Romance Reading Challenge discussion

▪️DIVERSITY: Read a book about diversity that celebrates our differences
▪️DEBUT: Read a debut novel or read a popular author’s first book
▪️DISTRESS: Read a book with a Damsel or a Dude in distress
▪️DIFFERENT: Read a book where the MCs come from different worlds/classes (can be literal different worlds)

For DIVERSITY, I read Accidentally Engaged. It was a very diverse book celebrating Indian and Muslim culture. It was cute but all the plot about the food is the best part.

For DIVERSITY/DIFFERENT, I read The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon. Motown meets mafia. Really good read.

Did Meet Cute Diary for the DEBUT category. It features a trans character and fake dating. It was....not great for me, but I am glad trans youth have stories like this. (And I disagree with the author that the book is a romcom, but whatever.)

(Content warning for emotional abuse, panic attacks, toxic relationships, vomit, alcohol, drug use, and brief mentions of bullying and suicide)

For Debut I read Take Me Home by Abby Knox. This was her debut a few years ago I definitely think her books have gotten better since.

(Reposting again because I cannot read today!!)

Chose The Trouble with Hating You for the DIVERSITY category. Majority of the cast is Indian-American, or Indian, and the author is Asian Indian too. I enjoyed it mostly (content warning for child sexual abuse, attempted rape, domestic abuse, death of a parent and grief/mourning).