Book Chat: The Romance Genre for Beginners: What it is and why it matters?

 

A topic close to my heart! I love Romance - with a capital R - from the very beginning of the story to the hard won Happy Ever After (HEA). I live for that! I live for the variety of stories, for the ability to live different lives through the medium of storytelling (that's true for all stories really). In an world that's full of so much uncertainty, the certainness and the structure of a Romance novel can be really comforting! I find it sad, that Romance gets so much cynicism and on occasion, derision, towards it as a writing discipline/ genre, and that both Authors and readers are not always shown the respect and kindness they deserve. I really noticed this when following much of the discourse around the Heated Rivalry TV adaptation discussion, where communities unfamiliar with Romance were beginning to find out all about it. I always subscribe to the theory, that most problems can always be solved with more information. So here is my humble attempt at an introduction to what the Romance Genre is, why it matters and ending with a hearty defence. Not that it needs me to defend it. Romance has been around for centuries and it will probably continue to be around for even more. For who can resist the power of a Happy Ever After? As always, these are my own opinions and everything is shared in good humour. I hope you enjoy this!  

Book Review: Moderating Love by Jax Calder

 

A complete review of Moderating Love by Jax Calder eBook. 4.8/5 stars. The same review posted here can be found on GoodReads, Fable and Amazon.

A Minute on Characters being in their 40s in Romance Novels

 

A minute on characters being in their 40s. This is definitely a topic that hits close to home. I am always surprised at how 40+ characters are written in novels. Particularly in age-gap novels, I wouldn't say the portrayals are that realistic and sometimes that aren't flattering at all. Am I being over-sensitive? Liberties are often taken when writing, MCs are rarely that feisty in real life, nor are Villains that mean or dark. Is it ok, that being 40 in book often equates to lots of hardships and being at death's door? As ever, these are my personal opinions and are meant in good humour.

Book Review: Denim and Diamonds by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

 

A complete review of Denim and Diamond, by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland, eBook. 4.8/5 stars The same review posted here can be found on GoodReads, Fable and Amazon.

Recommended on Reddit review: Hungry for Love by Louise Lyons

 

I am a bit of lurker on Reddit as there are several really good book subreddits and recommendations, so it's a good place to visit. This is a new feature where I pick a recommendation from Reddit and review it. Starting this off is, Hungry for Love by Louise Lyons.

A complete review of Hungry for Love by Louise Lyons eBook. 4/5 stars. The same review posted here can be found on GoodReads, Fable and Amazon.

Advanced Reader Copy Review: Betrayed by the Plot by Alexandra Hale

 

I am very excited to have the opportunity to do my first ever Advanced Reader Copy Review and for one of my favourite Authors! 

An Advanced Reader Copy review of Betrayed by the Plot, eBook, by Alexandra Hale. 4.8/5 stars. The same review posted here can be found on GoodReads, Fable and Amazon.

Please note this is an honest review of advance reader copy received from the Author – Thank you to the author for sharing this with me.

Book Review: Unrivaled by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James

 

A complete review of Unrivaled ebook by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James (book 3 of the Hockey Ever After series). 4.3/5 stars The same review posted here can be found on GoodReads, Fable and Amazon

Currently Reading: Betrayed by the Plot by Alexandra Hale (ARC)

 

 Currently reading Betrayed by the Plot by Alexandra Hale (ARC). 

Tropes

• Bodyguard Romance
• Small Town
• Age Gap
• Suspense elements
• Forced Proximity
• Tension + Banter 

Books revisited: The Elite Series by Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank

 

A re-read and accompanying review of The Elite Series by Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank. I really enjoyed re-reading these stories as well as listening to the audio book. This has been one of my favourite series and one of my first reads that really captured my attention (and heart). I hope you will enjoy this as you much as I enjoyed revisiting it. As ever this is my own opinion and all meant in good humour!

