Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
Archive - Pass The Parcel
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PtP R23 - Knead to Read (6)
Completion PostWeek 4
Rating: 5 stars
Review: I was looking for something a little light and fun, and this worked. Maddie is completely clumsy and sweet. She meets Jax when she nearly runs him off the road on her way into Luck Harbor to meet her sisters at a resort that their mother left to the 3 of them in her will. The almost constant fighting of the sisters was a little funny because that's how me and my sis behave sometimes. There were some I laughed and cried at this one. Maddie has some issues to work through since she just left her abusive boyfriend before coming to Lucky Harbor. Jax is patient with her, and I like the romance. Yes, it was predictable, but that didn't bother me.
Week 4 - Completion postoption 1
17. Eat it straight away or freeze for another day
Task: Read a book from one of the following lists: Best Seasonal Romance {Christmas & Winter}
Book:
A Grosvenor Square Christmas by Anna CampbellPages: 223
How it fits: # 205 on the “Best Seasonal Romance {Christmas & Winter}” list - https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
Read: 29/10/24
Rating: 3★s
Review: This was an anthology of 4 short historical romances, by 4 different authors all set at the same house at the annual Christmas ball held by Lady Lucy Frost - each are a few years apart. Like all anthologies some I like, some I didn’t, so overall was an average read - 3
The Seduction of a Duchess by Shana Galen - 2 stars
One Kiss for Christmas by Vanessa Kelly - 2 stars
His Christmas Cinderella by Anna Campbell - 5 stars
The Last First Kiss by Kate Noble - 3 stars
Updated to here :-)
Hi team, I apologize but I need to leave the game. I just feel too far behind and I didn’t expect the extreme difference in tasks with another challenge I’m doing. I was hoping more things would match up. Have fun, Enjoy!
Sorry to see you go Jodi ☹️
Darn I forgot to post my week 3 completion post. I’ll have to get that posted when I get home
Sorry to see you go but reading should not stress you out. Good luck with your other challenge and happy reading!
Take care, Jodi! Good luck with your other reading challenges :)
🥨 Completion Post 🥨Week #3, Option #1
Date read: Oct 31
Rating: 1.75★
Review: So I'm clearly going through a dud reading phase atm. This book...wasn't it. The premise sounded intriguing (escalating problems with horrible neighbors? sounds fun, right?) but I just couldn't enjoy it. Going into a thriller I know some topics will be upsetting, but the depictions of animal cruelty were almost too much. I found all the characters unlikable, but the worst was the author's descriptions, especially pointing out how "disgustingly obese" the evil neighbors were. Every time! Super unnecessary and just unwarranted fat-shaming. Somehow I was able to get through the book but yikes...
Week 5Option 1
2. The use of sourdough in bread leavening developed in approximately 3000 BC
* Read a book with MPG historical.
MPG = main page genre.
This means the genre must show up on the book's main page on GR. You can click on 'more' but you can't go to the full page of tags (once you click on 'show all')
Option 2
Key date: 3 May 2024
Team mate read on or after this date and rated at least 3 stars
Option 3
Pass
A selection post must be made for whichever option you choose - INCLUDING A PASS
Refer msg 3 in your team thread for formatting of all 3 options.
Selection PostWeek 5
Option 1
2. The use of sourdough in bread leavening developed in approximately 3000 BC
* Read a book with MPG historical.
Pages: 368
How it fits: MPG Historical
Week 5 - Selection postoption 1
2. The use of sourdough in bread leavening developed in approximately 3000 BC
Task: Read a book with MPG historical
Book:
Tess and the Highlander by May McGoldrickPages: 265
How it fits: MPG of Romance
Week # 5 - Option 1Bookcover/link: The Fire by Night
Page numbers: 306 pages
How the book qualifies - MPG Historical and historical fiction
Week 5Option 1
Selection post
Page number: 560 pages
How the book qualifies: This is main page genre historical.
Let's see how this one goes. It's been on my TBR for a few months now and everyone says it's amazing, but I know it's dense and might be a struggle to get this done within a week.
🍞 Selection Post 🍞Week #5, Option 1
Task: 2. The use of sourdough in bread leavening developed in approximately 3000 BC
* Read a book with MPG historical.
Page count: 320
Qualification: MPG Historical Romance and Historical
[*book:Wishes|50805]
Completion PostWeek 3
Option 1: Author's debut 2020 or later
Read:
Review: This was a fun story and sweet as well. Small town romances are fun and sweet even though some parts of the stroy were a bit slow it was an enjoyable read. I don't think I would enjoy the cold that much. LOL
Christina wrote: "Let's see how this one goes. It's been on my TBR for a few months now and everyone says it's amazing, but I know it's dense and might be a struggle to get this done within a week."Good luck. I feel like all my books are dense this past few weeks, lol.
