Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Team Members

Linguist
🎤MN Lisa

Listeners
🎧Helke
🎧Christina T
🎧Trio
🎧Kari
🎧Gelaskaca

1. Introduce yourself to your team. Let your team members know where you are from. This is a 'nice to know' when categories are announced and when team-mates can expect other members to post their book choices.

2. Linguist (Captain) - reserve a couple of posts in this thread tracking your team's book selection and completion. (Alternatively they could convert a chat comment to the tracking post/s.)

3. Name your team. Using this round's theme, come up with a fun name. Given we are an open/public group with no age limit, so please make sure any chosen name is smart, not smutty ;)

Please PM your name to Jane(PS) by 6 November

4. If you have a private profile, please 'friend' your team-mates. This is really important, because without this, your team-mates can't see your shelves to select a books under option 2. (It will also help with one of the categories in this round!)

5. Please post your book selections/completions in the format provided below. (This format is also posted in both the Q&A and Sign-Up threads.) We need to know the week that each book corresponds to, the page numbers, and how the book qualifies including links to lists/shelves (where applicable), etc. I can't stress this enough. When in doubt - link it*!

* don't link to your review in your completion post - reviews in your completion posts should be included in full in that post.

You don't want to start reading a book and then find it doesn't meet the requirements because some information (eg page count or theme link) was missing from your original post.

I will be monitoring this and your book will not be considered complete until I am satisfied that your selection and completion posts comply with the format rules of the challenge.

Remember - you can ONLY change your book selection in the week that the theme is called.

6. You MUST check in with your team each week, ideally once the theme is announced. Please let your team know if you expect to have spotty communication or are on holidays or having an operation, etc.

7. When you post the completion of your book, you must post a review; enough for us to know you have actually read the book. Please don't link to a review. You must post the review in this thread.

8. Re-reads are allowed but you can't read the same book twice within this challenge.

9. There is no prize for the winning team - bragging rights only :)

10. Each week, the theme will be announced in the Q&A | Announcements thread. The full list of themes announced during this round will be maintained in msg 1 of that thread.


The Rule on the Pass Option
* Each team can only have ONE member using their pass each week.
* Each member can only use that pass once each 5 weeks.
* This means that one or two team members (dependent upon the size of your team) will miss using a pass in each 5 week block.
* No-one can use the pass option in the last week of the challenge.
* In the final week Option 2 has altered and I will be allocating each team another team from which their book selection must be chosen :)

Key selection and completion post information. You must have ALL elements in your book posts.


For selection post Option 1 you must have:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Page numbers
How the book qualifies - please note which qualifying bookshelf/list you are using or the tags that justifies that it works.
If the theme is based off the bookcover, post the cover. If there is a letter count in the title, publication date etc, please note these details.

For selection post Option 2 you must have:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Page numbers
Name of the team-member, their star rating, the date they read the book.

For selection post Option 3 you must have:
Week #
PASS


For the completion post you must have:
Week #
Bookcover/link
Rating (1-5)
Review


Please DO NOT CHAT in these selction/completion posts. It needs to be super clear.

If you 'waffle' about your decided book - please REPOST your selection once you decide. DO NOT go back and edit your waffling post.

IF YOU NEED TO CORRECT A POST FOR MISSING INFORMATION or because the didn't qualify etc, please REPOST this information in a NEW post, particularly when the request is more than a day old. Its difficult to find older posts when going backwards in the threads.

Tracking
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Hey team! I’m your captain for this challenge — which mostly means I’ll be the one keeping track of our progress and pretending I have my life together while we all collectively swoon over fictional people. I’m in the CT timezone, so if I pop in at weird hours, just assume I’ve lost track of time because my book hit the good part.

I read mostly MM Romance, which means I have a PhD in slow burns, emotional damage, and the fine art of yelling “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER” at my Kindle. I’m also a bit of a challenge junkie, so if I start enabling everyone to join just one more event, that’s on brand.

I’m excited to read with you all, cheer you on, and maybe cry over a few perfectly executed HEAs together. Let’s do this thing. 💕📚

And don't forget ideas for our team name!

