My Romance Journey| Book Tag

This was a fun book tag that I saw at “The Book Refuge” who is probably one of the few booktubers that I do follow. I haven’t done a romance journey post in like five years, and I know some of you either don’t remember it or starting following me post that post being done. I think its fun to share these book journey’s. As romance is my life and joy to read, I definitely love that this tag is centered on romance reading.

About how old were you when you started reading romance and what was the first romance that you read?

My dad actually introduced me to my very first official romance novel, which was Return to Me by Anita Stansfield. This is a LDS fiction romance novel. I immediately fell in love with this book even though it has one of my most despised tropes haha but the trope was done well in the hero’s reaction and the heroine having to do a really good grovel. Its also very relatable, is an inspirational romance. Then after devouring all the LDS romances that I could possibly find, and I was 15 years old, I was a Junior in High School. It wasn’t until High School that I even got into reading in the first place and I blame my dad on romance. He believes in HEA’s and even watches Hallmark movies these days. So after I read all these inspirational ones, then I discovered the Avon True Romance series (which is YA) and started reading into adult romance.

Did you deliberately seek out romance or did you stumble upon it? And How?

So I was introduced to it, I wasn’t going out to seek it. Although I think a part of me has always been a romantic at heart. When I first started reading I got into Nancy Drew and Dragonlance Adult Fantasy’s. And I always wanted love to win in the end and it just never did in the Dragonlance books. For any that have not read these books, most of them would always have a couple and every single one, they would die at the end lol it was so depressing. So when I discovered romance, I found a whole genre that just did it for me. But for Nancy Drew, I always wanted her and that Hardy boy to get together and I think in some of the later ones they end up engaged. But as my father introduced me to romance, it wasn’t something I was seeking, but was brought into and even Clive Cussler (who writes adventure thrillers) has some great romance and is probably borderline romantic suspense in some books that started the seeds for my romance addiction.

Did you start with Traditionally published or indie and has it switched?

So it was most definitely starting with Trad published works. Self published works were rare when I started reading. In fact I think the first author I heard of being self published was Kristen Ashley. and I discovered her a decade after I started reading romance. I started to get into romance around 2003-2004, so I mean traditionally published is where it was at. Self publishing was NOT even close to what it is now. Now today, I literally am about half and half trad published to self published. I share this in my monthly recaps if you don’t believe me haha most times, I do half of these. Which I find is a good balance in reading.

What was a romance trope you were afraid to try but ended up loving?

May to December (age gap) and love triangle and teacher/student are the tropes that I was super apprehensive about especially when I was newer to the genre and getting familar with the tropes. May to December back in the early 2000’s is not what ppl term age gaps these days. These days if its 5 year or 10 years then its a age gap and yeah thats not what may to december is. The May to December trope is literally at least 15-20 years apart, so these are the massive age gaps. So I was nervous about those, but if written well, they are so good in romance. Then for love triangle, they really intimidated me. Some old school romances had these quite a bit but it wasn’t super common in adult romance (and remember this was before the golden age of the rise of YA) I am not a fan of love triangles to be honest, unless they are plausible and realistic and makes sense. Most love triangles rarely make sense. Teacher/student is a hard one for me, because I know from personal experience as a friend of mine had this and ended up in prison for it, so I know the consequences haha but the first book was done by Linda Kage that had me really enjoy this trope. Of course in that book, it was different because they were both consenting adults, and only like 2 years apart in age, so it made more sense in that way.

Is there a romance book you read early on in your journey that you would rate differently today?

So yes! There are quite a few of these. But the ones at the top of my head would probably be Fires of Winter and Captive Bride by Johanna Lindsey, Only With Your Love by Lisa Kleypas, The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. If I read these for the first time today, I would rate them differently haha which is why I refuse to re read them.

How has your reading tastes evolved over the years?

So when I first started reading romance, as some of you I know will remember who have been with me from the beginning, know that HISTORICAL was it for me the first ten years of reading. Historical romance is where it was at and honestly there wasn’t much in other sub genres other than Nora Roberts and Brenda Jackson haha So when I discovered Christine Feehan, I fell in love with paranormal which also triggered my interests to explore other sub genres like sci fi and fantasy and then eventually contemporary and NA and then dark romance and now I just love ALL the sub genres. But also I have explored more into self published and I try to really have balance in what I read now but its ALWAYS romance and I doubt that will ever change.

What is the most powerful romance that you have read that left a lasting impact?

If I had to choose just one romance, it would most definitely be Jake and Randy from the Outlaw Hearts series. This is my favorite couple of all time, and its not even a close contest for me. There is something so poignant and endearing about this pair. Just the way that they stand by each other, how they overcome so much adversity and its doesn’t break them, only makes their relationship stronger! Both the hero and the heroine are perfect for each other and their meet cute?? THE BEST EVER! What is most impressive and unique about this couple is you get to see them in their 20 and 30’s to their 50 and 60’s and seeing their marriage grow and its the most poignant experience of your life!!!

What was the romance book that told you this is what I am looking for in my personal life/and or Partner?

I would have to say Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath, This is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland, and Shadow Fires by Catherine Spangler. What makes these so inspirational is seeing the heroes that just stand by their women, support them and encourage them and are so devoted. But also the heroines also inspire me to be better and future partner too so I can be worthy of my future partner!

What romance book(s) would you recommend to a romance newbie and a seasoned romance reader?

NEWBIE BOOKS

These books that I do that entry level romance readers or if you read only one sub genre and want to explore into other sub genres, these are the books that I would recommend to you. These are all great starting points for exploring the romance genre as a whole.

ADVANCED READERS

So what I have shared below is for readers that have been reading romance for a while now and like to explore deeper, darker, or more complex themes.