A little hack I have found to work with the PET tape is to put a piece of scotch tape on one side with it overhanging and a little tab then do the same on the back. Peels right apart. Hope that helps 😊
Great hack. Works well for me too. I have found that if you stick scotch tape on the front of a gilded sticker, the scotch tape sometimes peels off the gilding when I pull it off.
Ooo! If you aren't already using Storygraph I highly recommend! It will calculate a lot of these stats for you! Tip that I wish I knew when I first started: when you search a book, you can click on (editions) and you can choose which edition/format you're using. You can switch editions as well if you end up accidentally choosing the wrong one (that way you don't have to remove the book and re-add it. That would count it as a DNF I think).
Here are some romance reads recommendations for you : Hello Stranger by Katherine Center, Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood, How to Kiss Your Enemy by Jenny Proctor, and Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter. 💖
The undisputed queen of romance has to be Jane Austen! I love her wit and humour, and if you want a gentle satire on the gothic then Northanger Abbey is the place to start. All the time I was reading it I kept thinking, Jane you are poking fun at me! Still, it’s a proper regency romance all the same - great stuff.
I dont read much romance, but love The selection and all the books by Kiera Cass. I love the books by Marissa Meyer too but there are more fantasy included
14:45 "Act Your Age, Eve Brown" by Talia Hibbert (my fav book last year ❤), Part of Your World series by Abby Jimenez, "Out on a Limb" by Hannah Bonam - Young, "On the Same Page" by Haley Cass and "Snowed In" by Catherine Walsh. (I haven't read anything by Emily Henry... I'm planning to do it by the end of next month or in March)
I just caught up on the Rose Hill series by Elsie Silver! There's only two out right now, Wild Love and Wild Eyes, and I have loved both of them! They're super easy to read (I'm a slow reader and I read these both in about a day and a half), and they have great banter, and the pacing in super fast! I would definitely recommend those for your romance adventure this month!
Some romance recs (from someone who's not really a romance reader) - The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, a contemporary magical realism, and The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore, multi POV & multi timeline. I rated both 5 stars.
For romance recommendations im gonna suggest literally anything by Nora Roberts. I swear shes written enough books theres got to be at least one that would spark your interest and theyre all imo very good.
A Walk to Remember!!!! It’s one of my favorite movies, and it’s based on a Nicholas Sparks book. The book is super short and okay, but I absolutely love the movie. It is very much a 90s movie, but it’s also just very sweet ❤❤
This is just reminding that January is almost over and all I've managed to read is the InuYasha manga I got for Christmas :P I haven't found a lot of time to read this month between work and a bunch of other little things I've been doing. But I'm down to maybe 20 chapters of Pride & Prejudice so if I do 2 chapters a day, I could be done in a reasonable amount of time
I really enjoy Emily Henry. Her book People We Meet On Vacation isn’t everyone’s fav BUT the film adaptation comes out later this year. I also love Ali Hazelwood, and my most recent read by her is Love, Theoretically.
Movies: If you want SPICE, "The Lover" is a good read to watch (it's on my list as I've never read it, but the movie is a favourite). Art house vibe would be "Amelie" (also just a great French instrumental soundtrack). Family dynamic is "Home for the Holidays" (US thanksgiving, but seasonally a good pick for you). Essentially romance novels put to film is "Mrs. Winterbourne" (concealed identity/they're too good to me), with the similar theme but very different feeling "The Truth About Cats & Dogs", and a Sandra Bullock lead/style in "While You Were Sleeping". If you like Queen Latifah "Just Wright" (edited for spelling) or "Last Holiday" are great picks. An Animated with great music is "Strange Magic" (fairies, love spells, power struggles). A witty classic is "How to Marry a Millionaire" (3 women looking to land "big fish", and the expected humor of 1953). If you like ballroom dancing (or even just the music) heavily coated in Aussie-isms, the movie "Strictly Ballroom" is a really good time. An 80's high energy, multiple pov's, make you laugh, is "Big Business", with a more flirty "sci-fi" twisted version being "Earth Girls Are Easy" (one of my favourites). All these movies are ones I actually have selected for my own re-watching this year. Haha. I just grabbed out the binder they're in and started flipping.😉For shows, if you're into Asian works (like K-Dramas), there's "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?" which is 16 episodes, so can be watched over a month if you do 1-2 every 2 days if you're not a binge watcher, like I am. "Fated to Love You" is also good in any of its versions (Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and maybe a couple others exist that were all recreated locally to the country), with 24 episodes in season 1, and then some countries did either a follow up movie, or a short season 2 that isn't integral to the story "finished" in the 1st season. 🤗
Romance Movies: Ever After (Cinderella), Ladyhawke (magical elements), Stange Magic (Midsummer Night's Dream inspired animated musical), Enchanted (cartoon and live action), Anastasia (animated) Romance Books: KM Shea (great for slow burn typically a trilogy), It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (funny sports romance with owner and head coach), Song of the Forever Rains by E J Mellow (musically based magic system), Glynnis Campbell (Viking romance)
I also put "Strange Magic" ! I definitely did NOT get the vibe of MND inspired, though! I know that's what the Wiki says, but there was no outside influence, nor a huge lack of misunderstanding between leads, and nothing besides involving fairies to be so. And MND is the ONLY W.S. works I actually like, and have many versions of to compare this with. 🙃
@@cvvzdesigns , I'm not a fan of Shakespeare so I put it on there based on the Wiki/IMDB page. I love the music mash ups and the way the transitions happen in I can't Help Falling in Love/Crazy in Love scene. Don't get me wrong, everything else about the movie is great. But those transitions were amazing!
Suggestions for your Lucky in Love challenge; Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston, Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. And for a movie - Love Actually. Enjoy 😊
@@JashiiCorrinoooooh you know what, you’re so right. I think they just looked odd to me because they aren’t solid. I especially loved how you put that lace tape over the script. So pretty!
I am usually not a romance reader but there are a few I really enjoyed. For example Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, All In Duology by Emma Scott, Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (I watched it but it is also available as Graphic Novels), Afterlove by Tanya Byrne and the Again Series by Mona Kasten. I hope there is a bit of inspiration for you :)
Romance movies -Ever After (Cinderella retelling) -Tristan and Isolde (if you want a good cry) -Moulin Rouge (also a cry but lots of fun along the way)
I loved Nettle and Bone! It has the bestest goodest boy! For Regular not fantasy romance I highly recommend Claudia Dain. Especially her Courtesan series. First one is The Courtesan's Daughter. She also has a pirate one titled: Tell Me Lies. For Romance movies I like the BBC miniseries of Jane Austen's books, and also Jane Eyre, and the Importance of Being Ernest
I had the same problem at the beginning with the mini calendar, and my solution was to use a dash line the days I don't read that book and a continuous line the days I read the book. I like your solution, I'd love to see it at the end of the month. About the romance recommendations, it depends on what kind of romance you want to read, my main authors are Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nalini Singh, Karen Marie Moning, Lisa Kleypas and Sarah MacLean (I believe I didn't miss any). And The kiss quotient by Helen Hoang.
