Weekend Reads: A Superhero for Christmas by HL Burke

 

Photo from Amazon

Weekend Reads: A Superhero for Christmas by HL Burke

I love a good Christmas novella. There's nothing like curling up with a warm beverage - anything from coffee or tea to hot spiced cider, chai, or even a hot chocolate. Cocoa bomb, anyone? I'm particularly fond of standalone novellas because it is a busy season, and I want a read as light and fluffy as a fleece blanket.

H.L. Burke's A Superhero for Christmas hits all the Hallmark movie points in book form.

☑ Wounded hero - Glint has lost his powers

☑ Relatable every-girl - Lara is a journalist from a small town who returns in disgrace

☑ Snark - I mean it is an H.L. Burke book so there's going to be snark

☑ A great supporting cast - I just love Lara's parents and their small-town grocery

☑ Bonus supporting characters - some familiar sables (super-powered folk) make appearances

☑ Humor - it is a rom-com and an H.L. Burke book, so you know it delivers

☑ Girl and guy are at cross purposes - Glint is hiding his lost powers; Lara needs a story and Glint's thin disguise doesn't fool her. Her name is Lara Landis not Lois Lane. A pair of glasses and no Spandex doesn't fool her.

I am kind of a sucker for the whole small town girl/small town guy meet up thing. Bonus that they're both big city refugees. I mean this is a twist on the Guy in a suit losing out to a guy in flannel.

SPOILER ALERT: you can kind of guess the guy in a (superhero) suit wins the girl.

C'mon you know how it ends. Rom coms are about the meet cute and the twists, turns, and embarrassing moments.

As far as spice goes: There are hints these two are grown adults with pasts and a future, but there's no sex, drugs, or other bad behavior.

Weekend Reads: Rogue Spotter series by Kimberly A. Rogers (Rachel)

I am a chronic re-reader of books and re-watcher of movies. So, when I felt in the mood for something familiar a few weeks ago, I reached for a favorite UF series and realized that I should share it with you.

Rogue Spotter Series

Lauren Hope is a Spotter, a paranormal who sees numbers over everyone’s heads that indicate their dangerousness. Because of this skill, there are those who would wish to kill her or force her to use her skill for their purposes. She has spent her life on the run and alone. That is until the day she looks up to see a man with the highest number ever right there in her workplace. He had a 10 glowing in the air over his head.

A dangerous hero with a delicious accent, a heroine with an amazing character arc, and phenomenal world-building that weaves ancient mythology and pre-Covid modern times, the series is the perfect escape. The romance is sweet and realistic against the background of action, adventure, self-discovery, quests, and a battle to save the world. The high-paced adventure unfolds over a six-book series that barely stops for breath. What more can one want?

Do you reread your favorite series too?
What are your favorites?

Weekend Reads: The Elves of Lessa by K.M. Shea (Kimberly)

It's that time again, lovely readers! Heading into the final days of August, I have the perfect series for your weekend binge needs. The Elves of Lessa by K.M. Shea is a series full of sweet romance, laugh out loud humor, and just the right amount of political intrigue in the backdrop of a fascinating epic fantasy world with elves and humans. 

The Red Rope of Fate (The Elves of Lessa Book 1)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

So I first picked up this book a couple years ago after a friend recommended it to me based on the hero being my type. And she was right. Arion is the very proper human captain who's a stoic with a dry wit and a heart of fluffy gold buried beneath the surface. And I do love him. Especially as he grows more aware of what Tari wants from him (using his words to express his buried feelings is a big thing lol). Arion and Tari are such opposites but they work so well together. They're fun yet sweet.

Red Rope of Fate is a fun introduction into the world of Lessa where the Lesser Elves have a long standing treaty with the Humans of Calnor. There's just one catch - They cannot communicate with each other. So they use a magic ceremony to create a bond of friendship between the human royals and the most compatible noble elves and create a bridge between souls that would ideally bypass any need for translators. Unfortunately, that ideal was never reached . . . until Tari and Arion are bonded. Tari and Arion cause a huge stir when they can understand each other (and only each other) despite the language barrier.

