Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
Archive - Pass The Parcel
>
PtP - Snow Not-So-White (8)
date
newest »
newest »
Week 9/Option 1There's Something About Ari
104 pgs/GR
#181 in the list
This is a list of MM romance books that involve performing arts.
Week 9/Option 1
There's Something About Ari
3 stars
I enjoyed the story and the narration by Nick J. Russo. However, I found the ending a bit abrupt, I would have liked for the story to be longer and to see more of the MCs in their relationship.
Week 9/Option 2
Squared Away by Annabeth Albert
4 stars
I liked the story and I especially like Greg Boudreaux's narration. I was disappointed with basically everyone's treatment of Issac in the beginning of the story. I wanted to ask them all, and what were you doing when you were 18-22 years old, and should I hold that against you now?
I love the book covers for this series, and this one is by far my favorite.
Week 9 - Option 1Aced
372 pages/GR
Qualifies: #101 on the Best Gay Romance involving Performing Arts list
Week 8 Option 1
186 pages
5/5
Finished 6/5
I loved this it was funny and romantic all in a good combination
Week 9 Completion Post
Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton
Read: 5/9/18
Rating: ★★★★
This was a really fun read. Robby was such a dynamic character. Master manipulator (in the nicest way), fancy lady, regular guy, old lady...you name it, he did it. Trace's family made this book for me. They were everything I picture a historical western farm family would be. Pa-pa was my fav but the ladies were a close second. This wasn't just a romance, it was a humorous tale of a crazy family. The romance aspect was pretty good but not the only focus which was refreshing. Looking for a cozy, easy read? This is it.
Week 9: Completion PostTake Two
My rating: 2 stars
My review: Wes is finally getting his life where he wants it. He has tenure, a boyfriend with whom he has a lot in common, and his divorce is almost official. When his summer plans fall through, he agrees to work on a movie set. His not-quite-ex is the star.
Sam wants to get back together with Wes, and dies whatever he can to make that happen.
I didn't really like the characters, or care what they were going through in this one. Sam was really pushy, and Wes was so clueless.
Week 10Option 1
11. Read a shorter book with 100-200 pages.
Option 2
Key date: 10 November 2017
Please ensure you follow the format shown in msg 3 of your team threads. when you post your selection and completion posts.
Week 10 Selection PostOption 1: Shorter Book
Suck The Savage Beast by James Cox
Pages: 106
Qualifies: 106 pages
Week 9 - Option 1 - COMPLETION POSTAced
372 pages/GR
Qualifies: #101 on the Best Gay Romance involving Performing Arts list
3 stars
5/9/18
Overall I did enjoy the story but Ace started off on a bad foot by acting arrogantly. Then the ending...seriously?
Week 10 - Option 1 - COMPLETION POSTFire and Hail
193 pages/GR
Qualifies: 193 pages (between 100-200)
4 stars
5/12/18
I liked it. Another solid addition to a series about a small Pennsylvania town with a lot of gay police officers. If you can get over that issue, you're good. Both MCs were likable, though I felt that Vincent wasn't really well fleshed out. It was good to see characters from previous stories as well.
Week 10/Option 1
Suit Yourself
3 stars
Leslie was the brightest star in this story. Oliver, not so much and I would have liked a better choice for Leslie. This is the reason I feel a bit disappointed by this story.
Completion PostWeek 10/Option 1
Breaker of Chains by Jordan L. Hawk
5/13/18
5 stars
I loved it. Exciting, creepy, suspenseful. HOWEVER...it ended in a major CLIFFHANGER. Ugghh...I completely hate that. Well, I only hate it if the next book is not immediately available. It's not available, so I kind of wish I had just waited until the next one is ready.
I hate cliffhangers! I almost always avoid a book if I know that there is one.
Emeli and beppy, you both need to pick a book for this week and post one of your outstanding reviews before the next call.
Week 10 Completion PostOption 1: 100-200 pgs
Suck The Savage Beast by James Cox
Read: 5/15/18
Rating: ★★★
This was a cute little romp. I haven't read any of the other books in the series so I had no idea who anyone was but I'm not too sure it was all that necessary. We aren't talking about some deep dive into some serious shit here. There was action and crazy octopus creatures and of course, Beast. The sex was that caveman type of hot and the rest was just fun.