More unexpected decorations! I love it! I also love your start of journal set up pages. And I’m really loving the monthly videos for your reading journal! Can’t wait to see more of them throughout the year!
As a not avid media consumer, you make me want to set up a media journal regardless 😂 I love the idea for your reading log though. I want to try that. I'm watching Star Trek Voyager at the moment, so at least I'll have something interesting to put down that isn't "another day of World of Warcraft played" (I seriously had over 300 days played last year!)
Gotta pause the video to give you my romance books recommandations ! I read a lot of romance, some of it terrible, some of it great so here are my favourites : obviously we have the two queens - Emily Henry ( book lovers and beach read are the most romantic and funniest) and - Ali Hazelwood (Love on the Brain is the funniest, Check and Mate is more YA and about two chess players, Love theoretically is the best written the two main characters are chef's kiss) - Olivia Atwater Half a Soul. This one has a touch of fantasy but is SO romantic. the first encounter between the two main characters is incredible, the banter is some of my favourite that I've ever read. it's a quick read ! - Helen Hoang the Kiss Quotient. This one is about an autistic 30 year-old woman who hires a male escort to get more comfortable with intimacy. This book is about communication and consent. It's an amazing story - Alison Cochrun The Charm Offensive. This one is about a man who is a producer on a Bachelor-like TV show and falls in love with the Bachelor of the season. Very cute, great representation of depression, anxiety - Sarah Grunder Ruiz Last Call at the Local. I read this book in one sitting in january 2024. Loved the two main characters. An American girl who travels the world gets stuck for a while in Ireland after all her stuff gets stolen. She ends up working at the bar where the owner is a former tattoo artist, cat lover and person who struggles with really bad OCD. Loved it and last but not least : Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare. This book is hilarious. The premise is awesome. It's a regency era romance. The FMC is recently orphaned after the death of her father (her mother died when she was very young) and as an unmarried woman, become penniless. She receives a letter from a lawyer telling her that she inherited something from her uncle. She meets the lawyer at a castle, the castle is supposedly hers except... the owner of the castle (who ISNT her dead uncle) is alive and well and still lives there ! It's forced proximity, it's funny, romantic and it's a book about books. It also has the best / stupidest declaration of love in it. Please give it a try ! Hope this helps Loooove your videos xx
This looks so good! Also some romance recs: - The Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy (4 books) - Emily Henry (anything she writes is amazing) - Twisted Series by Ana Huang (4 books) - Dreamland Billionaires by Lauren Asher (3 books) - Binding and Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh (you will cry) - Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood There's more but these are one of my faves that are very easy to get into
I often do calendar layout in my reading journal, especially when I read a lot that month (I setup my pages after the month is over) and I assign each book a colour and colour in the calendar only the days I actually read the book. Storygraph's monthly statistics are very helpful with that :D
I like the Romantic Escapes Series by Julie Caplin. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, a bit cute, a bit spicy (not all of them). I like them as palette cleansers between more intense books. My favorite one of the series so far is The Cozy Cottage in Ireland (its the least spicy one of them so far)
For Games, I consider "Harvest Moon" to be a romance, as your objective amidst all the daily farm maintenance and helping in the village is to get married. 🤭
I love the reading challenges you've taken. For the romance books I suggest any of Susan Stoker's series. She writes military heroes and the women they love. A second suggestion is Talia Hibbert's Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Enjoy!
I will also recommend Nora Roberts. Having written for over 40 years she should have something that might spark your interest. Other good romance writers include Kathleen Brooks (very funny and self assured female leads) or Dale Mayer if you are into military romances.
My romance movie recommendation is I Capture the Castle! It's also a book, written by the same author as 101 Dalmatians, Dodie Smith. It's a whimsical romance with some drama and chaos and eccentricity.
Glad you like it! 💜 I've been finding myself using it a lot more recently (mainly because my roll is old and losing its stick-a-bility so I want to make the most of it while I can 😂) Definitely one I'll replace when it runs out though! 💪
One recommendation for m/f romance would be Extreme Honor, the start of the True Heroes series by Piper J. Drake. They're not pure romance but rather romantic suspense. She does also do romantic fantasy, but you were looking for not-fantasy. One of the things I love about her books is that there are almost always animals featured somehow. In this series, they are working dogs for people working in private security. If you'd prefer a one-off, a stand-alone contemporary romance she has is Gaming Grace, also m/f, in a Caribbean vacation setting. Peering through my Kindle library, most of it is fantasy or sci-fi romance. However, there is Ginger Snapping All the Way by Gabbi Grey, a Christmasy contemporary m/m romance. Or there's Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan for f/f romance, which starts off as an an attempted con. Hopefully something in there looks interesting!
Book recommendations from my top reads of last year: Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell (Sci-Fi), Role Playing by Cathy Yardley (Contempory) and A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall (historical, Regency)
Some romance recommendations: - Any of the Bergman family books by Chloe Liese - The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert - The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang - The Love Hypothesis or Bride by Ali Hazelwood - Red White and Royal Blue, and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston The reading challenge sounds like such fun and I hope you find some new favourite books through it ❤
Romance Book Recs: I just finished The Husbands by Holly Gramazio which was a fun and kinda out there take on the romance genre; Funny Story by Emily Henry feels more in line with "traditional romance" and I've enjoyed it so far but haven't finished (so can't say whether the end is satisfying). Romance Movie Recs: My Life in Ruins. I enjoy Nia Vardalos' films and some of them can be a little bit cringey, but I love My LIfe in Ruins a lot. (& If you don't mind a video game recommendation, Stray Gods is a very fun and wonderfully written/sung narrative "dating" sim; "dating" in that you can romance some of the characters along the way in the story. It's a pretty short play and I would highly recommend it if you can fit the time in.)
