Romance Genre Challenge discussion

This is just for fun. What we've read as a group:

Contemporary Romance > Straight Contemporary (K)
Contemporary Romance > Cop (J)
Contemporary Romance > Tattooed (J)
Contemporary Romance > Small Town (M)

Historical Romance > Regency (J, S)
Historical Romance > Middle ages (S)
Historical Romance > Men in Kilts (S)

Paranormal Romance > Vampires (M)
Paranormal Romance > Ghosts (M)
Other > Paranormal Romance (K)

Inspiration Romance > Regular Christian (K)

Young Adult Romance > Any (J)

Other > Short Story (M)
Other > Fantasy (K)
Other > Other (M)

Fortunately, we all have different initials. If someone with the same initial as you joins the group, then, sorry, you have to leave!

The only categories we've completely neglected are Romantic Suspense and New Adult (which might give me some ideas of what to read next!). And Regency is the only category we've doubled up on, which I find interesting. I mean, not that it's that category, but we haven't repeated elsewhere yet!

Young Adult is the only category we've completed, but that's kind of cheating since we just needed one book for it. We've read the most historical and contemporary books, but that is also kind of cheating since they're the biggest category!

This is through comment 16 on the points thread. Which means we've read 16 books!

I will update this as I remember or someone else can! :D

This is awesome! Thanks for doing it :)

I'm not surprised about Regency, I often feel like that's all there is on my shelves, haha. (Actually, the challenge helped for that! Made me notice how many others things I had - especially since I'm not that big a fan of historicals!)

About doubling up, there could have been more - I read three YA but just put them elsewhere. And I'm reading my Cop book, so, more doubling soon! Dum dum dummmm

Yeah, my paranormal romance was YA! But somehow I'm not worried about reading a YA romance, haha.

There are sooooo many Regency romances! And I do like the time period, but there are other time periods out there, haha!

I might be weird and be working through the books by each category because I'm OCD like that (as shown above). I'm just debating now if after I finish historical romance if I should do contemporary or paranormal next. I'm leaning more towards paranormal because that is wayyyyyyy out of my comfort zone and if I get into a rut there I will power through knowing I have contemporary (aka my bread and butter) to get through next.

And my bookshelves are full of regency so I'm not surprised we doubled up there first. :)

I LIKE IT. So far, I'm just working on the books I already have and/or have been meaning to read for a while.

Though looking it now, maybe I should make a run at a book in each category to grab those extra five points. :D

And I vote for paranormal! Both 'cause I love it and because I think your rationale makes a lot of sense.

The extra points are the key to victory!!! ;)

Okay, updated this! Now through comment 37.


Contemporary Romance > Straight Contemporary (K, G)
Contemporary Romance > Cowboy (J)
Contemporary Romance > Cop (J, M, K)
Contemporary Romance > Sports centered (J, M)
Contemporary Romance > Tattooed (J)
Contemporary Romance > Pets and Vets (S)
Contemporary Romance > Small Town (M, J, K)
Contemporary Romance > Firefighters (J)
Contemporary Romance > Multicultural/ multiracial (J)
Contemporary Romance > Other (J)

Historical Romance > Regency (J, S, M)
Historical Romance > Middle ages (S)
Historical Romance > Victorian (S)
Historical Romance > Pioneer / Cowboy / 1800’s Historical Romance > American West (S)
Historical Romance > Men in Kilts (S)
Historical Romance > Asian (S)
Historical Romance > Other (S)

Paranormal Romance > Vampires (M)
Paranormal Romance > Ghosts (M)
Paranormal Romance > Other (K)

Inspirational Romance > Regular Christian (K, J)

Romantic Suspense > Contemporary romantic suspense (M)

Young Adult Romance > any YA romance (J, K)

New Adult Romance > any New Adult romance (K, M)

Other > Short story (M)
Other > Christmas (S)
Other > Fantasy (K)
Other > Other (M)


We have now covered all the categories! And doubled (and tripled!) up in several categories. Mireille and I have books in all but two categories each. I need a romantic suspense and historical and she needs a YA and an inspirational. Jess and Steph are conquering contemporary and historical respectively and Grace is off at Comic Con, probably for the express purpose of making us so jealous that we can't concentrate on the challenge.

