Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Task 9 Selection Post
Motorcycle on Cover


A Diamond in the Mud by Sterling Rivers
Pages: 204
Qualification: Motorcycle on Cover

[*book:A Diamond in the Mud|30824503]

Glad you went motorcycle - I have more too! I've just read one with a motorbike, and just started listening to another. Unfortunately, the audio is too short... :(

Motorcycle it is!

Task 9 - 6 books with a boat, plane, car or motorcycle on the cover, teams decide which (Motorcycle)

Selection Post

Hell on Wheels
Pages - 270pp
How it fits - Motorcycle on the cover

[*book:Hell on Wheels|23638585]

Selection

Task 9: Motorcycle on the cover

Heart Unseen by Andrew Grey
Page Count: 200/GR Kindle

[*book:Heart Unseen|34620210]

I might switch up this book for something else...I can't find one with a motorcycle on it that's not MC-related and that's my least-favorite trope behind Rockstars.

Look at the one I’m reading or Heart Unssen by Andrew Grey. Neither are MC related.

I don’t like MC themes either!

Oh, I might switch to that Andrew Grey book...

(Already read that Bluewater installment.)

Thanks!

Task 9 - 6 books with a boat, plane, car or motorcycle on the cover, teams decide which (Motorcycle)

COMPLETION

Hell on Wheels
Pages - 270pp
How it fits - Motorcycle on the cover
Finished - 29 April 2020

I think I enjoyed this better on this read. The loved the gentle humour and the emotion through this book. The ending is still not quite as good as I would wish, but a very easy book to read.

[*book:Hell on Wheels|23638585]

Task 9 - 6 books with a boat, plane, car or motorcycle on the cover, teams decide which (Motorcycle)

Selection Post - book 2

Heart Unseen
Pages - 200pp
How it fits - Motorcycle on the cover

[*book:Heart Unseen|34620210]

Task 9
Completion Post
Motorcycle on cover

226 pages /GR
Date read: 04/29/20
4 stars
(Kat approved the book)

Its a long time since I read book 2 but it did slowly come back to me.
I liked Linc and Mercy together although I did skim over the sex. Over the years I've gone off of people tying others up.

Task 9
Selection Post ( book 2)
Motorcycle on cover

201 pages / GR

I switched my book. I'll be done with it in a little bit...do we have all 6 or do I need to read another one? (I can, just let me know!)

⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "I switched my book. I'll be done with it in a little bit...do we have all 6 or do I need to read another one? (I can, just let me know!)"

We should have six finished or in progress - I have about 3 hours left to listen on mine. Just need the time :)

Will definitely finish today though. And next call will be overnight/early morning my time...

Completion

Task 9: Motorcycle on the cover

Heart Unseen by Andrew Grey
Page Count: 200/GR Kindle
Date Read: 29Apr2020
Rating: 3 Stars
Review: Quintessential Andrew Grey. Sweetly romantic love story with some character evolution, relationship development, a little struggle and a happily ever after.

Sometimes a bit didactic (when it came to plight of the visually impaired) but I appreciated the disability visibility. Er...wait. (I checked with my blind neighbor to see if that was a tasteless pun but he laughed his ass off, so I'mma stick with it.)

[*book:Heart Unseen|34620210]

Task 9 - 6 books with a boat, plane, car or motorcycle on the cover, teams decide which (Motorcycle)

COMPLETION - book 2

Heart Unseen
Pages - 200pp
How it fits - Motorcycle on the cover
Finished: 30 April 2020

Pretty much as I remember - simple, straight-forward and sweet. And I always enjoy reading a book with an MC with a disability, understanding how they live...

[*book:Heart Unseen|34620210]

Task 9
Completion Post ( book 2)
Motorcycle on cover

201 pages / GR
Date Read : 04/30/20
4 stars

I was actually pleasantly surprised with this book. An MC who is trying to go straight but then a spanner gets thrown in the works.
The romance was developed over most of the book and I think going forward I am going to like Slim and Ward as a couple.
The book ended on a cliffhanger so I am hoping I can read the next book soon.