Hi All..!!
My name is Gelaskaca or GK.. I live in Jakarta, Indonesia.. so GMT+7.. exactly 12 hours ahead of you, Lisa.. so if you suddenly need to chat in the middle of the night, I will probably online.. 😉

I read MM almost exclusively.. but I love Historical Romance, so I also read MF for them..

as for team name, here's some ideas :
Chapter & Chatter
The Right Write Squad
Booked & Cooked
Pages & Paiges

Hi I'm here. Will fill in this post later as I'm currently sitting in a lesson.
Eta: OK, lesson finished.
Hi, my name is Helke and I live in Germany. Sorry, l don't know the correct time zone. I think it is Greenwich +1.
I read mostly MM. Only for Christmas romances and regency romances I read MF.
In mm I don't like historical or YA/NA. I love LEO, mystery, pnr and fantasy.

Names: Sorry, as usual I have only a blank page.

Hi, checking in! My time is GMT+1 in Europe. I prefer reading mm romance but will also read some mf and cozy mysteries.
Pages & Paiges sounds good to me but I'm honestly happy with any name. I look forward to this challenge, it's one of my favorites :).

I like Pages and Paiges, but here are few other given we are mostly mm romance readers....

Knight of My Wicked Nights
A Knight Worth Staying the Night For
Two Boyfriends, Too Clueless

oooh.. I love Knight of Wicked Nights.. 🤩

Hi - I'm here and checking in
Knight of Wicked Nights is cute but I'm good with all of them :)

Hi all! I'm ChristinaT from Iowa. Same time zone as Lisa but that doesn't decide when I'm online. It's currently 0330 hours and I'm still awake! I'm am MM reader but for some challenges I've been known to read a quick MF that fits. I dislike historical MM but that's only because I want them to be able to hold hands in public and kiss each other when the mood strikes and that wasn't possible back then. Oh the exception to that would be Fantasy set in historic times. Most of those are love whomever you want. So yay!

Is been awhile since I played this game. I'm looking forward to starting! I'm good with any name but Knight/Night is cute.

Christina T wrote: "I dislike historical MM but that's only because I want them to be able to hold hands in public and kiss each other when the mood strikes and that wasn't possible back then. Oh the exception to that would be Fantasy set in historic times. Most of those are love whomever you want. So yay."

Same! I do not prefer historical MM because if you love someone you shouldn't have to hide it.

Ok. We are all checked in, so now just to decide on a team name.....

Chapter & Chatter
The Right Write Squad
Booked & Cooked
Pages & Paiges
Knight of My Wicked Nights
A Knight Worth Staying the Night For
Two Boyfriends, Too Clueless

I really like “Knight of Wicked Nights” without the “my” 🤭
but I’m open to other choices too

Knight of Wicked Nights sounds good to me!

sorry I didn't have time to thoroughly introduce myself before - I was running out the door
So I live in NY, Eastern time zone, and I'm usually online only in the evenings. We've purchased a house (!!!!!!) I've been looking for over a year for something bigger - further out on Long Island - with a pool and more property and bigger rooms and I am thrilled we've finally got an accepted bid. Hopefully we'll get a closing date soon, but I've already started packing.

Anyhoo - I read both books with queer characters and MF stories. I also love biographies and historical fiction. And I always enjoy this challenge :) - I'll send friend requests to anyone on our team who isn't already my friend xoxo.

Thanks for captaining us again Lisa - glad I'm on your team!

ha - you ladies are too fast for me! I accepted the friend requests from Kari and Gelaskaca.
Helke it's great to be on a team with you again - I think it's been awhile!
And glad to be with you again Christina too :) I always remember you because of the adorable pup on your avatar.

I went ahead with team name: Knight of Wicked Nights

cute - good pick Lisa

We got our first call!!

Week 1
Option 1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.
Please use the date on the main book page. If there are a few editions, click on 'Show all xx editions' to work out the first date of publication to ensure it fits the task.

If you aren't sure how to insert links in your posts, please read these instructions in the Q&A thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Option 2: Key date: 2 May 2025
Team mate read on or after this date and rated at least 3 stars

Option 3: Pass

A selection post must be made for whichever option you choose - INCLUDING A PASS
Refer msg 3 in your team thread for formatting of all 3 options.

Lisa, are biographies allowed?

Selection Post
Week #1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.

Option 1 :

The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid
Page numbers : 332
How book qualified : First published March 4th 2025

Trio wrote: "Lisa, are biographies allowed?"

From the Q&A thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

:)

Selection Post
Week #1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.
Option 1
Moonstriker by Sam Burns
PC: 304
How it fits: published 27 March 2025

Selection Post
Week #1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.

