GENRE OF THE WEEK # 1: 💞ROMANCE👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👨‍❤️‍👨👩‍❤️‍👨

Hello Book Worms!

Now that you've all (hopefully) picked out your Team based on your favorite genre, we're ready to launch out brand new initiative: Genre of the Week!

Each week, we (the forum DT) will host a thread, Genre of the week where you will be able to share your favorite books, authors and share some reviews and recommendations from that genre as well.

Genre of the Week will be launched every week on Saturdays, 10 AM IST.

The Thread will be pinned for that week.

The following Saturday will have a new GOTW, however this thread will stay open for as long as people keep posting in it.

In other words, Genre of the Week does not mean that you only have this week to discuss books in this genre.

However, we would love for you to be posting actively in the GOTW thread for that week.

Even if you don't read books in a particular genre, feel free to peep in and offer your thoughts. You never know - there maybe a new book that will you hook you in when you read a review someone shared. And you may become addicted to a Genre you never thought you'd ever read!

We're starting off with GOTW # 1: Romance.

Romance is a Genre that is usually dismissed by serious readers & critics because it's seen as too frivolous, too unreal, too cheesy, too repetitive, too smutty, too clean, too cringe, too predictable, and above all, too 'girly'.

Bottomline - the Romance genre is often scoffed at because it's seen as something largely women like to read and therefore is inherently inferior or cheap or not good enough to be considered 'real literature'.

Well, all I'll say to the naysayers is that it's one of the most popular genres out there and some of the best books I have read in my life-time have been Romances.

Going by Book sales alone, Romance novels are the highest-earning genre of fiction, with 19 million printed units sold and revenue of over $1.44 billion in the year 2022-23 (X)

So if you are (like me) a reader of Romance and do not shy away from saying so, do drop your reviews, recommendations, share your TBR, and whatever else you'd like to discuss about this genre.

And if you're not a fan, or have never read a Romance, you're welcome to still drop in and chat. Who knows, you might discover some books being discussed here that capture your attention?

We would love for you to tell us:

(this is just a guideline and does not need to be implicitly followed)

When did you start reading romance and what was your first book in this genre?

Who are your favorite Romance authors & why?

What are your favorite Romance books (share a review if you'd like)?

What are your favorite romantic tropes?

[Fake dating, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Love Triangle, Forbidden love, Age gap, Second chance etc.]

What is/ are your favorite Romance sub-genre/s?

[Dark romance/ Historical/ Paranormal/Romcom/ LGBT/Vampire/ Dystopian/Fantasy/Suspense/ Western/ Comedy etc]

Share some Romance books in your TBR list

What was the last 5-star romance book you read?

So let's discuss our favorite romances and get some cool recommendations right here!

Chatting is ok, as long as it's related to Romance books but do keep all other chatter to the minimum or you can always move it to the CC Thread.

Tags: DreamOfEndless

We would love to hear your take on the books you've read. Do leave a review for us!

You can follow the format below (but it's not mandatory)

Book Title: (If it's part of a series, do mention the Series Title as well)

Author:

Sub-Genre:

Year Published:

Language: English might be the default but you can post reviews/recs for books in any language

Narrative type: first person/ third person/ single PoV/ Alternating PoV, present tense/ past tense, cliffhanger/ HEA/ HFN (Happy-Ever-After or Happy-For-Now) and other such details

Trope/s:

Triggers: This could be very important to state since there might be content that would be very triggering for some people & it would help warn them

Maturity Rating: On a scale from 0 to 5 with 0 being closed door and 5 being explicit

Book Rating: Out of 5 based on your reading experience

You can rate the MCs and the writing separately, if you'd like to!

Synopsis or Book blurb:

Spoiler-free review:

Do try to keep the review as Spoiler-free as you can and please adhere to IF CoC while posting your reviews, meaning no explicit content will be allowed (keep this in mind if you're posting excerpts/ quotes)

You can mark it as 'Matured Post' if the book has triggers/ adult content that need a warning.

If you'd rather not get into this long-winded essay writing type of assignment , you can just leave a short review &/or recommendation.

Res for Links to Book Reviews

Res for DT

Ok, here I am with my first rec, this was a book I'd read way back and I've taken the review off another thread I'd posted it in.

Title: Yours Truly (Part of your world Book # 2)

Author: Abby Jimenez

Year published: 2023

Narrative style: First person, dual PoV, linear

Maturity rating: Adult but minimal spice, it's not closed door so ig 1.5?

Personal Rating: 4.75

Tropes: Fake relationship, forced proximity

Triggers: mental health issues, other medical issues, organ donation (not a trigger I guess but yeah)

Book blurb:

A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

.

Review:

(not entirely spoiler-free, has some plot points so if you're a stickler for avoiding any kind of spoilers, don't read)

GAHHHH!!

I am in love with Jacob and Briana and their love!

But mostly Jacob because he's perfect! Perfect man, perfect match, perfect everything.

(Wait- are men named Jacob going to be the perfect book boyfriends now? Move over, Sebastian! )

This author came up in the recs when I was looking for inter-racial romances and boy, she did not disappoint.

The writing is sooo good! I mean really good. She makes you connect with the leads and that is such a good thing. She does a deep dive into their heads and what they're thinking and why they're thinking what they're thinking which makes it so much more relatable.

The tiniest niggle I had with this book was the almost tame spice in it. I did not mind the slow-burn (well, I tried not to mind it too much ) because there was so much delicious build-up. Yes, they connected emotionally but there was also the promise of something good happening physically. When it did, it was anti-climactic (there's just one sex scene and it was a let-down)

But everything else? *Chef's kiss* I actually took notes while reading (I never do that, y'all!) But I had to stop in places and squee and gush over how perfect they both are and how constantly and meaningfully they show up for each other. The conflict is in their own heads and it was frustrating, but also understandable because the author does such a good job of setting up the story. Of who they both are. We know about J's anxiety. We know about B's painful divorce and her cheating ex. We get it. We get why they are wary and we also get why they are vulnerable around each other.

I loved J from the get-go. B took a little warming up but she has so much trauma. My poor girl!

J is such a good person - so generous . That contrast was good too. He does not feel vengeful against his ex. But Bri does and that's what makes her her. And they're both lovable. I wanted to cuddle them both in a warm blanket and protect them from all evil.

I loved how they both 'show up' for each other which is the underlying theme of the book. J's thing is his anxiety and B does all she can to help him. But I liked that J is not the only one needing help. B has trust issues and J does a lot (and I mean a LOT) to help her overcome it. The 3rd act break-up is heartbreaking (especially because them getting together was so delayed thanks to the issues they both had) but the way it was done and the way it was overcome (ugly crying ) was beautiful.

I was surprised at some of the turns this story took but in the end, it all made sense.

I loved this one! Definitely going to read more of her books.

ETA; I read both Part of your world and Just for the summer (Books # 1 and # 3 in this series) and I loved them both, Book # 1 slightly more. Abby is becoming one of my favorite romance authors!

BM

Here for more dark romance recs

Do the reviews have to be of your most recent reads, or can it be a book from let's say two years ago that you're still obsessed with??

Originally posted by: foreverlazy

Do the reviews have to be of your most recent reads, or can it be a book from let's say two years ago that you're still obsessed with??

Any book you’ve read at any time. The one I wrote was also for a book I’d read a while ago.

Thread bookmarked! I will come back a couple of days later

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