Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Team Members


Captain Grinder
🫘Mamacita

Frothers
🍵Shelby
🍵Emeli
🍵Tracy O
🍵Grace
🍵Danielle

1. Introduce yourself to your team. Let your team members know where you are from. This is a 'nice to know' when categories are announced and when team-mates can expect other members to post their book choices.

2. Captain Grinder - reserve a couple of posts in this thread tracking your team's book selection and completion. (Alternatively they could convert a chat comment to the tracking post/s.)

3. Name your team. Using this round's theme, come up with a fun name. Given we are an open/public group with no age limit, so please make sure any chosen name is smart, not smutty ;)

Please PM your name to Jane(PS) by 14 September

4. If you have a private profile, please 'friend' your team-mates. This is really important, because without this, your team-mates can't see your shelves to select a books under option 2. (It will also help with one of the categories in this round!)

5. Please post your book selections/completions in the format provided below. (This format is also posted in both the Q&A and Sign-Up threads.) We need to know the week that each book corresponds to, the page numbers, and how the book qualifies including links to lists/shelves (where applicable), etc. I can't stress this enough. When in doubt - link it*!

* don't link to your review in your completion post - reviews in your completion posts should be included in full in that post.

You don't want to start reading a book and then find it doesn't meet the requirements because some information (eg page count or theme link) was missing from your original post.

I will be monitoring this and your book will not be considered complete until I am satisfied that your selection and completion posts comply with the format rules of the challenge.

Remember - you can ONLY change your book selection in the week that the theme is called.

6. You MUST check in with your team each week, ideally once the theme is announced. Please let your team know if you expect to have spotty communication or are on holidays or having an operation, etc.

7. When you post the completion of your book, you must post a review; enough for us to know you have actually read the book. Please don't link to a review. You must post the review in this thread.

8. Re-reads are allowed but you can't read the same book twice within this challenge.

9. There is no prize for the winning team - bragging rights only :)

10. Each week, the theme will be announced in the Q&A/Announcement thread. The full list of themes announced during this round will be maintained in msg 1 of that thread.


The Rule on the Pass Option
* Each team can only have ONE member using their pass each week.
* Each member can only use that pass once each 5 weeks.
* This means that one or two team members (dependent upon the size of your team) will miss using a pass in each 5 week block.
* No-one can use the pass option in the last week of the challenge.
* In the final week Option 2 has altered and I will be allocating each team another team from which their book selection must be chosen :)

Key selection and completion post information. You must have ALL elements in your book posts.


For selection post Option 1 you must have:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Page numbers
How the book qualifies - please note which qualifying bookshelf/list you are using or the tags that justifies that it works.
If the theme is based off the bookcover, post the cover. If there is a letter count in the title, publication date etc, please note these details.

For selection post Option 2 you must have:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Page numbers
Name of the team-member, their star rating, the date they read the book.

For selection post Option 3 you must have:
Week #
PASS


For the completion post you must have:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Rating (1-5)
Review


Please DO NOT CHAT in these selction/completion posts. It needs to be super clear.

If you 'waffle' about your decided book - please REPOST your selection once you decide. DO NOT go back and edit your waffling post.

IF YOU NEED TO CORRECT A POST FOR MISSING INFORMATION or because the didn't qualify etc, please REPOST this information in a NEW post. I don't want to have to keep going backwards in the thread.

Lattes & Lovers (8)

✔️ Week #7 ~ 6/6
(view spoiler)[
✔️ Mama ~ Selection Msg #132 & Completion Msg #152
✔️ Shelby ~ Selection Msg #137 & Completion Msg #138
✔️ Emeli ~ Selection Msg #141 & Completion Msg #142
✔️ Tracy ~ Selection Msg #149 & Completion Msg #149
✔️ Grace ~ Selection Msg #136 & Completion Msg #167
✔️ Danielle ~ Selection Msg #144 & Completion Msg #153 (hide spoiler)]

✔️ Week #8 ~ 6/6
(view spoiler)[
✔️ Mama ~ Selection Msg #165 & Completion Msg #193
✔️ Shelby ~ Selection Msg #161 & Completion Msg #170
✔️ Emeli ~ Selection Msg #156 & Completion Msg #157
✔️ Tracy ~ ✔️Selection Msg #150 & Completion Msg #162
✔️ Grace ~ Selection Msg #147 & Completion Msg #159
✔️ Danielle ~ Selection Msg #154 & Completion Msg #155 (hide spoiler)]