I'm not a romance girlie by any means (almost every romcom I picked up ended up being disappointing, because ya know.. no dragons, no kingdoms, no magic), but there were two I loved: _Enemies with Benefits_ by Roxie Noir (she's a wedding organizer, he's a wedding chef, and I had a blast watching these two snarky idiots get into all sorts of professional shenanigans) and _Just for the Summer_ by Abby Jimenez (laugh-out-loud hilarious while being so incredibly tender and healing; Justin is The Most Wonderful boyfriend, period). Honorable mentions: _Get a Life, Chloe Brown_ and _Take a Hint, Dani Brown_ by Talia Hibbert (haven't gotten to the third book, _Act Your Age, Eve Brown_ , yet, so that one might also be good).🧡
Some people might not consider this series as romance category, but it is list in Barnes and Nobles as Romance. The Outlander series is considered Romance. I know you will love any of the books.
I read Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez this month and it is so good. Deals with difficult family situations alongside the romance (which made this book a 5 star for me) though, so check for trigger warnings if you need.
Was super hoping you'd be doing the Get A Clue Reading challenge in February. Now I need to figure out how to layout my reading journal myself. How rude! 😅
Haha sorry! I did have a look at it, but I thought that given it was a team-based one (I think? From memory? 😅) I might not be the best team mate in Feb 😂
Romance with a small dash of magic (nothing like romantasy): -Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper -Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms Romance with a "books about books"-esque theme: -The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest General romance (and a series): -Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese
Some romance recommendations: The windy city series by Liz Tomforde, I would skip the first one and jump straight into the right move. Worth a shot by Amy Ewing The bodyguard by Katherine Center The kiss quotient by Helen Hoang (this has autistics mc) From Lukov with love by Mariana Zapata I could go on but I'll leave it at this
My go to romance authors are Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood, my favs from them are Book Lovers (Emily Henry) and Love, Theoretically (Ali Hazelwood). Other really good ones would be The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston or The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen.
I'm new to your channel and love it! I am aging myself but I love Stephanie Laurens. She writes Regency era romance centered primarily around the Cynister family although there are newer ones that are based around a different family. Also Nora Roberts.
I want to do a reading challenge as I use to about ten years ago but after a major change I couldn’t read the same. I’m getting there though but right now I’m happy to read when I can. Wish I had more rec but all mine are dark romance and that’s not where most people start. I can give you a romance movie that’s a fantasy romance I am Dragon. So good. You will need subtitles though.
I really enjoy Roleplaying (about a couple who first connect through a MMORPG) and Do Me a Favor (chef & farmer/handyman) by Cathy Yardley. They are about older characters and I feel like have a good emotional foundation to the relationship!
Inspired by you I’ve been doing monthly reading challenges in my journal! I would definitely recommend the No-show by Beth O Leary for your romance list ❤ romance/drama/not cheesy
As for romance recommendations, I've heard Ali Hazelwood writes mostly in that genre. I'm not a romance reader either, so I don't have any specific books to recommend. As for challenges/readathons, I'm doing Polarthon with JadeyRaeReads as well as Aeldia with G on Book Roast.
Ohhh romance recs! I don't know what your vibe of romance is, but I'll try to help. If you like romantic storylines but find books solely about romance a bit too much, I'd recommend Emily Henry. She writes romance, but her books also have a bit of a litfic/women's fiction feel to them. The characters in her books always feel real because they experience realistic problems in their relationships, Her characters are not just a vessel for the romance plot, they grow outside of the relationship too. And the love interest isn't always this picture perfect 6'4" bad boy with dark hair who's emotionally unavailable until the fmc shows up, if that's something that bothers you. (To give a specific book rec: Funny Story is my fave by her, it deals with the fallout of a breakup, healing from that, finding love again while navigating a relationship with an emotionally distant parent) If you're like Emily Henry's vibe but have tried her before and didn't like it, look for authors in the "women's fiction" category If you DO like the 6'4" bad boy with dark hair who's emotionally unavailable until the fmc shows up kind of love interest, Ali Hazelwood might be an author to check out. Her books mostly fall into the category of "ridiculous but in a fun way" so if you're down for that, go for it! It's more a typical romance novel in the sense that 90% of the action is driven by the relationship.
I really enjoyed Funny Story by Emily Henry this month and it’s also a 2024 release so this might be a good pick since it fits the Year of Aeldia January prompt. It’s the only Emily Henry book I’ve read but I’ve heard her other books are also very good too.
I HIGHLY recommend the Dreamland Billionaires Trilogy by Lauren Asher as well as her other series i believe it's called Lakefront Billionaires? and then the Bromance Book Club Series by Lyssa Kay Adams. These are the ones that immediately come to mind for me though.
Sadly I didn't save my format 😅 But I really just took the prompt document from G and removed all the story elements so I was just left with the prompts 👌
All the reading journals actually inspired me to get something for myself. But knowing myself I just got a planner and with simplest stationary I record the books I've read, movies or shows I've watched, games I played and other bits and pieces. It actually became quite therapeutic, so I have my good time. As for the recs, sometimes I re-watch The Angelique series. It's a series of French movies (5 in total) from the 60's. It's very old school, but I like it, Michele Mercier is too beautiful. I also like the 'Office Romance' (Societ movie, can be found on UA-cam with subs btw), it's romance and comedy, I re-watched it many times. It's one of those times when the main actress did not shy away to uglify herself for the role. If you're up for a long watch and not against Korean dramas then I'd recommend 'Business Proposal', it's hysterical to me. And if not against an anime watch one of the loveliest animes I've ever watched would be 'Kimi ni Todoke' and 'Lovely Complex' (this one is so old lol, but unique and fun, tall girl and short guy) If I need the best couple I'd just rewatch Morticia and Gomez from the '93 movie. Ahaha recs across the globe.
My favorite romance books have one little speculative element. They’re not technically “fantasy” in the traditional sense, but more like magical realism maybe? So that subgenre might be a good way for you to transition into romance! Some of my favorites are: Love of My Afterlife by Kristy Greenwood, Happy Medium by Sarah Adler, Dead Romantics and Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston.
I recently learned about a super specific genre of romance that may resonate with you: STEM romance! You can google authors but I recommend Ali Hazelwood :)
If you wanted to try some historical romance, definitely look for some Georgette Heyer, think Jane Austen lite. Def my top comfort reads, well written and v easy to read! She also does some murder mysteries set in the 1920s, but the regency ones are my favs, spirited heroines, evil dukes, dashing gents etc 😁
I’m not sure what you are looking for in romance novels, but I tend towards more of an interesting romance than a more vanilla one. According to some folks… I like the Victorian set novel, Fingersmith and it has a sequel, though I haven’t read it yet. Fingersmith has a bit of an odd story and a bit of everything in it. Twisty for sure. With very advanced images and subject matter that would be needing some warnings if published now. There’s no pictures in it, to be clear, just mental imagery. There’s also the duo of authors that have made some twists on the Nancy Drew series and the Cherry Aimes series, which are about the characters as college aged or older people who are more familiar with each other than they were in the earlier sets of both series. These are the Nancy Clue and Cherry Aimless series that is by Mabel Maney. It’s a mystery romance series that spoofs the characters in the present (if I remember correctly it’s been a while ago). The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is both a book and a movie. Pride and Prejudice/ Jane Austen is excellent in the book form. It finally made sense for me that way. The movie had tooo much subtext that I didn’t understand when younger.
