Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Oh Skye, I just finished that one and loved it. Stayed up reading way too late last night!

It's nice to be reading a good one.
I finished my Reckless book this morning.
Wish I hadn't started last night, or I could have used it. It's average rating was 4.13

I gave it 2 stars, and gained a new pet peeve.

hard no's are now.
1. No magic D (such as paralized character gets the D so good he stands up and walks.
and the new one
2. "Accidental" sex. Oopsy.

admitatly not as bad as the magic D, but still irked me.

Reading Winter's Wolf, the dreaded Connecticut book.

I just started that category too. It’s rated over 4. So can count for a second book for tart. Finished my first.

Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.0.

1st book
First Impressions 357pg
1st "kindle edition" earlier edition was ebook not kindle
Jay Hogan
Completed 05/07/25
How it qualifies 4.06 average rating
review
4 stars
I liked the progression of the relationship.
It didn't feel like they jumped in to fast, or like insta-love.
I didn't care to much for the seperation, but hey, sometimes there are bumps in the road. So I have no issues with that.
Coming off an agrivating read in my last book, this was a pleasant change.
Solid 1st read.

Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.0.
2nd book
The Understatement of the Year 308pg
Sarina Bowen
Completed 05/07/25
how it qualifes 4.08 average rating
3 stars.
review.
Enjoyed the ride. No big agnst. Well, they had a bit of a messed up past.
But no kidnapper, stalker, dramatic craziness.
No trying to kill each other on the ice.
Low angst. Low steam, but there is some.
Nice on a first read.

Completion Post
Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.00


Book: Winter's Wolf
Author: Tara Lain
Pages: 220
How it fits: avg rating is 4.00
Finished May 7
Rate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review
High angst! Not only between Winter and Matt, shifter and FBI agent, but also Winter’s father Damon and his love from twenty-six years past. Both couples are dealing with forbidden love, forbidden by the pack. And on top of it all, there’s murder and a drug network to solve.

Completion Post Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.0.


Book: Boyfriend Goals
Author: Riley Hart
Pages: 368
How it fits: avg rating is 4.18
Finished: May 7
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I love a neurodivergent MC and Riley did such a great job of showing how Milo's brain works. Yes Milo is a little different, but he's no less capable than anyone else, and he proves that time and again.

I enjoyed Milo's story. After finding out he has a grandma by inheriting her book store after her passing, he jumps into running the shop with so much passion and love, while trying to find out as much as possible about the family member he never got the chance to know.

Gideon in contrast fell a little flat for me. He felt like an accessory to Milo instead of an independant character with his own story, likes and dreams. Yes there was the problems with his father, but I wish there had been more to him than his job.

Almost done my first one. Should be able to post in a couple of hours. Jessica, were you able to read a second?

Completion Post Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.0.


Book: Outfoxed
Author: Jodi Payne
Pages: 203
How it fits: avg rating is 4.36
Finished: May 8
Rating: ⭐️
Review: One of the most boring books I've ever read. I don't understand how this has a rating of 4.36. If I didn't need it for three challenges I would have dnf at 20%. I carried on hoping things would get better and it never did. Flat characters, flat dialogue, barely any plot.

Completion Post Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.0.


Book: Impurrfections
Author: Kaje Harper
Pages: 342 Kindle ed (GR)
How it fits: 4.29 rating
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review: I don't think I've read a book by Kaje Harper that I haven't loved. A homeless man finds a place to stay in Gaynor Beach and meets a man who needs help and support in a different way. They connect, they help each other, they help animals, and it is lovely.

Will post our completion!

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.0.

1st book
First Impressions 328pg
1st "kindle edition" earlier edition was ebook not kindle
Jay Hogan
Completed 05/07/25
..."

When the earliest dated edition or 'first' edition is not a Kindle edition, please use the earliest dated English language Kindle edition for the page count. In this case it would be 257. Thanks.

DeeNeez wrote: "Completion Post
Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.00


Book: Winter's Wolf
Author: Tara Lain
Pages: 267
How it fits: avg rat..."

Please correct to the earliest dated English language Kindle edition page count (220). Thanks.

Here is your next task!

Task 7 - 38. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with a non-English language edition.

Books selected for this task need to also be published in a language besides English. Please include a link to the non-English language edition in your completion posts. Remember to use the first edition Kindle page count.

I can read The Understatement of the Year now which has 308 pages.

Will most likely read MacRieve (481 pages) but may read Boyfriend Material (431 pages)

at work, so will chose after work, but from what I need to read in other challenges....

Love is a Stranger 296pg

Killing Floor 528pg
I hope that's the first English kindle edition.
There are 250 editions. That's the best I can tell.

And maybe The Darkling Thrush 174pg

MountainKat wrote: "Please correct to the earliest dated English language Kindle edition page count (220). Thanks.
..."

Fixed!

MountainKat wrote: "Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Task 6 - 31. Read 6 books rated over 4.0.

1st book
First Impressions 328pg
1st "kindle edition" earlier edition was ebook not kindle
[author:Jay Ho..."

fixed

I landed on Killing Floor 528pg

I should be done tonight.

Completion Post
Task 7 - 38. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with a non-English language edition.