✔️ Week #9 ~ 5/6 & 1 PASS
(view spoiler)[
✔️ Mama ~ Selection Msg #177 & Completion Msg #192
✔️ Shelby ~ Selection Msg #171 & Completion Msg #172
✔️ Emeli ~ Selection Msg #181 & Completion Msg #182
✔️ Tracy ~ PASS Msg #173
✔️ Grace ~ Selection Msg #179 & Completion Msg #180
✔️ Danielle ~ Selection Msg #175 & Completion Msg #176 (hide spoiler)]

Week #10 ~ 4/6 & 1 PASS
16. Instant Coffee - for when you are away from civilization
✔️ Mama ~ PASS Msg #186
✔️ Shelby ~ Selection Msg #190 & Completion Msg #191
Emeli ~ ✔️Selection Msg #197 & Completion Msg #
✔️ Tracy ~ Selection Msg #198 & Completion Msg #199
✔️ Grace ~ Selection Msg #188 & Completion Msg #189
✔️ Danielle ~ Selection Msg #194 & Completion Msg #195


Week #11
17. Per capita, Europe has the highest coffee drinking nations
Read a book set in Europe (mainland plus British Isles). British Isles includes UK and Ireland.
Mama ~ ✔️Selection Msg #202 & Completion Msg #
Shelby ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Emeli ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Tracy ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Grace ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Danielle ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #

Week #12
Mama ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Shelby ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Emeli ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Tracy ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Grace ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #
Danielle ~ Selection Msg # & Completion Msg #

Lattes & Lovers (8)

COMPLETED WEEKS by ALL TEAM MEMBERS

✔️ Week #1 ~ 6/6
(view spoiler)[
✔️ Mama ~ Lady of Forsyth
Selection Msg #28 & Completion Msg #29
✔️ Shelby ~ Rialto
Selection Msg #20 & Completion Msg #30
✔️ Emeli ~ The Bunny, the Wolf, and Their Kangaroo Omega
✔️Selection Msg #21 & Completion Msg #25
✔️ Tracy ~ The Liar’s Knot
Selection Msg #18 & Completion Msg #33
✔️ Grace ~ Wildfire Selection Msg #24 & Completion Msg #40
✔️ Danielle ~ Stay
Selection Msg #26 & Completion Msg #32 (hide spoiler)]

✔️ Week #2 ~ 6/6
(view spoiler)[
✔️ Mama ~ Selection Msg #45 & Completion Msg #54
✔️ Shelby ~ Selection Msg #48 & Completion Msg #55
✔️ Emeli ~ Selection Msg #49 & Completion Msg #70
✔️ Tracy ~ Selection Msg #50 & Completion Msg #64
✔️ Grace ~ Selection Msg #44 & Completion Msg #56
✔️ Danielle ~ Selection Msg #52 & Completion Msg #53 (hide spoiler)]

✔️ Week #3 ~ 6/6
(view spoiler)[
✔️ Mama ~ Selection Msg #68 & Completion Msg #73
✔️ Shelby ~ Selection Msg #61 & Completion Msg #63
✔️ Emeli ~ Selection Msg #58 & Completion Msg #85
✔️ Tracy ~ Selection Msg #57 & Completion Msg #65
✔️ Grace ~ Selection Msg #62 & Completion Msg #83
✔️ Danielle ~ Selection Msg #66 & Completion Msg #67 (hide spoiler)]

✔️ Week #4 ~ 6/6
(view spoiler)[
Read a book from one of the following lists linked on Q&A
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
✔️ Mama ~ *#57 on list
Selection Msg #91 & Completion Msg #97
✔️ Shelby ~ #386 on list
Selection Msg #78 & Completion Msg #86
✔️ Emeli ~ *#101 on list
Selection Msg #89 & Completion Msg #90
Tracy ~ *#57 on list
✔️ Selection Msg #72 & Completion Msg #98
✔️ Grace ~ #10 on list
Selection Msg #84 & Completion Msg #104
✔️ Danielle ~ #3 on list
Selection Msg #80 & Completion Msg #87
(hide spoiler)]

✔️ Week #5 ~ 6/6
(view spoiler)[
✔️ Mama ~ Selection Msg #95 & Completion Msg #105
✔️ Shelby ~ Selection Msg #99 & Completion Msg #102
✔️ Emeli ~ s24 on Best Cowboys List
Selection Msg #109 & Completion Msg #110
✔️ Tracy ~ ✔️Selection Msg #103 & Completion Msg #127
✔️ Grace ~ Selection Msg #108 & Completion Msg #123
✔️ Danielle ~ Selection Msg #111 & Completion Msg #112 (hide spoiler)]

