Romance Across the Ages - 2021 Challenge

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

No you don’t have to read according to the time table. It’s just meant as a pacing guide and discussion prompts, essentially.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

I added my read, which I started for January to my diversity monthly read. As I thought it was a better read for diversity . I still need to find a book for this month .

[Leena]

then I would suggest read Mandu.its amazing, I can't stop gushing about it.
there's also Palace of Illusions that I'm currently reading. its a Mahabharata retell,.so seriously ancient.

[Leena]

roxanne bittner too has many books with Native Americans.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

I will check them out , thanks

[Jan]

Shaz wrote: "I added my read, which I started for January to my diversity monthly read. As I thought it was a better read for diversity . I still need to find a book for this month ."

I really liked my Around the World read. Night in Eden by Candice Proctor. Set in early Australia. A really good read you might like to try.

[Leena]

its not available though. even Kindle store doesn't have it.

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Leena wrote: "its not available though. even Kindle store doesn't have it."

Which book? Access may vary by country.

[Ashleigh]

Gonna give this a good go this year!!

Goal - read at least 12 books
Books read: 3/24

January
Around the World (other than Britain or American) - Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
Native American -

February
Pirate - Lady Pirate by Lynsay Sands
Western - Forbidden by Beverley Jenkins

March
World Wars I to WWII
Restoration / Stuarts

April
Viking
Civil War / Pre-Civil War - An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

May
Time Travel
Edwardian - Beast by Judith Ivory

June
Scottish / Highlander - The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne
LGBTQ - An Unnatural Vice by K. J. Charles

July
Diversity (featuring at least one lead character with diverse racial/ethnic background) - The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - read 25/03/21
Any Historical Romance on your TBR

August
Bodice Ripper
Regency - A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare - read 02/07/2021

September
American Revolution
Renaissance / Tudor - Kiss of the Rose by Kate Pearce

October
Americana/Gilded Age
Ancient World / Prehistorical

November
Victorian - A Bride for the Prize fighter by Alice Coldbreath
Medieval

December
Georgian - Simply Sexual by Kate Pearce
Your Choice - The Virgin and the Rogue - read 08/10/21

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Western and Pirate themes this month. What is everyone reading?

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

I finished my Around The World Book — Innocent in the Sheikh's Harem. It was ok. 3 stars.

[Mariana]

I'm planning for two strong heroines this month, but I haven't started reading either yet: Lady Pirate by Lynsay Sands and The Mail-Order Bride Carries a Gun by Wanda Ann Thomas.

[Jan]

I'm going to read Only With Your Love for pirate theme. It's an older Lisa Kleypas. I haven't really liked the older books of hers that I've read, (even though I love her later books) but I have a copy of this I picked up in a thrift shop so I'm going to try it.


Mariana your Western read has a funny title. LOL.

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Jan wrote: "I'm going to read Only With Your Love for pirate theme. It's an older Lisa Kleypas. I haven't really liked the older books of hers that I've read, (even though I love her later books)..."

I have heard that this one is a true bodice ripper, FYI. I haven’t liked her older books as much either.

[Mariana]

Jan wrote: "I'm going to read Only With Your Love for pirate theme. It's an older Lisa Kleypas. I haven't really liked the older books of hers that I've read, (even though I love her later books)..."

Ha! Yes, it does.

Let me know how you like your choice. I have it marked to read at some point, but I rarely enjoy bodice rippers.

[Jan]

Joanna Loves Reading wrote: "I have heard that this one is a true bodice ripper, FYI. I haven’t liked her older books as much either."

Hmm. I'm not usually a bodice ripper fan either. Oh dear. Oh well, it only cost me a few pennies so we'll see how it goes.

[Jan]

Darbella wrote: "Finished Deception. 5 stars. [spoilers removed]"

Five stars! Nice.

[Merry]

I bookmarked that one to read.

[Padma]

So Speaks the Heart
Around the world

Comanche Moon

Native American

Finished both the books. Great Read..loved Comanche Moon..very touching

[Jan]

Padma wrote: "So Speaks the Heart
Around the world

Comanche Moon

Native American

Finished both the books. Great Read..loved Comanche Moon..very touching"

Glad you enjoyed your reads Padma.

I'm half way through my pirate read for Feb. Slow going, but it's turning out better than I thought it might.

[Padma]

Jan wrote: "Padma wrote: "So Speaks the Heart
Around the world

Comanche Moon

Native American

Finished both the books. Great Read..loved Comanche Moon..very touching"

Glad you en..."

Thanks Jan. I am planning this as well for my pirate theme:)

[Padma]

Finished reading Only With Your Love -Pirate Theme & Annie's Song -Western.
Both were great.

Annie's Song was extremely touching

[Cath]

Generally I'm not a fan of Westerns but so many people seem to love Annie's Song that my curiosity is growing - definitely going to have to get around to reading it sometime in the near future.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

I read Deception by Amanda Quick for this month’s pirate read. This was a good read for me .

[Jan]

Padma wrote: "Finished reading Only With Your Love -Pirate Theme & Annie's Song -Western.
Both were great.

Annie's Song was extremely touching"

Glad you enjoyed, Padma. I also finished Only With Your Love but could only give it 2.5 stars. It was a bit too old-school bodice-rippery for me, sadly, although it did have some interesting plot twists.

