Romance Across The Ages - 2022 Challenge

[Lauren]

Thanks Cath and Lauren!

[Merry]

Shaz, will be fun to read your review. I am also reading the Sheik. It was written in 1911ish

I am determined to read through or dump books in my Kindle to get them to a manageable level.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Merry J. I wish you good luck in sorting out your kindle reads 👍
My husband is always asking me why I am buying more books, when I already have cupboard’s full of books . I laugh and just tell him I am collecting series to read. Thats without all the ebook I have on my phone 😂.
I am trying to read quite a few of my mills and boon book at the moment. Problem is if I pass a second hand shop, I end up buying more.🙄😂
Covid has kept me in bed for last 4 days. It’s left my with a bad chest though and feel weak still
Hope everyone find’s a good book for this month’s read.

[Jo]

Shaz, So sorry to hear to hear you are not feeling well. Take care of yourself and wishing you a very speedy recovery. Thoughts and prayers.

[Jan]

Shaz wrote: "... Problem is if I pass a second hand shop, I end up buying more.🙄😂
Covid has kept me in bed for last 4 days. It’s left my with a bad chest though and feel weak still"

Shaz I know what you mean about not being able to walk past a secondhand book shop LOL. I've also been trying to read some of the many, many samples I've copied onto my kindle, to see whether I really want to read or delete them.
Sorry to hear you are battling covid. Hope you recover quickly. Happy reading.

[Cath]

Shaz, sorry to hear about your bout with covid :( and hope you're feeling better soon

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Thank you ladies . Feeling better each day. Just need to get over theses coughing bout’s. Kept me up all night, very annoying 😮‍💨😷🙄.
It seems to be going around again here.
Don’t know how it is where you all live, but stay safe and take care ladies.

[Cath]

Well, I'm pretty far behind in some parts of this challenge but better late than never!

Finished Monica Burns' Kismet for Around the World. Set in Morocco. Just wasn't my cup of tea. I was bored, and never felt a connection with the heroine, nor found her very interesting as a character.

Meanwhile I'm totally surprised by how much I enjoyed Redeeming Love, which I just finished for Western. I am not the least bit religious so wasn't sure how this would work for me. But I think there was a lot going on with the story, plot turns, and character development. Happy to find that I was able to read it with an understanding of where the characters were coming from etc, without needing to be able to share their beliefs in order to enjoy the story and like the characters.

[Merry]

Cath you are not the only one behind. I just finished which was a June read. 4.5*

[Cath]

^Sounds like I am in good company then :)

[Lauren]

Does rhe book have to take place in Tudor England or just the Tutor era?

[Christine]

Lauren wrote: "Does rhe book have to take place in Tudor England or just the Tutor era?"

I say other countries are fair game, especially France and Scotland as they were so intertwined with politics back then as long as one of the Tudor monarchs are alive during the book.

I'm *very* curious to hear how the Sheik is. I've had it on my TBR for a while now.

[Lauren]

Shaz wrote: "Merry J. I wish you good luck in sorting out your kindle reads 👍
My husband is always asking me why I am buying more books, when I already have cupboard’s full of books . I laugh and just tell him ..."

Wishing you a very speedy recovery, Shaz!
Enjoy your books!

[Lauren]

I'm reading Wolf Bride for the Tudor era and am quite impressed with the historical accuracy. The author has done her homework. It's not nearly as erotic as the "Fifty Shades of Tudor sex" promo suggests.

[Merry]

I just finished the Shiek
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Just about to start, reading the Sheikh

[Lauren]

Finished Tudor:
The Devil to Pay by Kate Bateman
It takes place in Italy 1492. King Henry vii was in power in 1485.

[Lauren]

Finished diversity character :
Reread... The Legend by Katheryn Le Veque
The H's best friend is black. Ali gets his own love story as he a falls in love with the h's sister. I loved his character and the he deserved his HEA. It's not everday you see a blackman in the medieval agex.

[Christine]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "I just finished the Shiek
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Sounds like a crazy ride. I'll have to read it at some point and make my own opinion I think since it seems like a controversial one.

@Lauren: I've been meaning to read Le Veque!

I've been very moody with my reading lately (I'm blaming the weather), but the heat wave has finally left my area so I'm hoping to get back into HR.

[Lauren]

@ Christina, you should try KLV, as long as you like medieval books. The Legend was okay. I liked a black character getting his HEA but the rest of the book was okay. She mentions raccoons in the book - bad research on her part.

My favorite KLV books are The Wolfe and Rise Of The Defender. I hope that helps

[Christine]

Lauren wrote: "@ Christina, you should try KLV, as long as you like medieval books. The Legend was okay. I liked a black character getting his HEA but the rest of the book was okay. She mentions raccoons in the b..."

Thanks for the recommendations! I noticed some of her books were on Kindle Unlimited and didn't know where to start.

[Lauren]

@Christine L, the woman sure can write a lot of books. I can't can't keep up. The two I mentioned are the first books in each family

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

I am now reading my Tudor book for this month. At the King’s Command by Susan Wiggs.

[Christine]

Nice. I'm a bit late, but starting to listen to Tangled Hearts.

[Lauren]

I'm really enjoying these challenges. I just finished The China Bride by Mary Jo Putney. Another great diversity book!

