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Thoughts on books, reading, culture, and the literary life.
the ask@AAR: What romance novels show consent beautifully?
November 1, 2019This week I read a historical romance novella with a love scene that did consent perfectly. Romance novels routinely show–and now more so than ever which is the best–that sex…
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Win a copy of The Modern Break-Up from Daniel Chidiac!
October 30, 2019Almost everyone has lived through a break-up and, whew, it’s hard. Daniel Chidiac has written a book about modern break-ups and he’s giving one away to a lucky AAR reader….
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Twitter said AAR is the worst. Is it true?
October 28, 2019Last Thursday, October 26th, was not a good day for AAR. By the day’s end, many on Twitter—romance authors among them—had tweeted and retweeted accusations that AAR and its readers…
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the ask@AAR: What are your favorite non-traditional historical romances?
October 25, 2019In last week’s the ask@AAR, many of you longed for historicals featuring untraditional stories. So we want your recs. What historical romances with non-wealthy, non-aristocrat, non-white, non-heteronormative leads–or any other…
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the ask@AAR: Does Historical Romance have a quality problem?
October 18, 2019We listen to you, we really do. And we’ve noticed that you, along with several of our reviewers, aren’t all that happy with most – not all, but most –…
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the ask @AAR: What’s your favorite trope?
October 11, 2019Secret baby, friends to lovers, amnesia, arranged marriage, opposite attract, road trip romances… there are many tried and true tropes found again and again in romance. Which ones do you…
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the ask @AAR: What book/series/genre do you just not get?
October 3, 2019There are books, authors, series, and even whole genres that I just can not, no matter how many times I give them a whirl, find interesting. Last year one of…
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the ask @AAR: Do age differences in romance bother you?
September 26, 2019Several years ago, my daughter explained to me the age rule. For those of you unfamiliar with this, here’s a summary of what Wikipedia says: The Half-age-plus-seven rule (“never date…
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the ask@AAR: What can’t you forgive?
September 21, 2019They were estranged, she briefly took another lover. They were young, in an argument, she hit him. She asked him who he was, for reasons he couldn’t say, he lied….
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the ask @AAR: Must romance include birth control?
September 19, 2019They kiss. His hand slips beneath her skirt. She fumbles with the zipper of his pants. Mouths fused, they tumble to the bed. Their clothes melt away and finally, oh…
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the ask @AAR: Greatest Series in Romance
September 9, 2019We all, I suspect, have read at least one series in its entirety. (Although I can’t imagine having read all 49 of the In Death books. 49!) For the purpose…
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the ask@AAR: Cartoon Covers
September 6, 2019We have so much fun chatting with readers (in the comments). So we’re introducing a new regular mini blog: the ask @AAR. We’ll post a question and you, beloved readers,…
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