Last night my mom and I watched the 1995 rom com While You Were Sleeping and…. well, let’s just say it was not for us. (My mom, every 15 fifteen minutes: This makes no sense.) What we disliked the most about it–and there is a list–is its premise. None of the film would have been necessary–and that would have been a good thing–if Sandra Bullock’s Lucy had just said, with her famous I really just want to be loved smile, “Sorry, there’s been a big misunderstanding.” […]
There’s been a slew of novels set in the pandemic on Netgalley recently and I for one am not here for them. I am so tired of lockdown and COVID and social isolation–the last thing I want to read for fun is something that highlights these things. Give me escapism baby! […]
As Caz wrote in her post on AAR’s coverage of queer romance, AAR has been working, over the past few years, to diversify the romances we review. Today we take a look at our reviews of romances by authors of color.
Over the last decade or so, one of the fastest growing sub-genres in the romance market has been queer romance – mostly male/male romance, which is by far the largest and most popular part of that particular sector. Apart from Harlequin’s Carina Press, LGBTQ+ romance has mostly been the province of smaller independent publishers such as Riptide, Nine Star, Bold Strokes and the now-defunct Samhain, and of an ever increasing number of authors who self-publish. […]
Even before COVID-19, I worked at home. I’d get the kids ready and to school, wave my husband off to work, walk the dog and then settle down with my laptop. Many days, around ten, I’d realize the silence was bumming me out, and I’d turn on tunes. For me, music is a basic mental health need. Every day, I listen to at least an hour, from all genres and eras. I sing in the shower, the kitchen, and while exercising. For me, musicians are akin to benevolent gods.
And yet, I haven’t read that many romances I love that feature them as leads. […]
this column was originally published on June 9th, 2009
(and, man, we miss Duran)
Three of AAR’s publishers are buzzing – literally – about Bound by Your Touch, Meredith Duran’s new historical novel to be released at the end of June.
Here’s what Blythe had to say: “For me, it’s all about the hero – he was completely delicious. The book is just plain encouraging; sometimes it’s easy to think all the really good books have been written already, and there’s nothing else out there.”
Here’s what I say: I devoured this novel in a kind of giddy frenzy. The hero is one of the sexiest and most seductive I’ve ever come across and the heroine forthright, likable, sympathetic, and believably damaged. Bound by Your Touch is one of the best – the very best – historical romances I’ve ever read. […]
Dare I hope we’re shortly about to head into Spring? In my part of the world anyway, the weather is, if not precisely warm, then not so cold, and a few early daffodils and primroses are starting to poke their heads above the soil. That’s not to say winter is over – the British weather is well known for its unpredictability, so now I’ve written that, I’ve probably jinxed it and we’ll be deluged! But then, sitting here in Lockdown for another few weeks at least, I suppose it doesn’t matter; I can’t go anywhere, so I might as well pick up some new books to read! […]
This week an author we’ve reviewed frequently declined to discuss her latest work of women’s fiction with us. Her reason?
….AAR is not the place to discuss this book, simply because of it being called All About Romance. This book, we feel, is really mainstream….
I don’t think she’s alone in thinking the name is too freighted for where the industry would like to go. […]
(a column from March 1, 2001) […]