Romance is all I read but of course it’s like I haven’t read anything ever as soon as I try to come up with a rec for you. I’ll go with my fave book of 2024: The Lovely Return by Carian Cole. It’s an age gap romance with a little bit of magic. One of the early scenes still plays in my head, it’s so hauntingly beautiful and mysterious and really sets up the whole book. I loved it!
Movie & Book: Love, Rosie (by Cecelia Ahern). Loved both so much! Emily Henry & Abby Jimenez are always a hit for me. I recommend Happy Place by Emily Henry and Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. Just for the Summer is #3 in a companion series, but it can perfectly be read as a standalone. Rebecca Yarros writes some amazing [war/military] contemporaries with great plot twists. The Things We Leave Unfinished has a dual timeline, where we try to piece together the past and have a romance in the present as well. And The Last Letter is a heartwrenching love story, but it's so worth reading!!! Do check content warnings, though. Both have some heavy hitters.
Im playing a game this month called how many readathons is too many readathons lol participating in: Bookemon, get a clue, everbloom academy, and deck of tbrathon mini! As well as finishing up tbrathon from this month haha
Romance recs: Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood (this is a short one!) Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura Something Wilder by Christina Lauren Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (This is YA, but still felt adult-appropriate to me) Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang Battle Royal by Lucy Parker The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary (I left out Emily Henry, because I think that's something many people will recommend but I love many of her books, too)
Books Book Lovers by Emily Henry Beach Read by Emily Henry Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood Pick a Jane Austen book if you want to branch into classics Honestly, you can’t go wrong with these. What I love about the first 3 is that they’re driven by something other than the romance even though they’re technically romances. They tend to be enjoyed by those who read other genres that may have a romantic subplot. Movies Honestly, just google iconic romance movies. It’s hard to go wrong there. I would recommend sampling the decades though. Games are tough, but the Sims is free to play and has WooHoo LoL 😅
For February, I'm doing the Victorious Reading Year of Philosophy and the History Reading Challenges. I may also do Polarthon. I'm trying to read my own physical and Kobo TBRs, however, so challenges may be rare for me on my no-buy.
I love seeing your set ups. Are you able to advise what size you print your font out for the titles and little ones? One thing im struggling to work out. Be good to hava a rough guide.
Stray is fun! Hope you enjoy it! (Although the into did hit me hard cause my Ernie kitty looks just like the little character kitty). I'm just sticking to the Goober challenge this year, but with a goal of doing both prompts if I can. It's my first time doing a reading challenge, so between BBBC and Not Reading for Content readalong/bookclub....oh and a quarterly bookclub that is reading heavier reads.... I don't want to put tons of pressure on my reading - I want to keep enjoying my reading and not feel like work! I think December's bookclub pick was the closest to everyone having the same opinion 🤣 I don't really read Romance either - so might be checking others recommendations here to expand my reading more
Recommendation: Lizzy Hunter Love Stories on 7th and Main series. There are 4 books, each can be stand alone. It starts with Ink, then Hooked, Grit, and Sweet. The Townsend Harbor series by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin are good, also. First book is Nevermore Bookstore.
I am kinda new to the romance genre, but I have found so many new favorites! Get a life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (and the other books in the companion series) Anything by Emily Henry The When In Rome companion series from Sarah Adams Thank you for listening by Julia Whelan The soulmate equation by Christina Lauren
For some reason, I cant stand reading romance for long I read 2 pages and I put it away, I was into scifi and thriller but looks like 2025 is taking a different turn because my current favourite genre is Family Drama and Fantasy, Fantasy that contains kings and queens... I have already read Nettle and Bones and it was a pretty good book but it was a bit dark though....
If you think you might like to try a historical romance, "The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie" by Jennifer Ashley has one of the most interesting male leads I've ever encountered!
A little hack I have found to work with the PET tape is to put a piece of scotch tape on one side with it overhanging and a little tab then do the same on the back. Peels right apart. Hope that helps 😊
Ooo good tip! Thanks 😄💜
@ absolutely 👍🏻
Great hack. Works well for me too. I have found that if you stick scotch tape on the front of a gilded sticker, the scotch tape sometimes peels off the gilding when I pull it off.
Thank you. Great tip. I was just coming in to ask the question as I was about ready to throw the washi tape out. Worked like a charm.
Princess Bride. Best romance EVER!
💯 seconded! AND THE ORIGINAL BOOK! Bonus.
Absolutely. But I will warn some find it boring. But I enjoyed it a lot.
Ooo! If you aren't already using Storygraph I highly recommend! It will calculate a lot of these stats for you!
Tip that I wish I knew when I first started: when you search a book, you can click on (editions) and you can choose which edition/format you're using. You can switch editions as well if you end up accidentally choosing the wrong one (that way you don't have to remove the book and re-add it. That would count it as a DNF I think).
Here are some romance reads recommendations for you : Hello Stranger by Katherine Center, Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood, How to Kiss Your Enemy by Jenny Proctor, and Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter. 💖
The undisputed queen of romance has to be Jane Austen! I love her wit and humour, and if you want a gentle satire on the gothic then Northanger Abbey is the place to start. All the time I was reading it I kept thinking, Jane you are poking fun at me! Still, it’s a proper regency romance all the same - great stuff.
I dont read much romance, but love The selection and all the books by Kiera Cass. I love the books by Marissa Meyer too but there are more fantasy included
14:45 "Act Your Age, Eve Brown" by Talia Hibbert (my fav book last year ❤), Part of Your World series by Abby Jimenez, "Out on a Limb" by Hannah Bonam - Young, "On the Same Page" by Haley Cass and "Snowed In" by Catherine Walsh. (I haven't read anything by Emily Henry... I'm planning to do it by the end of next month or in March)
Also by Talia Hilbert, Get A Life, Chloe Brown (there are three great books in this series) and Take a Hint, Dani Brown
I just caught up on the Rose Hill series by Elsie Silver! There's only two out right now, Wild Love and Wild Eyes, and I have loved both of them! They're super easy to read (I'm a slow reader and I read these both in about a day and a half), and they have great banter, and the pacing in super fast! I would definitely recommend those for your romance adventure this month!
