - each book listed has one or more tags for subgenre. I'm also not usually a huge romance fan, but I do enjoy other genres that sometimes cross with romance (fantasy, paranormal, YA, etc), and even on the list in this link of historical romances, there are books that also have tags for some other genres I like.

Courtney Milan's writing is really grabbing me. The Governess Affair is free on Kindle, so you don't even have to drive to the library to start!

Natix wrote: "Why dose it have to be happily ever after or even happily for now? I'm not trying to bend the topic, I will find something that fits, but there are books that I have read and deeply enjoyed that I have been told by romance readers are not romances because the people are not together at the end."

So I am just going to quote/paraphrase myself from the previous page here because I think this is one answer to your question. The Happy Ever After is the whole point of capital-R Romance. Stories with romance occur in any genre, but Romance requires the HEA. Just as a genre Mystery requires a resolution, a genre Romance requires an HEA.

The pleasure in a mystery novel is not "Will Poirot be able to solve this murder?" because of course he will, that's why we love Poirot. And the certainty that he will solve the murder is actually part of the pleasure of reading those books. Unlike real life, when murders are often unsolved, or when people are convicted on hunches, or when families of victims never have answers, in a mystery we have closure and we read for the certainty of that closure. So the narrative or dramatic tension lies not in whether, but in how he will solve the murder. What clues mattered, what are red herrings, who are the wrongfully suspected and who are the hidden criminals? That's why you read those kinds of mysteries.

Similarly, with romance, we know the couple will get together and find their happy ever after/happy for now. That certainty is part of the pleasure of reading romance, part of the fantasy and escapism of the genre. Again, in real life, romantic relationships are not certain, there's always room for doubt, but in romance, the outcome is certain. So the dramatic and narrative tension is not in whether the characters fall in love, but in how the characters fall in love. How do they meet, what are their circumstances, how do they grow and change, how do they come together, what forces tear them apart, how do they overcome and become better partners? That's why you read romance.

Kelly wrote: "Natix wrote: "Why dose it have to be happily ever after or even happily for now? I'm not trying to bend the topic, I will find something that fits, but there are books that I have read and deeply e..."

I appreciate how well you have explained this. It's like asking why there has to be a murder in a murder mystery. Murder happens in all sorts of books, but a murder mystery has other elements (such as the solving of the mystery) required to make it part of the genre.

This has been a great, informative discussion!

I’d just like to ask again if anyone can suggest queer romances to fulfill this challenge, esp non-steamy ones.

rae wrote: "This has been a great, informative discussion!

I’d just like to ask again if anyone can suggest queer romances to fulfill this challenge, esp non-steamy ones."

I can't vouch for the steam-level since I haven't read it, but Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances is three novellas, two of them are queer romances by AOC (Milan & Cole)

My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas - I read book one for last year's challenge and I was pleasantly surprised. I need to know more. :)

Another author who would fit this task is Vanessa Riley. The Bittersweet Bride looks like a good place to start.

Pam wrote: "I dreaded delving into the romance novel category for the 2018 challenge, and then I happened upon Indigo. Beverly Jenkins has a new fan in me. This book, and probably most of her nov..."

I am still struggling with this task, but I have added this book to my list of options.

My only issue with romance is the sappiness. I don't mind knowing that there is a HEA ending coming... I need romances that don't have sappy scenes. I am watching the Outlander series, since I have read the books, and while I appreciate the overall story, the culture and history, the characters, etc... it is very much a romance, and when Claire and Jamie get sappy I just roll my eyes and want to fast forward through it. I felt the same when I was reading them.

Nothing against those who like that... I just don't. And when I think romance, that is what comes to mind.

I would be thrilled for an opportunity to expand my view of the genre by reading books that fall into the romance category but don't have sap. I just don't know how to find them?

Sarah Ruth wrote: "Pam wrote: "I dreaded delving into the romance novel category for the 2018 challenge, and then I happened upon Indigo. Beverly Jenkins has a new fan in me. This book, and probably mos..."

I read The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo and am happy to announce that it's quite sap free. :) It's written in a very no nonsense kind of way, and it's just delightful to read. It's also less than 100 pages, so it's a very quick read.

Kelly wrote: "Natix wrote: "Why dose it have to be happily ever after or even happily for now? I'm not trying to bend the topic, I will find something that fits, but there are books that I have read and deeply e..."

Except solving the crime is not genre defining for mystery. (view spoiler)[ In the Woods (hide spoiler)] contains two mysteries that are set up as if they'll be solved by the end, but one never is solved, and that mystery was the one I was made to care a lot more about. Despite that, it won an Edgar award and other awards for mystery novels. (Not that I was a fan of that book, not just because there was no resolution to that mystery, but more because of how and why there is no resolution--but other people thought those same reasons made it worthy of a major award). It's very rare on the ground, but the lack of resolution doesn't stop such books from being part of the mystery genre.