Everything updated to here :-)
Week 5 - Completion postoption 1
2. The use of sourdough in bread leavening developed in approximately 3000 BC
Task: Read a book with MPG historical
Book:
Tess and the Highlander by May McGoldrickPages: 265
How it fits: MPG of Romance
Read: 04/11/24
Rating: 2★s
Review: Did not light my fires and it only got finished because I needed it for 3 different challenges - Colin is washed overboard onto a small island off Scotland. He is rescued by Tess a seventeen year old lassie who herself was washed ashore when she was 6. The elderly couple who rescued her have died and she is all alone. Long story short he realises she is the long-lost-daughter of the Sinclair Clan. He takes her to the MacPherson clan castle - her mother is not dead - the person who murdered Tess’s father comes after Tess - Colin rescues her and they get their HEA - yawn!
🥨 Completion Post 🥨Week #5, Option #1
Date read: Nov 7
Rating: 3★
Review: This was an interesting spin on the Cinderella story, where the "fairy godmother" is actually a conceited, selfish woman who just recently died and is now tasked with helping the heroine find happiness if she wants to move on to the happy afterlife. Cue shenanigans, lol. While the premise was cute, the actual story got on my nerves at times. I felt sad for the heroine's situation but wish there was more growth for her character. It would have been nice to see her stand up to her family. Yeah that never happened. She did get mad at the hero in defense of her abusive father and sister, though, which made me facepalm. There was a lot of miscommunication in this.
Other annoyances: fatphobia and too many NLOG moments. Like the hero telling the heroine that she was far more beautiful than all the other women in town, and even calling two girls (who were fawning over him) "overdressed fillies." A direct quote, btw 🙄
My favorite scenes were all with Berni, the fairy godmother, who is probably my favorite character. Once she got serious and began to plot on how to help Nellie, that's when the story became fun. The conniving, scheming fairy godmother vs. conniving, scheming sister subplot was the best part.
Finished this week's book first but I should hopefully be done with Week 4 this weekend and then I'll be caught up!
Week 6 - Selection postoption 1
11. Its not ready until there are bubbles through the dough
Task: Read a book with the title or series name starting with the letter 'B'
Book:
Bride for the Innkeeper by Jo GraffordPages: 182
How it fits: Title starts with B
🍞 Selection Post 🍞Week #6, Option 1
Task: 11. Its not ready until there are bubbles through the dough
Read a book with the title or series name starting with the letter 'B'
The Bachelor Doctor's Bride
Page count: 218
Qualification: Title starts with B ("Bachelor")
[*book:The Bachelor Doctor's Bride|18812490]
Week 6Option 1
11. Its not ready until there are bubbles through the dough
* Read a book with the title or series name starting with the letter 'B'.
You can ignore The, A and An if they are the first word in the title or series name.
Option 2
Key date: 10 May 2024
Team mate read on or after this date and rated at least 3 stars
Option 3
Pass
A selection post must be made for whichever option you choose - INCLUDING A PASS
Refer msg 3 in your team thread for formatting of all 3 options.
Hi team! Does anyone mind if I take a pass this week? I know only one of us can per week, so I wanted to check before posting. I haven't finished my book for last week yet (life got busy).
Thanks!!
Christina wrote: "Hi team! Does anyone mind if I take a pass this week? I know only one of us can per week, so I wanted to check before posting. I haven't finished my book for last week yet (life got busy).
Thanks!!"
I'm fine with it!
Christina wrote: "Hi team! Does anyone mind if I take a pass this week? I know only one of us can per week, so I wanted to check before posting. I haven't finished my book for last week yet (life got busy).
Thanks!!"
No problem x from me 😀👍
Good with me Christina
Week 6 selection postOption 3 Pass
Selection Post Week #6
Option 1
Pages: 292
Fits: Title begins with B
Updated to here
Week 6 - Completion postoption 1
11. Its not ready until there are bubbles through the dough
Task: Read a book with the title or series name starting with the letter 'B'
Book:
Bride for the Innkeeper by Jo GraffordPages: 182
How it fits: Title starts with B
Read: 12/11/24
Rating: 4★s
Review: The first in the “Mail-order Brides of Christmas Mountain” series, this is such a sweet historical romance - Lacey is fleeing with her baby nephew from her violent brother-in-law after the death of her sister. She sees an add for a mail-order bride, applies, and is on the train west a few hours later. Edward has been left an Inn by his grandfather, but when he arrives it is a wreck. Three brothers are squatting in it but he hires them to help fix the place and they talk him into getting a bride to attract a better class of clientele. The two hit off right away but there are several alarming challenges to overcome before they get their happy ever after.