Book Review: Dodge by VL Locey

 

A complete review of Dodge, Bastian Brothers #2 by VL Locey

A Minute on: The Reading Order

 A minute on the Reading order. The beginning is usually the best place to start or so conventional wisdom goes. Is this is always the case though? Here we discuss whether starting at the start really matters when beginning a new book series. What do you think? As ever, this is my own personal opinion and comments are made in good humour ☺️

This video was made before the recent rebrand!

Book Review: One Night to Fall by Alexandra Hale

 

A complete review of One Night to Fall by Alexandra Hale (Seasons in Montana), eBook. 4.5/5 stars. The same review posted here can be found on GoodReads, Fable and Amazon

Thoughts on Tropes: Forced Proximity

 

Tropes are an important part of the Romance Genre and used to convey stories of the Romance in literally thousands of ways. There are lots of different variations of Romantic tropes which leads to a huge depth of diversity in Romance Literature. Some tropes work really well, while other are better in small doses. I would like to do a deep dive into Romantic Genre tropes and thought in the run -up I would highlight some of my favourite Tropes and some of my not so favourite Tropes. This video is about all things Forced Proximity, what they are and why I think the work.

Tropes, Tropes and more Tropes

 

    A topic close to my heart! I am going to be thinking and talking about Tropes in the Romance genre a fair bit in the next few months! I genuinely find them fascinating and they can really make or break a story, based on personal preference. An easy place to start, Favourite Tropes and Not so Favourite Tropes! In the videos below, I talk briefly about the Tropes I like and the ones I don't! I would love to hear which Tropes work or don't work for you? As ever, these are my personal opinions and everything is said in good humour! Book recommendations are always welcome too!

A Minute on Miscommunication

 

A Minute on Miscommunication. This is probably one of the most will known plot devices in Contemporary Romance literature. When it's done well, it can really add interesting dynamics to a story line and send protagonists on an unseen or unexpected journey. However, in my humble opinion, it is too readily used to bring drama to a story that didn't need it. Used in conjunction with the third act break-up and it is enough to make me roll my eyes so hard they gain muscle! Here's the thing, am I being a literary snob? Is miscommunication an important plot device or a divisionary tactic dressed up as something worthy?

Book Review: Wooing the Librarian by Nora Phoenix

 

A complete review of Wooing the Librarian by Nora Phoenix (Forestville Silver Foxes), eBook. 4.4/5 stars. The same review posted here can be found on GoodReads, Fable and Amazon

Book Chat: Thoughts on Heated Rivalry and More

 

Part of the reason I started my YouTube channel, and everything that has flowed since, is because I was talking to my non-Romance reader friends about Heated Rivalry. I have been a huge fan of this series since it first came out. Never one to miss a bandwagon, here's a round-up of my thoughts on the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid, which includes #heatedrivalry. A beloved book series which has spawned a TV series that is currently providing water cooler moments across the world. I also explore my thoughts on the upcoming book, Unrivaled, and talk about other books in the Rachel Reid world.

Book Review: Need You Close by Annabeth Albert

 

A complete review of Need You Close by Annabeth Albert eBook. 4.2/5 stars The same review posted here can be found on GoodReads, Fable and Amazon

Welcome to my Page!

An Introduction!

Hello and Welcome to my book blog 👋 I am a huge fan of the Romance genre 💕 and I read mostly contemporary MM and MF stories (with the very occasional sprinkling of historical). I am currently posting reviews of books that I have previously read and new books. I like to, on occasion, have in-depth chats about themes, tropes and books that I like from the point of view of an avid reader. This is a warm and cozy place to idle time away while I indulge in the world of Romance. All are welcome here📚📖

The purpose of this blog is to act as a companion to my YouTube channel and I will mostly be posting content from there to here.

https://www.youtube.com/@Musingsonbooksandmore

The same reviews posted here can aslo be found on Amazon,

Fable https://fable.co/fabler/musings-on-books-and-more-197846871365

and Good Reads www.goodreads.com/Musingsonbooksandmore

There is also a sister Bluesky account here https://bsky.app/profile/musingsandmore.bsky.social

The same content will appear on each site, although my personal comments may vary between each! Please feel free to say hello wherever you find me 😊

Please note that the name for the blog is slightly different to the channel but it is the same old me!