[Jan]

Shaz wrote: "I read Deception by Amanda Quick for this month’s pirate read. This was a good read for me ."

Glad you enjoyed, Shaz. Unfortunately, not all of Amanda Quick's books are available on kindle Australia. I would like to try this one but it's not available, or at my library. Maybe I'll try one of her others. I'm sure I read some years ago and liked them.

[Padma]

Any suggestions for WWI WWII theme and Restoration theme?

[Merry]

I am reading Scandalous Desires for my "river pirate". I have been reading these in order. I enjoyed the first, struggled with the 2nd and now am having a bit of trouble getting into this one.
I plan on reading The Bronze Horseman for my war theme. If anyone has any thoughts on it LMK

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Padma wrote: "Any suggestions for WWI WWII theme and Restoration theme?"

There are lists in post three of this thread to give you some ideas. I am not sure what I am going to read at this point.

[Jan]

I'm going to read The Countess and the King: A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James II by Susan Holloway Scott for Restoration/ Stuarts. It's fiction based on the lives of real people. I haven't read anything by this author before so I hope it's good! It's not on kindle Australia, but luckily my library had it. I just picked it up today, so might start soon :)


I'm only doing one book per month for this challenge so not doing a WWI or II book this time. Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer is set in 1941 and is one of those ever popular books so might be worth a look if you haven't read it yet, Padma. But I have found the lists Joanna refers to quite helpful in searching out books. Thanks, Mods!

[Padma]

Thanks Merry, Joanna, Jan. Will check out the lists

[Mariana]

Cath wrote: "Generally I'm not a fan of Westerns but so many people seem to love Annie's Song that my curiosity is growing - definitely going to have to get around to reading it sometime in the near future."

I also enjoyed Annie's Song and would recommend you give it a try for RATA western. Although I generally enjoy western, this is one of the best IMO.

[Mariana]

Padma wrote: "Any suggestions for WWI WWII theme and Restoration theme?"

These are difficult periods for me too - no 5 star books. I do have one 4 star for each: The Scottish Rogue for Restoration and Song of Songs for WWI.

[Padma]

I think I will read Beast. Its set in the early part of 20th century. Found it in the link shared for suggested reads

[Jan]

I read and enjoyed Beast last year. It's not your cliche HR. It's set in 1902, though, so may not really fit your categories you're looking for. Still, just a few years before WW1. Close enough perhaps.

[Christine]

Oh my goodness. For pirates, I read Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins and it was SO GOOD. Any recs on what I should read next by her?

[Padma]

Jan wrote: "I read and enjoyed Beast last year. It's not your cliche HR. It's set in 1902, though, so may not really fit your categories you're looking for. Still, just a few years before WW1. Close enough per..."

Thanks for the clarification Jan

[Mariana]

Christine L. wrote: "Oh my goodness. For pirates, I read Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins and it was SO GOOD. Any recs on what I should read next by her?"

I have only read A Chance at Love by her, but I want to read Forbidden if you're interested in a Buddy read.

[Mariana]

I cannot believe it is March already! I plan to read Her Humble Servant by Cora Hayes (just a novella) for WW and The Boundary Stone by Gail Avery Halverson for Restoration / Stuarts, but I probably won't start either until after both BOTMs.

[Padma]

I am reading for WW theme. Its set in 1942. Its enjoyable so far

[Christine]

Mariana wrote: "Christine L. wrote: "Oh my goodness. For pirates, I read Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins and it was SO GOOD. Any recs on what I should read next by her?"

I have only read [book:A Chance at Lo..."
Forbidden's on my TBR! I'll message you.

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Christine L. wrote: "Mariana wrote: "Christine L. wrote: "Oh my goodness. For pirates, I read Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins and it was SO GOOD. Any recs on what I should read next by her?"

I have only read [boo..."

[book:Indigo|347339] is also really good.

[Merry]

I switched WWII to The Tattooist of Auschwitz I was allowed in person in the library today. You can't touch any of the books or they are removed and sanitized. So I took out my phone app for goodreads and scanned some books and this was one of them. A love story set in Auschwitz. I just wanted to actually go to the library and do something normal. So I checked out 2 books.

[Padma]

The Princess Was a great read. Loved it.

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "I switched WWII to The Tattooist of Auschwitz I was allowed in person in the library today. You can't touch any of the books or they are removed and sanitized. So I took out my phon..."

I hear ya Merry. I miss hanging out in the library :) — glad you got a moment

[Jan]

Padma wrote: "The Princess Was a great read. Loved it."

Glad you enjoyed. I might have a look at it myself.

[Merry]

The Tattooist of Auschwitz This is a hard book to review as its a love story written about a couple that survived Auschwitz. The story held my attention and I finished it quickly. I would say my main issue with the book is that I did not feel the connection to the main characters. I rated it 3 star

[Mariana]

Padma wrote: "The Princess Was a great read. Loved it."

Added to my list for next year.

[Padma]

Jan wrote: "Padma wrote: "The Princess Was a great read. Loved it."

Glad you enjoyed. I might have a look at it myself."

Thanks Jan

[Padma]

Finished The King's Courtesan for Restoration/Stuarts theme
Set in 1762.
Was a good one