Here's what no one's read yet:

Contemporary Romance > Military
Contemporary Romance > Medical
Contemporary Romance > LGBTQ

Historical Romance > Rome
Historical Romance > World War II
Historical Romance > 1950's
Historical Romance > Flappers

Paranormal Romance > Shape-shifters
Paranormal Romance > Demons
Paranormal Romance > Angels
Paranormal Romance > Fae
Paranormal Romance > Dragons
Paranormal Romance > Witches
Paranormal Romance > Ancient Gods

Inspirational Romance > Amish
Inspirational Romance > Other

Romantic Suspense > Steampunk
Romantic Suspense > Spy
Romantic Suspense > CIA/FBI
Romantic Suspense > Other

Other > Science Fiction
Other > Time Travel

Awesome, thanks for doing this! :D I don't have many books planned in the unread categories... And I thought you guys like Paranormal more than this!

I have to side with Mireille, I would have thought Paranormal would be covered more from you and Jess, Katie. LOL But historical I am trying to work my way down. It's taking awhile but then I will conquer Paranormal!

Haha, well, I think it's really me, plus whatever I can convince my friends to read. But since you asked (kind of), here is a long, detailed explanation:

1. Most paranormals are series!!! I guess that's true for a lot of romance genres, but they tend me more closely linked, so I feel like if I read one, I might just have to read the whole series.

2. Really, I like urban fantasy better. In general, that's not a distinction I make a point of, but it's relevant to this challenge because UF tends to track one couple over the course of a series, which means the first book might have barely any romance in it.

Mostly it's the series thing, though.

But I don't read paranormal! Except what I'm browbeaten into.

Jess wrote: "But I don't read paranormal! Except what I'm browbeaten into."

And look how well that turns out for you! :D

Through comment 58:

Contemporary Romance > Straight Contemporary (K, G, S, M)
Contemporary Romance > Cowboy (J)
Contemporary Romance > Cop (J, M, K)
Contemporary Romance > Military (J)
Contemporary Romance > Sports centered (J, M)
Contemporary Romance > Tattooed (J)
Contemporary Romance > Pets and Vets (S, J)
Contemporary Romance > Small Town (M, J, K)
Contemporary Romance > Firefighters (J)
Contemporary Romance > Medical (J)
Contemporary Romance > LGBTQ (J)
Contemporary Romance > Multicultural/ multiracial (J)
Contemporary Romance > Other (J, G)



Historical Romance > Regency (J, S, M, K)
Historical Romance > Rome (S)
Historical Romance > Middle ages (S)
Historical Romance > Victorian (S)
Historical Romance > Pioneer / Cowboy / 1800’s Historical Romance > American West (S)
Historical Romance > Men in Kilts (S, M)
Historical Romance > Asian (S)
Historical Romance > Other (S)

Paranormal Romance > Vampires (M, K, J, G)
Paranormal Romance > Fae (K)
Paranormal Romance > Ghosts (M)
Paranormal Romance > Ancient Gods (K)
Paranormal Romance > Other (K, J)

Inspirational Romance > Regular Christian (K, J, M)

Romantic Suspense > Contemporary romantic suspense (M, J)
Romantic Suspense > Spy (G)
Romantic Suspense > CIA/FBI (K)

Young Adult Romance > Any (J, K, M, S)

New Adult Romance > Any (K, M, J)

Other > Short story (M)
Other > Christmas (S)
Other > Fantasy (K)
Other > Time Travel (J)
Other > Other (M, K)

Between us, we have conquered the contemporary category!

But here's what's missing overall:

Historical Romance > World War II
Historical Romance > 1950's
Historical Romance > Flappers

Paranormal Romance > Shape-shifters
Paranormal Romance > Demons
Paranormal Romance > Angels
Paranormal Romance > Dragons
Paranormal Romance > Witches

Inspirational Romance > Amish
Inspirational Romance > Other

Romantic Suspense > Steampunk
Romantic Suspense > Other

Other > Science Fiction

Yay, I was thinking it was time for another one of these! Thank you! :D I'm not surprise by what's left, haha, those are hard. Though I do have plans for two of those paranormal categories!

Where are we with counting Kate Daniels for shifters, Katie? I was going to and then it didn't feel that romancey until the end but that felt very much that way. So I am conflicted.

I am knocking the Amish one off today!

The historical ones might be the hardest of what's left! And paranormal > demons, actually. I do not seem to come across those.

Jess, I'm almost done with another shifter romance, so I'm not going to use it, but I think you can slide it in, if you want. (Kate Daniels spoiler) (view spoiler)[Even when Curran was missing, he's so present in her thoughts. I mean, I think it's really more a "with romance elements" than "romance elements" book, but it's my favorite current romance, so there. :P (hide spoiler)]

Katie, I see you've read the first Demon's Lexicon book. The second one has a lot of makeouts! Would definitely work for that category! Otherwise, I have no idea what I'm going to read.

