Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Week 1:
Selection Post - Option 1

Book: Dawn of the Dreadfuls

Page numbers: 287 pages
How the book qualifies: A book set in Europe. A re-telling of Pride and Prejudice that's set in the Georgian Era in London, England.

Completion Post
Week #1: Set in Europe
Book link: Nine Days In Greece by Kristie Dickinson
Rating: ★ (08/03)

Argh! This book was a disaster. From the style of writing, to the storyline to the annoying female MC. For a lady who supposedly has been on a singles holiday trip four times previously, you would swear she was a newbie with her trip to Crete. By all accounts she was a competent attorney, but in her personal life she was so doubtful, weary and scared of everything and anything! It dragged out, spanning over four years of her still thinking of the guy she had a "fling" with while in Crete. My god. I died. I don't know how this book was allowed to be published. It was terrible.

Nicole wrote: "
Completion Post

Week #1: Set in Europe
Book link: Nine Days In Greece by Kristie Dickinson
Rating: ★ (08/03)

Argh! This book was a disaster. From the style of ..."

WOW...I hate those...I run in to these when they are self-published at times...it's horrid when you are reading them for a challenge and you are stuck with finishing...

Completion Post-Week 1:

Twilight, Stephanie Meyer
★★★★
Review: I read this series about 8 years ago...my daughter was young and she was reading it...she talked me in to it and I really liked it. Since then I've seen all of the movies too.
The re-reading was very good...reminded me of the differences in the movie vs book. A few of the characters-Lauren and Ben play a more prominent role in the book and I don't even remember there being a Lauren in the movie now that I think on it. I didn't really connect in the movie with Dr. Cullen being over-the-top handsome either.
I always felt this story was so well written that you felt it could be 'real'...obviously it's absurd, but nonetheless I find Stephanie Meyer a 'true' story teller.
I recommend this series to anyone who does enjoy a Young Adult genre now and then. I'm re-reading the series it as it fits well with a genre I need for a current challenge.

Tammie wrote: "Completion Post-Week 1:

Twilight, Stephanie Meyer
★★★★
Review: I read this series about 8 years ago...my daughter was young and she was reading it...she talk..."

Great review! Random question: do you envision the actors from the movie when you read a book or do you have your original version while reading? I reread HP and couldn't envision the characters other than Danielle Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman etc.

Nicole wrote: "Tammie wrote: "Completion Post-Week 1:

Twilight, Stephanie Meyer
★★★★
Review: I read this series about 8 years ago...my daughter was young and she was readin..."

Once I've seen the movie those characters are stuck in my head...especially with a series like Twilight where there are 5 movies...

I need to go back and 'try' to read Harry Potter...I only got half way through the 1st book...not sure why I didn't like it. I know that's weird.

Tammie wrote: "I need to go back and 'try' to read Harry Potter...I only got half way through the 1st book...not sure why I didn't like it. I know that's weird.

...hehe!

man this headache I have sucks... I should have finished this sooner... so yep still reading about those sexy werewolves!

Fyre.Katz wrote: "man this headache I have sucks... I should have finished this sooner... so yep still reading about those sexy werewolves!"

Not a good sign...is it the book that’s provided the headache? Feel better soon :)

Hi Team
Sorry I haven't posted my pick yet - it's been crazy at work. But I promise I'll be done on time! I usually try to knock out my PTP book right away, so wanted to you all to know I'm not flaking out!

SandyL wrote: "Hi Team
Sorry I haven't posted my pick yet - it's been crazy at work. But I promise I'll be done on time! I usually try to knock out my PTP book right away, so wanted to you all to know I'm not fla..."

NP...we started early anyway...you have until Friday to at least pick your book...

its a pressure headache that is sitting near my eyebrows... its not the book... who can be mad at sexy werewolves not I! Its just the world around me I'll get thru it slowly I guess.

