Rainy Day Ramblings

Tell Me Something Tuesday #180: Review Books

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments.

 

This week’s spotlight:

Where do you get your review books?

When I started blogging eight years ago, I believed that everything I read and reviewed needed to be an Advanced Reader’s Copy. I wanted to be reviewing books before they hit the shelves. Thus, I was always trying to chase down ARCS. 

Only reading ARCS meant that many of the books I wanted to read were neglected, and even worse, I didn’t get around to reading new books in many of my favorite series. 

Thankfully, I smartened up and made some changes a few years back. I realized that I don’t need to always be reading and blogging ARCS. It doesn’t matter. 

I learned that it is nice to have diversity in the blogosphere, because let’s face it, when most bloggers were only reading and reviewing advanced copies, there tended to be a plethora of reviews for the same books. 

Luckily most of us who have been around, learned to diversify. I love that bloggers are reading and reviewing all kinds of books. I like discovering old books as well as new ones. 

Thus, I also made a huge change in getting my review books. Before I relied on books I downloaded from Netgalley, Edelweiss or received in the mail. 

Now I get half my books from Netgalley or Edelweiss. I have finally learned to exercise restraint when it comes to selecting ARCS from these sites. I am done drowning in ARCS. 

The other half of my books I get from the library. In the last few years, I have greatly increased my audiobook reviews. In fact over the last couple of years, I listened to more books than read. If I bought 75-100 audiobooks a year, it would cost a pretty fortune. Thankfully, my wonderful library allows readers to check out audiobooks online. I constantly have two or three books on my phone at all times to listen to thanks to the library. 

I have also learned to put books that I am interested in reading on hold at the library instead of requesting ARCS. This allows so much more freedom. It is much easier to abandon a library book than an ARC I requested. No guilt. 

Finally, I purchase probably a dozen or so books a year that I review. Most of these books are deals I score on ebooks. 

Finding a good balance between library books and ARCs has made blogging much easier. I hope to continue to steer further away from ARCS and get back to more of what I want to be reading. 

What about you all, where are you getting your review books?

Next week’s question:

Do you like getting unsolicited books in the mail? 

Tell Me Something Tuesday #179: Series I Want More Of

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments.

 

Here is the discussion topic for the week:

What are some of your favorite series you would like to see revisited or a spin off?

 

Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne:

After nine fabulous and fun books, this series wrapped last year. Yet, the ending gave me pause because the main character wasn’t exactly left in a good place, leaving me to believe that there might be more?? I am hoping that we might either get more from Oberon’s (the Irish Wolfhound) point of view. Oberon had a couple of mystery novellas which were hilarious. I wouldn’t mind seeing a spin off series from Granuaile’s point of view either. 

 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: 

I enjoyed this fantastic duology. It was a bit confusing starting out as it features six different view points. However, once I immersed into the story, I was hooked. This one concluded with wiggle room left for possibly more story? Ms. Bardugo is known for bringing more stories set in the same world. Characters from her first series, popped up in this one, so who knows?

The Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock:

The first book was published in this series way back in 2006, but I only recently got around to reading it a couple of years ago. I adored this quirky trilogy. DJ Schwenk is an outstanding character. However, I felt like the story was too open ended. I would love to see more of the romance and DJ negotiating college life. 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: 

This series made a big resurgence after the Netflix movie released last year. I loved this trilogy, but just like with The Dairy Queen series, I felt like this was way too open ended. I wanted to see college life. Plus, I didn’t like that it was left for the reader to decide the fate of the romance. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Turn by Kim Harrison:

This was a spinoff series of Harrison’s The Hollows Series. This book takes you back to the 1960’s where you get to met the parents and predecessors of the main characters in The Hollows. The book ended with the promise of more story, but two years later, another book still isn’t on the horizon. I am hoping we will get another volume. 