Option 1

The Curse Before Christmas by Eli Easton
Page numbers: 138
How book qualifies: First published October 31, 2025

Selection Post
Week #1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.
Option 1


Book: Cut to the Feeling by M.A. Wardell and A.J. Truman
Pages: 247
How it fits: published September 30, 2025

Selection Post, Week 1
18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.
Option 1

Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry
Length: 271 pages
How it Fits: published 14 Oct 2025

Trio wrote: "Selection Post, Week 1
18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.
Option 1

Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry
Lengt..."

I love Tim Curry. I hope this book entertains you.

I love him too! I was so excited when this one came up on NetGalley... plus he narrates the audiobook too!!!!

🦩

Completion Post
Week #1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.

Option 1

The Curse Before Christmas by Eli Easton
Page numbers: 138
How book qualifies: First published October 31, 2025
Read on: 11/9
Rated: 4 stars
Review: It was funny and romantic with a fairytale magic vibe and a dash of insta-love. Patrick received a cursed Krampus figurine on Christmas Eve from his secret Santa, and everything goes crazy after that. He gets into an accident (several of them!) and meets a handsome ER doctor who later helps him solve the figurine’s mystery. I liked that Patrick grew closer with several of his coworkers, and I loved Dr. Gray Eyes *sigh*.

Completion Post
Week #1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.

Option 1


The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid
Page numbers : 332
How book qualified : First published March 4th 2025
Read on: November 9, 2025
Rating : 5⭐️
Review : A very good and satisfying second chance romance.
The book deals with some heavy stuff like injury, grief, addiction, and mental health, as well as toxic hockey culture. but the writing makes it feels hopeful and gentle.
Adam and Riley are both over 40's with their own baggage. This is their second chance, and it's understandable that both are a bit weary. The slow burn were needed to gave more impact to their romance.

Completion post Week #1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.

Option 1
Moonstriker by Sam Burns
PC: 304
Read: 11/10/25
How it fits: published March 27 2025
Rated: 3.5 stars
Review: A very nice conclusion to the series. Glad Kit got his hea too. I will be sad to not have a new story with this characters to read. I liked the concept of bonding with stones and having some extra abilities because of it.

Lisa, have you made your selection for week 1?
I think we will get our second task call in a few hours..

I've been reading two so was hoping to finish and select/complete at the same time....I'll post it now, and format it when I'm home from work.

Outstanding - Week 1:
Selection: Lisa
Completion: Lisa, Trio, Christina

Selection Post
Week #: 1 - 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.
Book: Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology, Volume 8
Pages: 784 Pages
How it fits: Published 11/3/2025

Completion Post
Week #1: 18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.
Option 1


Book: Cut to the Feeling by M.A. Wardell and A.J. Truman
Pages: 247
How it fits: published September 30, 2025
Read: 11/11/25
Rating: 3 Stars
Review: I've really enjoyed the AJ Truman books I've read but MA Wardell is a fairly new author with this being my 2nd book I've read by him. I love listening to audiobooks but this was the first Kevin Earlywine narrated book I've picked up and I hated it! His voice for Bryce was super not sexy and it was delivered pretty monotonous as well. It's a shame because there were multiple times Bryce said something so funny but the narrator really ruined it with his delivery. I will not listen to another book narrated by him. Other than that the characters were delightful and the storyline was so good. I love this series showcases bigger guys. Not muscle-y jocks or skinny twinks.

Week 2
Option 1: 13. Cell | Sell - read a book tagged 'crime', 'prison', 'lawman' 'law enforcement', 'LEO', 'police', 'cops', 'detective', 'federal agent'.
These words are the ONLY tags that will work. They may appear in combination with another word but it must complement that word, not contradict the meaning or combine with another profession.

eg 'agent police' does work; 'police military' does not work.

Option 2: Key date: 9 May 2025
Team mate read on or after this date and rated at least 3 stars

Option 3: Pass
A selection post must be made for whichever option you choose - INCLUDING A PASS

selection post Week 2
Option 1: 13. Cell | Sell - read a book tagged 'crime', 'prison', 'lawman' 'law enforcement', 'LEO', 'police', 'cops', 'detective', 'federal agent'.