Completion Post – Week 1

, J.D. Robb – 3/9/18 – ✮✮✮✮✮
Review — This was a very unique look back into Eve’s past. Not that previous installments haven’t given a look into her childhood, but these memories stretched past the motel room. One of my favorite aspects of this series is watching the main characters grow and change...for better or worse. There were a lot of growing pains for Eve in this book. She started to backslide into old habits and it was sad to see. She has made so much progress, but in all fairness, she got smacked down but good by her former foster “mother.” I was so proud of her though for identifying her bad behavior and going out of her way to make amends. Eve is, and always will be, a tough-as-nail cop, but she continues to become more human and I swear that is what makes her the amazing cop she is...ya, ya, I know she is a fictional character...but few series I’ve read have managed to keep such interesting stories going with the same core couple and keep them interesting and engaging. As always, I look forward to what lies ahead for Eve, Roarke, and the rest of the gang!

As for the murder, good, bad, or indifferent, I sort of knew who did it pretty early on. However, I did not see the twist coming and how it all wove together until it was being pieced together in the book. Another murderer bagged...on to the next!

Week 1
Selection Post - Option 1 (Set in Europe)


Capture & Surrender by LA Witt
Pages: 216
How it fits: Set in England

Week 1
Completion Post - Option 1 (Set in Europe)


Capture & Surrender by LA Witt
Pages: 216
How it fits: Set in England
Completed: 3/13/18
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Frank is the owner of Market Garden. His policy is to never get involved with the rent-boys, and he has his reasons for not really getting involved with anyone at all. But he's lonely after losing his partner, Andrew, a couple of years ago. His friends, Geoff and Mike, hold a paintball competition on Saturdays and Frank usually refs. He decides to invite his new employee, Stefan, who is former US military. Frank is attracted to Stefan, but knows he has to keep his distance. Doesn't mean he can't watch, though, right (the paintball games include more than just paintball!) Stefan is attracted to Frank as well, and works on breaking down his walls. This is actually a pretty touching love story between two tough guys with some unexpected complications. Great story!

Nicole wrote: "Tammie wrote: "I need to go back and 'try' to read Harry Potter...I only got half way through the 1st book...not sure why I didn't like it. I know that's weird.

"

This is SO my reaction as well!!! I LOVE the HP books! :D

Week 2 Announcement...I hope everyone is enjoying your books!

Option 1
7. Snow white was 'fair' - read a book with an MC with blonde hair and/or fair skin. You must either quote the optional list used OR include in your post the sentence that qualifies that the MC is fair or blonde.

Link to Original Announcement-Lists

Optional lists in case you need to know your book's MC is 'fair'.
Sexy Blonde Heros Historical Contemporary and Paranormal Romance
Best Blonde Heroes of Contemporary Romance
Sunlight Blonde Heroines in Contemporary Romance Novels
Blonde on the cover
Sorry MM readers - you'll have to do a word search! But remember, you can always add books that fit to the lists above before I announce this theme...

Option 2
Key date: 15 September 2017

Please ensure you follow the format shown in msg 3 of your team threads. when you post your selection and completion posts.
*No adding to lists now whilst this theme is current :)

I checked the rules, but wanted to double check again...are rereads OK?

☘KathyD☘ wrote: "I checked the rules, but wanted to double check again...are rereads OK?"

Yes...I'll double check the timeline...but I believe it has to have been at least 6 months since you read the book...

Tammie wrote: "☘KathyD☘ wrote: "I checked the rules, but wanted to double check again...are rereads OK?"

Yes...I'll double check the timeline...but I believe it has to have been at least 6 months since you read ..."

Well that is not an issue...I read it in June 2014! =)

☘KathyD☘ wrote: "Tammie wrote: "☘KathyD☘ wrote: "I checked the rules, but wanted to double check again...are rereads OK?"

Yes...I'll double check the timeline...but I believe it has to have been at least 6 months ..."

Here is what I found in Q & A on re-reads...you should be fine as long as it meets the criteria:
Q: Are re-reads allowed?
A: Yes. But each book can only be read once during the round/challenge.
If the theme specifically excludes a re-read, eg First in a new (to you) series, then obviously you must select a book you haven't read before.

Just a heads up to my teamies...I'm going to be waiting until Monday to pick my book...I've got 2 to finish for other challenges and the MC is not blond...they might end up being fair...we'll see.

