Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Shall we tell her our team name is Wine Not?

Jessica wrote: "@Skye, I'm going to buddy read Skeletons in the Closetwith you for BQ

@Dee, I'll buddy read Every Move He Makes with you for Middle Earth"

Sure! Be sure and set up a buddy read request thru that groups “buddy read moderator”. I did it wrong last time, not knowing they had special procedures 😳

Diane wrote: "Shall we tell her our team name is Wine Not?"

Go for it! 😁

Posted to the right thread.

When do we get the first category??

6pm EDT which is 11pm my time 😫

got it!

9pm my time🤣

@Dee, minimum page count for this challenge is 150 and Trust in the Moon is 148. Don't know if you want to switch it out? Will be using it for another challenge due to your rec though :)

First Task - All Teams!

Task 1 - 0. Read a book honoring Earth Day.

Signups for this round closed on Earth Day. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year. It is a worldwide event to raise awareness for environmental issues and encourage protection of the planet. To honor Earth Day, read a book with a 22 (combined, not separated) in the initial publication date OR read a book with both green AND blue on the cover, teams decide. If using the publication date option, make sure you use the initial publication date. If there is a date at the top of the editions page - use it! Otherwise, I will be looking for the earliest dated English language edition regardless of format for the qualification. Please include the initial publication date in your completion posts. If using the cover option, the qualifying covers need to have both blue AND green on the cover. They do not have to be the primary colors, but both must be present. You can use any edition’s cover as your qualification. Please include the qualifying cover in your completion posts. If in doubt, please ask.

22 would be my preference, but I do have a book that's 57% blue, 2.5% green

Let's see if we can find 22 then, wouldn't one from 2022 work?

Diane wrote: "Let's see if we can find 22 then, wouldn't one from 2022 work?"

Yes it would :)

I'm going to read Learning Curve

Hope that's ok.

If everyone's happy with 2022, I'll be reading ‎Sinful Mafia Prince or Waiting for Ru

Just one book each? That’s easy. A Little Christmas: Aster

Under 100 books
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
would be a good one.
There is contemporary, pnr, fantasy...lots of options.

Who are we doing for same author?

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Who are we doing for same author?"

Alice Winters. It's all in message 14,but I still need replies to msg 37 :)

Completion post
Task 1 - 0. Read a book honoring Earth Day


Book: A Little Christmas: Aster
Pages: 151 GR & Amazon
How it fits: Published December 9, 2022 (see link above)
Finished: Apr 27
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
An age-play-little story that starts off so sad I was in tears when Theodore found Aster’s letters to his deceased husband/daddy. A story of grief, healing, and finding a second love. Sweet story.

@Dee it's a 150 page minimum

Completion post
Task 1 - 0. Read a book honoring Earth Day

Devil's Mark 372pg GR
Lark Taylor
How it fits: Published July 18, 2022
Rating 3 stars
Review:
It was okay.
I do like demons, and the brothers.
I wasn't sold on the instalove.
Cal gave him his mark to keep him safe, but seemed like it just drew danger to him.

Jessica wrote: "@Dee it's a 150 page minimum"

I corrected my post, posted the wrong version.

Completion post
Task 1 - 0. Read a book honoring Earth Day -- 22 in publication date

Book: Hidden Blade
Pages: 326 GR Kindle Ed
How it fits: Published Oct 4, 2022
Finished: Apr 27
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Lovely story about very talented musicians, one with extreme social anxiety/autism spectrum who just couldn't perform live due to his anxiety, but the two of them meshed and figured out how to make beautiful music together.

Completion post
Task 1 - 0. Read a book honoring Earth Day -- 22 in publication date

‎Sinful Mafia Prince by Ella Frank
Pages: 276 GR Kindle 1st Ed
How it fits: Published August 29th 2022
Finished: Apr 27
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Review: This was an enjoyable completion to the story, giving us some more tender and sweet moments than we got with the first, but it felt too short. In honesty, this duet felt like one book split into two for the sake of a cash grab, but it was an entertaining, sexy story nonetheless. Most of the book takes place in Italy and I always love being able to explore foreign locations through books

checked us in :)

Here is your next task!

Task 2 - 2. Each player reads the first book in a series, can be same or different series - no pass for this task.

Every teammates reads a book numbered 1 or lower in a numbered series listed on GR. Teammates can read the same or different series. Please include the series and number in your completion posts.

I am starting up Drama Queen.
It was so hard to choose 1 series!

Had to find a book that I wouldn’t use for SH 😂
Smash & Grab

I've got one in the works.