As with every Shea book, the characters are the true heart of the story. Beyond Tari and Arion, my personal favorites are the two kings (they remind me very much of the kings from animated Sleeping Beauty), Seer Rinagli who is this caustic sarcastic hilariously unpredictable elf and Tari's training master among the Evening Stars (dancers/warriors with magic), and the Trio of Daftness a group of three honor guard soldiers who are hilariously incompetent when it comes to being proper soldiers much to Arion's chagrin and Tari's delight. And they're supposed to keep Tari out of trouble. I laugh so hard when these three are allowed to talk.

There's also a bit of political intrigue involving the nuances of the human court and Arion's family due to his sister marrying the youngest prince. Plus the challenges of certain people trying to separate Tari and Arion for varying reasons including crown prince Benjimir acting a little bit like Loki (an antagonist for a perfectly logical reason in his mind). All these elements and characters come to together to create a fun rich beginning to the world of Lessa that's simply a joy to read!

Royal Magic (The Elves of Lessa Book 2)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Oh Benjimir. He's too clever for his own good, which is what got him into the situation he's in when we return to Lessa and Calnor in book two of the series. This book picks up a couple years after the end of Red Rope of Fate and introduces Gwendafyn, the younger princess of the Lesser Elves. Fyn is struggling against the expected sedateness of Lesser Elves because of traditions wrapped in the past where showing too much passion and feelings is shied away from for fear of making humans view them like the war-loving High Elves who sailed away centuries ago. She is too much according to her aunt and utterly miserable acting as regent in the elven court while her parents and elder sister live in the human court at Haven. When she reaches her breaking point, she decides she must do something even if it's as crazy as marrying the former crown prince since he's the only other human who speaks enough elvish without being too intimidated by her mere presence like the translators.

Ben's story is one that could have been a struggle because we do meet him first as a somewhat antagonist in RRF and turning him into the protagonist can be hard. But Shea does an absolutely fantastic job turning him from misguided antagonist into an adorable yet annoying sass master not quite antihero who just needs someone willing to put up with him. And also challenge him properly. Which Fyn provides in spades. And almost from the very beginning, his good qualities are sneaking out. 

Seer Ringali is present again. As is the Trio of Daftness, who are as kooky as ever. I continue to love the kings and their friendship as well as their relationships with their children. We get more of the queen's nastiness and hand in certain political issues too. All in all it makes for another fun entry into the world of Lessa and I loved getting more hints about the High Elves as well as the glimpses of how humans and elves are slowly coming together in true friendship beyond what was traditional.

The Prince's Bargain (The Elves of Lessa Book 3)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

The newest entry in the Elves of Lessa series is just so adorable! I love how we've switched the character archetypes completely with Arvel and Myth, two bookworms who are definitely not harboring any martial inclinations and are both forced into positions they hadn't originally planned. Arvel into the position of crown prince and Myth into the role of royal social translator when she only ever planned and wanted to be a trade translator. No social nuances to learn or worse political discussions to endure if she's dealing with precise facts and numbers.

Myth is definitely one of my favorite characters now. She gets so flustered around Arvel when he starts acting like the "Prince of Seduction" (flirting is terrifying lol). And he very much enjoys ruffling her feathers. Oh I laughed so hard every time we get to one of her "Ack, the Prince of Seduction is back!" moments.

Arvel and Myth also have a fantastic growth arc as they learn to be more confident in themselves as well as proving they're not to be underestimated by the court. Oh I also have to add I loved that the elven queen finally had her own moment to shine in this book thanks to Myth providing an opportunity (and truthful translation). After being such prominent members of the first two books, I was definitely missing the Trio of Daftness when they popped up in the second half of the book. But their big scene so made up for that earlier absence. I almost hurt myself laughing at the scene from beginning to end. Shea also does the best job of one-upping their previous performances!

The Elves of Lessa is a fun group of interconnected standalone books. I love every minute of each one as well as each couple. Every couple is loved for a different reason since they all bring different personalities and interactions into play for their individual romances. There are more books to come and I, for one, cannot wait to read them! In the meantime, this series is a great read no matter how many times I come back to it and it always leaves me with a smile! It's the perfect choice for a feel good pick me up read!

