Lynn Spencer Archives : All About Romance

TBR Challenge, October 2022 – Flirting With Danger

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2022-10-19T09:14:04-04:00October 19th, 2022|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading, TBR Challenge|Tags: Carol Ericson, Loreth Anne White, Reading Challenges, TBR Challenge, TBR Challenge 2022|

“Flirting With Danger” sounded like a sure-fire win from the TBR prompt standpoint. We both enjoy romantic suspense, and there are some very talented authors working in the genre. Caz and I both chose category romance titles this month. While our picks were published almost twenty years apart, they had one thing in common – the suspense was great but the romance needed work. Hopefully, we’ll have better luck next time. In the meantime, who are some of your favorite romantic suspense authors?

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TBR Challenge August 2022 – Blue Collar

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2022-08-16T14:22:31-04:00August 17th, 2022|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading, TBR Challenge|Tags: Avery Flynn, Garrett Leigh, Reading Challenges, TBR Challenge, TBR Challenge 2022|

If you are one of the romance readers who are pretty much over reading about billionaires, this month’s TBR prompt is right up your alley. Since the prompt was “blue collar”, I started by digging into my stash of category romances. I tend to like stories about everyday, non-billionaire people, so I figured this would be an easy prompt for me as I tend to pick up a fair number of books that could qualify. Oh, I was so wrong. After a few false starts (including a book where apparently the conflict sprang from one lead’s parent having murdered the other), I switched gears and took a look at my Kindle TBR. Almost immediately, I found a romantic comedy that was a winner. If you’re not in the mood for comedy, Caz found a very moving and emotional m/m romance featuring a couple affected by a traumatic, life-changing injury. And the blue collar prompt? Well, both of these […]

TBR Challenge July 2022 – Vintage

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2022-07-20T06:36:13-04:00July 20th, 2022|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading, TBR Challenge|Tags: Reading Challenges, TBR Challenge, TBR Challenge 2022|

Back in law school, I used to buy boxes of old category romances at library sales, and I still have many of these hanging around. When I want to try out some 80s/90s romances, these can be great fun. And while we love many of the historicals coming out today, there are some treasures to be found among the old school books as well. This time around, I dug into my category romance stash while Caz tried a vintage trad. Regency. Our results were mixed, but it was a fun prompt to explore.

Handful of Sky by Tory Cates

I always look forward to the vintage or ‘old school’ romance prompt. I usually pick up a Betty Neels or a nineties historical, but this time around, I decided to switch it up. I’m not sure how I originally came […]

TBR Challenge May 2022 – Tales of Old

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2022-05-18T08:01:17-04:00May 18th, 2022|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading, TBR Challenge|Tags: historical romance, Reading Challenges, Sebastian Nothwell, TBR Challenge, TBR Challenge 2022, Terri Brisbin|

For someone who started out their romance reading career with historicals, a prompt like “Tales of Old” is the perfect catnip. Lynn and Caz took this prompt in rather different directions, with Lynn heading way back into the past with a tale of ninth century Vikings carving out a living in what is now Scotland, while Caz headed for Victorian England. So, where do you like to travel for your Tales of Old?

Tempted by Her Viking Enemy by Terri Brisbin

The prompt Tales of Old made me think of medieval right off the bat. I hit my TBR piles eagerly – and ended up DNF-ing a few medievals, so after that experience, I just wanted an author whose books normally work for me. Terri Brisbin’s books usually hit the spot, and while not my favorite […]

TBR Challenge March 2022 – Grumpy

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2022-03-15T16:43:35-04:00March 16th, 2022|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading, TBR Challenge|Tags: grumpy heroes, grumpy/sunshine romances, Reading Challenges, TBR Challenge, TBR Challenge 2022|

This month’s TBR challenge prompt of “grumpy” yielded almost an embarrassment of riches. After all, grouchy heroes aren’t exactly a rare find in Romlandia. And grumpy/sunshine romances are having a bit of a moment now, too. Lynn read a recent release that she had been longing to try. That one turns the trope on its head a bit, with the heroine playing the part of the grouch. Caz found a workplace romance starring a grumpy boss, and both books were winners. […]

TBR Challenge February 2022 – Fairy Tale

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2022-02-16T06:58:10-05:00February 16th, 2022|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading, TBR Challenge|Tags: American historical, audiobook, fairytale romance, Linda Winstead Jones, Meghan Maslow, Reading Challenges, TBR Challenge 2022|

Fairy tale romance – now there’s a TBR prompt that can go in all kinds of different directions. When we talk about romance, we often talk about “fairytale romances.” Lynn and Caz took this one to very different places this month. Caz picked a m/m paranormal with a spin on the Rumpelstiltskin story, while Lynn went with a lush historical that picked up motifs from Little Red Riding Hood. […]

TBR Challenge January 2022 – Quickie

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2022-01-18T13:52:14-05:00January 19th, 2022|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading, TBR Challenge|Tags: contemporary romance, novella, TBR Challenge, TBR Challenge 2022|

We’re midway through January 2022, and I still feel like I’m playing catch-up from 2021. Who’s with me? The “Quickie” TBR theme was exactly what I needed because my brain just doesn’t have bandwidth for more. I used this month to try a novella from a 2019 trilogy I’ve been meaning to read while Caz went for some suspense in the novella she selected. Both ended up being solid reads. […]

December 2021 TBR Challenge – Festive

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2021-12-14T13:36:08-05:00December 15th, 2021|Categories: Caz AAR, Christmas, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading|Tags: Indra Vaughn, Stacey Agdern, TBR Challenge, TBR Challenge 2021|

I love that this year’s TBR Challenge for December is not entirely Christmas. We just have to be “festive” and there are so many ways to do that. This year, Caz went for a magical Christmas story, while Lynn sank into a sweet Hanukkah romance she’s been wanted to read for a while. Both were winners, and we hope you find some good reads, too. Happy holidays! […]

November 2021 TBR Challenge – Competition

By Caz Owens and Lynn Spencer|2021-11-17T05:53:39-05:00November 17th, 2021|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading|Tags: Reading Challenges, TBR Challenge 2021|

Healing Her Emergency Doc by Caroline Anderson

This theme was a little bit of a headscratcher for me. Off the top of my head, I couldn’t come up with anything in my TBR that might involve competition of any kind. I went combing through my category books, and spotted a medical romance centering on two doctors competing for the same job. Not sure how I ended up with Healing Her Emergency Doc as I’m not familiar with the author, but I decided to give this one a read and see how it went. It went well, as a matter of fact. […]

June TBR Challenge – Book With a One-Word Title

By Caz Owens|2021-06-15T13:42:26-04:00June 16th, 2021|Categories: Caz AAR, Lynn Spencer, Romance reading, TBR Challenge|Tags: Elysa Springer, Reading Challenges, Sandra Schwab, TBR Challenge 2021|

This month’s TBR Challenge prompt – One Word Title – made me really take a look at my TBR pile. I have a ton of books in the TBR, but as it happens, very few with one word titles. Caz went for a modern-day setting, while I picked up a paranormal historical, and both of us were mostly happy. […]