Week #6 ~ 6/6
(view spoiler)[**please see List Links in Announcements/Q&A
✔️ Mama ~ #136 on Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
Selection Msg #117 & Completion Msg #133
✔️ Shelby ~ #330 on Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
Selection Msg #121 & Completion Msg #126
✔️ Emeli ~ Selection Msg #128 & Completion Msg #143
✔️ Tracy ~ #7 on Buzzed: Bee Keeping
Selection Msg #118 & Completion Msg #139
✔️ Grace ~ #594 on on Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
Selection Msg #120 & Completion Msg #135
✔️ Danielle ~ Selection Msg #124 & Completion Msg #125 (hide spoiler)]

Hey everybody! Super excited to play with you all this round. Just a quick little bit about me. I'm an actor/producer out in Los Angeles, so my schedule is more than a little erratic, especially with the strike going on right now. So between that and the bar I never know when I can get online, but I check in at least once a day. :)

I'll read just about anything, but my favorites tend to be paranormal or fantasy of any sort. I read a lot off MM romance as well.

Going to have to go and see if I can pre-plan a little of my reading. I'm horrible at coming up with names so I'll wait to see what people throw out .

Hi team! I am looking forward to playing with everyone. I'll do a longer introduction tomorrow when I get on my computer.

Hi team! I just wrapped up the bachelor challenge and had a fantastic time, so I’m super excited to try this one too.

I’m Tracy, I live in Seattle, and other that reading lately I’ve been playing a lot of Bauldur’s Gate 3 in my free time lately, but *usually* I run tabletop rpgs with my friends and knit sweaters. I’m not really, you know, a gamer (she says, 80+ hours in to a game that came out last month)

I don’t have anything super clever for a name suggestion but the first thing that came to mind was Lattes & Lovers

Hey everyone im Emeli i am a halflatina that lives in Sweden

Hey Ladies. I'm Mama, one of you're Captains here. Shelby well also be helping out and we will be co-captaining together.



This 1st week is a busy week for me as I am visiting with my grandbabies. I'll be home on Wednesday and then I will have a lot more time. I live in Texas and am in this CST which is GMT -5. I think the biggest thing we need to know is what time zone we are each living in.

Shelby & Stacy will be PST which is GMT -7. Not sure about Sweden, Emeli. Grace can you tell us what time zone you're in?

I'm not a coffee drinker so I'm going to be shit at coming up with team names. However I do love the name that was suggested Lattes & Lovers

My time zone is cet

Does anybody have any other name suggestions?

Does anyone object to Lattes & Lovers?

I like Lattes & Lovers

Hey guys, sorry just got back from vacation last night so I'm a little late to the party!

My time zone is EST -4, but I'm a shift worker so my hours are all over the map. I'm starting a stint of 4 night shifts tomorrow sooo my days will be flipped for a little while at least.

Lattes & Lovers works for me. Especially as someone whose very existence survives on caffeine. Not goona lie I'm super excited for fall and pumpkin season (hello pumpkin spice lattes). I shall be making waaayy too many pumpkin-related deserts and meals to make up for the fact it's been ridiculously hot in Canada and I don't approve lol.

OK well that makes our team. We are all cked in & & have a majority for Lattes & Lovers. I will turn in our name & we will be on standby for our first call. I will post our 1st Call in Msg # 4 each week until we get to further on in the weeks & pages.

Hi Team. I live in Southern California and am in PST. Calls are usually done around 3pm for me.

I mainly read MF romance and read all genres (no inspirational for me though). I tend to jump around so I don't get bored and have recently been on a contemporary kick.

Week #1 ~ 4. two most commonly grown coffee bean types
Read a book written by two authors (or more)

Don't forget to make your Selection Post w/ the Option & all available information in above Post #3

Selection Post
Week #1

The Liar’s Knot
Pages: 688
Qualifications: “M.A. Carrick is the joint pen name of Marie Brennan(author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of the Adventures of Mr. Mystic).”

I absolutely adored the first one and just… never got around to reading the next two, so this is the perfect motivation for me to finally get this off my tbr!

