Every Friday, we ask you what YOU think about an issue in romance. The questions are good (we think)–the comments much better! So join us, every Friday at the ask@AAR!
the ask@AAR: Long series–love ’em or loathe ’em?
Nora Robarts, aka J. D. Robb, is publishing the 56th book in her In Death series in January. We appear to have reviewed 42 of the Eve Dallas books (!!!), lastly in 2015 when Maggie [...]
the ask@AAR: What do we think about Eloisa James?
Next month, Eloisa James will publish The Reluctant Countess, the second in her Would Be Wallflowers historical romance series. James has published over 40 books and we've reviewed her 38 times. She's gotten five DIKs, [...]
the ask@AAR: How do you use the site?
I spend a lot of time looking at AAR's stats. According to Google Analytics, 60% of AAR readers access the site via their phones and/or other devices. When users visit the site, the vast majority [...]
the ask@AAR: What book broke your heart?
The final season of His Dark Materials comes out this December and the trailer has dropped. The thing is, I'm not sure I can take it. The conclusion of series, told in the final pages [...]
the ask@AAR: What’s your current frontrunner for best romance of 2022?
The AAR staff will soon begin pulling together their top romances of 2022 lists. I've been thinking about mine--I love these lists! My current top pick is easy--I've only given five stars to one romance [...]
the ask@AAR: What’s the best party you’ve ever been to?
As Covid, more or less, recedes in its every day impact, people are socializing. All over the place. This makes me happy--as an utter extrovert I love get togethers. I've so missed gatherings and parties. [...]
the ask@AAR: What’s the most entertaining work of fiction you’ve read in the last six months?
What's the book you've read in the last six months that you simply couldn't put down? For me, it's Ninth House. Smart, engrossing and entertaining as hell. What about for you?
the ask@AAR: What romances do you feel are brilliantly plotted?
I was struck by a recent article prizing, in mysteries, psychologically complex characters over novels that were essentially puzzles... with tricky plots. In suspense reading, I am the reader who enjoys the latter over the [...]
the ask@AAR: What makes an erotic love story work?
Every few years, I reread Anne Calhoun's Uncommon Passion. I read it for the hero's powerful redemptive arc, for the way Calhoun shows us her characters' interior lives--she is a master of the show don't [...]
the ask@AAR: What do we think about Anne Stuart?
We've reviewed Anne Stuart 36 times. She began writing in 1977--I believe her first published book was Barrett's Hill. We didn't review her until 1996 when we gave Prince of Swords a C-. Laurie Gold wrote: [...]
the ask@AAR: What are your pet peeves in romance?
Weird confession: I struggle with stories where all the children have extremely distinctive names. I attribute this to growing up in a town with an infamous family who had six children and the elder five [...]
the ask@AAR: Does anyone still read short stories?
I'm on my annual large family vacation--there are three generations here, ages 17 to 85. In a conversation about choices with a few of my nephews, I referenced The Gift of the Magi. They looked [...]
This is good. Now all the arguments are in a single place.
Ha ha ha!