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#whatchareading — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #whatchareading, aggregated by home.social.

  1. I'm still endlessly amused by "As we landed, [my mother] noticed a camel. Although expecting a camel, she was rendered temporarily silent [...]."

    #DorothyDunnett
    #WhatchaReading

  2. #WhatchaReading ? I read Love Notes by Lisa Henry, a pleasantly low-key romance that made for a nice palette cleanser. Dyslexic woodworker Ryan and mystery writer Adam meet in Ryan's charming -- but not completely implausible -- small town and just feel really comfortable together right away.

    It's the fourth in a multi-author series but you don't need to have read the others. ((I tried the first, wasn't my cuppa.)

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  3. #WhatchaReading ? I skimmed Speechless by Lindsey Lanza... some really interesting themes --- chronic illness, selective mutism, infertility -- but the tone was a bit twee for me.

  4. "Holy shit, I've never seen a bona fide god before."

    "God. Bag of dicks. Tomato, To-mah-to."

    😂

    #WhatchaReading ? I'm in the middle of The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam, a het paranormal romance featuring the rare and elusive huge heroine, small hero combo! The plot is kind of stressful for me but I'm enjoying the humor and slow burn. Both characters seem ND but I think there may be something else going on with him...

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  5. #WhatchaReading ? I'm enjoying Alicia Thompson's latest, Never Been Shipped, which is about former best friends who were in a band that busted up dramatically. They're reunited for a fan cruise They both have seeeecrets...

    It's loosely linked to With Love, From Cold World.

    #AmReading
    #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks

  6. At the family camp we go to, there's a very large, boisterous, religious family that always sings together at meals, kind of like if Ned Flanders' family had 30 members. I've often wondered what an introvert or autistic member of that family would feel like.

    The hero of the romance I'm reading, It's a Love Story, seems to be that introverted member. My first book by Annabel Monaghan... took me a minute to get into it but I'm liking it now.

    #WhatchaReading ? #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks

  7. #WhatchaReading ? I read the Testimony by "Laura London" which I somehow missed when they were digitized. I might have liked it more then, but I found it mostly vibes and the vibes were dated and a bit overly purple. There is some relevant political commentary though--MMC is a reporter and child of immigrants who goes to jail for refusing to reveal a source.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  8. #WhatchaReading ? I read The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren, a sunshiney poor girl/poor little rich boy romance which was a fairly decent effort to address the grossness of income inequality for a beach read, but unfortunately fell down at the end and tried to have things both ways. Other than that, and some plot holes, I enjoyed it more than I have any of their books in years.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  9. #WhatchaReading ?

    Magician by K.L. Noone was pretty much my catnip. Gorgeous prose, gorgeous magical system, gorgeous world-weary hero who thinks he's beyond redemption but just needs another gorgeous hero to show him how to be loved. 🙂

    Heavy on the steam for my tastes -- though magical steam is always extra fun! -- and could be considered a bit wangsty, but overall, wonderful.

    Reading the short Sorcerer first is helpful but not essential.

    #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks
    #QueerRomance

  10. @antoniaaquilante Holly Black is always good! I'm reading Snow White Learns Witchcraft by Theodora Goss, whom I've never read before. Kind of a similar theme going for us!

    #WhatchaReading ?

  11. #WhatchaReading ? I very much enjoyed What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon. It's a trope based plot--reunited first loves, convenient marriage--but doesn't rely on the tropes to do all the work. The characters are believably real & flawed and they grow while falling in love. The descriptions of Amsterdam are so enticing, I want to go there yesterday. And I was a total sucker for playful scenes and romantic symbolism, which just *make* a romance for me.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  12. #WhatchaReading ? I enjoyed the audiobook of Swept Away by Beth O'Leary up to a point, and if you've read it, you probably can guess the point. ;-) The adventure part of the story was tense and exciting and gave both characters a chance to shine; I had no trouble believing they grew to know and love each other in such a short period of time. What happens after felt contrived and false, unworthy of what had gone before.

