Romance Recycles Reading Challenge: February
Okay kids, it’s time for our first check-in session for the RV Reading challenge. I’ve got to admit I thought I was going to start out like gangbusters but the month totally got away from me. However, I did read something that meets our criteria. It’s one that hits all three categories: Title Words, Plots and Cover Art. And it just so happens to be a book I’ve been waiting for with bated breath. Madeline Hunter’s The Sins of Lord Easterbrook.
Title Word: Sin(s)
Plot: Reunited Lovers
Cover Ladyback and Mantitty (minus nipple so I’m not sure it counts. But it is a bare chest.
If you need a refresher on the Challenge, you can get that here. And you can get a list of the Title Words, Plots and Cover Images here.
So, gypsies, what have YOU been reading that fits our criteria? And have you answered the call to any other reading challenges? Do tell!
Oh good god, this is the first I’ve seen of your challenge and I’m laughing myself silly. I just spent way more time than I should have tallying up my points so far for the year. 27 books, 58 points (minimum). The winner so far is Anna Campbell’s Untouched, (which I *loved*) because it features a 6-point cover art: blowing hair, exposed thigh, landscape, heaving bosoms, uncomfortable clinch, and [borderline] mantitty. On the back there is also a cottage. Score!!
You might need a separate list for urban fantasy/paranormal romance, which should include things like tattoos, a woman in a hipshot pose, full moon, etc. And it seems that burly biceps may be the new mantitty.
LOL, Nicola! Good call on the urban fantasy/paranormal front. And why do the women on those covers always look like they’ve stayed awake for three days and have smudged eye make-up? Full moon + tattoo=awesome! I seem to remember one of Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander books had a burly bicep with a tattoo…
Wow, I had no idea Untouched was such a high scorer! I loved it too–Anna C. is a wonderful writer and that one’s my favorite of hers. And it also features a kidnapping
I think it was Immortal Highlander that had the burly bicep with tattoo. Angela Knight’s new series also has lots of big biceps on the cover.
Nicola, I love the woman in the hipshot pose – you did nail it!
Vanessa, HAH! it was “Jane’s Warlord” that I was looking at!
I totally loved “Untouched, Manda — I gave it a 2 on plot for the kidnapping and the fairy-tale theme. There’s also kind of a rags-to-riches side plot on her side, but it seemed too minor to include.
I’m working on a spreadsheet.
You’re right, Vanessa. It was The Immortal Highlander I was thinking about.
Ahhh, yes, Nicola. I am remembering more of the Untouched plotlines now. Wow it really does rack them up doesn’t it?
I think our next challange should be to write a book that includes all these elements…surely it can be done
Are we reporting for January and February? I hit a bonanza in January with Lorraine Heath’s Between the Devil and Desire–two points for the title, two points for the cover–cut-off head and bed, and three points for the themes–wrong side of tracks hero, thief (former), and cross-dressing heroine (limited) for a total of seven points.
I didn’t want to play copycat, Manda, so even though I have read The Sins of Lord Easterbrook, I’ll count Liz Carlyle’s Tempted All Night, which gives me two points for the title and one point for the cover (another woman with part of a head). I’ll add Robyn Carr’s Second Chance Pass for the friend-to-lovers theme. These give me four points for February.
I definitely think we should add dresses falling off to our cover images and hero/heroine as spies to our themes. I’m seeing lots of both.
Wow, Janga! Who knew Lorraine Heath was such a point earner?
Hmm, if we’re doing January too then I guess I’ll do JoAnn Ross’s Shattered, which features a reunited lovers plot, a kidnapping plot, a Plain Jane makeover, and lots of military men. And the cover features some serious mantitty. and a cut off head. Six points.
I’ll also do Suzanne Brockmann’s Dark of Night, which features “night” in the title, a kidnapping plot, a friends to lovers plot, military men and has landscape on the cover. Which brings six points.
I had no idea I had racked up these points. I think we could almost do this challenge by just reading our auto-buys…
Yes to the falling off dresses and spies. I believe Caroline Linden’s first one with Avon has a spy hero. And then there are the Andrea Pickens lady spies, one of which also has a falling off dress…it’s like they knew we were planning this challenge!
We could also do heroes with shirts falling off. The back of Julianne Maclean’s has this really weird falling off shirt that seems to give off a sci-fi/futuristic glow. V. strange.
Hi Vagabonds
I’m really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow and I’m happy to say Never Resist Temptation scores a perfect 3. I’ve got the title (Temptation), the plot (cross-dressing) and with the cover I’ve got thigh as well as the new falling off dress (though I’m not sure if that’s deliberate – it’s just that I can’t see how it stays up).
Manana
I’m living vicariously off you guys with this challenge. I can’t even get organized enough this month to finish reading anything! But this is the best laugh I’ve had in days.
And what is it with the falling-off dresses? Are the women’s boobs just too big for the bodices?
Oh, Miranda, are you on with the Vagabonds tomorrow? Sweet!
We’re looking forward to your visit too, Miranda
And how cool that NRT is reading challenge ready, hehe! Personally I think those dresses are magic since they never seem to dip into true nudity–though have you guys noticed that some covers now really do hint at nudity? There’s not even the pretense of clothing in some of them, now. I can see the title now…The Duchess’s New Clothes…
Glad to give you a laugh, Vanessa. I have to say we had a good time coming up with these lists. And there were actually a lot more where these came from but we had to limit ourselves at some point or we would have spent the whole year compiling the lists