My Introduction to Historical Romance

I read “To Sir Phillip, With Love” for the first time as an ARC 

(advanced review copy) back in 2003, shortly before its official release.  It was the first historical romance I ever read.  I found the book so enjoyable and memorable that, right there, my love for historical romances was born.  This was a few months after I had discovered romance via erotic romance at Ellora’s Cave.  After pretty much buying everything that publisher had available in their catalogue up to that date, I wanted to further explore the genre, and felt that historical romance might be worth trying.

Around that time, I had joined three different review websites’ reviewer teams, all of which are now gone.  The advent of blogs and blogger reviews pretty much started eroding that territory (reviews websites) until pretty much every single reviews website was shut, with few exceptions.  The sites I joined were Timeless Romance, Just Erotic Romance Reviews (for which I was one of the managers for a while), and another two whose names I can’t remember any longer, as my memory hasn’t exactly improved with age.

Going back to the topic at hand, “To Sir Phillip, With Love” was a love-at-first-sight deal for me.  First, I fell in love with Julia Quinn’s books, as I went to research her and found this book was part of her then ongoing Bridgertons series, and that she had a few previous titles and series which, of course, I decided to read.   I have to say that I am glad I had no vices like smoking or drinking, because I started spending quite a bit of money on books… which is also the main reason I joined reviews websites to begin with.  Review websites offered me the chance to get my hands on books to read, without spending a dime, and all I had to do was submit a review in exchange.

As part of my blog “revival” mission, I intend to re-visit some of those early romance titles that made an impression on me.  “To Sir Phillip, With Love” is going to be the first one.  The review will be posted separately.

On a side note, Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons series is being adapted for T.V. by Shonda Rhymes, for Netflix.  I am not familiar with Rhymes at all, but it seems like she was produced some rather popular shows, i.e., “Orange is the New Black”, among others.  I might write a post about this as well. 

Reading Journal Part 2

This is my second post regarding my reading journal journey, and it will serve as an update of sorts.  As I mentioned in my first post regarding this topic, I started using the Modern Ms. Darcy free Reading Journal template.  I have found it useful, but I am not entirely satisfied with it.  I used her first template and I found out today that she updated it in October 2019.  Looks like she streamlined it a bit.

I am not a stickler for detail so things like date of publication or publishing house are of no real use to me.  Ratings are something that I am not fond of either, though most people seem to like using them.  Unless the book is outstanding or a wall-banger, I really don’t feel compelled to rate a book or say much about it for that matter.

For the above reasons, I decided to start my own template after much research involving other people’s samples/templates.  I also decided to keep a “running list” or index of books in digital form, meaning in a Word document.  The main reason to create my own template is that I am going to switch to a standard-sized 3-ring binder so that I can fit more information.  Though an A5 paper size initially seemed like the thing to do, in the long run it isn’t working as well for me.  My current A5 3-ring binder got thick really fast.

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I am also trying to incorporate some lists.  The first one I have created is just a numbered list with titles and author names, color coded to reflect those books I’ve found outstanding, the wall-bangers, and the Christmas anthologies.  It does double-duty as my index.  I am keeping that list in digital form (using Word).  It makes it easier to do a search for a specific title to make sure I am not duplicating reads, etc.  

The other lists I have are lists of favorite authors, authors recently discovered whose work I’ve liked, and a list of authors that haven’t impressed me.  I’m now starting a list involving tropes because over the past several months I keep wanting to read following specific tropes/themes, and I’ve realized I’ve forgotten a lot of the stories I’ve read over the years, and some were stories that I’d like to revisit.

Even though I haven’t dipped my toes yet on bullet journal, I couldn’t resist buying yet another one.  This time a Scribbles That Matter journal.  It is hard cover, A5 sized so it is not huge.  The pages are thick, so ink does not bleed through.  The pages are already numbered.  It also includes a few pages for an index and a page for the keys to symbols and color coding.  I am not used to writing in a bullet journal.  Hopefully I’ll get used to it…once I decide to start it, that is.  This time I think I am only going to be including space for the book number, title, author, and notes, if I feel like adding any.  Every time I research for bullet journals, I end up feeling defeated even before starting.  Looks like a lot of artsy types are using them and let’s face it, creative and/or artistic I am not and I feel deflated just thinking about all those beautiful ones on display online because I know I’ll never reach that sort of “perfection” and “artistry”.

As I was expecting, I lost interest and have been quite lax in following through with this project.  Right now I am catching up with the running list (index of sorts).

Christmas/Holiday Themed Romances

Usually it is during this time of the year (late August-mid September) when I start craving Christmas/Holiday type stories.  I tend to enjoy the anthologies that come out involving this type of theme.  I am going to start listing my favorites in this post, as updates.