[ *book:Ride With Me|48982407]

Task 9 Completion Post
Motorcycle on Cover


A Diamond in the Mud by Sterling Rivers
Pages: 204
Qualification: Motorcycle on Cover
Read: 4/29/20
Rating: Barely ★★★

Had a hard time getting through this one. Not bad but not really good either. For me anyways.

[*book:A Diamond in the Mud|30824503]

Michaelle, you have selection post for your completion post.

Shannon wrote: "Task 9 Completion Post
Motorcycle on Cover


A Diamond in the Mud by Sterling Rivers
Pages: 204
Qualification: Motorcycle on Cover
Read: 4/2..."

Yes - I think my rating was generous - plus it took me weeks to read, so I think the impact of the lack of story was less ;)

Posting our completion in the Q&A thread now :)

I don't know why I continue to force myself to finish books that I just don't enjoy. It's a conundrum.

⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "Selection

Task 9: Motorcycle on the cover

Heart Unseen by Andrew Grey
Page Count: 200/GR Kindle
Date Read: 29Apr2020
Rating: 3 St..."

Please correct 'selection' to 'completion'.

Jane (PS) wrote: "Task 9 - 6 books with a boat, plane, car or motorcycle on the cover, teams decide which (Motorcycle)

COMPLETION - book 2

Heart Unseen
Pages - 270p..."

Please correct to the Kindle edition page count.

I will check in the morning for the corrections - I wouldn't assign the next task before then anyway.

MountainKat wrote: "Jane (PS) wrote: "Task 9 - 6 books with a boat, plane, car or motorcycle on the cover, teams decide which (Motorcycle)

COMPLETION - book 2

[book:Heart Unseen|3462..."

Done!

Lisa wrote: "Michaelle, you have selection post for your completion post."

D'oh!

Thank you and fixed!

Awesome! Here is Task 10:

89. Add up the years of the teammates' births and each teammate reads a book with that minimum number of pages. For example, teammates were born in 75, 83, 87 and 94 - each teammate reads a book at least 339 pages long. No pass for this task.

Make sure you use the first edition Kindle page count!

Ok, I am a 65 baby. I think this might be ok for us as we are all old...lol

I am thinking about this one.
We know Jane and Michaelle are 60s babies.
I am 1965 and Sharon is 1970.
So because I have no book at the moment and dont want to waste valuable reading time, I am going to make Michaelle and Jane 1969 ( maximum year in 60s)
So I think I can do 69 + 69 + 65 + 70 = 273.
So as long as the book is at least that long I am ok.

Task 10
Selection post
Page Length at Least as Long as Combined Birth Years

Loving a Warrior
276 pages / GR

LOL, sorry, I took a nap. Yes, I was born in 69!

Selection

Task 10: Page Length @ Least as Long as Combined Birth Years

Dawn of Darkness by Daniel A. Kaine
Page Count: 290/GR Kindle
How it Qualifies: More than 271 pgs.

[*book:Dawn of Darkness|12353556]

Lisa wrote: "Ok, I am a 65 baby. I think this might be ok for us as we are all old...lol"

Oh man, I feel sorry for the teams full of younger folk if that one is called for them!

I'm 67.

So the official year count will be +65 +67 +69 +70 = 271pp

Thank heavens we didn't have any whipper-snappers ;)

Task 10 - Page Length @ Least as Long as Combined Birth Years (271pp)
Selection


Dead Weight
Pages: 283 per GR Kindle first ed
How it qualifies: At least 271pp

[*book:Dead Weight|39100567]

Jane (PS) wrote: "I'm 67.

So the official year count will be +65 +67 +69 +70 = 271pp

Thank heavens we didn't have any whipper-snappers ;)"

Hey! I'm a whipper-snapper!! *wishes will get me nowhere*

I'm going with one of my SH books so can't start until midnight....

Task 10 Selection Post


Complementary Colors by Adrienne Wilder
Pages: 326
Qualification: Must be over 271 pp

[*book:Complementary Colors|22559554]

Shannon wrote: "I'm going with one of my SH books so can't start until midnight...."

I'm reading one that may fit cat 10 - but I don't think its points will be high enough... :(

Shannon wrote: "I'm going with one of my SH books so can't start until midnight...."