Some romance recs (from someone who's not really a romance reader) - The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, a contemporary magical realism, and The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore, multi POV & multi timeline. I rated both 5 stars.
For romance recommendations im gonna suggest literally anything by Nora Roberts. I swear shes written enough books theres got to be at least one that would spark your interest and theyre all imo very good.
Nora Roberts is my recommendation also.
A Walk to Remember!!!! It’s one of my favorite movies, and it’s based on a Nicholas Sparks book. The book is super short and okay, but I absolutely love the movie. It is very much a 90s movie, but it’s also just very sweet ❤❤
This is just reminding that January is almost over and all I've managed to read is the InuYasha manga I got for Christmas :P I haven't found a lot of time to read this month between work and a bunch of other little things I've been doing. But I'm down to maybe 20 chapters of Pride & Prejudice so if I do 2 chapters a day, I could be done in a reasonable amount of time
I bought a premade book journal from Inklings this year, but this is so beautiful and unique. I'll definitely be making my own journals going forward!
i love this pink theme! the decoration is so cute, my jaw DROPPED with the flower washi 🩷
I really enjoy Emily Henry. Her book People We Meet On Vacation isn’t everyone’s fav BUT the film adaptation comes out later this year. I also love Ali Hazelwood, and my most recent read by her is Love, Theoretically.
Definitely authors I want to check out! 💜 Thanks for the recommendations 😄
Movies: If you want SPICE, "The Lover" is a good read to watch (it's on my list as I've never read it, but the movie is a favourite). Art house vibe would be "Amelie" (also just a great French instrumental soundtrack). Family dynamic is "Home for the Holidays" (US thanksgiving, but seasonally a good pick for you). Essentially romance novels put to film is "Mrs. Winterbourne" (concealed identity/they're too good to me), with the similar theme but very different feeling "The Truth About Cats & Dogs", and a Sandra Bullock lead/style in "While You Were Sleeping". If you like Queen Latifah "Just Wright" (edited for spelling) or "Last Holiday" are great picks. An Animated with great music is "Strange Magic" (fairies, love spells, power struggles). A witty classic is "How to Marry a Millionaire" (3 women looking to land "big fish", and the expected humor of 1953). If you like ballroom dancing (or even just the music) heavily coated in Aussie-isms, the movie "Strictly Ballroom" is a really good time. An 80's high energy, multiple pov's, make you laugh, is "Big Business", with a more flirty "sci-fi" twisted version being "Earth Girls Are Easy" (one of my favourites). All these movies are ones I actually have selected for my own re-watching this year. Haha. I just grabbed out the binder they're in and started flipping.😉For shows, if you're into Asian works (like K-Dramas), there's "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?" which is 16 episodes, so can be watched over a month if you do 1-2 every 2 days if you're not a binge watcher, like I am. "Fated to Love You" is also good in any of its versions (Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and maybe a couple others exist that were all recreated locally to the country), with 24 episodes in season 1, and then some countries did either a follow up movie, or a short season 2 that isn't integral to the story "finished" in the 1st season. 🤗
Romance Movies: Ever After (Cinderella), Ladyhawke (magical elements), Stange Magic (Midsummer Night's Dream inspired animated musical), Enchanted (cartoon and live action), Anastasia (animated)
Romance Books: KM Shea (great for slow burn typically a trilogy), It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (funny sports romance with owner and head coach), Song of the Forever Rains by E J Mellow (musically based magic system), Glynnis Campbell (Viking romance)
I also put "Strange Magic" ! I definitely did NOT get the vibe of MND inspired, though! I know that's what the Wiki says, but there was no outside influence, nor a huge lack of misunderstanding between leads, and nothing besides involving fairies to be so. And MND is the ONLY W.S. works I actually like, and have many versions of to compare this with. 🙃
@@cvvzdesigns , I'm not a fan of Shakespeare so I put it on there based on the Wiki/IMDB page. I love the music mash ups and the way the transitions happen in I can't Help Falling in Love/Crazy in Love scene. Don't get me wrong, everything else about the movie is great. But those transitions were amazing!
Suggestions for your Lucky in Love challenge; Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston, Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. And for a movie - Love Actually. Enjoy 😊
This is so pretty. I think your quotation marks are upside down?? Love the PET you used!!♥️♥️
🤔 I was taught that you open with "66" and finish with "99", but it's been a hot minute since I learned that 😂🤷♀️
Glad you liked the layouts!
@@JashiiCorrinoooooh you know what, you’re so right. I think they just looked odd to me because they aren’t solid. I especially loved how you put that lace tape over the script. So pretty!
I can totally recommend the "Delilah Green Doesn't Care" series ESPECIALLY the second book. It made me cry which is always a good thing😂
I am usually not a romance reader but there are a few I really enjoyed. For example Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, All In Duology by Emma Scott, Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (I watched it but it is also available as Graphic Novels), Afterlove by Tanya Byrne and the Again Series by Mona Kasten. I hope there is a bit of inspiration for you :)
Romance movies
-Ever After (Cinderella retelling)
-Tristan and Isolde (if you want a good cry)
-Moulin Rouge (also a cry but lots of fun along the way)
Love Moulin Rouge 👏
I love Ever After!
I loved Nettle and Bone! It has the bestest goodest boy!
For Regular not fantasy romance I highly recommend Claudia Dain. Especially her Courtesan series. First one is The Courtesan's Daughter. She also has a pirate one titled: Tell Me Lies.
For Romance movies I like the BBC miniseries of Jane Austen's books, and also Jane Eyre, and the Importance of Being Ernest
I had the same problem at the beginning with the mini calendar, and my solution was to use a dash line the days I don't read that book and a continuous line the days I read the book. I like your solution, I'd love to see it at the end of the month.
About the romance recommendations, it depends on what kind of romance you want to read, my main authors are Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nalini Singh, Karen Marie Moning, Lisa Kleypas and Sarah MacLean (I believe I didn't miss any). And The kiss quotient by Helen Hoang.
More unexpected decorations! I love it! I also love your start of journal set up pages. And I’m really loving the monthly videos for your reading journal! Can’t wait to see more of them throughout the year!
As a not avid media consumer, you make me want to set up a media journal regardless 😂 I love the idea for your reading log though. I want to try that. I'm watching Star Trek Voyager at the moment, so at least I'll have something interesting to put down that isn't "another day of World of Warcraft played" (I seriously had over 300 days played last year!)