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead:

Bloodlines was the spinoff from Mead’s wildly popular Vampire Academy. I didn’t think I would like Sydney and Adrian more than Dmitri and Rose, but I did. Something happens at the end of the final book that indicated perhaps there was more story to come from yet another character. I am hoping that we will eventually get more from this world as it still remains a favorite.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor:

This remains one of my all time favorite series. However, after finishing the final book, I felt like there was way more story to be told. Due to the great scope of the story, not everything finished off and reached a satisfactory conclusion. I think the breadth of the story left too many dangling threads that I would have liked to come to fruition. I desperately wanted more of the fledging relationship that was formed between another angel and chimera. I was also disappointed that many of the souls were not resurrected, especially the one hidden in a thurible left to Karou by Brimstone. I kept waiting and waiting for that one. 

 

These are some of the series that I hope authors will revisit down the road. 

What about you all, what series are you wanting more of in the future?

Next week’s TMST:

Where do you get your review books?

Tell Me Something Tuesday #178: Obscure Vocab: Yeah or Nay?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments.

Here is this week's conversation starter:

How do you feel about author’s throwing big, obscure words into their books? 

It seems as of late, I have run across several books where authors tend to be a little over eager with the thesaurus. I have been an avid reader all my life, I have a college degree, and I like to think that I have an expanded vocabulary. So most of the time, I don’t have a problem when reading books. 

However, there are those authors out there for whatever reason who like to throw in big, obscure words that the average reader is not going to have the slightest clue when it comes to defining the words. Thankfully, with an electronic reader, one can easily look up these words, in order to understand what the author is saying. 

More often than not, when I look up the definition, I roll my eyes because it is usually evident that the author threw the big word in there for no apparent reason other than they wanted to use a big word. I think this is silly, especially if their target audience isn’t someone who is going to know the meaning of big, obscure words. For instance, I have read plenty of YA books where the author tends to use twenty five cent vocabulary words. Your target audience is teenagers, so why use words that are going to go over the top of their heads? 

Sometimes I wonder if the author is doing it to be pretentious or if they are trying to impress someone?? The bottom line is your audience wants to read and understand what you are saying, if you are throwing all these words that are not readily known, than you are making it way more complicated than it needs to be. 

I can’t tell you how many times I have looked up the definition of the word, and it really doesn’t make sense in the context of the sentence. That screams to me that the author is trying to hard. 

Unless you are writing a book for highly educated scholars, you don’t need to use thesaurus words. You can quickly lose your readers if you are talking above their heads. 

I enjoy reading, and I have no problem looking up words when I don’t readily know the definition, but when I find myself looking up words constantly to get through the book, it becomes a bit much. 

I don’t have a problem with an author using words that are archaic if they are writing a period piece. For instance, if you are reading a historical novel set two hundred years ago, many words that were common then may be out of date now. When an author uses vocabulary pertinent to the era, I think it enhances the book, and I enjoy looking up the words. 

For the most part, I get annoyed with authors that constantly throw in big words for no reason other than they can and they know how to use a thesaurus. 

Your average reader just wants to read and enjoy the book. 

Is it just me or does this bug you?

Next week’s TMST:

What are some of your favorite series you would like to see revisited or a spin off?

Tell Me Something Tuesday #177: Topics I Avoid in Books

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments.

 

This week’s question:

What are things that make you steer clear of a book?

I don’t know about you all, but when selecting a book, I have certain topics/ triggers that make me steer clear of a book if I know I might encounter something that makes my reading experience unpleasant. Here are some of the things I steer away from:

Excessive Violence/ Gore: I don’t like reading books that have over the top violent scenes with excessive guts and gore. I read for pleasure and I don’t need overly descriptive scenes filled with violence, murder, blood and guts. No thanks.

Sexual Abuse of Children: This is another topic that I don’t stomach well, especially since I am a mother of two young children. I can handle books that are about survivors and such, but books that are marketed as thrillers that utilize sexual abuse of minors are ones that I don’t want to read. 