Have you read this series yet? What did you think? Who are your favorite characters?

Until next time,

Kimberly

A Story Snippet from Bell of the Night (Vanessa)

I recently read and reviewed and ARC of Bell of the Night by Allison Wells. Bell of the Night is a historical romance inspired by the Biblical story of Hosea. This book is an absolutely beautiful story that touched my heart and soul. Here's what it's about:

Bluebell was sold to Victoria Knight, a well-known Storyville madam, at the tender age of eleven. Now at nineteen, Bell is numbed to her life--until an optimistic preacher named Teddy Sullivan comes to New Orleans, intent on saving the sinful souls of the South.

Teddy is instantly drawn to the petite brunette with sad eyes and longs to rescue her. Bell, however, decides that saving her friends from selling themselves in the Storyville cribs is more important than saving herself. In a fit of selfless desperation, Bell convinces Teddy to marry her best friend, which Teddy agrees to do while cooking up plans of his own.

When a handsome and rich client offers to take Bell from the brothel, Bell thinks all her prayers are finally answered, until she is forced onto the street with nowhere to go.

If Bell isn't able to see that God loves her regardless of the path her life has taken, and Teddy can't help Bell get even more of her friends out of Storyville, both risk not only losing sight of God's plan ... but each other.

A compelling story of redemption, Bell of the Night is an unflinching reminder that no matter how troubled our past, we are never too far from the healing power of God's love.

For today's Story Snippet, I've invited the author, Allison Wells, to share with us her inspiration behind Bell's story!

The story of Bluebell came to me years ago after researching New Orleans and discovering the photos of EJ Bellocq (nudity warning if you look him up!). He photographed dozens of District Girls from the Storyville neighborhood. Storyville was the legal Red Light District in the Big Easy that was in operation until the end of WWI.
I was so intrigued by a particular girl in a fancy frock with long, flowing black hair. She looked so forlorn to me and I wondered what had led her to this life. I knew I had to write her story - and thus, Bluebell was born. 

This book wasn’t easy to write. How do you keep a story about a “soiled dove” clean of, well, filth? It took some creativity, but hopefully you’ll agree that this book tells a gripping tale without showing you all the dirty parts.

Here's a snippet:

“Mr. Sullivan, I would love to get out of here,” she said breathlessly, knowing she shouldn’t speak at all on the subject. But for some reason, she felt like she could open up to this man.

The man stood, dumbstruck. “Wait – you don’t want to be here? Truly?”

She choked back a chortle. “Who would choose this life? Madam Knight owns us. I hear slavery isn’t legal anymore, but she bought each of the girls here. I don’t know about the others, but I want to leave.”

“I’m baffled,” he said, scratching his head.

“Clearly.”

“That’s terribly sad,” he said. He looked as though he might cry, but perhaps it was just the moisture from the room.

“That’s my life, mister.”

“And you…you sleep with these men?”

“We don’t sleep much, Mr. Sullivan,” she said honestly.

“Oh Jesus help her,” he exclaimed. “Since you were eleven?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you had no say in the matter at all?”

“Of course not. None of us did,” she said. “Well, most of us at least. We were bought into it, or forced into it because of circumstances.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I had the wrong notion about these places,” he said. “I thought my mission was to come here and save all of you from this life. I thought you all had chosen it with gusto. Never did it enter my mind that you were forced to do…” He stopped talking and took a deep breath. “Well, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Sullivan.” She tried to reassure him. “We’re used to it. I’m used to it. This is my life. And I like most of the other girls here. We are family.”

He went into his dressing room without speaking. She waited for him outside the door, not bothering to change herself.

When Teddy came out, he pressed a coin into her hand. “Please take this,” he whispered.

“But I did nothing to earn it,” she said with a quizzical look on her face.

“You talked to me,” he said. “That is all I want. Goodnight, Miss—“ He stopped. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I never told you. Most men don’t ask.”

