We certainly got off to a flying start in the Romance, Romantic Suspense and Erotica category of the Australian Women Writers Challenge for 2014 with 25 reviews being submitted to the challenge.

in safe arms leeThere was no one book that dominated the category this month, although there were several books that were reviewed twice. Romantic suspense novel In Safe Arms by Lee Christine was reviewed very positively by both Brenda and Jess from The Never Ending Bookshelf, with Jess saying

Everyone knows that I loved Lee Christine’s first novel, In Safe Hands, which was released in late 2012. But if I loved the first book, then this novel is indescribable. Words just can’t do it justice; but for the sake of this review, I’ll try my best. Though I should warn you here that I read this entire novel in one sitting, in the middle of a heat wave (without air conditioning), I simply just couldn’t put it down, that’s just how great it is.

You have to love a book that can get you through extreme weather conditions!

tango-love-flocktonAnother story that was reviewed a couple of times was Tango Love by Nicola Flockton. This one is a short friends to lovers novella so it sounds perfect if you just want something short and fun. This story was reviewed both by Bree and at Sam Still Reading with the latter saying

Sure, you know what’s going to happen here, but it’s just so much fun! The novella means the narrative moves along at a cracking pace but it doesn’t feel rushed or that it’s skipping things. And the night of passion…it’s very, very steamy.

As I mentioned in the 2013 wrap up, rural romance is very visible in this category, and this was no different in January with reviews being added for several different books with rural settings. Loretta Hill continues to be reviewed well with reviews being submitted for both her debut novel, The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots (reviewed by Brenda) and two reviews for her latest novel, The Girl in the Yellow Vest. 

girl in yellow vest hillThe review at Sam Still Reading starts off by saying

A new Loretta Hill book is a must buy for me – I love her writing. The characters are funny and realistic; situations are both emotional and action packed and she demonstrates a genuine love for the Aussie bush. The Girl in the Yellow Vest is no exception – in fact, I think it’s Hill’s most technically complex book to date. Even better, it works brilliantly to create an ensemble cast, full of drama, romance and touching moments.

One of the things that I enjoy in Loretta Hill’s books is the fact that her characters and settings are not just farmers on horseback. Here we get to meet people in the mining and construction industries working in very interesting locations. Shelleyrae picks up on the rural elements as well saying

I enjoyed the change of scenery Hill provides in The Girl in the Yellow Vest. Previous books, The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots and The Girl in the Hard Hat, featured Western Australia’s Pilbara region while here, Hill sets the book in Northern Queensland, based on a project she once worked at the Hay Point Wharf.

As well as talking about the books that were reviewed most through the month, I want to try to choose one or two other books to highlight that catch my attention for different reasons. Some times those reasons might be serious (like trends or patterns that are developing, issues etc) and other times not quite so, like this time!

how-to-keep-a-boy-from-kissingOne of the titles that caught my attention this month was How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You by Tara Eglington which was reviewed by Rochelle from Inside My Worlds. The main thing that caught my eye was the title. I mean, we all know that the whole point of a romance novel is to get the boy (or girl)to kiss you! Rochelle really seemed to enjoy this contemporary YA novel saying:

I love funny, romantic, YA contemporaries and this was a perfect example of a brilliant one. 50 pages in and I had already laughed out loud countless times, and by the end I was filled up with all the happy feels.

I’ll be back next month with more highlights from the romance, romantic suspense and erotica genres.

As always you can find more of the romance reviews at any time by clicking on the Weebly pages where new reviews are always being added.

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Marg has long been an avid reader of all genres, with the most books read being in the romance genre. Marg has been blogging about all different genres and other things at Adventures of an Intrepid Reader for more than 8 years. You can tweet to her @margreads.