Animal Cruelty: I have a big soft heart when it comes to animals. I cry when an animal dies in book or movie. It tears my heart out when an animal is hurt or abused. Any books that feature animal cruelty are a big no for me. I even try to avoid books that feature animals if I find out one of the animals is going to die. It makes me so sad. 

Disturbing/ Gross/ Twisted/ Warped: Again, I read for pleasure and I don’t need scenes filled with anything that is disgusting, gross, or just flat out wrong. Yuck. I don’t need this kind of stuff in my head. 

Religious Themes: I have nothing against religion, but I am not a fan of religion in fiction. I have picked up a book a time or two not realizing it was a Christian book. Everyone has their own beliefs, and I don’t enjoy books with excessive religious themes. 

These are a few things that I tend to avoid when reading books. I prefer to read books that make me feel happy and uplifted. I tend to steer away from books that have a lot of violence and gore. Anything that might haunt me later is probably a book I don’t want to read. 

What about you, what do you avoid?

Next week’s TMST:

How do you feel about author’s throwing big, obscure words into their books? 

Tell Me Something Tuesday #176: Character Traits To Love and Hate

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments!

 

This week’s question comes from Roberta who blogs over at Offbeat YA. Thanks Roberta! Stop over and say Hi!

What personality traits do you love/hate in a character?

This isn’t an easy question to answer because I know there are exceptions, but I am going to try and tackle this one. 

The Ones I Don’t Like:

• Mean Girls/ Bullies: I realize that mean girls and bullies are usually around to help the character grow and overcome challenges, but sometimes there are mean characters for no real good reason. I find this occurs far more often with mean girls. I hate the mean girl trope, especially if it isn’t used in a constructive way. Mean girls and bullies are something that occur far too often in television, movies and books, and I would like to see them go away. 
• Self Destructive Behavior: Again, this can be used to in a positive way when it shows character growth, but I don’t like characters that are self destructive just because. Whether it be drug use, alcohol, or just behavior in general that is not healthy, I am not a fan of people abusing themselves. 
• Weak/ Doormat Characters: I realize not everyone can be strong and stand up for themselves, but characters that are constantly weak and let others walk over them and take advantage of them bother me. Again, if this is used to show how a character overcomes being a doormat, than I am all for it. 
• Male Characters Who Are Obviously Written By Women: If you have ever read a romance written by a woman where the man doesn’t behave like real man, it is annoying. Some female writers totally get it right when writing the male character, and I applaud them. While others have their males thinking and doing things that a woman would think or want them to do. It is hard to explain, but if you have read a male character like this, you will understand. 
• Characters Who Think They Are All That: I am not a fan of characters who think they are god’s gift to mankind. I don’t like characters who are obsessed with their looks and think they are the sexiest thing around and everyone should bow down to them. I prefer humility. 
• Unlikable Characters: Every once in awhile, I will read a book where I can’t stand any of the characters, whether it be because they are annoying, petty, behaving in self destructive ways or they are unreliable narrators. When I find a book like this and can’t connect with anyone because they are all despicable, it usually means I won’t like the book.

The Ones I Like:

• Strong/ Courageous: I love characters who are fierce and strong and able to stand up for themselves regardless of the circumstances. I recently read a book where a girl was sexually assaulted in a small town. She came forward knowing the hellstorm it would create and she stood strong even when she was verbally abused. I admire characters like this. 
• Kind/ Compassionate/ Generous: Who doesn’t like a character who constantly thinks of others before themselves, or someone who has a big, kind heart. Love these kinds of characters.
• Nerdy: I have an affinity for the nerdy characters. There is something sexy to me about a shy, smart character. 
• Sense of Humor: I adore characters with a good sense of humor, especially when they can laugh at themselves. 

 

These are a few of the things I love and loath about characters. Your turn, tell me what you like/ dislike about characters.

Next week’s TMST:

What are things that make you steer clear of a book?

