In honor of Read-A-Romance Month and Romance Awareness Month, this August we’ll be sharing insights from members of the romance bookish community! For this month’s issue, we took a look at this community and what makes it so special in this article, and interviewed internationally best-selling romance author TL Swan to learn more about her writing approach and widespread impact in this article. Here, you can read the full interview with romance novel reader Lakshmi Praveen. For her social media, see below!
How long have you been interested in reading as a hobby/academic interest/etc.? In other words, how would you describe your history with reading?
Well, actually, I think I got into reading when I was pretty young. My parents were both avid readers, so I grew up with Robert Ludlum, Jeffrey Archer, and all of that. But at that age, say I was like eight or nine, maybe, I had a huge library, like a person’s at home. It was more like your encyclopedia, the nonfiction basically. It was all your general knowledge kind of books that we had at home. It was basically for us.
And then, I think I was about 12 years old, I peeked into my dad’s library, and then he read these old books, you know, I think they weren’t many pages, I think about 100, 150. And I think those books were things like mysteries of the unexplained or “did you know this?” or how a certain thing works. You know, it was those kinds of books, and it was intriguing for me. So that’s when I picked up a reading habit as they say. And I had like the most awful TMI version of reading books, when you sit on the potty and need to have a book in your hand. And I used to do that as a kid as well. I used to read such books all through my childhood.
But then I think I got into reading fiction only after my son was born. I think that was a time where I wanted to stay up late in the night and not fall asleep. And I remember reading Jeffrey Archer’s Sons of Fortune, which I think is a good 600 pages, in two nights. In the night, I have stayed up, say from like about nine to the morning at six. So I had a phase of that at that point. And then I stopped. So then it kind of continued over the decade. And then I think it exacerbated more during COVID second wave because I was at home, my husband would be in one room attending work, and then my son would be in the other attending school. And I can watch only so much TV. That’s when I decided, let me pick up a book and read. Sadie Kincaid’s Reel popped up on Instagram, and that was it. I started off from there.
The first thing that I got into the height of reading erotica, or romance novels was Fifty Shades of Grey. And I kept listening to it for a year or two. But when the hype started to come out, saying that the trilogy is going to be made into a movie, that’s when I decided, “Let me pick up the books and see.” So I read all three books in four days. Again, I stayed up all through the night, and I read book two. I started, I’m like, “Oh, it’s already morning.” And then of course, Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series. It had five books, with two books already out by then. And, yeah, from there, it continued, and I kind of stopped. I wasn’t pulled into it as much. And then now it’s like, that’s the only world that I know.
On average, how many books do you read a week? A month?
On average I actually read say, anywhere from 23 to 26 books a month. And I have kind of reduced right now in 2024, because I kept my reading goal as 250 for the year. And then I thought let me not be over ambitious and let me just take it as it goes. Let me be a little social, meet people, and not be at home and sit and read, you know, I reduced it down to 200. Right now I’m at 150 or 149 books for the year and we’ve not even completed six months.
I think in a week, I can probably knock off about four books at least. Yeah, weekends usually tend to be family time, going out, somebody’s coming home, we’re having friends. So I don’t want to take into consideration reading over the weekend. But if I do include the weekend as well then I can probably do six books a week.
What is your preferred reading method (i.e., paperback/hardcover, Kindle/iPad, audiobooks, a combination of these, etc.)?
I was always a paperback girlie. I would always enjoy holding the book and reading. But then the convenience that you have holding in the Kindle. You can turn off all the lights, I don’t care. I’m not gonna disturb anybody. I can sleep the way I want to sleep and read or anything. So my genuine go to preferred way of reading right now is a Kindle, prefer reading on a Kindle any day. And if given a choice, maybe a paperback as well. But then you get big ass books like more than 400 pages—it’s difficult to just hold it in a hand and then do your other thing. With the Kindle, you can just prop it up against something and still read. So Kindle all the way.
Now since I alpha read and beta read as well, I do not want to do that over the Kindle. I prefer doing it via Google Docs. So I sit in front of my laptop and do that. Doing that again, I feel so lazy, like I can’t keep sitting like this. You know, I try to go on my bed and prop it up on my knees and like, “Oh crap, this doesn’t work this way.” Then I can go on to the couch or on my lounge chair and things like that. I’m like, “Okay, I’m going to try and minimize my beta reading and alpha reading.” Kindle is my go to method.
How did you first get into the book community on social media? What social media platforms do you use to explore book-related content?
During wave two of COVID that hit here, I started to get to read in books. And that’s when I think about a couple of days later is when Sadie Kincaid’s Reel popped up. You know how Reels are, they just give like a small scene with four or five sentences and that’s sufficient to pull you in. So once I started to go through her Reels that she had posted, that’s when Reels had newly released on Instagram. We don’t have TikTok here; it got banned completely here. So it was only Instagram Reels that I had.
That’s when I started to go through her profile and see all her Reels. And then because of that, I think the algorithm picked up as well. And I started to get a couple of other Reels and all of that. And once I downloaded her book, it just automatically said, because you read Sadie Kincaid, here are the other author’s books you can read as well. I think it took off from there. And it just was truly gripping. I think 8th or 9th of February, I started reading and in that month, from the 9th to the 28th, I read 44 books. That was the speed that I read through everything. It was fun.
To what extent do you network with authors? Have any authors sought you out to be a part of their beta team/ARC team/etc.? Have you opted into these opportunities?