Gotta pause the video to give you my romance books recommandations ! I read a lot of romance, some of it terrible, some of it great so here are my favourites :
obviously we have the two queens
- Emily Henry ( book lovers and beach read are the most romantic and funniest) and
- Ali Hazelwood (Love on the Brain is the funniest, Check and Mate is more YA and about two chess players, Love theoretically is the best written the two main characters are chef's kiss)
- Olivia Atwater Half a Soul. This one has a touch of fantasy but is SO romantic. the first encounter between the two main characters is incredible, the banter is some of my favourite that I've ever read. it's a quick read !
- Helen Hoang the Kiss Quotient. This one is about an autistic 30 year-old woman who hires a male escort to get more comfortable with intimacy. This book is about communication and consent. It's an amazing story
- Alison Cochrun The Charm Offensive. This one is about a man who is a producer on a Bachelor-like TV show and falls in love with the Bachelor of the season. Very cute, great representation of depression, anxiety
- Sarah Grunder Ruiz Last Call at the Local. I read this book in one sitting in january 2024. Loved the two main characters. An American girl who travels the world gets stuck for a while in Ireland after all her stuff gets stolen. She ends up working at the bar where the owner is a former tattoo artist, cat lover and person who struggles with really bad OCD. Loved it
and last but not least : Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare. This book is hilarious. The premise is awesome. It's a regency era romance. The FMC is recently orphaned after the death of her father (her mother died when she was very young) and as an unmarried woman, become penniless. She receives a letter from a lawyer telling her that she inherited something from her uncle. She meets the lawyer at a castle, the castle is supposedly hers except... the owner of the castle (who ISNT her dead uncle) is alive and well and still lives there !
It's forced proximity, it's funny, romantic and it's a book about books. It also has the best / stupidest declaration of love in it. Please give it a try !
Hope this helps
Loooove your videos
xx
Those tapes are so pretty 😍
For romance, I'd recommend either Role Playing by Cathy Yardley or In a Jam by Kate Canterbary.
This looks so good! Also some romance recs:
- The Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy (4 books)
- Emily Henry (anything she writes is amazing)
- Twisted Series by Ana Huang (4 books)
- Dreamland Billionaires by Lauren Asher (3 books)
- Binding and Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh (you will cry)
- Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
There's more but these are one of my faves that are very easy to get into
I often do calendar layout in my reading journal, especially when I read a lot that month (I setup my pages after the month is over) and I assign each book a colour and colour in the calendar only the days I actually read the book. Storygraph's monthly statistics are very helpful with that :D
I like the Romantic Escapes Series by Julie Caplin. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, a bit cute, a bit spicy (not all of them). I like them as palette cleansers between more intense books. My favorite one of the series so far is The Cozy Cottage in Ireland (its the least spicy one of them so far)
Do love a good palette cleanser book 👏 Thanks for the recs! 😄💜
For Games, I consider "Harvest Moon" to be a romance, as your objective amidst all the daily farm maintenance and helping in the village is to get married. 🤭
I love the reading challenges you've taken. For the romance books I suggest any of Susan Stoker's series. She writes military heroes and the women they love. A second suggestion is Talia Hibbert's Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Enjoy!
I love the books of Jenny Colgan.
I will also recommend Nora Roberts. Having written for over 40 years she should have something that might spark your interest. Other good romance writers include Kathleen Brooks (very funny and self assured female leads) or Dale Mayer if you are into military romances.
I will recommend anything by Beth O'Leary. (Especially the Flat Share) I feel like she is a good intro to modern contemporary romances
My romance movie recommendation is I Capture the Castle! It's also a book, written by the same author as 101 Dalmatians, Dodie Smith. It's a whimsical romance with some drama and chaos and eccentricity.
Great idea for the spreadsheet I will try to copy it
I love how you printed the headings for your journal. Such a time-saving tip!
Thanks! I enjoy how consistent they end up looking that way 😄
that script tape is a game changer, bought it when you used it for the previous spread and I've been using it a lot! it's very versatile
Glad you like it! 💜 I've been finding myself using it a lot more recently (mainly because my roll is old and losing its stick-a-bility so I want to make the most of it while I can 😂)
Definitely one I'll replace when it runs out though! 💪
One recommendation for m/f romance would be Extreme Honor, the start of the True Heroes series by Piper J. Drake. They're not pure romance but rather romantic suspense. She does also do romantic fantasy, but you were looking for not-fantasy. One of the things I love about her books is that there are almost always animals featured somehow. In this series, they are working dogs for people working in private security. If you'd prefer a one-off, a stand-alone contemporary romance she has is Gaming Grace, also m/f, in a Caribbean vacation setting. Peering through my Kindle library, most of it is fantasy or sci-fi romance. However, there is Ginger Snapping All the Way by Gabbi Grey, a Christmasy contemporary m/m romance. Or there's Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan for f/f romance, which starts off as an an attempted con. Hopefully something in there looks interesting!
Thank you for posting this! I'm absolutely obsessed with this setup! ❤
Most welcome! 😄💜 Glad you liked it!
It’s absolutely stunning ❤😊
Thanks Mary! 😄💜
@JashiiCorrin honestly if you mass produced your bujos I'd be first in line to buy all of them 😊👌 xxx
Book recommendations from my top reads of last year: Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell (Sci-Fi), Role Playing by Cathy Yardley (Contempory) and A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall (historical, Regency)
Some romance recommendations:
- Any of the Bergman family books by Chloe Liese
- The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert
- The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
- The Love Hypothesis or Bride by Ali Hazelwood
- Red White and Royal Blue, and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
The reading challenge sounds like such fun and I hope you find some new favourite books through it ❤
Romance Book Recs: I just finished The Husbands by Holly Gramazio which was a fun and kinda out there take on the romance genre; Funny Story by Emily Henry feels more in line with "traditional romance" and I've enjoyed it so far but haven't finished (so can't say whether the end is satisfying).
Romance Movie Recs: My Life in Ruins. I enjoy Nia Vardalos' films and some of them can be a little bit cringey, but I love My LIfe in Ruins a lot.
(& If you don't mind a video game recommendation, Stray Gods is a very fun and wonderfully written/sung narrative "dating" sim; "dating" in that you can romance some of the characters along the way in the story. It's a pretty short play and I would highly recommend it if you can fit the time in.)
I'm not a romance girlie by any means (almost every romcom I picked up ended up being disappointing, because ya know.. no dragons, no kingdoms, no magic), but there were two I loved: _Enemies with Benefits_ by Roxie Noir (she's a wedding organizer, he's a wedding chef, and I had a blast watching these two snarky idiots get into all sorts of professional shenanigans) and _Just for the Summer_ by Abby Jimenez (laugh-out-loud hilarious while being so incredibly tender and healing; Justin is The Most Wonderful boyfriend, period). Honorable mentions: _Get a Life, Chloe Brown_ and _Take a Hint, Dani Brown_ by Talia Hibbert (haven't gotten to the third book, _Act Your Age, Eve Brown_ , yet, so that one might also be good).🧡
Some people might not consider this series as romance category, but it is list in Barnes and Nobles as Romance. The Outlander series is considered Romance. I know you will love any of the books.