You ARE our baby of the group!! 🤪

Completion

Task 10: Page Length @ Least as Long as Combined Birth Years

Dawn of Darkness by Daniel A. Kaine
Page Count: 290/GR Kindle
How it Qualifies: More than 271 pgs.
Date Completed: 30Apr2020
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: I kept flipping between this being 3.5 and 4 stars and since "really liked it" fits, I'm going with 4.

But here's the thing: It could have been 4.5 or even 5 stars. The problem? It needed better world-building. See, I am addicted to books, movies and tv shows with scifi/dystopian settings. And because of that I saw all the holes.

A pandemic plague wipes out huge swaths of humanity? I'll buy that one (apropos at the mo, I suppose). But you can't have all the modern conveniences of life we've become accustomed to in a post-apocalyptic world without explaining how it works. Coffee, gas-powered vehicles, new jeans and sneakers, hamberders (I couldn't resist), electricity and plumbing...how? Had this been set a few decades after the die-off, I could accept the people of this medium sized city had scavenged for a lot of it. But it's a hundred years later and nothing is mentioned about them scrounging for the resources. And every city (including Paris, but not "London") is abandoned or destroyed, plus it seems like the occupied cities are walled off from the countryside so where are they getting the meat?

Where does the energy come from to power their grids? No mention of solar, wind or any other method to run the power plant. (Some of this is set in France, which has a large Nuclear sector...but who's running that? If it's coal, who's mining that?) How are they getting treated water in the city? Where did the components for so many devices come from? New uniforms and medals are made how? (Could be smelted I guess, and re-built with re-purposed supplies, but it's not mentioned. Where are they growing enough cotton for jeans, or raising enough sheep for wool?) There are relatively few books (and what there is is treasured) but there's an electronic data source? I just...HOW?

The outside barrier is powered by a spell and that was a great detail...I just wish more was explained or hell, even hand-waved away with "magic." (Seriously, someone had an umbrella - that seemed "modern" and I just...how? I mean, yeah, it was in England and I'm sure there's probably a warehouse stocked with them that would last an eternity - because, ENGLAND & RAIN - but it bothered me so much that it was just a given and not explained...especially when it seems like everyone walked everywhere - when there wasn't a questionably powered vehicle - and the Chunnel had some lighting but no train. No trains anywhere.)

Maybe there's more details in the sequel, because, again, HOLY CLIFF-HANGER! And I did REALLY like this one, so I will eventually get to book 2...but still - this could have been 4.5-5 stars with more world-building.

[*book:Dawn of Darkness|12353556]

Aaaand, I should have held onto that one because it was his debut book and that's one of the potential categories in another challenge I'm doing. *sigh*

⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "Aaaand, I should have held onto that one because it was his debut book and that's one of the potential categories in another challenge I'm doing. *sigh*"

I have had this on my To Read shelf for so long so its great to read your review.

I mainly keep hoping it might come out in audio before I pick it up. Seems like the kind of book that should be in audio ;) Plus, I'm a super-lazy reader 🧐

⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "Aaaand, I should have held onto that one because it was his debut book and that's one of the potential categories in another challenge I'm doing. *sigh*"

Its also another cat in this one. Another team got read the debut book of an author for this task.

Well, don't count on it being out in audio soon...I've read the reviews for the next one and it seems it ended on a cliff-hanger as well. And it's been a LONG time with no hint of 3 on the horizon.

(But yeah, I bet it would be a kick-ass audio!)

Did we agree a romance list to pick from with over 100 books on it?

Lisa wrote: "⚣Michaelle⚣ wrote: "Aaaand, I should have held onto that one because it was his debut book and that's one of the potential categories in another challenge I'm doing. *sigh*"

Its also another cat i..."

Maybe that's what I was thinking...I read it as a task somewhere. I did a search of the categories so maybe it was one that MK made up?

I think that she posted examples of what could be tasks. She has used quite a few that weren't on the list, like debut book.

I put the lists here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

And thinking Best Gay Romance or the Members Choice Winners...

And yes - Kat is going for new ones as well, so maybe we won't see the ones we've already chosen lists for? 🤷‍♀️