Selection Post - Week 1:

Book: Rialto - 259pgs/GR
How Fits: Authors: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott



[*bookcover:Rialto|48984001]

Selection post week 1

150 Pages
Lorelei M. Hart Wendy rathbone
[*book:The Bunny, the Wolf, and Their Kangaroo Omega|152001982]

Mama's Selection Post
Lattes & Lovers (8)


Week #1
Option #1
Task ~ #4. two most commonly grown coffee bean types
written by two authors (or more) Book ~ Princes of Chaos
Pages ~ 582 pages
How qualifies ~ Angel Lawson & Samantha Rue

Changed my mind to do a shorter book. See Msg #29

@Shelby & @Emeli, thank you so much for putting the Asterix in front of your book link. That makes it so much easier for me to copy and paste when I'm making my links to turn in when checking in.




If everybody else will do that moving forward that would be so much more helpful. I had forgotten about that.

Also, just one more thing before I forget, when we get to a point where we have to use a book that's on a particular Shelf, I will need you to put the page number the Shelf is on in your Selection & Completion Post please. A link would be helpful. If not no biggie, but I definitely would love the page number that way I'm not sifting through hundreds of pages.

Selection Post
Week 1

Book Wildfire by Ilona Andrews
Page numbers: 391
Qualification: Ilona Andrews is pseudonym of husband wife team, Ilona and Gordan Andrews.

[*book:Wildfire|27422533]

Completion post week 1

Finished 17/9
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love this author her books are pure fluff and comfort for me and i love this series because it features a unique variety of shifters and not just wolfs and bears and this book was no exception i love the combo of rabbit Kangaroo and wolf

Selection Post
Week 1


Book: Stay
Pages: 295
How it Qualifies: Written by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

[*book:Stay|32967547]

Emeli wrote: "Completion post week 1

Finished 17/9
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love this author her books are pure fluff and comfort for me and i love this series ..."

@Emeli, I'm not showing this on your read Shelf. Could you please fix that for me? Or if I'm just missing it send me a link? Thank you.

REPOSTED NEW SELECTION

Mama's Selection Post
Lattes & Lovers (8)


Week #1
Option #1
Task ~ #4. two most commonly grown coffee bean types
written by two authors (or more) Book ~ Lady of Forsyth
Pages ~ 105 pages
How qualifies ~ Angel Lawson & Samantha Rue

[*book:Lady of Forsyth|123176765]

Mama's Completion Post
Lattes & Lovers (8)


Week #1
Option #1
Task ~ #4. two most commonly grown coffee bean types
written by two authors (or more)
Book ~ Lady of Forsyth 4.5* ✔️ 9/18
How qualifies ~ Angel Lawson & Samantha Rue

Review ~ This was a Novella that has 3 different parts. The 1st part fits in at the very beginning of the Royals of Forsyth University series. It is actually in the first book.

Part 2 shows story with her time alone with each of the guys this is a totally new part and I would bet this is after all of the Lord's books but I don't know if it would fit in exactly after book #3 or more in between book #4-6 of the Dukes books because I don't remember exactly when a certain part happened in the series. That could be considered a spoiler if you are not at least thru all those books to be on the safe side.

Part 3 would definitely fit in at least the end of the Duke's book but before book #7 Princes of Chaos. Unless parts of this happens in book #7. I haven't read that yet, so IDK.

It was nice to see how even over a year late this quadruple is still going strong. For a short book this actually held my attention and didn't seem like it cut out anything. It just added to the character and their relationship that I've already gotten to know and care about.




[*book:Lady of Forsyth|123176765]

Week 1 - Completion Post
Rialto by Jocelynn Drake


Read: (9/19)

Rating: ★★★★★

This was a lovely conclusion to this series. The mystery/suspense elements of this story worked to give some tension to things, but for me this story was really a way to tie up everything and give us a last look in with these guys all finding their HEA's. I felt for Ian though as the comfortable life he was finally settling into gets a little bit of a jolt from the past and has him dealing with emotions and feelings he thought he'd put behind him.

Of course Ian and Hollis are wonderful together as always and I adore the way all of these guys are so supportive of each other. Their friendship is truly wonderful. Ian's got such a sweet caring soul and it was no surprise how he wanted to handle things as they figured out what exactly was going on.

I enjoyed this series from the beginning. I love any time we get to be back with these guys.

@Emeli please don't forget to put your book on your read Shelf.