Tell Me Something Tuesday #175: To Tour Or Not To Tour

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments!

Here is the question for the week:

To Tour or Not to Tour? Do you participate in book tours? Why or why not?

When I first started blogging back in 2011, there were hundreds of book blogs, and everyone participated in tours. Practically every big published book and the smaller books put their book on tour. 

Now days, blog tours have kind of gone by the wayside. Yes, there are still tour companies and blogs that participate in tours, but blog tours aren’t as popular as they once were. 

I think one of the reasons that blog tours aren’t as popular is because they take a great deal of time and effort. There is nothing more frustrating to a tour promoter to have a blogger who doesn’t get their post up on the requested date and time. I am sure it is even more troubling to an author who is paying for the tour and to have people flake out. Not to mention it takes a lot of time for everyone involved to piece together the posts. Even worse, blog tours may not do much for bumping up sales even after all the interviews and posts. For these reasons, I think many authors and publishers have gone to book blitz or the instagram route. While I am not a fan of blasts and blitzes as I see them as nothing more than ads or fillers, I can see their appeal. It is a fast, easy way to draw attention to a title. 

I personally stopped participating in tours a couple of years ago. One of the big reasons I quit tours is I didn’t like the added pressure. To be on a tour, the blogger is expected to post a positive review for the book, many tours would let you quit the tour if you didn’t like the book, but if you backed out right before the date, it put everyone in a bad spot. I elect to do more stress free blogging these days. That means not feeling pressured to read certain books and write positive reviews for books that perhaps weren’t a good fit for me. I also discovered that being on a blog tour did very little for blog traffic and visitors. If there was a giveaway involved, there was of course, more people visiting in hopes of winning, but those people don’t stick around. 

Participating in blog tours is a lot of work for everyone involved, and I don’t need any added work, so I am opting out of tours these days. 

What about you all, do you still participate in blog tours? Do you like them? 

 

Next week’s TMST:

What personality traits do you love/hate in a character? (Courtesy of Roberta@ Offbeat YA)

Tell Me Something Tuesday #174: Spring Picks for 2019

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments!

Here is our topic of the week:

What are your picks for Spring 2019?

The first week of March. That means Spring is indeed right around the corner despite what it might look like outside. I love when warmer weather starts to prevail, and the hints of spring start bursting forth. Spring flowers, green grass and leaves on trees. It truly is a magical time of year, and we all start feeling better. Winter is long and hard sometimes, so it is always nice when spring arrives to warm our souls. I also love that spring brings forth new books in some of my long time favorite series! I can't wait.

Here are my picks for the upcoming spring season:

Young Adult Picks:

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman: This book is being billed as a mashup of Stranger Things and The Raven Boys. A small town in New York that is haunted by some danger in the woods, and one family is born to protect the town. Then the unthinkable happens, the power seems to have skipped a generation. Will the monster unleash horror on the town? You can read this one on  April 2nd. 

The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters: Cat Winters is known for writing some fantastic supernatural historic stories. This time, she is back bringing us ghostly tale featuring a young Edgar Allan Poe and frightening macabre muse. This sounds creepy good! You can reach for this one on April 16th.

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim: This is a fantasy tale about a young woman who poses as a boy to enter a contest to compete for the title of Imperial Tailor. The heroine must sew threw magical dresses from the sun, the moon and the stars. Got to love the sound of this one, plus the cover is striking. This book is out on June 4th.

Adult Picks:

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton: After reading last year's brilliant Next Year in Havana, I knew I had to get my hands on this sequel. I want to know more about the Perez family. A wealthy family that escaped Cuba during the revolution. This is Beatriz's story. I am super excited for this one! It is out on April 9.

The Perfect Dress by Carolyn Brown: I am a huge fan of Carolyn Brown. Her books always deliver a heaping dose of down home comfort. This book features a second chance romance centered around a plus size gal looking for the perfect size dress. You can find this one on April 16th.

Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs: This is the eleventh book in the Mercy Thompson series. A long time favorite series of mine. I can't wait for more adventure from the coyote shape shifter, Mercy, and her werewolf mate and friends. Never a dull moment with Mercy and the gang. You can get this on May 7th.

Middle Game by Seanan McGuire: I have to admit, I honestly hadn't read the synopsis for this one before including it in my list. All I know is that pretty much anything by McGuire/ Grant is worth reading. This creepy book will be out May 7.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren: I love a good romance, and the duo behind Christina Lauren writes some pretty fun stories. This one features two sworn enemies thrown together on a romantic trip. Antagonistic romance anyone? Look this on shelves on May 14th.

So these are my picks for the upcoming spring season. What are you looking forward to reading?

Next week:

To Tour or Not to Tour? Do you participate in book tours? Why or why not?

Tell Me Something Tuesday #173: Controlling the TBR Pile

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments!

 

Here is this week’s hot topic:

How have you learned to keep your TBR pile in check, or how would you like to control your pile?

The towering To Be Read pile, the bane of many readers. Can you imagine if your pile was an actual physical pile, how tall would it be?

When I started blogging eight years ago, I had hundreds of books that I wanted to read. I was constantly adding books that I saw on other blogs that I felt like I had to read, sometimes I added them based on covers alone. 

Fast forward a few years to an older and wiser me (older at least), I have learned (finally) to keep that pile in check. 

Here is what I am doing now to keep that pile from building:

Be Selective: As I said, I used to add books based on covers or buzz or whatever. Now days, I am doing the research before quickly deciding to add a book to the pile. Instead of perusing Netgalley or Edelweiss and grabbing books that look appealing or sound appealing based on the synopsis, I am picking books based on reviews from bloggers I know and trust. Time is short, and I don’t want to be wading through dozens of middle of the road books. I want to read books that I will enjoy, so I try and select authors that I love, or series that I am invested in, or based on a recommendation from a trusted blogger or friend. Believe me, this will cut down on your pile considerably. 

Weed Out the Pile: If you are someone who adds books to your Goodreads Shelf, do you ever clean out your shelf? I periodically go through and get rid of books that I no longer have a burning desire to read, especially if the book has been sitting on my shelf for more than a year or two. I am always amazed at how many series I abandon. If you have physical books, go through and weed them out and donate them. 

Let Go: I used to force myself to read all the books I requested or picked up, mostly because I was stubborn. I can’t tell you how many mediocre/ bad books I finished reading because I felt obligated. If you find yourself reading a book that you aren’t feeling or even dreading reading, why torture yourself? Let it go, be done with it and remove it from the pile. 

Cut Back on Requests or Requesting: I stopped accepting book requests years ago as again, I found myself constantly reading books that weren’t appealing to me and I couldn’t say no when asked. I finally got smart and stopped accepting almost all book requests unless it is an author I know and trust. It makes everything so much easier when you can read without feeling like there are strings attached. Also I limit myself on requesting books. I have learned instead of going to Netgalley and Edelweiss to request a book, to put the book on reserve at my library, that way I am not adding more commitment books to the pile and if it isn’t a book that works for me when I do get it from my library, I can return it and move on. Don’t take in more books that you can possibly read in a month is another rule that I follow. 

These are my tried and true methods for cutting back on my TBR pile, and I, for once, finally feel like I have a solid handle on my pesky pile. 

What about you all, how do you manage your TBR pile?

Next week’s TMST:

Spring Picks for 2019

Tell Me Something Tuesday #172: How Much Will You Pay for Books?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments!

 

Here is the scintillating topic for the week:

Book Pricing: How much will you pay for an ebook? A hard copy? A paperback?

Confession: I don’t buy many books these days. Considering that I read over 150 books a year, if I had to buy every book I read, the cost would be astronomical, not to mention, I would be drowning in books if I bought physical copies of every book. 