In fact with less and less books I already own fitting in the categories I have left, maybe I should try to be ~strategic!

Oh, I forgot about that series! I don't know if I want to continue it, but I will think about it. Thanks!

I still have too many other books I want to read that don't fit the challenge. Woe is me!

Through comment 67. A bit of a slower week, but we're going after those genres!

Contemporary Romance > Straight Contemporary (K, G, S, M)
Contemporary Romance > Cowboy (J, M)
Contemporary Romance > Cop (J, M, K)
Contemporary Romance > Military (J)
Contemporary Romance > Sports centered (J, M)
Contemporary Romance > Tattooed (J)
Contemporary Romance > Pets and Vets (S, J)
Contemporary Romance > Small Town (M, J, K)
Contemporary Romance > Firefighters (J)
Contemporary Romance > Medical (J)
Contemporary Romance > LGBTQ (J)
Contemporary Romance > Multicultural/ multiracial (J)
Contemporary Romance > Other (J, G, K)

Historical Romance > Regency (J, S, M, K)
Historical Romance > Rome (S)
Historical Romance > Middle ages (S)
Historical Romance > Victorian (S, M)
Historical Romance > 1950’s (S)
Historical Romance > Pioneer / Cowboy / 1800’s Historical Romance > American West (S)
Historical Romance > Men in Kilts (S, M)
Historical Romance > Asian (S)
Historical Romance > Other (S, M, K)

Paranormal Romance > Shape-shifters (J, K, M)
Paranormal Romance > Vampires (M, K, J, G)
Paranormal Romance > Fae (K)
Paranormal Romance > Ghosts (M)
Paranormal Romance > Ancient Gods (K)
Paranormal Romance > Other (K, J)

Inspirational Romance > Amish (J)
Inspirational Romance > Regular Christian (K, J, M)

Romantic Suspense > Steampunk (K)
Romantic Suspense > Contemporary romantic suspense (M, J)
Romantic Suspense > Spy (G)

Young Adult Romance > any YA romance (J, K, M, S)

New Adult Romance > any New Adult romance (K, M, J)

Other > Short story (M)
Other > Christmas (S, M)
Other > Fantasy (K)
Other > Time Travel (J)
Other > Other (M, K)

Here's what we're missing:

Historical Romance > World War II
Historical Romance > Flappers

Paranormal Romance > Demons
Paranormal Romance > Angels
Paranormal Romance > Dragons
Paranormal Romance > Witches

Inspirational Romance > Other

Romantic Suspense > Other

Other > Science Fiction

Go forth and read!

Through comment 89.

I'm not doing the full list (unless people are really desperate for it?). BUT.

Here's what we've ALL read:

Contemporary > Straight Contemporary
Historical Romance > Other
Young Adult Romance > Any

And here's what we're still missing:

Historical Romance > World War II
Historical Romance > Flappers

Paranormal Romance > Demons
Paranormal Romance > Angels
Paranormal Romance > Dragons

Inspirational Romance > Other

GO US!

GO US.

I have dragons at the library. I'm gonna pick it up tomorrow.

Doooo it! I have possibilities for dragons, angels and the inspirational, but . . . that is not where my whims are taking me!

I have possibilities for angels and the inspirational. I had been hoping to find something new for WWII but I'm afraid nothing is going to live up to His Very Own Girl... No idea about demons or flappers though. Not yet at least.

(For the record, a part of me thinks I'm saving Regency until the very end.)

I would settle for reading a book for the challenge again. WHY DID I READ CONTEMPORARY FIRST.

I kind of want to do The Bronze Horseman for WWII, but, from what everyone's said, I need to be PREPARED for it!

I'd love to read ALL THE FLAPPER BOOKS, but . . . I have to find them. :-/ And it seems like there should be SOME demon paranormal series I've been meaning to read, but . . . I just haven't thought of any.

I consciously did one Contemporary/one other to make sure I had sufficient motivation for the others ;)

I think what I really need is, like, 50 slots for shapeshifters. Siiiiiighhh.

I would easily win a "most books read written by Nora Roberts" contest right now.

Well I for one am very happy that you guys aren't super into the challenge anymore. SLOW AND STEADY, ETC.

Through comment 109! We've knocked off some more categories. Here's what we have left:

Historical Romance > World War II
Historical Romance > Flappers

Paranormal Romance > Angels

Woo-hoo!