I read Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez this month and it is so good. Deals with difficult family situations alongside the romance (which made this book a 5 star for me) though, so check for trigger warnings if you need.
Was super hoping you'd be doing the Get A Clue Reading challenge in February. Now I need to figure out how to layout my reading journal myself. How rude! 😅
Haha sorry! I did have a look at it, but I thought that given it was a team-based one (I think? From memory? 😅) I might not be the best team mate in Feb 😂
Romance with a small dash of magic (nothing like romantasy):
-Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper
-Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms
Romance with a "books about books"-esque theme:
-The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
General romance (and a series):
-Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese
Some romance recommendations:
The windy city series by Liz Tomforde, I would skip the first one and jump straight into the right move.
Worth a shot by Amy Ewing
The bodyguard by Katherine Center
The kiss quotient by Helen Hoang (this has autistics mc)
From Lukov with love by Mariana Zapata
I could go on but I'll leave it at this
My go to romance authors are Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood, my favs from them are Book Lovers (Emily Henry) and Love, Theoretically (Ali Hazelwood). Other really good ones would be The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston or The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen.
I will be participating in The Tilted Kettle Bookclub's Festival of Love event for February.
I'm new to your channel and love it! I am aging myself but I love Stephanie Laurens. She writes Regency era romance centered primarily around the Cynister family although there are newer ones that are based around a different family. Also Nora Roberts.
I want to do a reading challenge as I use to about ten years ago but after a major change I couldn’t read the same. I’m getting there though but right now I’m happy to read when I can. Wish I had more rec but all mine are dark romance and that’s not where most people start.
I can give you a romance movie that’s a fantasy romance I am Dragon. So good. You will need subtitles though.
I'll take the dark romance recommendations! 💜 I get a lot of them from Rachel too, haha 😛
I really enjoy Roleplaying (about a couple who first connect through a MMORPG) and Do Me a Favor (chef & farmer/handyman) by Cathy Yardley. They are about older characters and I feel like have a good emotional foundation to the relationship!
Inspired by you I’ve been doing monthly reading challenges in my journal! I would definitely recommend the No-show by Beth O Leary for your romance list ❤ romance/drama/not cheesy
Thanks for the recommendation 😄💜
As for romance recommendations, I've heard Ali Hazelwood writes mostly in that genre. I'm not a romance reader either, so I don't have any specific books to recommend. As for challenges/readathons, I'm doing Polarthon with JadeyRaeReads as well as Aeldia with G on Book Roast.
Ohhh romance recs! I don't know what your vibe of romance is, but I'll try to help.
If you like romantic storylines but find books solely about romance a bit too much, I'd recommend Emily Henry. She writes romance, but her books also have a bit of a litfic/women's fiction feel to them. The characters in her books always feel real because they experience realistic problems in their relationships, Her characters are not just a vessel for the romance plot, they grow outside of the relationship too. And the love interest isn't always this picture perfect 6'4" bad boy with dark hair who's emotionally unavailable until the fmc shows up, if that's something that bothers you. (To give a specific book rec: Funny Story is my fave by her, it deals with the fallout of a breakup, healing from that, finding love again while navigating a relationship with an emotionally distant parent) If you're like Emily Henry's vibe but have tried her before and didn't like it, look for authors in the "women's fiction" category
If you DO like the 6'4" bad boy with dark hair who's emotionally unavailable until the fmc shows up kind of love interest, Ali Hazelwood might be an author to check out. Her books mostly fall into the category of "ridiculous but in a fun way" so if you're down for that, go for it! It's more a typical romance novel in the sense that 90% of the action is driven by the relationship.
Oh thanks for the explanations! 😄 I’ll check those authors out 👏
I really enjoyed Funny Story by Emily Henry this month and it’s also a 2024 release so this might be a good pick since it fits the Year of Aeldia January prompt. It’s the only Emily Henry book I’ve read but I’ve heard her other books are also very good too.
Oh great to know it’s a 2024 release! Thanks 😄💜
Tip in? Gurl, that's a centerfold and needs an Ilyrian shadow daddy! 😂
😂 haha yeah, it kinda deserves its own page number, lol
I HIGHLY recommend the Dreamland Billionaires Trilogy by Lauren Asher as well as her other series i believe it's called Lakefront Billionaires? and then the Bromance Book Club Series by Lyssa Kay Adams. These are the ones that immediately come to mind for me though.
Love this! Is there a place we can get the prompts for a year in aledia set up the way you have it?
Sadly I didn't save my format 😅 But I really just took the prompt document from G and removed all the story elements so I was just left with the prompts 👌
@ I completely understand! Thank you for telling us how to do it!
All the reading journals actually inspired me to get something for myself. But knowing myself I just got a planner and with simplest stationary I record the books I've read, movies or shows I've watched, games I played and other bits and pieces. It actually became quite therapeutic, so I have my good time.
As for the recs, sometimes I re-watch The Angelique series. It's a series of French movies (5 in total) from the 60's. It's very old school, but I like it, Michele Mercier is too beautiful.
I also like the 'Office Romance' (Societ movie, can be found on UA-cam with subs btw), it's romance and comedy, I re-watched it many times. It's one of those times when the main actress did not shy away to uglify herself for the role.
If you're up for a long watch and not against Korean dramas then I'd recommend 'Business Proposal', it's hysterical to me.
And if not against an anime watch one of the loveliest animes I've ever watched would be 'Kimi ni Todoke' and 'Lovely Complex' (this one is so old lol, but unique and fun, tall girl and short guy)
If I need the best couple I'd just rewatch Morticia and Gomez from the '93 movie. Ahaha recs across the globe.
My favorite romance books have one little speculative element. They’re not technically “fantasy” in the traditional sense, but more like magical realism maybe? So that subgenre might be a good way for you to transition into romance! Some of my favorites are: Love of My Afterlife by Kristy Greenwood, Happy Medium by Sarah Adler, Dead Romantics and Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston.
I recently learned about a super specific genre of romance that may resonate with you: STEM romance! You can google authors but I recommend Ali Hazelwood :)
That series is one that Rachel has recommended me too! 😄💜
my favorite romance authors recommendations: Emily Henry, Julie Soto, Abby Jimenez, Ali Hazelwood, Olivia Dade, Amy Lea, Helen Hoang
Thank you for sharing this with us Jess. Sending my best your way. I'm encouraged to get into my TBR this month.
