Blog Archive

Romances featuring diabetic characters – a post for World Diabetes Awareness Day, 14th November 2021

November 14 is World Diabetes Awareness Day, a holiday which means a lot to me because there are a number of diabetics in my family. Managing diabetes is a difficult, lifelong task exacerbated in many parts…

We’re starting to work on our Best of 2021 lists–and we want yours!

AAR staffers are beginning to compile our Best of 2021 lists. We’d like a list of our readers’ Best of 2021 too! So–and I know many of you will find this hard to do but PLEASE!–give…

the ask@AAR: Why is the sexiest question in sex so rarely asked in romance?

We’ve discussed here how we feel about consent in romance–in general, good–although there are those, me among them, who feel constant questions in a love scene are hard to do well. For the sake of this…

One Author’s Silver Lining: A Guest Post and a giveaway by Mary Oldham

I started writing in 1998 after a divorce. My friend Betsy (everyone needs a friend named Betsy) told me to journal my feelings. I tried, but I ended up writing a story about murdering my ex-husband…

Best re-read? Worst?

I love to re-read–I’d hazard that at least a quarter of my romance reading is re-reading books I’ve previously read and loved. I’m lucky–it’s rare I’ve re-read a book and been far less happy with it…

the ask@AAR: Do we care what heroines (or heroes) look like?

In the last three recently published romances I’ve read, I’ve very little idea of what the heroine looks like. The heroes are still chiseled with piercing blue/green/grey eyes, abs like an egg carton, long silky black/blonde/chestnut…

Best of 2021… So Far

October may be a bit too early for AAR’s  “Best romance novels of 2021” columns, but knowing that those are around the corner, I always like to stop and take stock of my “Best romance novels…

Coming Soon – The Romances We’re Most Looking Forward to Reading in November 2021

November is a bit of an odd month for new releases – although as you look through this list, the reason for that will become apparent. The decks have been cleared for the release of the…

the ask@ARR: It makes me crazy when fertility is used to punish women–is it just me?

–there are spoilers ahead for the Grant County series– I’ve recently just slogged–and, sadly, it was a slog–my way through Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series. I love the Will Trent series although I skimmed much of…