1.  Anne Gracie - The Mistletoe Bride ("Mischief and Mistletoe Anthology).

2.  Mary Jo Putney - The Best Husband Money Can Buy (2-novellas anthology Christmas Candles).


3.  Mary Jo Putney - The Christmas Cuckoo (Christmas Revels anthology).

When moderators are "on your face" and hypocritical

I recently discovered what I thought was, at the time, a really good historical romance oriented FB group.  For the first 2-3 months of my participation there, things were perfectly fine.  Then, from one day to another, another moderator "popped up".  As background, the group is supposed to control promotion posts and that includes self-promotions.  Well, this admin has her own reviews blog and that's how she pretty much came back to the group (apparently she had been on hiatus).  She also started "policing" posts, continued mentioning her own reviews, tried to start discussions to make the group more active (not that it needed it, btw, this group was moving along really well without her "assistance").  We later (the members of the group) found out she's also writing her own HR book.  Most of the pieces of the puzzle (her pushiness to promote discussion, her questions about writing and what readers like, etc.) fell into place at that point.  Someone must have said something about her own self-promotion though, as she went ahead and created a "sister group" for promotions and more writer oriented because why not benefit from the already established membership in the original group.   Personality wise, it also became obvious that she has to be the "leader of the pack".  Sadly, I realized from the moment she came back and posted about her own blog, that my days in the group were numbered... and I was right.

To make the story short, and I acknowledge this was my fault, I posted something that could have invited controversy.  The admin I dislike, of course, had to jump in to "intervene".  It wasn't really necessary at that point, but the point is moot... She did it in such a way that it looked like an attack on my post.  I confronted her as a reply to her comment, and then proceeded to delete my post and remove myself from the group.  She PMd me to justify her actions and alleging that it was not an attack on me or my post... then got defensive and in her "justification" proceeded to make the hole she had dug herself in even larger.  I kept my replies to her PMS purposefully very VERY limited and controlled.  She ended up saying that I was welcome to return.  I said thanks (mentally adding "... but no thanks"), and didn't further interact.

Sometimes I miss the group, though there was quite a bit of repetition, I liked login on a few times a day to read posts.  A lot of recommendations are posted.  People ask for recommendations on specific tropes, people post asking for books for which they can't remember titles but rather plot points, etc. ....and then I remember who's "managing" it.   If I go back it is an acknowledgement that she was right in saying things the way she did... which is not the case.  She could have managed this differently, but the equivalent of public humiliation is what she chose.  As some say, hindsight is 20/20, though.  If I do go back it will not be under my main FB account because, frankly, I don't want to reassure her that she is alright... because she is not.  Call me petty if you want.  I understand her "I need to protect this group" policy, but not when she's treating everyone as if it is kindergarten and have this terrible need to assert her dominance.

Most of my activity there was confined to commentary on other members' posts rather than posting my own... and even more so once that one showed up.  She had already deleted another post of mine regarding plagiarism, because it was linking to an article on Nora Roberts, who was involved in a recent particular incident in which many authors' work was plagiarized and she went after the plagiarist.  The admin said that some people were "upset".  I know it was BS, she just misread my intent.  She thought it was an I love Nora Roberts post which it's funny, because I don't like Roberts' work.  I posted that because many of the authors plagiarized were, actually HR authors and that's why it was relevant to the group's topic (HR).  But I digress...

If I sound resentful, it's because I am.  I was enjoying it, felt that it was a unique group, and all it took was for one person to flush that down the toilet.  Oh and yes, I have created my own group, but it still needs work, and I am not sure I have what it takes to admin a forum/group again.  That's why I said I understand her need to protect.  I've been a mod/admin.  Either way, this is a venting post.  I needed to take this off my chest in some way.

"Wicked Angel" by Julia London

THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPOILERS IN THIS POST, SO DON'T READ THIS COMMENTARY POST IF YOU WANT TO READ THE STORY AND SPOILERS BOTHER YOU:
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I recently decided to try Julia London books.  Though I've been familiar with her name for years now, I don't think I ever tried to read any of her books in the past.  So far I've tried to read two titles and both have been the "skip-to-my-Lou" types of reads.  First of all, I do have to say I like this author's writing style quite a bit.  I find her style fluid and appealing.  Sadly, other equally important elements (characters, plot devices) were not my cup of tea.  Main reason I am not calling this post a review is because I did skip large chunks of the book I am going to talk about.  I did want to comment on it though precisely because I wanted so much to like this book.  I do like the author's writing style, as I said before.  Additionally, I actually did like the beginning 1/3 of the story.