Completion Post
Week 1 - Option 1


Book: Stay
Pages: 295
How it Qualifies: Written by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Read: 09/18
Review
4 Stars

This was significantly better than the first one. The characters were a lot more down-to-earth and not as loud and obnoxious. Hailey going from shy not confident was fun to watch, but I do wish the whole standard contemporary romance break up and get back together was a little bit longer in this one. Matt didn't even fight it after he broke up with her, for admittedly valid personal reasons, all she had to do was show up at his door. No required speech or convincing needed. Just needed a little more.

☕️ Completion Post ☕️
Week 1 Option 1

The Liar’s Knot
Pages: 688
Qualifications: “M.A. Carrick is the joint pen name of Marie Brennan(author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of the Adventures of Mr. Mystic).”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
There were definitely some parts that dragged in the first two sections, and I found it a little tricky to keep track of all the secrets and who knew what about whom, as well as so many, many background characters enmeshed in the complex political web of The Liars Knot, but those are minor quibbles with what was otherwise an excellent fantasy novel. The worldbuilding in particular continues to be fantastic, and I loved seeing details from the previous novel unfold in this one. The complicated, florentinian family registers and fluctuating alliances that system allows are fascinating, and M A Carrick has created one of a vanishingly small number of worlds that contain both a queernorm culture and a noble class with any verisimilitude.

I can’t wait to pick up the third one!

[*book:The Liar’s Knot|57308929]

Hi team...I'm listening to the audio version of my book and have about 7 hours left. I should be finished on Saturday or Sunday.

Just an FYI Jane is giving us 2 weeks to complete week 1, so there won't be a new theme call this week.

Grace wrote: "Hi team...I'm listening to the audio version of my book and have about 7 hours left. I should be finished on Saturday or Sunday.

Just an FYI Jane is giving us 2 weeks to complete week 1, so there ..."

Oh crap. I didn't know that. I kept cking to see if she posted the new task today. 🙄🤦‍♀️

Thx for the Heads up Grace!

Grace wrote: "Hi team...I'm listening to the audio version of my book and have about 7 hours left. I should be finished on Saturday or Sunday.

Just an FYI Jane is giving us 2 weeks to complete week 1, so there ..."

So did not realize that either. Was expecting the new call today. :-p

Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "Emeli wrote: "Completion post week 1

Finished 17/9
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love this author her books are pure fluff and comfort for me and i lov..."

Hi Mama - I don't expect you to check the player's read shelf for completions :) I basically know they have read the book because of their reviews. Thanks for thinking of this, but I don't want you chasing that detail down ❤️ Some readers take a while to update their shelves.

Sorry about the 2 week task everyone - I stuffed up on my counting of weeks!!
🌺

Completion Post
Week 1

Book Wildfire by Ilona Andrews
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: I very much enjoyed the audio version of the book. Renee Raudman did a great job narrating (though I prefer her in the Kate Daniels series). Looking forward to listening to Catalina's series next.

[*book:Wildfire|27422533]

🌺

Jane (PS) wrote: "Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "Emeli wrote: "Completion post week 1

Finished 17/9
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love this author her books are pure fluff ..."

Oh OK. Cool beans. I thought that was part of my tasks too!

Week 2
12. Latte Art - the decorative surface pattern on Flat Whites or Lattes
*Read a book with a drawn cover.

There is also a example on the Announcement Thread

Selection Post
Week 2

Book Make Me: A Broke and Beautiful Novel
Page numbers: 304
Qualification: Illustrated cover

[b*ook:Make Me: A Broke and Beautiful Novel|63876709]

Mama's Selection Post
Lattes & Lovers (8)


Week #2
Option #2
Task ~ #12. Latte Art - the decorative surface pattern on Flat Whites or Lattes
*Read a book with a drawn cover.
Book ~ Vengeance
Pages ~ 167 pages
How qualifies ~ Shelby read Fated Book #1 on 9/1/23 & rated it 3*. As I am further in the series I am using the series rule so that I can read book #9.5.

I'm around just can't decide between two books: The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen and Wolf. Two very different reads just not sure what I'm in the mood for. Gonna start them both and I'll post tomorrow or the next day with my pick!

🎨

Selection Post - Week 2:

Book: A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel - 336pgs/GR
How Fits: Cover - Drawn



[*bookcover:A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel|75505273]

Selection post week 2

Body Count
361 pages
Drawn cover
[*book:Body Count|197042373]

Selection post week 2

Pages: 296
Qualifications: cover is illustrated

[*book:Godkiller|61244268]