Not that that says anything about the Romance genre except that it is, as far as I know, the only genre with any requirement about the shape of the ending.

Stine wrote: "Sarah Ruth wrote: "Pam wrote: "I dreaded delving into the romance novel category for the 2018 challenge, and then I happened upon Indigo. Beverly Jenkins has a new fan in me. This boo..."

The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo is already on my maybe list, so thank you for this! This one may have moved into the lead for now!

Here’s a link I found helpful.

I hope to read The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. It's not just romance but it contains romance (and some Goodreaders have shelved it as romance).

Will this fulfill the category?

Karen wrote: "Here’s a link I found helpful. "
thanks! from that article, I found this link- even more good leads!

For people who like historical romances, I highly recommend Sherry Thomas and Courtney Milan. Last year I read An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole and loved it, so I'll probably read the sequel for this challenge.

I tired to do one of the ones suggested here, but I think it was to heavy on the romance and not enough history for me. Found One Night, Markovitch in another group on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ that I'm a part of. From the description it sounds like a romance to me (not even trying to fudge it to make it sound like it fits) so think I'm switching to that one.

The Question of Red by Laksmi Pamuntjak was on the same list and sounded interesting and like it fits this category as well.

I highly suggest Octavia Butler’s Kinder, very non traditional as it is also sci fi but at the heart it is a romance set in the antebellum south. I love this book and I think it will be a perfect fit for this challenge.

Ugh Kindred stupid auto correct

I am going with A Hollow of Fear (#3 in the Lady Sherlock series) by Sherry Thomas. This should work for the cozy mystery prompt too.

Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang. And this could also work for #10: A translated book written by and/or translated by a woman

So, as a person who does enjoy a nice romance novel from time to time, I have to ask: There are a lot of people here who have made comments about hating romance. I'm genuinely curious - what is it about romance that so many people dislike? I guess I just feel like it would be easier to make recommendations for those people if I understood what it was about romance that they don't enjoy.

Traci wrote: "So, as a person who does enjoy a nice romance novel from time to time, I have to ask: There are a lot of people here who have made comments about hating romance. I'm genuinely curious - what is it ..."


Good question! I've been wondering the same thing!!

Traci wrote: "So, as a person who does enjoy a nice romance novel from time to time, I have to ask: There are a lot of people here who have made comments about hating romance. I'm genuinely curious - what is it ..."

I don't hate romance, but it's not my favorite genre. I like historical fiction least of all, though, so this genre is a double whammy for me.

I'm queer, and the romance novels that were around me when I was growing up were very heteronormative and seemed to reinforce my alienation. I know lots of queer folks love romance, even f/m romance, but that just isn't my experience.

My struggle to find more than one or two queer books to choose from for this category has not made me appreciate the genre more, unfortunately... :-/

As for the historical part, I just have bad memories of reading Johnny Tremain in 9th grade! Ever since then, I've associated historical fiction with joyless, obligatory reading.

There are LOADS of queer romance books some that would fit this category:

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody - Lesbian Pirates!

The Reluctant Berserker M/M fantasy set in saxon England.

A Fashionable Indulgence M/M Regency social comentary, politics.

Business Makes Strange Bedfellows F/F Gothic Horror set in 19th century new york with vampires. Dedicated to women who are unafraid to be both the heroes and villains.

Pearl this is more a short story and it isn't readily avalible but the author will kindly hook you up if you send them a PM. set in 1920s small time girl and transman.

Michele wrote: "No one has mention Stacy Reid, she's still fairly new but has a few historical novels out I believe most are Victorian era."

Thanks for the Reid recommendation. I'd not heard of her. I am an extremely-occasional romance reader, but her books sound fun, with spunky heroines. I'm going to try Misadventures with the Duke for this challenge.

Brandy wrote: "There are LOADS of queer romance books some that would fit this category:

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody - Lesbian Pirates!

[boo..."

Are these all by authors of color?

Amber wrote: "I highly suggest Octavia Butler’s Kinder, very non traditional as it is also sci fi but at the heart it is a romance set in the antebellum south. I love this book and I think it will be a perfect f..."
Does Kindred fit this task? I just finished it for another task and will use it as a double dip, if it fits.

Karen wrote: "Brandy wrote: "There are LOADS of queer romance books some that would fit this category:

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody - Lesbian..."

I don't think any of them are. I looked up one, and she is white and British.

Hey friends- I'm seeing lots of questions about how to find romance novels that are actually good, are queer, or feature people of color.
Go to the website SMART BITCHES TRASHY BOOKS.
It's a group of women who specialize in this. They help people track down different kinds of romance plots/themes/protagonists.
I used to hate romance- until I found the Good Shit. Seriously- these ladies are awesome.