 "Wicked Angel" sports what I call a TSTL heroine (think 1937 cartoon Snow White).  This is apparent from the beginning, and the heroine herself, early on in the story, does realize how stupid she really is... I should have taken that as the "red flag" it actually is.  The heroine is oblivious to her extraordinary beauty, makes incredibly idiotic decisions because she's oh so noble and good.  Frankly, however, no matter how much the author justifies the heroine's actions, it just doesn't work out.  It's the sort of thing that worked in the 1930s Disney movie "Snow White"... but in modern times, 21st Century... erm... NOPE.  You would have to have some sort of learning disability to be that naive and trusting.  Even the most naive individual, given her circumstances and her alleged priorities (she takes care of several orphans, but her home is pretty much bankrupt) wouldn't have made the sort of choice she made just off the bat ... yes, it is explained, and she realizes what she did was, in hindsight, a bad decision, but still, it comes across as weak ... and we are talking here about just the beginning to the story. 

The hero has to be one of the biggest selfish jerks I've ever had the misfortune of reading.  He had a fiancée , he allowed that fiancée to continue with wedding arrangements/planning, meanwhile, he was allowing himself to be seen drooling over the heroine in public, figuratively speaking, among other things... and yes, he does go all the way with the heroine despite STILL being engaged to marry...and the reader is supposed to be okay with that?  In short, he deserved a kick in the balls.

Despite the someone stupid heroine, I was okay for the first 1/3 of the book ... and then I just couldn't believe what was going on and so, the skipping started.... the last few chapters infuriated me even more.  The hero treated the heroine, in public, as if she was lower than a cockroach (yes, the author also "justified" it, and arguably, it is the sort of thing expected from someone of his position in that particular period of time, him being a duke and all).  The heroine is pretty much on her knees begging for him to forgive her. Reading all that I was on WTF mode by the end of the book, even when I skipped chunks of it.

I am going to try a more recent title of this author because the two I read are late 1990s. I so wanted to like her books, again, she has an appealing writing style, but the main elements (characters and plot devices) have been epic failures from my personal point of view.

Fairy tales and historical romance

Image: "Beauty and the Beast" by Sandara.

Once upon a time...

When I first started reading historical romance, I soon realized that among my favorite tropes was fairy tales.  I particularly favor the Beauty and the Beast inspired stories, closely followed by Cinderella.  This preference is consistent with my childhood’s fairy tale addiction.  What I will never fully understand is why it took me so long to discover romance, though I suspect those cheesy covers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, didn’t help.  I found them embarrassing, and I knew I would have to endure endless teasing from my sisters and mom, and outright disapproval from my dad, if I dared pick one.  Additionally, as I later found out when I actually started reading romance, I don’t think the style of those decades (they were called “bodice rippers” for a reason) would have appealed to me at all. 

Over the 16 years or so that I’ve been reading romance, I’ve read quite a number of fairy tale inspired ones.  Some have been outstanding, others not so much, but I can’t remember one that I found to be terribly bad.  That right there says something about my favoring this trope. 

Following is my short-list of authors who have published fairy tale-inspired books which I have enjoyed:

Eloisa James

Elizabeth Hoyt

Emily Larkin

Teresa Medeiros

Julia Quinn

Robin McKinley

There is one author that seems to love the Beauty and the Beast trope: Elizabeth Hoyt.  She has several titles across two or three of her series, that are inspired by the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. 

Another popular historical romance author, Eloisa James, has a whole series of fairy tale-inspired novels.  It’s quite a nice series.  Eloisa James does not incorporate heavy drama/angst in her stories, so that is a plus. As a side note, the hero in one of those books was inspired by Dr. House, from the T.V. show "House". 

Teresa Medeiros also wrote a series of fairy tale-inspired books years ago.  They are heartwarming stories laced with humor. 

Julia Quinn doesn’t have multiple titles inspired by fairy tales but the third book in her Bridgertons series, “An Offer From a Gentleman”, is inspired by Cinderella.

 Of course, there are many more authors out there who have written this sort of story (Mimi Matthews, Claire Delacroix), so I intend to update the above list as I discover  more.

Telegram Posts

From now on, any super short post is going to be titled beginning with the words "Telegram Post".  This is a way for the reader of the post to know the blog article is nothing but a very short message from yours truly.

The purpose of this one is to announce that I am going to write a little about my favorite "tropes"/cliches in historical romance and then keep a running list of books I've read within the trope.  I figure it is another way of keeping my personal blog moving along instead of going dormant for extended periods of time, like it has happened in the past.  It will also help me, along with my reading journal, to keep track of what I have been reading and what I have liked and disliked.