Bookish Thoughts:You Lucky Dog

Stay with me on this one, I promise even if you don’t read romance, it goes beyond the genre.

You Lucky Dog by Julia London is, according to the back cover, a Contemporary Romance. It is a romance (there is DEFINATELY a HEA at the end) and it is contemporary…. But it’s not a Rom-Com per se (there are funny bits) and the spice level is mild.

I liked the book, a lot. Finished in the way I do books I enjoy. The above is just to get it out of the way, because I want to talk about something else. I need to talk about this book. So obviously I loved it LOL

This book sucked me in and kept me turning pages. And it felt like I was reading a different sort of book. One like… A Man Called Ove, or the Hendrick series. So why was I feeling that with a romance?

In A Man Called Ove, the titular character tries to off himself a few times and keeps suffering mishaps that thankfully ruin his plans. But it sucks you in because you want to know what on earth can possibly happen next.

The Hendrick book that I started with, well Hendrick and his best friend accidentally kidnap a baby. And again, I was pulled through wanting to know what could happen next.

And this story was the same. It pulled me through with what on earth could possibly be going wrong for the heroine, and the couple, next. Because they clearly belong together — they even have matching doggies that are so heart-warming and smoochable.

So while there is romance, and tingly feelings, this falls hard on the fade to black side of romance.

And quite frankly, is just a really good book romance or otherwise.

Ta for now, my lovelies. Hope you’re having a great reading day!

Books: Starting stopping and in-between

Normally, when I DNF (Do Not Finish) I never go back. Either something annoyed me, or I didn’t connect, or something was there that I knew. I’d never go back to try again.

I’d find a new home for the book, a friend, the used bookstore, a home.

Right now I’m second guessing myself. Because I started a book and put it down in the first 50 pages. Went to the Tiky Tok to watch some videos (none posted) then I picked up a magazine. Started reading.

Then I just gave in and started a different book. But that first book, it had some good ideas. And it’s physical, so I flipped forward. And it does get good. I just don’t have the patience right now to wait for 100, 200 pages for a book to get good.

That’s one of the biggest differences between genres for me. Between Fantasy and Romance. Except that’s a lie. There are Fantasy writers that grabbed me by the throat and haven’t let me go even during the first book of theirs that I read.

Some even have complex world building. And the one I put aside has enough that I want to read it… Just not right now. Which is confusing because I’m used to either ripping through or DNFing with no regrets.

It’s a reader’s conundrum. How do you deal with it?

Quarter 1 Writing Goals

For 2023 I had some goals. Mostly related to writing. So far, I am failing at every single one of them.

1. Write and finish a novel

2. Submit short stories (these are already spot polished and ready to go)

3. Blog every other week

4. Read 150 books

Well, as you can tell from my blogging history this year (up till recently) I have failed on that one. I have written exactly 1 paragraph in the novel I started. This past week. As for books I’ve read… I am at 29 so far.

So I have a few options here. I can hang my head in shame and give up because I’ve already sucked at it and I’m going to keep sucking obviously. But that’s not ME talking, nor is it anyone I love. It’s that tiny, tinny voice in my ear that tells me I’m never going to do anything. I’m not a good writer I’m not pretty enough talented enough… I’m not enough of anything.

Or I could remember that I wrote my stories, published and otherwise, for me. That I enjoy writing them. That it helps me work through ish, even if I’m never a writer making money at writing. Art isn’t about money, or shouldn’t be.

And that might be my problem. Coupled with having been sick off and on (mostly on) since Thanksgiving, I haven’t been able to even think about actually writing. But lately, I’ve been thinking about my story. About where it needs to go and what the story actually is.

Because originally it was going to be a spicy romance. Because that sells. But it doesn’t sell a book to me. Even tho I’ve read romances since forever, I have never written one explicitly. Or am explicit scene. The closest I’ve come is a sweet romance. Although I have written at least one spicy scene, it’s not in a story that’s going anywhere right now.

And that’s ok. The last thing on my mind right now should be writing for cash. Although with prices going the way they are it’d be nice. It’d be helpful. But I need to get in a different mindset because apparently that one strangles me creatively.

So. I wrote a paragraph this week. And for me that’s a big deal. And that’s ok. I’m not in this right now for anything other than me. Of I find homes for my stories that’s wonderful. But I need to get back to writing for that first reader.

Me.

Pacing & HEA in Romance

I recently read a “Rom-Com” that clocked in at almost 600 pages. It was pretty good— I blazed through the first half, then got to what I thought was the HEA… But I still had hundreds of pages to go through.

I’m not going to name names or give titles. But there were at least 3 points where the HEA could have been achieved and the reader be completely satisfied. Meanwhile, the actual ending… Left a lot to be desired. Definitely NOT a situation I want to ever be in with a SO. Nope. Not even a little.

Does everything need to be tied up with a big red bow? Not really. But what I was given at the end of this book was 2 characters sicker than dogs and about to go (albeit temporarily) long distance. In a romance.

Now, if your readers have stuck with you for that many pages… I don’t know. Maybe give the a firework ending. Or give us the epilogue where they are reunited.

Because this hot mess that we were given? Whelp. Any of those other premature HEA endings would have been better.

As a writer I am taking from this to make DANG SURE that the payoff is worth the slog.

How’s you’re reading going?