Bonnie wrote: "Karen wrote: "Brandy wrote: "There are LOADS of queer romance books some that would fit this category:

Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances which has one m/f, one f/f and one m/m story all by AOC.

Karen wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Karen wrote: "Brandy wrote: "There are LOADS of queer romance books some that would fit this category:

Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances which has one m/f, o..."

There have been several posts asking about queer romances that fit this category (historical *and* by an AOC), and the list so far is very short: Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances and That Could Be Enough. Jennifer suggested stretching historical to include fantasy, which would add Ash and its prequel. (It looks like the suggestions above this post are not by authors of color.)

It's fine. I think I'll read either The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo or The Japanese Lover. But for the sake of queer romance readers, I wish there were more. :)

Candace wrote: "Amber wrote: "I highly suggest Octavia Butler’s Kinder, very non traditional as it is also sci fi but at the heart it is a romance set in the antebellum south. I love this book and I think it will ..."
Kindred is NOT a romance title. I love that book, and her relationship with the various men in her life play a role in her character development, but it is not a genre Romance.

Lacey wrote: "Candace wrote: "Amber wrote: "I highly suggest Octavia Butler’s Kinder, very non traditional as it is also sci fi but at the heart it is a romance set in the antebellum south. I love this book and ..."

Got it. Thanks!

As a black romance reader who loves historicals, I welcome you all to my struggle! But this challenge has always helped me find some good recs, so I'm looking forward to seeing what titles get shared.

I know this is specific but I’m going to try and keep my reading in February to black authors for black history month. It’s difficult sometime to tell if someone is black. Which of the authors discussed in here are black?

Lacey wrote: "Candace wrote: "Amber wrote: "I highly suggest Octavia Butler’s Kinder, very non traditional as it is also sci fi but at the heart it is a romance set in the antebellum south. I love this book and ..."

Kindred is NOT a romance title. I love that book, and her relationship with the various men in her life play a role in her character development, but it is not a genre Romance.

Yeah, I cringe at over-policing of people's choices, but where the heck is anyone seeing 'romance' here? The relationship at the core of the story is forced on a slave by a slave owner, also known as serial rape.

Whitney wrote: "Lacey wrote: "Candace wrote: "Amber wrote: "I highly suggest Octavia Butler’s Kinder, very non traditional as it is also sci fi but at the heart it is a romance set in the antebellum south. I love ..."

I was thinking of the main character's relationship with her partner/husband.

rae wrote: "Traci wrote: "So, as a person who does enjoy a nice romance novel from time to time, I have to ask: There are a lot of people here who have made comments about hating romance. I'm genuinely curious..."

Thank you so much for responding. I feel like those are really great reasons to mostly veer away from romance. I was just feeling like there were a lot of people that were saying they hate romance without an explanation.
I too have noticed that historical romance in particular has an extreme lack of queer characters. I've found the genre that has the MOST queer fiction seems to be YA, which is something I really appreciate about it. YA seems to be the most inclusive just in general.

I dislike the romance genre because I've read too many nonconsenual scenes over the decades. Women trapped in the corner, held up against a tree, followed, surprised by an intruder, badgered, their wishes and directions disregarded. I understand that rape culture in the novels isn't as prevalent nowadays but my aversion is strong enough that I don't care to run into it when I'm trying to enjoy a book and not think about real life.

Teresa wrote: "I dislike the romance genre because I've read too many nonconsenual scenes over the decades. Women trapped in the corner, held up against a tree, followed, surprised by an intruder, badgered, their..."

That is a good point. I didn't read romance until this challenge last year. I found Alisha Rai's books to be very feminist. I don't think she writes historical romance though. Maybe check this out:

I find Sherry Thomas's nonromance books to be feminist so maybe her romances would be heavy on consent.

But IMO you can skip it if the payoff isn't expected to be worth it. Also, there are nonsexual romances, such as YA for example.

The romance I read for this category, Jade Yeo, didn't contain any non-con scenes. The romance I read for last year's challenge did. One book out of the hundreds I've read doesn't cure the icky feelings and dread I experience so I'd rather just avoid the genre altogether.
Edit: For me, it's like someone getting sick from a particular food and avoiding it in the future. I wouldn't tell anyone to repeatedly eat a food that made them vomit and I'd greatly appreciate Not receiving any suggestions about improving my gut level reaction to this genre.

Teresa wrote: "The romance I read for this category, Jade Yeo, didn't contain any non-con scenes. The romance I read for last year's challenge did. One book out of the hundreds I've read doesn't cure the icky fee..."

Did anyone give you suggestions about improving your gut level reaction to this genre?

I'm trying to prevent the suggestions. Most everyone here is helpful and I don't want well-meaning ideas that I know aren't good for me.