Kimberly lemming books to me is romance fantasy also humor. Her mead mishap series is one of my favorite
If you wanted to try some historical romance, definitely look for some Georgette Heyer, think Jane Austen lite. Def my top comfort reads, well written and v easy to read! She also does some murder mysteries set in the 1920s, but the regency ones are my favs, spirited heroines, evil dukes, dashing gents etc 😁
A deeply romantic book that will have you laughing and bawling are The Rooftops of Tehran, that one really got me. It's intelligent, funny and tragic.
Some romance recs: A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, lots of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele.
I’m not sure what you are looking for in romance novels, but I tend towards more of an interesting romance than a more vanilla one. According to some folks…
I like the Victorian set novel, Fingersmith and it has a sequel, though I haven’t read it yet. Fingersmith has a bit of an odd story and a bit of everything in it. Twisty for sure. With very advanced images and subject matter that would be needing some warnings if published now. There’s no pictures in it, to be clear, just mental imagery.
There’s also the duo of authors that have made some twists on the Nancy Drew series and the Cherry Aimes series, which are about the characters as college aged or older people who are more familiar with each other than they were in the earlier sets of both series. These are the Nancy Clue and Cherry Aimless series that is by Mabel Maney. It’s a mystery romance series that spoofs the characters in the present (if I remember correctly it’s been a while ago).
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is both a book and a movie.
Pride and Prejudice/ Jane Austen is excellent in the book form. It finally made sense for me that way. The movie had tooo much subtext that I didn’t understand when younger.
Romance is all I read but of course it’s like I haven’t read anything ever as soon as I try to come up with a rec for you. I’ll go with my fave book of 2024: The Lovely Return by Carian Cole. It’s an age gap romance with a little bit of magic. One of the early scenes still plays in my head, it’s so hauntingly beautiful and mysterious and really sets up the whole book. I loved it!
True romance novels aren't typically my thing either but an author I stumbled into years ago and really enjoyed is Rosamunde Pilcher.
Ooo haven't heard of her 👀 Thanks for the rec! 💜
Movie & Book: Love, Rosie (by Cecelia Ahern). Loved both so much!
Emily Henry & Abby Jimenez are always a hit for me. I recommend Happy Place by Emily Henry and Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. Just for the Summer is #3 in a companion series, but it can perfectly be read as a standalone.
Rebecca Yarros writes some amazing [war/military] contemporaries with great plot twists. The Things We Leave Unfinished has a dual timeline, where we try to piece together the past and have a romance in the present as well. And The Last Letter is a heartwrenching love story, but it's so worth reading!!! Do check content warnings, though. Both have some heavy hitters.
Book recs: When in Rome by Sarah Adams, Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Movie recs: When Harry met Sally, How to loose a guy in ten days
I also take part in Steph's (steph_loves) Cliterature Readathon which is themed around Romance books and involves a bingo board so that might be fun
Im playing a game this month called how many readathons is too many readathons lol participating in:
Bookemon, get a clue, everbloom academy, and deck of tbrathon mini! As well as finishing up tbrathon from this month haha
Romance recs:
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood (this is a short one!)
Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe
Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey
Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (This is YA, but still felt adult-appropriate to me)
Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt
Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
(I left out Emily Henry, because I think that's something many people will recommend but I love many of her books, too)
Home office romance was a really sweet easy manga read for me last month. Maybe you could read that?
Books
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Pick a Jane Austen book if you want to branch into classics
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with these. What I love about the first 3 is that they’re driven by something other than the romance even though they’re technically romances. They tend to be enjoyed by those who read other genres that may have a romantic subplot.
Movies
Honestly, just google iconic romance movies. It’s hard to go wrong there. I would recommend sampling the decades though.
Games are tough, but the Sims is free to play and has WooHoo LoL 😅
For romance, anything by Emily Henry! Her newer one, Funny Story is my current favorite.
For February, I'm doing the Victorious Reading Year of Philosophy and the History Reading Challenges. I may also do Polarthon. I'm trying to read my own physical and Kobo TBRs, however, so challenges may be rare for me on my no-buy.
I love seeing your set ups. Are you able to advise what size you print your font out for the titles and little ones? One thing im struggling to work out. Be good to hava a rough guide.
Stray is fun! Hope you enjoy it! (Although the into did hit me hard cause my Ernie kitty looks just like the little character kitty). I'm just sticking to the Goober challenge this year, but with a goal of doing both prompts if I can. It's my first time doing a reading challenge, so between BBBC and Not Reading for Content readalong/bookclub....oh and a quarterly bookclub that is reading heavier reads.... I don't want to put tons of pressure on my reading - I want to keep enjoying my reading and not feel like work!
I think December's bookclub pick was the closest to everyone having the same opinion 🤣
I don't really read Romance either - so might be checking others recommendations here to expand my reading more
Recommendation: Lizzy Hunter Love Stories on 7th and Main series. There are 4 books, each can be stand alone. It starts with Ink, then Hooked, Grit, and Sweet. The Townsend Harbor series by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin are good, also. First book is Nevermore Bookstore.
My 2 facorite romance movies with sandra bullock, 1. While you were sleeping and 2. The Lake House
Oooo it's been AGES since I saw The Lake House 👀
I am kinda new to the romance genre, but I have found so many new favorites!
Get a life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (and the other books in the companion series)
Anything by Emily Henry
The When In Rome companion series from Sarah Adams
Thank you for listening by Julia Whelan
The soulmate equation by Christina Lauren
For some reason, I cant stand reading romance for long I read 2 pages and I put it away, I was into scifi and thriller but looks like 2025 is taking a different turn because my current favourite genre is Family Drama and Fantasy, Fantasy that contains kings and queens... I have already read Nettle and Bones and it was a pretty good book but it was a bit dark though....
The map looks great!
Side note: I read absolutely no romantic fiction so I am no help whatsoever 🤣
Haha I appreciate the comment all the same! 😄 Glad you like the map tip-in; I was very pleased with it 💜
I love your resize. Do you have it for download?
Can you put the prompt list document in your resources to print? It would be SO helpful!
If you think you might like to try a historical romance, "The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie" by Jennifer Ashley has one of the most interesting male leads I've ever encountered!
as a book recomendation Emily Henrys books are good romances
I’ve heard good things about her, yeah 😄💜
I love the colors! What code is that pink Tombow brush pen?
I loved fake flame by adele buck and fangirl down by tessa bailey
I recommend for the fans. (If you like mm romance reads that is) 😅
Thanks for the rec! I'll take a look 😄
You have so many incredible ideas. Do you take commissions?