Completion PostWeek #4
Bookcover/link: In a Holidaze
Completion Date: 11/12
Rating (1-5): ⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed this book. It stated out a bit slow but it was a fun holiday romance. I wanted them to play up the goundhog day angle a bit more and the ending didn't really seem to address it again, so that felt a bit unfinished. Overall, though, it's a fun read. I really like the author.
Week # 6 - Option 1Bookcover/link: Beginning of Forever
Page numbers: 360 pages
How the book qualifies - Title Starts with B
Week 5 completion post
Rating 3.5 stars
Review: This is an alternate history story. It's set in the mid 1800's where silver plays an important role in everything from cleaning water to making the postal system faster. At the center of this is literally the tower of Babel where they inscribe words in multiple languages on silver bars to make all of this happen.
There were a lot of things that I liked about this book. The premise was unique. The plot was interesting. There were a lot of things that I didn't like too. Parts of it were very slow. I also felt like the ending was spoon-fed to me. There was no Ah-ha! or OMG! moment. There were a few moments when I was disgusted with the actions/decisions leading up to the end of the book, but the actual ending wasn't a surprise at all.
I know I'll be two books behind come call tomorrow, but I'm still in the safe zone as long as I get one done by next Friday. Fingers crossed....or else I just might have to pass.
💰 Outstanding:
Selections have all been made.
Completions:
* Carmen - Weeks 4, 5 & 6. Have I missed one Carmen? You need to get one posted before I announce the next theme tomorrow...
* Lena - weeks 4 & 6
* Mary-Megan - weeks 5 & 6
Please let me know if I have missed a post :)
Ok I wanted something fun, and this was recommended to me as hilarious from another group that I'm in so, here goes. Week 7
Selection Post:
Option 1: A book with 3 words in the title.
Title: Dungeon crawler Carl.
Pages: 446 pages
Week 7 - Selection postoption 1
6. Including the starter, sourdough is made of only 3 ingredients - flour, water & salt
Task: Read a book with a title comprised of 3 words (You must include A, An or The in the count if they are in the title)
Book:
The Writing Class by Esther CampionPages: 347
How it fits: Three word title
sorry, just realized my post above is for week 7, not 6.I went back and edited my post. :-)
🥨 Completion Post 🥨Week #6, Option #1
Date read: Nov 15
Rating: 2★
Review: I'm clearly going through a dud phase atm because this is yet another "blah" read. I couldn't stand the heroine. The blurb promised a sunshine, upbeat character, but what you get is someone who is so flaky, doesn't even try to fight for the relationship with the hero, and is constantly one step from ditching every time conflict appears. She would be thinking how she and the hero are too different, they'd never make it, but then she didn't even try. The hero was a bit of an ass at times, sure, but at least he made an effort to fit her into his life. Even up to the last few pages, the heroine was thinking of leaving because the hero could find someone "better," like COME ON!
Anyway, the relationship/romance was so lopsided that I couldn't believe in the HEA. I hate to be that person, but if this were a RL couple, I'd give them two years or less.
Looks like I will be dragging out Week 4 again 😅These couple of weeks I've been juggling between school, home stuff, and preparing for a craft fair, so it's been pretty slow reading. But I'll try to catch up.
🍞 Selection Post 🍞Week #7, Option 1
Task: 6. Including the starter, sourdough is made of only 3 ingredients - flour, water & salt
Task: Read a book with a title comprised of 3 words (You must include A, An or The in the count if they are in the title)
The Murder Club
Page count: 393
Qualification: Three words in title
[*book:The Murder Club|157995378]
Christina wrote: "sorry, just realized my post above is for week 7, not 6."Just edit it to say 7
Jane (PS) wrote: "💰 Outstanding:
Selections have all been made.
Completions:
* Carmen - Weeks 4, 5 & 6. Have I missed one Carmen? You need to get one posted before I announce the next theme tomorrow...
* Lena - w..."
Oh darn I still didn’t post my completion for one of the weeks or 2. Let me get that done now
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
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From Best Friend to Husband (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ava Burke (other topics)Sally Hepworth (other topics)
Sally Hepworth (other topics)
Molly Harper (other topics)
Emily Henry (other topics)
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Week 2 -
Option 1
1. Sourdough originated in Egypt and spread through Europe
Task: Read a book set in Africa or Europe
Pages: 409
Read: 10/27/24
Rated: 4 stars
Review: I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the story since the previous book I read annoyed me to read it. lol But this was actually interesting and fun. Laurie was dumped and in the time she was fake dating she found out some interesting things about her past and with her jerk of a dad and ex too. Now Jamie was the fake but actually turned out to be misunderstood and was the right guy.