Also, I'm going to request to friend each of you that aren't currently my friend...it's just easier to search for Option 2. Thanks for considering...

Awesome! Thanks Tammie!!! =)

Week 2
Selection Post – Option 1

(reread), J.R. Ward
Page Numbers ➔ 468
How the Book Qualifies ➔ Sexy Blonde Hero

☘KathyD☘ wrote: "Week 2
Selection Post – Option 1

(reread), J.R. Ward
Page Numbers ➔ 468
How the Book Qualifies ➔ Sexy Blonde Hero"

One of my all time favs!

Option 1
Week #2: Fairest of Them All
Book link: Pretty as a Peach by Juliette Poe
Page number: 188 (Kindle Edition)
Qualifies: The male MC, Colt, refers to the female MC, Darby's hair:
"She has the most unusual shade of blonde hair I've ever seen." Loc 315 of 2910

I think I'm going to have to drop out of this... been sick and sorts this whole time... maybe next time :(

Fyre.Katz wrote: "I think I'm going to have to drop out of this... been sick and sorts this whole time... maybe next time :("
I’m so sorry...I hope you are well soon...I’m sure Jane probably has backup nonetheless. Let her know if you want to backup later...I’m sure there’ll be opportunities. Take care!

Fyre.Katz wrote: "I think I'm going to have to drop out of this... been sick and sorts this whole time... maybe next time :("

Hope you feel better soon Fyre.Katz!

...I'll contact the first substitute player...

Beth will be joining you any minute as the replacement player for Fyre.Katz.

Thanks Beth!!

I'm here!

When do I have to post my selection? And do books I've already started qualify?

Welcome Beth! We're glad to have you part of the Poisoned Pages!
Jane made the call for this week on Friday...so if you started it yesterday, i'm sure that's perfectly fine. If you could do a quick intro for us please...see the initial posts for our intros as well. We look forward to having some fun with this challenge!

@ALL Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! I hope you've had a chance to add a little 'green' to your day!

Beth wrote: "I'm here!

When do I have to post my selection? And do books I've already started qualify?"

Welcome Beth :)

Hi Beth - Tammie is right. If you started the book yesterday and it fits the theme, that's fine to use. But otherwise you'll need to select a new book for this week's theme.

There's no need to worry about week 1. Fyre.Katz didn't post a completion but I'll mark it off as 'removed'.

Hello everyone!

I'm from Washington, USA -- the state on the west coast, not the government hub on the east. I like to read all sorts of books, but especially fantasy, SF, and historical romance.

I'm also terrible at noticing what characters look like, so I'm going to have to peer at some covers tomorrow to find a blonde MC. I think K J Charles has some blond characters that might work.

Any exciting St. Pats Days out there? I helped my daughter paint her house...not too exciting!

I wore a green shirt for St Pat's day. And then we went out for Mexican food :-)

I did make a pie for Pie day earlier this week, though!

The top book with a blonde on the cover in my TBR pile is The Rancher's Lady: A Lake Chelan Novella. But the ebook is only 122 pages. My paperback has 159 pages. Should I toss it back and find a different book? I kind of like the idea of a short book so there is no pressure for my first book, but not so short that it doesn't count!

Beth wrote: "I wore a green shirt for St Pat's day. And then we went out for Mexican food :-)

I did make a pie for Pie day earlier this week, though!

The top book with a blonde on the cover in my TBR pile is ..."

I clicked on the other editions and the paperback doesn’t have pg numbers list. This is a pretty easy fix if you are willing...

1. Join Goodreads Liberian Group
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

2. Go to page number section and start a new topic (new topic) is at the top right of the page...small font)...you need to include the book number with your request.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

I can do for you if you can verify your book number is the same as the book listed...
ISBN1539057461 (ISBN13: 9781539057468)

BTW...the min page count for this challenge is 100 pgs...even if you don’t work with the Liberians to correct you can use it...it’s ok to use the pg count for the first choice listed. If you need for another challenge...I do several that require 125 pgs, you’d need to ref the correct version and get the count correct.

