Blog Archive

the ask@AAR: What’s your favorite medieval romance?

I just reread Madeline Hunter’s marvelous By Possession. (It, like all her Medievals, is no longer available as an ebook, something I hope changes.) I loved the immersion in a time so very different than our…

Coming Soon – The Books We’re Most Looking Forward to Reading in November 2023

Heading into the back-end of the year and it’s time for a look ahead to the new books we’re most looking forward to reading in November. As always, we’re highlighting the titles we think are the…

the ask@AAR: What are some great romances that are overtly political?

Let’s be clear: Wars cause harm. Novels do not. Literature may raise uncomfortable questions or explore unpopular viewpoints or establish reasons to empathize with a character a reader might otherwise find repugnant. A novel’s story, characters,…

TBR Challenge October 2023 – Danger Zone

It’s October! This month always puts us in mind of spookiness and suspense, and thankfully, it looks like Wendy over at the TBR Challenge was thinking along the same lines. Caz found a very satisfying sci-fi…

the ask@AAR: What do we think about Loretta Chase?

OK, my answer to today’s ask is: “Why can’t there be more Ms. Chases?” I am a serious fan as are many AAR reviewers and readers. We’ve reviewed her 25 times and given her 17 DIKS.…

There’s good news and bad news about romance authors’ incomes

In September, the Authors Guild, in collaboration with 36 other organizations, conducted an extensive survey on author income in the United States. This study involved 5,699 published authors and emcompassed both traditionally published and self-published authors.…

the ask@AAR: Wanna make some recommendations for the AAR Top 100 poll?

The AAR Top 100 Poll has always been a readers’ poll. It’s not a list of what AAR staffers, critics, libraries, or the media thinks are the Top 100 romance novels ever written–it’s what OUR readers…

I can’t believe there are penises trending on Max…..

Last week, the Washington Post had an in depth article about the British show Naked Attraction. I was startled to read that the show: The U.S. trailer asks viewers: “What do men and women really find…

the ask@AAR: What five books would you include in the AAR top 100 poll?

I’ve been thinking, with some reluctance, given the challenges we faced in doing our last AAR Top 100 poll, about how we might do a new one. I’ve thought about starting with the last poll and…