Bell of the Night releases today! To purchase a copy, click here. 

Weekend Reads - The Butterfly and the Violin

I am normally a voracious reader but have not been reading nearly as much this year. Like everything else, blame it on COVID19. I've been doing more binge-watching than reading. Partly because I've been exercising more and we got a treadmill, and partly because I've been busy at my day job, which has included some late nights.

I love historical fiction, the Gilded Age and Edwardian eras are some of my favorites as are WWII stories. WWII is the time period for The Butterfly and the Violin. It's also a contemporary story. The alternating story lines move the book along even faster than if this were the contemporary romance of art historian Sera James and the wealthy William Hanover or the story of Adele, a talented violinist and the daughter of an Austrian aristocrat who is a Nazi sympathizer and her secret romance with a fellow musician.

Adele's story is the centerpiece. Betrayed by her own family for helping Jews, she's sent to Auschwitz where she's forced to play music for the SS officers. Although, she's a prisoner, she's treated better than most of the the other inmates.

Sera's story is about a painting of a woman playing the violin in Auschwitz. She knows is a copy because she saw the original in Paris as a young girl. Her search for the painting leads her to William Hanover who is in the midst of settling his late grandfather's estate. The two start out as suspicious of each other but grow closer in their quest to find the original painting.

It's a good, clean Christian romance. The concentration camp scenes are gritty but not gratuitous and because of Adele's situation not nearly as graphic or horrifying as other books set in concentration camps.

What I loved about this book was that Adele's story and her connection to William and Sera wasn't predictable. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially WWII era.

Top 3 Romance Book Quotes (Julie)

One week from now I will be married and on my honeymoon!! It's such an exciting (and nerve wracking) time! Here's what goes on in my head: is it going to rain on our outdoor wedding (very possible on a tropical island)? Or will there be a typhoon? Will everything look nice? Will the flies stay out of the food? Yes, those are the issues that we will have to deal with when/if they come up. But despite all of those "if's", I am super excited for a wonderful day no matter what.

One important thing I still need to do is write my vows (here's looking at you, Google)
  
In honor of the writing of vows and all the knee-buckling, swooning, butterfly inducing words to be written, here are three romantic quotes from books:

3)Pride and Prejudice ( of course something from a Jane Austen book had to be on here=)

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

2) Although the story is sad, it's a beautiful line from Nicholas Sparks's The Notebook:

 “I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.”

1) This one surprised me considering it comes from a beloved kid's story/series, but A.A. Milne, through the wonderful voice of Winnie the Pooh, said this:

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you." 

Do you have any swoon-worthy, knee-buckling lines from books that you love?

Top 3 Fantasy Romance Novellas of 2019 (Lizzie)

I've been looking through my Books Read list and discovered that several of my favorites from this year were actually shorter works. So in keeping with last month's post on Top Fantasy Romance Novels of 2019, I'm doing a Top 3 Romance Novellas of 2019. Enjoy :)

1) Nyssa Glass: House of Mirrors by H.L. Burke

Laurie briefly reviews this delightful steampunk tale here. Electrician and ex-thief Nyssa is on the run after her kind boss is murdered. Someone wants to use Nyssa's talents to get information out the abandoned and booby-trapped house of an eccentric inventor. With mystery, adventure, a lovable MC in Nyssa, and a very lovable house computer called Hart, this is certainly a keeper and a recommended story.

2) Mirrors and Pearls by Lea Doue

A charming and somewhat different Snow White retelling with dragons and hair of feathers, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and look forward to more in this story world. And isn't the cover stunning? You can read my review of it here to learn more about it.

3) Curse and Consequence by Savannah Jezowski

A fun romp through a Regency-like world where a curse might just get you the love you want--or get you turned into a pig or a dragon. This was cute, humorous tale of curses gone wrong and two brothers vying for the attention of likable heroine, who, of all things, is a pig-keeper. You can read a guest post by Savannah here.

Do you have a favorite shorter fantasy romance? Have you read any of these?

