Our annual staff poll for best romance is now in its eighth year, and it’s a tradition we’re continuing at a slightly different location: Our news and commentary blog. Sadist that I am, I always enjoy watching my colleagues squirm as they narrow their favorites down to one. Over the years, we’ve had times of…
One of my favorite guilty pleasures in books is something I call, for lack of a better name, a “moment of triumph.” It’s a scene, usually a short one, that has some importance to the plot without being the major climax of the story, and it involves a character, usually the heroine, being vindicated in…
Does the thought of a bond forged amidst the destruction of war make you think of hope or despair? Seeing a couple fall in love knowing that one will have to go off to war gives a sense of urgency and emotional depth to the relationship for some readers, but others find it anxiety-inducing instead….
A little good news for a change: According to a study released today by the National Endowment for the Arts and reported in today’s Washington Post, more Americans are actually reading. And guess what they’re reading? Fiction, according to the NEA. And surprise, surprise! The study included “genre” fiction in what the NEA terms “literary…
Though I read many different types of romance, historicals remain at the top of my list. At various times, I find myself turning over in my mind a certain question, though. Why is it that I can easily forgive certain anachronisms in a book but cannot move past others? To some extent, a writer with…
A couple days ago, an article appeared at Jezebel about a recent increase in dating abuse amongst teens, which referred to an article in the New York Times about the same subject. Both articles list recent cases in which young women were killed by their former romantic partners, and both describe attempts to counter the…
Have you had this experience? All your friends tell you that you must watch this movie, this TV show. It’s hilarious, it’s so romantic, it’s so gripping. It’s a must. Yet if too many people recommend a movie or a show – or a book – too warmly, there is a point at which I…
I’m thinking of calling it The Eric Factor. For those of you who don’t read Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series, Eric is a 6’ 4” thousand year-old Viking vampire who – and I don’t think I’m giving away much here – isn’t likely to get the girl. Yep, it’s true. No matter how much I…
AAR Staff again weighs in with which coming February books they are dying to read. Title and Author Reviewer What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Sandy, Jane, Rachel, Lea, LinnieGayl Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig Jane, LinnieGayl, Lee The Sins of Lord Easterbrook by Madeline Hunter Lea, Lee, Rike,…
They are a hot button for many romance readers. Rachel recently posted a thought-provoking entry here on foster children in romances. Over the years, I’ve seen numerous threads on AAR’s forums focusing on children in romances, with most posters solidly opposed to them. In many cases, I’ve agreed. I’m not a fan of babies in…
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