So where do I get all my books? Believe it or not, I get the majority of my books from my library online. I love the convenience of being able to check out audiobooks and ebooks online from my local library without having to leave the house. 

I do still get quite a few books from publishers to read and review as well. With all the library books and advanced copies, I rarely have trouble finding something to read. 

However, there are times when I do purchase books. Usually, I grab Kindle books on Amazon when they are on sale or even listed as freebies for a limited time. 

How much is too much for me? To be perfectly honest, I will rarely pay over $5.00 for an ebook. Anything over five dollars, I would rather pay to get a physical copy, especially if a Kindle book is priced $10 and over. 

I have cleaned out my physical copies and donated most of them to my local library as I just don’t have the room to store all the books, and I feel like a book is best when it is being read. Be honest, how many books do you read that you are going to read again and again? There are a few books that are amazing that I am willing to purchase for my all time favorite shelves, and when that happens, I usually want a hardback. Most of the time, I wait until the price of the hardback has gone down, as I don’t like shelling out $20 or more for a hardback. When it gets to $15 and under, that is when I buy the book. 

As far as paperbacks, I don’t buy too many paperbacks anymore unless I am in a bookstore and they are in the bargain book bin and listed for $5 or under. Occasionally, I might purchase one over $5 but my limit is $10 for a paperback. 

I love books and I love supporting authors but purchasing books can become a financial burden if one isn’t cautious, so I am careful to only purchase bargain books, or a book that I know that I am absolutely going to love. 

Your local library is an excellent source for books, and believe it or not, libraries purchase more books than even bookstores, so supporting your local library and requesting them to purchase books that you are interested in reading helps support authors and publishers alike. 

Tell me about your book buying habits. How many books do you buy in a year? What is the most you will spend?

Here is next week’s question:

How have you learned to keep your TBR pile in check, or how would you like to control your pile?

Tell Me Something Tuesday #171: Recent Romantic Reads

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post here on Rainy Day Ramblings where I discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. If participating feel free to leave your link in the comments!

 

 

 

Since we are nearing Valentine’s Day, I had to do a romantic themed post. Here is today’s question: 

What are some of your favorite recent romantic reads?

I don’t know about you all, but in winter when I am suffering with the winter blues, I tend to reach for a lot of light, fluffy, romantic reads. Reading happy stuff helps make the winter more bearable. I tend to read a lot of romance in the winter, and lately I have read a few good ones worth sharing. Here are some of my favorite recent romantic reads:

Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven:

I know this doesn’t look like a romance book, but I promise you, it has a wonderful romance. One that starts out with the two as enemies, and then a trust and friendship forms before it transforms into so much more. Not only is the romance outstanding but so is the rest of the book. There is action, danger, magic, betrayals and war. I couldn’t put this one down! Outstanding. 

 

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren: 

This writing duo almost always impresses when it comes to romance. I know not everyone loved this one, but I did. I loved the group of friends on a quest to find love. Yes, there is a bit of cat fishing, but it isn’t meant to be malicious. I laughed throughout and had a great time with this one. 

Fight or Flight by Samantha Young:

Ms. Young knows how to write a good romance. This is another romance that starts out antagonistic, and then it moves into lust before finally settling into a friends with benefits situation. I loved watching this couple figure it out and finally get it right! 

One Day in December by Josie Silver:

This book has so many feels in it. Do you believe in love at first sight? That is what happens in this one when the pair catch sight of each other, she on the bus, he on the sidewalk. Then he misses the bus.... what follows is ten years of friendship, heart break, romance and finally that chance. This one made me cry. 

Cowboy Honor by Carolyn Brown:

You can’t go wrong with a Carolyn Brown romance. I love that her books are always light and fun and that they make me smile. This one has all of that. Loved it! 

So these are the recent romances that made me smile. Tell me, what romances have you read as of late that you would recommend?

Next week’s TMST:

Book Pricing: How much will you pay for an ebook? A hard copy? A paperback?