    #RomanceBooks
    @RomanceBooks

  13. #WhatchaReading ? I wanted a formulaic Harlequin Presents for vacation reading and Girl Behind the Scandalous Reputation by Michelle Condor delivered exactly that. Unfortunately also delivered a touch of homophobia, so probably won't read her again.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  14. #WhatchaReading ? I had to read Aydra Richard's latest #HistoricalRomance, Mercy Fletcher Meets Her Match, before KU ran out and I'm glad I did. It's a Loretta Chase-esque starchy hero/headstrong heroine story, made especially affecting by how perfectly they match. He's responsible and careful, burdened by his late father's scorn, she's an artistic dreamer with a "busy brain" (ADHD) and they both help each other as they fall wonderfully in love.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  15. #WhatchaReading ? I Think They Love You by Julian Winters was a nice Valentine's Day read - a second chance/fake dating romance with a good growth arc for the lead. Lots of sweet pining and a big wacky cast of family and friends.. If you yearn for romcoms with black and queer characters, this was literally written for you.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  16. #WhatchaReading ? I started the follow-up to Out On a Limb (my review of that: willaful.wordpress.com/2023/09). It's supposed to stand on its own but OOaL is worth reading first anyway.

    Also sampled The Next Best Fling by Garbiella Gamez and it looks really good. Moving it up on the TBR. Will I ever not be stressed about having too many books to read?!

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  17. #WhatchaReading? I finished It Takes a Thief by Anne Stuart and even though it needed a good editing, -- far too much repetitious internal dialogue -- I still enjoy her storytelling. Some great pining.

    #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks

  18. #WhatchaReading I'm currently reading Golden Terrace by Cang Wu Bin Bai, a book, that I had already started some time ago, but had then put aside because long books and the stupid Long Covid thing don't go all that well together (at least in my case).

    A couple of days ago, I picked it up again and I'm charmed all over again by this novel with its slow-burn m/m romance and the slowly unfolding plot. The translation is superb - far superior to most Chinese to English translations of popular lit.

  19. #WhatchaReading ? I'm in another recent Anne Stuart, It Takes a Thief. Liking this historical much more than Return to Mariposa, but both have the same continuity issue. 🤔

    Also listening to Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis, which is a bit of a downer but in awesome British accents. ;-) Really tired of contemporary romance characters who have no concept of personal responsibility though.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  20. #WhatchaReading ? It's damn hard to enjoy billionaire romance these days, but Most Eligible Billionaire by Annika Martin is so engaging, I got through. And he is a very good billionaire, who likes to craft and treats everyone like family and uses reclaimed wood, which I guess makes up for all the private jets? Anyway, in the realm of fantasy it was a fun read, with lively, sparkling characters and believable relationship development.

    #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks

  21. #WhatchaReading? I DNF'd Return to Mariposa by Anne Stuart. It's highly implausible, there's a huge continuity error, and it just felt... disconnected from itself, like nothing flowed in a reasonable way. A lot of the reviews say the book gets really stupid in the *second* half, so I decided to cut my losses.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks

  22. #WhatchaReading ? I'm listening to Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane, which right now is not counting as romance but I hope might squeeze out a happy ending? We shall see. The cover definitely says "romance" but we all know how much that means. 🙄 I'm finding it a pretty tense story, in truth.

    #AudioBooks

  23. #WhatchaReading ? I DNF'd The Book Proposal. It had some funny moments but a lot of the humor was crude and gross, there are *multiple*, very cliched Evil Other Women, and the hero is so shallow and dull, I just wanted him to fall into a manhole. Possibly he does, he's also kind of dim.

    #RomanceBooks
    @romancelandia

  24. #WhatchaReading ? I found Cruel Winter With You sweet, but with a constant edge of creepy. The MMC persists in sounding like a little boy -- when he talks about all he wants to give her, I'm imagining a Barbie dream house. The FMC has commitment issues deeply rooted in... almost nothing, as far as I can tell. Most of the main relationships in her life seem remarkably stable.