Jane can weigh in on my last comment, but I think you are good either way.

Beth wrote: "I wore a green shirt for St Pat's day. And then we went out for Mexican food :-)

I did make a pie for Pie day earlier this week, though!

The top book with a blonde on the cover in my TBR pile is ..."

Love your St. pats story...Love Mexican food!

Selection Post-Week #2
Option 1
Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty
Page numbers: 460 - Hardback, I am reading this via audio
How the book qualifies: 23 references to 'blond' and 17 references to 'fair'
Quote: "Two little fair-headed boys charged out first like they'd been shot from a gun and headed straight for Celeste."

Tammie wrote: "I can do for you if you can verify your book number is the same as the book listed...
ISBN1539057461 (ISBN13: 9781539057468)"

Can you do it for me please? That is the correct ISBN. And the other challenge it is for is a "clear out your book shelves one, so no page limits"

Selection Post-Week #2
Option 1
The Rancher's Lady: A Lake Chelan Novella
Page numbers: 122 + (my paperback has 159 pages, not yet listed on GR, but ebook says 122)
How the book qualifies: p.11 describes MC
Quote: "She had long blond hair and bright blue eyes"

Week 1:
Completion Post


Bookcover/link: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
Rating: 5 stars

Review:
When a re-telling of one of my favourite books turns out to be good and interesting, I just can't stay way. I love that the characters call the un-dead either Zombies, Unmentionables or the dreadful's - that's just a cool name to call them by. An intense prequel set four years before the horrific events of the first book; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

At the begin of the story we open up with the Bennet sisters and their mother and father in the English countryside attending a funeral at the local parish that goes horribly awry. And now the Dreadful's (zombie virus) have came back to England. Now corpses are springing from the soft earth - and only one family knows how to stop them - the Bennet's. We watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the un-dead. And I love Mary Bennet in this: “I was simply following you,” and “How can she not see the obvious?”

Not long into the story Mr. Bennett'S girls learn that their father fought nobly during The Troubles of years ago, and even trained in China. He re-opens his dojo and begins to teach his daughters the Asian fighting techniques that had proven effective before.

Week 2:
Selection Post - Option 1

Book: Air Awakens

Page numbers: 342 pages
How the book qualifies: Read a book with an MC with blonde hair. List: Blonde on the cover - page 1, #11

Katherine wrote: "Week 2:
Selection Post - Option 1

Book: Air Awakens


Katherine, I actually pulled this one out to see if it qualified, and from the text it looks that the MC actually has dark hair! I think the cover picture is her best friend. But I didn't read it, so obviously I could be wrong (I searched inside for blond and hair and found a few references). I do want to read it, so I will be interested in what you think.

I should've checked the qualifying lists because then I could have read it!

Completion Post
Week #2
Bookcover/link: The Rancher's Lady: A Lake Chelan Novella 3/19/18
Rating (1-5): ***
Review:

Simple, light and refreshing. This is a book were the kids are well behaved, the adults are mostly adult, and life is rather simple. The author tries to push in some conflict with reluctant in-laws and a sexual harasser, but it seems a bit half-hearted. But really, some stories don't need senseless conflict -- two adults figuring out how they work together is also a story.

Beth wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Week 2:
Selection Post - Option 1

Book: Air Awakens


Katherine, I actually pulled this one out to see if it qualified, and from the text it looks that the MC ac..."

Beth...just for future reference...if it's on a prescribed list provided by Jane, it qualifies.

Right -- Katherine I wasn't warning you off, just gnashing my teeth that I missed the chance to read a book higher on my TBR pile. I thought it was interesting that we grabbed the same book!

Sadly, I put mine back on my shelf because I don't trust covers and didn't think to check the list while Katherine either got it from the list or was smart enough to check. I was feeling guilty about not reading the one I did read though, because it was a gift from the author.

Are we allowed to read the same book?

Beth wrote: "Right -- Katherine I wasn't warning you off, just gnashing my teeth that I missed the chance to read a book higher on my TBR pile. I thought it was interesting that we grabbed the same book!

Sadly..."

yes...same books are allowed. Thanks!