[Jan]

I finally started my Tudor book. Was not sure sure whether I'd like it or not so waited for a library copy to come in. Just made it before the end of August LOL. I hope I'll get it read in that time. I have now read the first few chapters and quite liking it so far. Could be a slow burn, though. I'm up to Chapter 7 and the MCs are just about to meet! The book so far does definitely have a historical flavour of the times, which is good.

Forsaking All Other by Catherine Meyrick

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Sounds interesting Jan.

[Lauren]

@Jan, I love Catherine Meyrick"s writing style. It's been awhile since I read this one but I remember enjoying it. Now The Bridled Tongue is a reread for me.

I'll be curious on your thoughts when you finish. Happy reading !

[Christine]

Those sound good! Tangled Hearts has a pretty slow plot, so might DNF it, though Jane Seymour has made an appearance.

[Cath]

Never heard of Catherine Meyrick. Sounds like I might like her books, though. Will have to add to my already impossibly long list of tbr HR authors!

[Jan]

I'd never heard of Catherine Meyrick either before I went hunting for Tudor books. I've read on further in Forsaking All Other since yesterday and still liking it. It's focussed on some of the landed gentry (and their servants) rather than set at the queen's court. Also looks at the powerless position of (most) women in those days. A decent read so far.

[Christine]

Are Meyrick's easy reads? I DNF'd Tangled Hearts, and am binge reading The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Mathews for Diversity (love interest is half Indian/half British). Really love it so far...expect a 4.5 star rating. This is actually my second by this author for this challenge and I love it a lot more then the first one I think.

[Lauren]

@Christine L., no Meyrick's books aren't easy reads. The setting and the characters are very authentic to Tudor times. It's interesting history. I actually had put it down for a reread for the Tudor category. Talking about makes me want to read again.

[Jan]

Finished Forsaking All Other for my Tudor read. An enjoyable read, although a little slow-moving for my taste. 3 stars. Not sure yet what I'll read for September for this challenge.

[Merry]

Jan I had looked for that book at the library and they didn't have it. Glad to know that it was an ok read....

[Jan]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Jan I had looked for that book at the library and they didn't have it. Glad to know that it was an ok read...."

Yeah I was pleasantly surprised my library had it. The author is an Aussie so maybe that's why they had it :) (I'm Australian).

[Lauren]

It's on KU in the US. Did you type the wrong name?

[Merry]

Lauren. I just tried Forsaking All Other and its shows $3.99.
Plus, again all books that I had on hold at the library came in all at once. I will never learn.
My medieval read finally came in and I was really enjoying it till about midway and it has slowed a bit for me

[Cath]

^ One of these day (years?) I'm going to get around to trying Alice Coldbreath. If for no other reason than I really like her name! :)

[Lauren]

@cath, it is a great name! I wonder if it's the author's name or pseudonym

[Cath]

Realistically probably a pseudonym but I'm going to pretend it's her real name anyway :) Because I like to think there are real names still out there like that.

(I once dated a guy whose last name was November - a great guy with a great name, a 2fer :)

[Jan]

Cath wrote: "^ One of these day (years?) I'm going to get around to trying Alice Coldbreath. If for no other reason than I really like her name! :)"

Alice Coldbreath is a bit hit-or-miss for me. I have on the whole quite liked her Victorian-set series (about boxers LOL. IKR?) New one of these just out, and I will certainly read it. A Contracted Spouse for the Prizefighter


With her medieval series, be aware they are set in a fantasy pseudo-medieval time and place rather than any actual historical setting. This frustrates me a bit, as a reader, although I know many don't mind it. She has a huge number of fans.

Coldbreath has a fresh, distinct and original writing style which can work well and be very enjoyable. But yes Merry, her books can be slow. I have read a few of the 'medievals' and will probably read more at some point. Cath, when you get a chance, you could try her writing so you will know one way or another.

[Cath]

Thanks for the info about Alice Coldbreath, @Jan! It's good to know that bit about the pseudo-medieval aspect. I do tend to like books that adhere to the historical aspects, but if I know ahead of time it's more of a fantasy orientation then I can adjust my expectations accordingly and still enjoy it.

[Merry]

Well, I finished and it was a weak 3*. This is just me....many others rated it 5* as I rated the first book in the series, even though I knew it was a fantasy medieval. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... would read the next in the series, but the library will not order it. So for now my journey ends.
But they did order the Prizefighter series by her.

[Jan]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Well, I finished and it was a weak 3*. This is just me....many others rated it 5* as I rated the first book in the series. even though I knew it was a fantas..."

Thanks for the info, Merry. I haven't read any from that series (yet). I quite liked An Inconvenient Vow, although it was a little too long. It did have a pretty cover :)

[Christine]

I'm a bit ahead with September's reading as I've already read two Gilded Age books this year; Written on the Wind and Her Darling Mr. Day. Might re-read the second one. I didn't like the hero's personality as much in the first, but I loved the setting and the heroine was interesting.

[jenny867]

This month I read Lady Gallant by Suzanne Robinson (Renaissance/Tudor) and A Gentleman Never Keeps Score by Cat Sebastian (Diversity). I enjoyed both.

I haven't decided on my books for next month yet which is unusual for me because I like to plan ahead! 🤔

[Padma]

For September Americana read Ashes in the Wind . Old school HR. Though very long was quite gripping. Enjoyed it

[Merry]

Gosh! I read that when it came out. It was such a break from Barbara Cartland lol

[Lauren]

I've never read Ashes In The Wind. Sounds good and I do love Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.