Completion post
Task 2 - 2. Each player reads the first book in a series, can be same or different series - no pass for this task.


Book: Smash & Grab
Pages: 190 GR
How it fits: First book in the Relic series
Finished: Apr 29
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
It was wild, it was crazy, and I loved every minute of this cross country trek! Dalton’s two sided personality human/dino was great, it blended so well. Especially when he always thought of “Pretty Simon”, had me smiling or laughing. Totally enjoyable!

Of the entire series, this one is my favorite!

Completion post
Task 2 - 2. Each player reads the first book in a series, can be same or different series - no pass for this task.



Take Me Apart 352pg
How it fits: First book in the Vitale Brothers #1 series.
Completed 4/29/25
rating 3 stars.
I did like that Enzo wasn't white washed. He didn't just kill people when they really really deserved it. I hate when they try to make the killer charter all moral.
Idk that I really liked the 2 of the characters for each other.
I didn't really by the insta-love.
It got me enough that I'd read the next book. But not so much that I'd really be up to reading it...unless it had really good scavenger hunt points....you could twist my arm then.

Completion post
Task 2 - 2. Each player reads the first book in a series, can be same or different series - no pass for this task.

Crier's War by Nina Varela
Pages: 448 GR Kindle 1st
How it fits: 1st in series Crier's War
Read: 29-April
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: I'm basing my rating on the great plot, world-building and villain. The romance for me was lacking. I liked Crier and Ayla as individuals and the physical attraction was obvious, but the book didn't slow the plot down long enough to have any meaningful bonding moments where the girls could grow closer and have love develop, Watching them uncover Kryok's plot though was enough to keep me engaged. It's great to read something truly original, and if we get to the point where we're genetically making perfect humans in labs, I can see how this kind of future could come about.

Completion post
Task 2 - 2. Each player reads the first book in a series, can be same or different series - no pass for this task.


Book: Drama Queen
Author: Charlie Novak
Pages: 289 Kindle ed GR
Finished: Apr 30
How it fits: First book in series The Court
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This was a sweet story between Rory (a drag queen) and a Jock who have an accidental meet cute. It was sweet and not too angsty. There were many characters from other books in this one, but it didn't detract from the story.

I checked us in.

Here is your next task!

Task 3 - 7. Read 4 books that are stand alones.

Books selected for this task can not be listed in any series on GR.

(Wow, the randomizer is liking series/not series tasks for you so far! I'm sure that will soon change though.)

MountainKat wrote: "(Wow, the randomizer is liking series/not series tasks for you so far! I'm sure that will soon change though.).."

Don’t jinx us 😂

I’m going with Fathers of the Bride

At least this one will go with the Rivendell challege ☺️

I'm reading The Boy I Love

I have started Back Home.

What's the Rivendell challenge Dee? Lord of the Rings related??

UNO challenge just finished today, and my team just got better every month. Will have more time now for this and The Hunt.

Diane wrote: "What's the Rivendell challenge Dee? Lord of the Rings related??"

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm finding it so much fun. I used to hate the idea of writing reviews but it's forced me to do at least a short one for every book and I'm liking it now.

Our team is getting our asses handed to us so if you want to join ask Saige to put you on Team Rivendell with me, Dee and Trio.

I'm going to listen to this one tomorrow.
But I'm gonna put all the info here, so I can just come in and say DONE.
I'll be on the road, and data service isn't so good for a big chunk of it.

So when I get some bars on my phone, I'll pop in to say it's done, and can just reference my selection post.

Task 3 - 7. Read 4 books that are stand alones.

Like Water Catching Fire
218pg GR
How it qualifies: Stand Alone

Wait 4 books each, or 4 books total?

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Wait 4 books each, or 4 books total?"

Total 😂 sometimes it will be six, but if she says 'read 4 books' it means someone can skip the task though we're limited in how many skips we get.

Cool.
I didn't want to stop at one, and find out when I got internet I should have kept on going.

Nice to have it cross over with SH this time.

Diane wrote: "What's the Rivendell challenge Dee? Lord of the Rings related??"

Yup, that’s the one

Completion Post:

Task 3 - 7. Read 4 books that are stand alones


Book: Back Home
Author: RJ Scott
Pages: 256 first Kindle ed GR
Finished: May 1
How it fits: Not part of a series
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review: One brother in love with the other brother's boyfriend and stays away from home for years, even after the brother dies. His sister calls him home when his father is ill, and he finally has to deal with his feelings and his grief. It could have been angstier, but it was a pretty easy read.