Book: Body at Buccaneer's Bay
Author Josh Lanyon
Pages: 252
How it fits: Italian edition Un corpo a Buccaneer's Bay: Misteri e Scrabble 5
Rate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
Oh, to curl up and read an Ellery Page mystery! This has quickly become my favorite Josh Lanyon series. To visit Ellery and all the colorful characters in Pirate’s Cove is always a joy. Ellery once again gets drawn into another investigation, much to the ire of Jack. So much is going on, Ellery has a stalker, a burglary, investigating an old murder and newly attempted murder attempts. Are all these incidents related? Yes, there were still some unanswered questions by the end of this book, and I surely hope the next book tells more. And is Christopher Holmes really going to visit Ellery’s bookstore?!

Completion Post
Task 7 - 38. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with a non-English language edition.


Book: The Understatement of the Year
Author: Sarina Bowen
Pages: 308 First Kindle ed, GR
Finished: May 9
How it fits: Published in french as well: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I honestly didn't think Graham could pull himself out of the self hatred and fear cycle without some major counselling, but love seems to conquer all. It was very hard to watch him struggle and to see the difference between how he and Rikker handled the same situation in their past. It was a serious but thoughtful read.

That's 562 pages so far!

Completion Post
Task 7 - 38. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with a non-English language edition.


Book:MacRieve
Author: Kresley Cole
Pages: 481
Read: 10th May
How it fits: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: This series is a true guilty pleasure. Listening to Macrieve's gruff Scottish accent in the audiobook melts me.
Chloe is a strong female character. A pro soccer player whose motto is 'run some dirt on it'. She isn't afraid to stand her ground and stick up for herself against the hot-headed alpha.
The story and characters are lots of fun. I'm still mad it's 12 years later and we still don't have Nix's story! I really hope Kresley does eventually finish the series.

How are you getting on Skye? :)

Completion Post
Task 7 - 38. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with a non-English language edition.

I landed on Killing Floor 532pg
Completed 05/10/25
How it qualifies
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Sometimes, you just have to suspend disbelief—and I’m totally fine with that. I usually lean toward romance, unless it's urban fantasy, so this was a bit outside my typical reading comfort zone. There was a little romance and while there were a few sex scenes, they were quite understated—light on detail. It didn’t try to be something it wasn’t Happy ever after just wouldn't work with the series.

What really stood out for me was the style of violence—it’s exactly the kind I enjoy in both books and movies. There’s no need for over-the-top explosions or gratuitous gore. I came across the term Tranquil Fury while trying to describe it, and it fits perfectly.
I like that term. That calm, controlled demeanor while effortlessly dismantling the bad guys? I love that. It’s not about rage or chaos.
Killing doesn’t rattle him; he doesn't hesitate or question his choices. He acts with purpose and efficiency, eliminating threats without a flicker of remorse. But that doesn't mean he's cold or detached. He’s observant and aware, always calculating outcomes and recognizing when a situation could spiral out of control. Sometimes his quick thinking saves the day, and other times it’s pure luck—like the moment with the glasses

I really liked the supporting characters. I'm not sure if any of them will appear in future books. I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of them in the future.

So sorry. I finished last night as I was crawling into bed.

Unexpectedly had to rush to town before 6am, and then we hadn't been home since.

I post our completion

Diane wrote: " Completion Post
Task 7 - 38. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with a non-English language edition.


Book: [book:The Understatement of the..."

Please correct to the first edition Kindle page count (308). Thanks.

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Completion Post
Task 7 - 38. Read a minimum of 1000 pages in books with a non-English language edition.

I landed on Killing Floor 528pg
Completed 05/10/25
How it qualifies [bookcov..."

Please correct to the earliest dated English language Kindle edition page count (532). Thanks.

Here is your next task!

Task 8 - 52. Read 6 books with the same color cover, teams decide color.

As a team select a color, then read 6 books with covers that are primarily the selected color. Books selected need to be clearly and obviously the selected color! You can use any edition’s cover to qualify. Please include the chosen color and the qualifying cover in your completion posts.

Please correct to the first edition Kindle page count (308). Thanks.

Damn, I thought I had the right one.

Corrected!

Did we pick black?

It looks like we did pick black according to the summary.

fixed. Sorry, couldn't tell with 250 editions which one was first.

Right? That's the problem I had. This should be black enough right:



Or this edition:

Black enough?

Diane wrote: "Right? That's the problem I had. This should be black enough right:



Or this edition:

"

Definitely the second the one

I would say yes Jessica.

Is this one black enough?

Or

DeeNeez wrote: "Is this one black enough?

Or
"

Second one I'd say yes..I'm not sure about the first. Maybe we should have gone for blue 😂

I agree on the second. First one is a little light.
Does this work?

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "I agree on the second. First one is a little light.
Does this work?

"

I would say that's grey. :(

Next year, maybe grey.
Seems like every time I think I have a blue, green or black cover, if you run it through tineye they say it's grey.

Okay, found one

or
I know the 2nd one looks a lot blue, but I ran it through tineye and it's 65% black. But that blue is awefully bright.
And the first one looks like it has more black, but tineye says it has less.

Ugh. Yes next year, grey or blue

How do you Tineye?

DeeNeez wrote: "Ugh. Yes next year, grey or blue

How do you Tineye?"

Is it too late to switch? 😂

As long as the whole team agrees. Can we read 6 books in time?
I vote grey

My only worry is Diane might have started and hers was black. Shall I ask MountainKat if we can use all shades of grey including black?

Why not😉