Review of The Piper's Pursuit (Katie)

Review of Melanie Dickerson's The Piper's Pursuit

What We're Reading (Katie)

Aren't books the best? They can pick you up when you're down, welcome you home when you've been away, or take you away when you've been in one place too long. I've been reading a bunch of great books over the last six weeks, and today I'm telling you about The Piper's Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson.

A plague of rats. Children going missing. A giant beast attacking just outside the walls of Hamlin.  And one young woman determined to save her town.

Katerina’s stepfather, Hennek, is neither a good father nor a good husband, but he is the mayor of Hamlin. Could he somehow be causing the misfortunes that have befallen her beloved town? The evidence points to a beast of unusual size—a wolf, perhaps, or a large dog—killing people who venture too far from town. But does that explain the disappearance of so many children, many of whom seem to have gone missing from inside the town walls?

Steffan knows he must reconcile with his father, the Duke of Hagenheim, but he’s not sure he’s ready. In the meantime, he roams from town to town seeking adventure and reward. When he hears of a giant beast terrorizing the town of Hamlin and an equally giant reward that includes gold, money, and the mayor’s daughter in marriage, he heads to Hamlin. Steffan plans to kill the beast, rid the town of its rat infestation, and take the reward—everything except the girl in marriage. However, when he meets Katerina, he’s not so sure. Perhaps his plans need changing.

Katerina is hunting the Beast of Hamlin for herself, determined to win liberation from her conniving and controlling stepfather. When she finds one of the children who has been missing for many months, dirty and wandering around the woods, the mystery only seems to deepen. Katerina will have to team up with Steffan, the handsome but brash duke’s son who infuriates her—he’s the only one in town who isn’t controlled by the mayor. Danger dogs them from both man and beast. Can Katerina and Steffan stop the “Pied Piper” from stealing every last child from Hamlin? Or will their interference create an even worse fate? 

I've been reading and enjoying Melanie's books for several years now, and while there are some books I've liked more than others I was thrilled with The Piper's Pursuit. I thought I'd give you a few of my favorite parts.

* Katerina's raw emotion throughout the story

* The "realness" of the antagonist (aka the bad guy)

* Steffan's gentle yet strong presence

* The orphans (love kids involved in the story like this!)

* And, as always in Melanie Dickerson's stories, the great adventure and action throughout the story

If you want to learn more about The Piper's Pursuit you can check it out here on Goodreads. It will be available for the general public in December. However, I was given an advanced copy by the publisher. All thoughts are entirely my own.

Top 3 Fantasy Romance Novels of 2019 (Lizzie)

I love a good romance, and I'm very happy to say I've read a few of those this year, both novel length and novella. I'll focus on novels here and have a separate post for novellas next month.

1) Lady of Weeds by W.R. Gingell

I love the way Gingell writes this tale of a cold, isolated Guardian of the Shore who must collect magic-infused seaweed before the selkies get it and whose life changes when a mysterious boy washes ashore with no memory and a hidden treasure. It's not the deep POV I'm used to in historical romance and even many fantasy stories. It's more omniscient and classic in feel, and it is perfectly suited to the brave and lonely (though she wouldn't admit it) Carys. The hero is charming, the story fraught with danger but relatively little action, and full of mystery. With selkies and magic in seaweed and sand, the story world holds an interest as well. I've kept it in my mind's shelf with much pleasure, and I hope to get a print copy to add my bookcase (and to read it again).

2) The Lord of Dreams by C.J. Brightley

A young women must rescue the fae prince who's been the villain of her previous adventures in the realm of the fae. A delightful romance and lovable, related heroine and noble hero; it still makes me smile to think of it. This one is definitely on my read-again list. You can read Laurie's review of it here.