    #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks

  25. #WhatchaReading ? I've managed to finish two very good contemporary romances: Canadian Boyfriend and Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry (YA.) Both had themes of betrayal, and were masterclasses in owning your mistakes and moving on from them. The kind of books that instead of making me say, "they don't write them like that any more," make me say, "I'm glad they write them like this now."

    #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks

  26. It's a small thing, but I want to wean myself off my Kindle and start buying ebooks through Kobo instead. Problem is a lot of my favs are in KU. So what is your comfort read that is on Kobo?

    (I read romance of all stripes, with a special love for intrinsically good characters and fantasy settings. Self-recs welcome!)

    #Romancelandia #amreadingromance #WhatchaReading #bookish

  27. It's a small thing, but I want to wean myself off my Kindle and start buying ebooks through Kobo instead. Problem is a lot of my favs are in KU. So what is your comfort read that is on Kobo?

    (I read romance of all stripes, with a special love for intrinsically good characters and fantasy settings. Self-recs welcome!)

    #Romancelandia #amreadingromance #WhatchaReading #bookish

  28. #WhatchaReading ? I enjoyed The Forgotten Dead by Jordan Hawk in a terrified kind of way. 😂 Seriously scary! Also very casually queer, and with a delightful, light on steam m/m romance between a trans Professor of Paranormal Studies (or some such) and a paranormal investigator who's suppressing his own powers. Made me cry a lil once I was done shrieking. (I am extremely wimpy so YMMV.)

    @bookstodon
    #LGBTQBooks
    #Spooky
    #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks

  29. #WhatchaReading ? I finished Haunted Ever After, which has a fun haunted town premise -- although the idyllic Florida beach town setting doesn't sit well right now. :-( I found the pacing off and the romance too by-the-numbers, but since I've liked this author before will probably read the next one.

    @bookstodon

    @romancebooks

    #RomanceBooks

  30. #WhatchaReading ? I'm finding My Roommate is a Vampire a fun, easy read, but am unconvinced by the romance. Not feeling the undead chemistry. 😂

    Also in The Perils of Lady Catherine De Bourgh, which is rather funny -- Mr. Collins two children are named "Catherine" and "De Bourgh" 😂 -- and I hope we will finally get to a little romance for Miss Tilney and Mr. Darcy, who has taught himself to mask 🙁 in order to court her, silly autistic boy. She already likes you!

    #RomanceBooks
    @romancebooks

  31. #WhatchaReading ? I finished Right Where We Left Us, a second chance romance which has some lovely writing and great romantic moments. I was impatient with the characters though, for hiding so much and being so difficult. Might be my mood. Wonderful, memorably romantic ending.

    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBooks
    #HappyEverAfter

  32. The Saint of Steel series continues to delight with Paladin's Faith. Any fantasy romance fan who enjoys unique worldbuilding and quirky humor will not want to miss this series!

    bookbub.com/reviews/3034133737

    #BookReviews #BookBub #WhatchaReading #FridayReads #FantasyRomance

  33. An Unsuitable Heir by KJ Charles is a worthy conclusion to the gripping Sin of the Cities trilogy. Mark and Pen are a delightful grumpy/sunshine pairing sure to please anyone who enjoys character driven historical romance.

    bookbub.com/reviews/1243207012

    #WhatchaReading #BookBub #BookReviews #HistoricalRomance #LGBTQReads #amreadingromance

  34. #WhatchaReading ? I finished A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel. Too much page time to horrible speeches from horrible people, but the ending is extremely satisfying and has one of the best declarations of love ever.

    @romancebooks
    @romancelandia
    #RomanceBookClub

  35. #WhatchaReading ? I listened to Codename Charming, which I liked a fair bit more than Battle Royal, although I don't think the audiobook did it a lot of favors. (It was good enough to keep listening to, but the MMC's voice wasn't great.) The hero is a Mountain, which I always love.

    Also read Ten Things I Hate About the Duke, which I thought had some plotting issues, but Chase always does such great relationships and interactions.