A little story about my last review: I was visiting a friend, and my tablet that has a keyboard attached to it didn't have the password for their wi-fi. I didn't want to write the review on my tablet with no keyboard, so I thought I would wait until Friday, when I knew I would be somewhere else with wi-fi that my keyboard tablet recognized. Then, Thursday I decided that I should just write the review anyway, even if I was a little inconvenienced. But my friend and I were visiting until late, and I thought I could write it the next morning before I left. The morning was a gong show, with kids to get ready for school, a dog to take to the vet, some internet banking to do on my part, a husband who needed to go to the gym, and me, who needed to be dropped off at a car rental place. Needless to say, I completely forgot about writing my review.Cut to me, at 1:00pm, PST going "Crap. I haven't written my review, and I'm not going to make it to my destination before the cut off." So, there I am, on the side of a busy highway, opening up GR on my phone and writing the shortest possible review that I felt that I could get away with that would still let everyone know that I had actually read the book the Friday before. Hence the typo of "dies" when it was supposed to be "does". The things that I get myself into because I procrastinate and want things to be easier.
Week 1: Completion PostLove, in English
My rating: 4.5 stars
My review:
Synopsis: Vera is on her summer break from university and has taken a job for a month teaching conversational English to professional men and women in Spain. Vera is looking forward to getting away from her mother and her sister. Vera doesn't believe in relationships, since her mother and father divorced when she was a teenager, but she believes in having a good time. When Vera misses the bus, and has to be driven to catch it, there is only one seat left available for her to take, and that is beside Mateo.
Mateo is older, and a lot smoother man than Vera is used to being attracted to, but she sees the wedding ring, hears him talk about his daughter, and knows that he is off limits. That doesn't stop Vera and Mateo from bonding, or their friendship from deepening. By the time the program is up, Vera and Mateo have changed each other's lives significantly, maybe even significantly enough for them to both make changes.
What I liked: the build in relationship. Mateo and Vera got to know each other by talking, and listening, to one another. They also made outside friendships, and for someone like Vera, who basically only had her brother, that was a major thing. All the secondary characters were well drawn and interesting. Seeing Vera grow from the closed off person that she was to someone who was open to new experiences was a joy. Mateo was lovely, too. He was strong and caring and saw Vera for who she was, and who she could be to him.
What I didn't like: (view spoiler) And even though Vera called herself the "villain in her own story", I felt as though that was more of a bid for sympathy, rather than any real feelings in that regard.
Overall impression: well written, with a story and characters that overcame my personal "I really don't like reading about that" issue. I still deducted 1/2 a star for it, though.
Well, I did it! I finally finished my book from week 1. It was actually pretty good once I got in to it; I read it in a few hours. I just had to get over my hang up of them (view spoiler). I really didn't want to read about it, but I'm actually glad that I did.
Week 10: Completion PostNatural Enemies
My rating: 3 stars
My review:
Synopsis: Stefan, who might better have been named "Stiff", because that's what he is, is a botanist. He has never fit in anywhere, so he focuses on his job, and making sure that he is the best at it. As a result, he has his routines, but no friends. When one of his colleagues sends him an article about a rising star botanist, Stefan is incensed. He feels as though the man is just posing as a botanist because he works for a botanic garden.
Milo loves plants and loves sharing that love, and imparting knowledge, with the people who tour the botanical gardens. When a man takes his tour one day, and mutters the correct names for all the plants instead of the common ones, Milo gets peeved at this know-it-all who wants to show him up.
Stefan returns again, with an apology gift, and the relationship takes off from there.
What I liked: how once Stefan got to know Milo a little, he bloomed. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself.) Once he had someone who would listen to him and take him seriously, Stefan came in to his own. And Milo, who loved plants and people who loved plants, had never had a serious boyfriend, so he had to learn how to be in a relationship. It was nice to see them both open themselves up to new possibilities together.
What I didn't like: it felt as though there was a lot of story missing. There was so much more that could have been explored between Milo and Stefan without crunching it all in to such a short time frame, and such a short story. They were interesting and unusual characters, and watching their dynamics would have made for a good read.