3) And a tie for third: Identity by Camille Peters and Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue

My initial thought was to put Identity by Camille Peters as third and The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue as Honorable Mention. Then I realized I read The Firethorn Crown at the beginning of the year and Identity a few weeks ago, which might affect my judgment. I enjoyed them both, both sweet romances with a fairytale tie-in. The Firethorn Crown is a fun retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" with a sweet romance and lots of dragons of all shapes and sizes. Identity is a sweet romance and a Goose Girl retelling with a goose girl who becomes a ladies maid to a princess who looks just like her and who is then forced to impersonate the wild princess--on her honeymoon. The prince Anwen is forced to marry is sweet and a bit childish and Anwen is soon torn between her growing affection for him and the premonition that the princess will tire of her current scheme and force Anwen out of the marriage she forced her into.

Extras: Fawkes by Nadine Brandes and Mark of the Raven and Flight of the Raven (Ravenwood Chronicles) by Morgan Busse

I couldn't not mention two others of my favorite novel-length romances, but I put them here because I wouldn't say the focus is the romance. They have more of an adventure feel to them. But I love the romance as much as the rest of the stories. :)

Fawkes, with its fantasy retelling of the Gunpowder Plot and intriguing world of color powers and a protagonist who must become a hero, this is definitely one of my favorites--of the year and ever.

Mark of the Raven and Flight of the Raven (Ravenwood Chronicles) by Morgan Busse, again with a main character torn between family and destiny and the truth, is another great book. Great story world and wonderful hero to our strong, troubled heroine as well. :)

What are your favorite fantasy romances? Have you read any of these?

Top 3 Reading Memories of All Time (Katie)

I have been reading books my entire life. I don't ever remember a time when I wasn't interested in books--and that got me to thinking. How did that happen? What made me love books and what kept that love going?

The more I thought about it, the more I pinpointed specific moments in time that cemented a love affair with books into my life. Today I'm sharing my Top 3 Reading Memories of All Time. These are the moments I most attribute to cultivating my love of books.

But while you're reading this, I hope you'll think about your own life as well. Do you have any defining bookish memories? If so, I hope you'll share them with me in the comments! Aren't book memories the best?!


1. My Grandpa
My grandpa is, as of the day I'm typing this up, 96 years old. He is a WWII veteran, and a mathmetician and physicist. When he retired, he moved to a beautiful and quaint little town in New Mexico where lots of other scientist peeps go for retirement.

But when I was little, Grandpa took me to the library. Like, all the time. He shaped my love for books by spending lots of time with me and showing me the adventures waiting between the covers of the books.

That is where it all started.

2. My Teen Years
When I was 13 years old my family moved to a new state. I don't remember going to the library or reading any books at this time, but a friend I'd made at our new home offered to let me read one of her books. I remember thinking the cover was pretty, so I said yes.

This book was a Christian romance by Lori Wick. It was the first grown-up book I had ever read, but it rekindled my love for books during a time when I'd forgotten how much I loved to read (because of the stress of a new and unfamiliar place).

I read like a bazillion books throughout my high school years, everything from Shakespeare to Dickens, and romance to supernatural.

3. Post-kids Reading
When I had my first baby I stopped reading and writing. I became wholly consumed with being a mom, which was exactly how I wanted it to be. I loved it.

But one day, a few years into the thing, a co-worker offered to let me read a book about vampires. I was totally not interested. Seriously. Vampires? I told her no, but she insisted. I ended up taking home the first Twilight book, reading it in two days, and devouring the rest of the series shortly after.

I have been reading voraciously every since! (Full disclosure, when I think about Twilight now I kind of shudder in repulsion! hee hee)

So, there you have it. These reading moments have shaped my reading experience throughout my life. I am so glad to have a history to trace through!

*What about you? Got any stand-out-ish reading moments you'd care to share? Favorite books? Lovely book memories? Please tell!*

Top 3 Types of Romantic Relationships (Laurie)

Did you even need my name in the title to know who was writing this post? :) I of course write fantasy and this blog is about fantasy, but I just can't seem to help it - I get so excited about romance! In fact, in the past few months I did a guest post called Romance in Fantasy on Emilie Hendryx's blog and a Girls Who Write video focused on romance, in case you don't believe me :) So please bear with me today as I indulge my inner romantic and talk a little bit about my favorite types of romances.