    @romancelandia
    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBookClub

  36. #WhatchaReading? I #AmReading His Forgotten Bride by Aydra Richards, an amnesia story, yay!. My third by her and I'm really enjoying them; nice to be able to read historical romance again. She's kind of old fashioned but not Old Skool, if that makes sense.

    @romancelandia
    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBookClub

  37. #WhatchaReading ? I finally, finally #JustFinished Mortal Follies, a book much longer and twee-er than it needs to be, though the sticking point for me, unlike most critics, was not the omniscient narrator Puck but the absolutely unnecessary and unbearable Miss Bickle. Cut her completely out and you'd be left with quite an interesting story. I did enjoy the dark and brooding heroine.

    @romancelandia
    @romancebooks
    @bookstodon
    #RomanceBookClub

  38. #WhatchaReading ? I #JustFinishedReading Strange Love by Ann Aguirre and it was the cutest "alien abduction meets The Hunger Games" story ever. 😂 The alien MMC is an adorable cinnamon-roll-in-an-exoskeleton and the sex scenes are so genuinely weird yet somehow also sexy!

    @romancelandia
    @romancelandia
    #RomanceBookClub

  39. #WhatchaReading ? I #JustFinishedReading Strange Love by Ann Aguirre and it was the cutest "alien abduction meets The Hunger Games" story ever. 😂 The alien MMC is an adorable cinnamon-roll-in-an-exoskeleton and the sex scenes are so genuinely weird yet somehow also sexy!

    @romancelandia
    @romancelandia
    #RomanceBookClub

  40. #WhatchaReading ? I #JustFinishedReading Strange Love by Ann Aguirre and it was the cutest "alien abduction meets The Hunger Games" story ever. 😂 The alien MMC is an adorable cinnamon-roll-in-an-exoskeleton and the sex scenes are so genuinely weird yet somehow also sexy!

    @romancelandia
    @romancelandia
    #RomanceBookClub

  41. #WhatchaReading ? I #JustFinishedReading Strange Love by Ann Aguirre and it was the cutest "alien abduction meets The Hunger Games" story ever. 😂 The alien MMC is an adorable cinnamon-roll-in-an-exoskeleton and the sex scenes are so genuinely weird yet somehow also sexy!

    @romancelandia
    @romancelandia
    #RomanceBookClub

  42. #WhatchaReading ? I #JustFinishedReading Strange Love by Ann Aguirre and it was the cutest "alien abduction meets The Hunger Games" story ever. 😂 The alien MMC is an adorable cinnamon-roll-in-an-exoskeleton and the sex scenes are so genuinely weird yet somehow also sexy!

    @romancelandia
    @romancelandia
    #RomanceBookClub

  43. #WhatchaReading ? , Though only published in 2018, Lights and Sirens by Lisa Henry has sadly aged like milk, at least for this American. A cop throwing his weight around, even to protect his boyfriend, does not fly. There's an interesting arc for the other MMC, a paramedic who's mentally overloaded by too many horrific accidents, but it's all kind of brushed over in the end, and the romance also happens way too quickly.

    @romancelandia
    @romancebooks
    #RomanceBookClub

  44. #WhatchaReading ? I was somewhat bogged down in Light Up the Lamp by Kit Irving but enjoyed it by the end. The main character is as thick as a brick, but he figures it all out eventually. 😁

    Still listening to Mortal Follies but though the narration is very engaging I'm somehow not really engaged. Dunno if I'm up for another 5 hours of it.

    @romancebooks @romancelandia #RomanceBookClub

  45. #WhatchaReading ? I'm halfway through the audio of Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall and what seems to be the big climactic moment has happened. Is there going to be five hours just of people having sex now?

    @romancelandia @romancebooks #RomanceBookClub

  46. #WhatchaReading ? I'm a third of the way into Love & Other Disasters and am a bit disappointed that the assigned-sex-at-birth of the non-binary character has been revealed. I was curious, sure, but also thought it was kind of cool not to know.

    It's not really my cuppa -- heavy on the accident/humiliation humor. Cute characters though.

    @romancelandia

    #RomanceBookClub