My favorite activity is reading. It’s more than a hobby, it‘s an automatic function that originates somewhere between my brain and my heart. For several months, I’ve been reading ARCs and writing book reviews. This keeps me from going completely broke buying new Kindle books, and it keeps me off the pipe and off the pole, so I’m happy with it.
I post my reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and BookBub almost daily. I’ve gotten some positive reactions to my reviews. After completing a couple hundred book reviews for ARC sites like Booksprout and BookSirens, I decided that I could start a blog with them and share some of my insights. I figured, why the hell not? And since sooo many of my bad decisions get their start with that phrase, I might as well go for it. Go big or go home, right?
The genre I review most is Romance. This is one of the fastest growing book genres, particularly in the area of indie publishing. I review some Paranormal Romance (aka PNR), but my main focus is Contemporary Romance. Paranormal Romance has really taken off, and I find scads of it on the ARC sites, but I can only read so much of it before my brain revolts. The more the merrier is not a thing for me when it comes to PNR, although I do like Shifter Romances, especially the Fated Mates trope.
In Contemporary Romance, my current favorite sub genre is MC (Motorcycle Club) Romance. There’s something about a modern day cowboy on a steel horse… *sigh*. Actually, I love the loyalty and camaraderie.
About a year or so ago, MC Romance was the hottest sub genre. Now I’ve begun to notice a sharp increase in Mafia Romance. Sub genres of Mafia Romance include books on Italian/Sicilian Mafia, Cartel, Irish Mob, or Bratva. I’m sure there are others, because for every crime, there’s a group perpetrating it and somebody will write about it. But those are the main four. Lately, I’ve been reviewing quite a few Mafia Romances.
When I was growing up, my grandmothers would not say the word “Mafia” out loud; if they had to say it, they’d whisper it. The Mafia was their ultimate boogeyman. Even though there was some connection with in-laws there….
Times change.
Other popular sub genres include Billionaire Romance, Cowboy Romance, Small Town Romance, and Historical Romance. I sometimes review those, depending on my mood.
Two sub genres that I do not review are Alien Romance and LGBTQ Romance. I don’t review LGBTQ Romance because I don’t feel that as a straight, cisgender woman I can do it justice. And Alien Romance… some of that shit is just plain weird to me. Most of the time it’s not very creative in that the Hero is almost always of a species that is basically human. He looks human, although sometimes with very slight variations, like being human and blue. The color blue. One of the few Alien Romances that I started reading had a Hero with two… well, let’s just say he would have to have a custom pair of pants. I couldn’t help but laugh so hard because he named both….
So this blog is mostly going to focus on the Romance genre, although I reserve the right to stray from that as the mood strikes me.
Next time I will discuss some of the vocabulary I use in my reviews. Meanwhile, enjoy your day and be kind to yourself. And each other.
—Cat
Many thanks to my favorite mermaid for the support. Love you.
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