In this case I'm not talking genre, I'm talking more about how the characters know each other, interact, and fall in love. I found this great list of 25 Types of Romantic Relationships on the AbsoluteWrite forums in case you're interested in exploring the subject further.

So, using that list as a starting point, here are my top 3 types of romantic relationships:


3. Lovers in Denial

These are relationships where the characters already have an established relationship and typically get along well, often in a partnership or work type of setting, but for some reason have trouble admitting to themselves and each other that their feelings go deeper than friendship. What I love about these couples is I end up rooting so hard for them! Their relationships tend to progress as a slow burn, with lots of fun flirtation and close calls where the relationship almost takes a romantic turn, but something always gets in the way. I can definitely get frustrated and impatient with these couples as they take their sweet time revealing their feelings to each other, but in the end it makes that happy sigh all the happier when they finally get their acts together :)

My very favorite "Lovers in Denial" couple is Darby and Mark from Liberty Speidel's Darby Shaw Chronicles. So frustrating and sweet and everything in between! Brenna and Baldwin from our own J.M. Hackman's Spark and El and Ky from Sara Ella's Unblemished both have a bit of this dynamic as well, and I love it!

2. Love - Hate Relationships

I'm not sure I'd want to experience this one in real life, but they're so fun to read about! Two strong-willed characters get off on the wrong foot, and then circumstances force them to spend more time together until they start to see each other's good qualities. I love these stories because they have so much great tension and witty banter. They also tend to be potent illustrations of how wrong first impressions can be, and the characters learn so much about themselves in the process of overcoming their pride enough to admit they were wrong. Plus, when that initial dislike finally transforms into love, it can produce some pretty swoon-worthy romance!

My first full-length manuscript featured a love-hate kind of relationship, and I'm very much looking forward to revisiting those characters when I re-write it someday! Other love-hate favorites are Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Han Solo and Princess Leia from the original Star Wars movies, Audrey and Logan from Julie Hall's Life After series, and Ember and Rain from Sara Baysinger's Black Tiger series.

1. Best Friends / Friends First / Childhood Friends

I'm probably biased since this is how my real-life romance worked out, but I just love stories where the characters start out as friends first. There's a beautiful innocence, trust, and respect that these relationships are built on that I find really appealing. It's easy to believe these relationships will last, because the characters already know they enjoy spending time with each other in a non-romantic way. And it's so fun to see them develop! I love it when they reach that turning point moment for one or both characters when they start viewing the friend in a different way. Then comes that sweet, awkward transition where they attempt to make the confession or take that next step in their relationship, fearing it might ruin the great rapport they already have going. All of which makes the conclusion that much more satisfying :)

Jane Austen also wrote one of my all-time favorite friends-first couples - Emma and Mr. Knightley from Emma, but the couple in my upcoming novel, Common, also starts out with a childhood friendship (same with the couple in the short story I'm working on right now - I'm sensing a pattern...), and I love Emily and Teddy from L.M. Montgomery's Emily series and Clara and O'Neill from The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble.

 

How about you? What are your favorite types of romantic relationships in books, TV shows, or movies? Do they mirror what you would want in real life, or are they opposite?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Favorite Subgenres of Romance

Valentine's Day is coming up and, I hope you have that Valentine's spirit, because today we're look at our favorite subgenres of romance!

What subgenres are your favorite? Which types of romance did I miss?

Hope you have a happy Valentine's Day!
-Elizabeth Newsom

Winner of the Quote Game (Erin)

Hello! Thanks for playing my Quote Game!

Here are the answers!

1. The Princess Bride--Wesley

2. Pride and Prejudice--the first line

3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire--Dumbledore

4. A Wrinkle in Time--Meg

5. The Dark is Rising--Merriweather Lyon

6. The Fellowship of the Ring--poem (I don't remember who said it, either!) 

And our winner is J.M. Hackman! You can read Laurie's interview with J.M. here, where J.M. talks about Meg in A Wrinkle in Time!

I will be sending J.M. a copy of John Otte's fun book, Failstate! J.M., I hope you enjoy! 

Attributions

https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Bride-Morgensterns-Classic-Adventure/dp/0156035219