Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Oh, I'm so sorry for your sister and her loss. I kind of inherited a dog as we were fostering her for her previous owner while he was in rehab and we haven't heard from him in over 18 months (and the center won't give us any info due to HIPPA regs)...and it's the first dog I've had since I was a kid. I've become very attached to her and she's so old and I know it's gonna hit me hard when it's her time.

I think I'll be up for another hour or so, but I'll let you know. Thanks for keeping an eye out!

Okay, going to bed!

If all the reviews are posted please comment in THIS THREAD, provided no other team has claimed the win yet. (Having all ours done first doesn't count if we don't claim it!)

Good luck everyone and happy reading!

SELECTION Post: Week #11
Option 1
3. Academy Awards

Book: Duty & Devotion by Tere Michaels
Page numbers: 234
Qualification: Alliteration of D’s

COMPLETION Post: Week #11
Option 1
3. Academy Awards

Book: Duty & Devotion by Tere Michaels
Page numbers: 234
Qualification: Alliteration of D’s
Read: 11/16
Rating & Review: 3.75-ish stars maybe 4-stars
I listened the audiobook 😔😔😔. I don’t know what role authors play in the choosing of narrator for their books but this was a bad choice. I couldn’t concentrate on the story because JP Handler’s voice didn’t fit. He also has this quiver like he’s cold or has a tickle in his voice. It really took away from my enjoyment of this book and I am pretty sure that i won’t listen any book that features him as the narrator.
This book was Matt and Evan after they accepted that they love each other and want to be together. But the issue is how to navigate the outside world and the outside world’s prejudices. Matt worked in a private security firm with one of his best friends whereas Evan worked for the NY State in the Police Department. The optics for Evan was certainly different. It look Evan sometime to find his inner fortitude but he did and his family/home life solidified for him and Matt. I really love this story because it is full of my favorite things, emotional connections, family and friendships, character growth and a happy ending.
I do NOT recommend this audiobook but I HIGHLY recommend the paperback/kindle edition of this story to lovers of older men finding love later in life!

Completion post
Week #11 - Academy Awards
Option 1

Book:
Rating: 3.5⭐️
Review: Chase has been on a path of risk in his role as narcotics officer since his wife died. His partner who is dirty tries to frame him for murder and stealing drugs and shoots him in the process. Injured he stumbles to the house of Lacy a photographer who is wearing very little and seems to have a penchant for christmas with her dog and 3 cats dressed up and Christmas music playing. There is an instant attraction between the 2 as Chase seeks to clear his name. Some great lol moments including a talking fridge and conversations with Lacy and her friends. An enjoyable read.

Hazel wrote: "Completion post
Week #11 - Academy Awards
Option 1

Book:
Rating: 3.5⭐️
Review: Chase has been on a path of risk in his role as narcotics offic..."

Is it m-m? GFY?

Ezinwanyi wrote: "Hazel wrote: "Completion post
Week #11 - Academy Awards
Option 1

Book:
Rating: 3.5⭐️
Review: Chase has been on a path of risk in his role as n..."

Not MM what does GFY mean?

GFY is "Gay for You" although most tend to use "Out for You" now.

It looks like team 9 has finished first.

Thanks for playing everyone!

⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "GFY is "Gay for You" although most tend to use "Out for You" now."

Ah hadn’t heard that before. I haven’t read many MM books. This one is MF contemporary.

⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "GFY is "Gay for You" although most tend to use "Out for You" now."

Thanks Michaelle really enjoyed this round. Thanks team xx

In the end, this team and one other were close to the win as well :)

Congrats!

⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "GFY is "Gay for You" although most tend to use "Out for You" now."

Really? I hadn’t heard of Out for You. But what if the person fell in love with you but doesn’t Consider themselves “out” (like Anne Heche and Ellen De Generes)?

Most books that would have actual GFY now (in my reading experience) would be considered erotica, where the characters would be on the DL and for the most part those tend to be characters who consider themselves hetero (marketed as Straight Boy) or are in the closet...but privately considers themselves gay. Very rarely have I run across (at least in the last 5 years or so) an MM Romance story where the characters are only attracted to just the one guy, and never any other guy, ever. But I have a lot of books on my TBR so that's just my experience.

And Ellen calls herself a Lesbian, so there's no OFY label necessary. Even when she wasn't "Out" she was still a Lesbian. As for Anne...I'm not sure what she labels herself. Each person chooses their own and I try to tag my books, when I can tell from the story alone, what designation a character calls themselves.

If I didn't have a couple thousand completed books on my shelves I'd go back and mark the ones that have Bisexual characters, which a lot of the "OFY" tagged books also apply to, because no one has to "out" themselves as Het, and when the character calls themselves Bisexual, the OFY tag can apply as well.

I have read a few books where the character was never attracted to a male until the one he meets in the book. It's truly just that one guy he is attracted to but the majority of the books tagged GFY don't fit that and are OFY books.

Finished my book but looks like another team already won. It was great playing with you all!

Danielle Gypsy Soul wrote: "I have read a few books where the character was never attracted to a male until the one he meets in the book. It's truly just that one guy he is attracted to but the majority of the books tagged GF..."

Yeah, I remember a couple but it was so long ago. Rarely do I see that now; could be that I'm just not reading the ones that might have that particular trope.

And the mis-tagging is kinda why my shelf is "GFY/OFY" - combining both tags. I'm not fond of it but I'll leave it for now, just as I'm overwhelmed thinking of trying to go back and re-label the bisexual character books.

⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "Danielle Gypsy Soul wrote: "I have read a few books where the character was never attracted to a male until the one he meets in the book. It's truly just that one guy he is attracted to but the maj..."

It's hard to go back and relabel when you have a ton of books. Plus I don't always remember if they were bisexual and it doesn't always say in the synopsis. I can't imagine trying to go back and label that for books I've read. I could see adding it and maybe doing it going forward but WAY too much work to "back tag". But I love when friends like you have specific categories marked that I don't because then I can just go look at your shelves :)

Danielle Gypsy Soul wrote: "But I love when friends like you have specific categories marked that I don't because then I can just go look at your shelves :) ."

OMG, I am ALWAYS stalking people's shelves because some of my GR friends have the most detailed, specific tags...even more specific than the MMRG bookshelves! (Lei, Lisa and Krissy have some really detailed shelves!)