Week 9 Option 1
285 pages
Place 118 on this list
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
Read 13/5
4/5
Being a Big fan of glee and singing in a choir myself i really enjoyed this book plus i like opposites attract
Hey guys, this is going to be the last theme call. We're missing only one review, which should also be completed in order to win, IF we read fast after the theme is called. Emeli and I would probably be sleeping during the call, though, and previous experience shows that the picking and reading of a short book should be done really fast. Therefore, I'm not sure how great are our chances.
UnusualChild{beppy} wrote: "Week 1: Completion PostLove, in English
My rating: 4.5 stars
My review:
Synopsis: Vera is on her summer break from university and has taken a job for a month teaching conversation..."
OMG - I didn't think we'd ever see this! LOL!
Selection Post Week 11Option 1
The Bone Orchard by Abigail Roux
110pgs/GR
#301 on Best Gay Cowboys list
Week 11: LAST CALL!!Link to Jane's Post
Option 1
9. Read a book with an MC who earns their living from the land using one of the following lists:
Grizzly Adams: Romance Heroes Who Are Mountain Men
Farmers in Romance
MM bookshelf 'Profession - Farming'
Best Gay Cowboys
Love on the Range: Romance Novels Set on Ranches
If you use Option 1 your book MUST be chosen from one of the above lists.
Option 2
Key date: 17 November 2017
This week if you choose option 2, you will choose your book from the bookshelves of the team I have randomly allocated below (NOT your own team). Please select your book from the team's shelves below your team:
Team 11
Team 9
Team 2
Team 3
Team 7
Team 1
Team 6
Team 4
Team 8
Team 5
Team 10
So team 11 will select their book from team 9, team 9 from team 2 etc. Team 10 will select from team 11.
Please ensure you follow the format shown in msg 3 of your team threads. when you post your selection and completion posts.
Week 11 Selection PostOption 1: Living off the land
Timing by Mary Calmes
Pages: 232
Qualifies: #4 on Best Gay Cowboys List
Jane (PS) wrote: "UnusualChild{beppy} wrote: "Week 1: Completion PostLove, in English
My rating: 4.5 stars
My review:
Synopsis: Vera is on her summer break from university and has taken a job for a..."
Lol. Me either, but I powered through.
Week 11: Living From the LandSelection Post
Painting the Cowboy
Pages: 106
How it qualifies: 293 on Best Gay Cowboys
Completion Post: Week 11Painting the Cowboy
My rating: 1 star
My review:
Synopsis: Karl has been raising his 5 year old son alone since his wife died in a farm accident. Then his best friend Vincent comes to visit. Karl, who is barely making ends meet, doesn’t want to give up on the dream of the farm because it was something he and his wife dreamed together. Just having another adult there makes things easier, with another person to ride herd on his son and help with the everyday chores.
Vincent has had feelings for Karl for a long time, but never acted on them. When Karl makes the first move, Vincent eventually gives in.
What I liked: the premise
What I didn’t like: the writing was very repetitive. Lots of wondering if the dead wife would be mad at Karl moving on. Lots of languishing and pining from Vincent. I didn’t really connect with either main character. There were lots of editing issues, too.
Week 11: Living From the LandCowboys Don't Ride Unicorns
226 pgs/GR
#163 in the list https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Team 4 just posted they were finished. Damn, that was fast!
That's it, guys! Team 4 was named the winning team!
I hope you all had fun and enjoyed your reading!
Hopefully, see you all next round ;)
Darn. Just finished my book and was gonna post. See ya'll next round!
Thanks for taking on the captaining duties Elizabeth.And, also thanks to Jane for hosting the challenge.
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Cowboys Don't Ride Unicorns (other topics)Cowboys Don't Ride Unicorns (other topics)
Timing (other topics)
The Bone Orchard (other topics)
Painting the Cowboy (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Abigail Roux (other topics)Jordan L. Hawk (other topics)
Jordan L. Hawk (other topics)
Annabeth Albert (other topics)
Annabeth Albert (other topics)
More...
Option 1: Actor
Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton
Pages: 207
Qualifies: On Profession-Actor Shelf