The Only Easy Day by R.J. Scott
PC: 223
How it fits: MPG tagged crime

Completion Post, Week 1
18. New | Knew - read a book first published in 2025.
Option 1

Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry
Length: 271 pages
How it Fits: published 14 Oct 2025
Read: 13 Nov
Rating: 5 stars
Review: What a beautiful and moving memoir! I adore Tim Curry, and it was magical to get to learn about his fascinating life, in his own words.

I had no idea Curry had a stroke in 2019, and he's worked hard to recoup to the point where he could pen his autobiography - and to narrate the audio version as well.

Star of stage and screen, and a talented vocalist as well, Tim Curry has had an incredible career and led an inspirational life.

What a touching autobiography.

🥑

Selection Post
Week #2: 13. Cell | Sell - read a book tagged 'crime', 'prison', 'lawman' 'law enforcement', 'LEO', 'police', 'cops', 'detective', 'federal agent'.
Option 1


Book: How to Save a Human by Alice Winters
Pages: 345
How it Fits: Tagged "Crime" by 14 ppl pg 1 of tags https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...

Selection Post
Week #2: 13. Cell | Sell - read a book tagged 'crime', 'prison', 'lawman' 'law enforcement', 'LEO', 'police', 'cops', 'detective', 'federal agent'.

Option 1



Where There’s Smoke (Criminal Intentions #6) by Cole McCade
Pages : 268
How it Fits : MPG Crime (51 tags), Cops (6 tags), Law Enforcement (15 tags)

Selection Post, Week 2
Option 1: 13. Cell | Sell - read a book tagged 'crime', 'prison', 'lawman' 'law enforcement', 'LEO', 'police', 'cops', 'detective', 'federal agent'.
The Vampire Book Club by Nancy Warren
246 pages
How it Fits: tagged crime 6 times

Selection Post
Week 2

Option 1 --> 13. Cell | Sell - read a book tagged 'crime', 'prison', 'lawman' 'law enforcement', 'LEO', 'police', 'cops', 'detective', 'federal agent'.


Book: Snow in Montana by R.J. Scott
Pages: 221
How it Fits: Tagged law-enforcement x3

Completion Post
Week 2

Option 1 --> 13. Cell | Sell - read a book tagged 'crime', 'prison', 'lawman' 'law enforcement', 'LEO', 'police', 'cops', 'detective', 'federal agent'.


Book: Snow in Montana by R.J. Scott
Pages: 221
How it Fits: Tagged law-enforcement x3
Rated: 3 stars
Read on: 11/16
Review: I was a bit confused with all the characters from previous books. There were additional POVs besides the MCs which I don’t think contributed to the couple’s story at all. I don’t think it works as a standalone, I had to go back and forth to figure out a storyline from a previous book which I haven’t read, and there were too many additional characters all over the place. I liked both sheriff Ryan and Jordan the actor, and I would’ve preferred the focus on them exclusively.

Completion Post
Week #2: 13. Cell | Sell - read a book tagged 'crime', 'prison', 'lawman' 'law enforcement', 'LEO', 'police', 'cops', 'detective', 'federal agent'.

Option 1


Where There’s Smoke (Criminal Intentions #6) by Cole McCade
Pages : 268
How it Fits : MPG Crime (51 tags), Cops (6 tags), Law Enforcement (15 tags)
Read : Nov 17, 2025
Rating : 4⭐️
Review :
One thing I do love about this series is that it does have a diverse cast of characters, and it doesn't shy away from exploring what makes the characters who they are. Living in a country where there’s more than 700 ethnic groups, it baffles me on how homogenous most of the western books are. Not this series tho.. The relationship and mystery part, as usual, are amazing. And the boys FINALLY get it together. Still.. they have a long way to go, and I will enjoy their journey.

Completion Post
Week #: 1
Book: Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology, Volume 8
Date Completed: 11/16/2025
Rating: ***
Review: Heart2Heart was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the variety of interesting books woven into the story — those little literary touches were fun and definitely caught my attention. And there were plenty of moments I genuinely liked.

But at the same time, a few parts just didn’t click with me. Some storylines or characters didn’t fully land, and I found myself drifting here and there. Not a bad read by any means, just not one that fully grabbed me.

Overall: a solid, enjoyable book with several bright spots, even if it wasn’t totally my thing.

Selection Post
Week #: 2
Book: Heat Trap
Pages: 270 Pages
How it fits: MPG Crime
Crime - 21 tags, Law Enforcement - 6 times