Sadie Kincaid’s PA, she pinged me, I think in the month of May saying that, you know, I’m trying to get in touch with you. My social media at that point was completely private. Even my Instagram, even though I could get the algorithm, I’d seen book reviews, and was seeing a lot of authors and all of that. I had kept my profile completely private. Because at that point, everything was my private Instagram or my private Facebook. My Facebook is still private as well. It’s not a bookish account at all.
That’s when Katie, she messaged me saying, “Hey, I’d really like you to be on Sadie’s team. Would you be willing to ARC for her?” That’s not even a question that you need to ask; I’m game for it. It was definitely not something that I sought out saying that I want to be an ARC reader. It just kind of happened. And I think from there, it went on, and I think she had put me on a couple of author lists to get ARCs and all of that. And that’s when I opened up saying that, “Okay, let me sign up for this author. Let me sign up for that author.” And it’s kind of sucky in a way, because there are certain authors’ books that don’t get released here, because it gets categorized under erotica.
So, there are a few authors’ teams that I would love to get on. But then right now, with the plate of books that I have, I’m like let me just go with the flow. Connecting with authors, I can say that, I would ping almost every other author that I read, that I’ve read at that point, because I realized for them as well as face value, face time is more how much readers communicate with each other. I mean, as anybody, I think it’s human nature, if somebody messages you, or talks to you saying that, “Hey, I love what you’re doing. I love the energy that you bring,” for whatever it might be. You might be an author, you might be a dancer, you might be a chef, or whatever. Anybody hearing appreciation words is always a good thing. Right?
So that was what was so intriguing for me—that the authors were willing to listen, and you know, just hear the readers out. And there was that back and forth. That fourth wall has been broken down, you know, they connect with you, they want to interact with you and all of that. I think that was really, really nice. And I appreciate the authors who take time to respond back even if there’s just like, you know, a like, or a heart emoji or a “thank you for reading my book.” That’s also fine. You know, it’s just that validation, you get as a reader. You message the author, and they respond back. That’s always nice. And then from one after the other, Katie had me on Jade’s ARC team, she put me on Carolina Jax’s team, and I hadn’t signed up with their ARC teams at all. So the first books that they ever wrote, I received their ARCs. I was like, “Hang on, wait a minute, I did not sign up for these. How is this—?” And I’m just happy, and those books I went in blind completely. Jade’s Delay of Game and Carolina’s The Biggest Win, I went in completely blind, not knowing what the books were about. Mind you, I was on vacation when I got that email and I’m like, “I can read what I need to kill time in the traffic!” you know. It was good. And then from there it just kind of took off completely.
I think the interaction mainly would happen at that point probably in the comment section of posts, which the authors would have posted. And then sometimes it definitely clicks. Sometimes it doesn’t. I realized the first time I really spoke to somebody in the book community, they were extremely well established bookstagrammers. And they were booktok-ers as well. I kind of felt like, maybe they are people that do not want to listen to me talk or you know, even just interact with me. Because by that time, I think they had like a good 8,000 or 9,000 followers. This time I’m talking about August or September 2022. By then, they had like a pretty good following, they still do now. I think among that group of bookstagrammers probably one is the only one that to this day, every now and then, you know, we’re like “Hey, hope you’re doing good. Just checking in,” kind of thing. The others? I did not because it just kind of feels like “Oh, you’re too small for me to talk?” You definitely do get that from certain bookstagrammers. But I’m not with that energy. I’m like, I’m happy in my space. The only reason I pinged you is because I thought that maybe we can, you know, share and talk and all of that. So it’s okay, it’s fine. I still follow them. I absolutely adore what content they put up. It’s good. I know, I found my people right now. So I’m happy in that sense. And there’s nothing like it.
I’m a little more reserved as to whose teams I want to be on because there was like an overwhelming [time when] everybody sent out their ARCs at one go at one point. When am I going to read off of my TBR if I’m going to do only ARC reading? Honestly, the month of June, today is the 24th, and I have read one book off of my TBR. All the other books that I have read have all been ARCs, or alphas and betas. I mean, I don’t mind doing that. But at one point, you actually got to think like how much is too much? I have decided, for now at least, I’m not going to get on new author teams or anything like that. I’m more than happy to read their books minus the ARCs, and I’m definitely going to give them a good rating and all of that. Right now, I’m not going to willingly go search saying, “Oh, I want to get on her team, oh, I want to do that.”
Because as much as authors are extremely transparent as to what they want, there are some authors who are just killing it and bringing a really awful name to the community as well, because they have these conditions: must do this, must do this, must do this. And it’s like, you do realize we’re doing it as a free promotion, right? We are taking time out of our lives and getting ourselves away from our family and doing things for free. I’m not saying that you need to give me a gold star or pat on the back. But we genuinely like what you’re writing and that’s why we are reading this for you. But when you add in saying, “Must do this on this day, must do this on this day.” You’re doing it for fun, and then it becomes a job. And nobody wants to do that; when this is a hobby, you need to keep it as a hobby.
I think a majority is also the writing styles that the authors have. I would probably want to reach out to an author after I’ve read a book of theirs, and you know, be open to getting on their team for the next book which would come. I think I did that for a couple of authors and I realized that they open up their ARC teams only once or twice a year. So it’s not like for every book that they release, they do that, which is fine. I mean, they will have their own way of working, what they want to do, how they want to approach their ARC readers and all of that. So to each their own. But then again, if the writing style is something that I enjoy reading, and it’s tropes that I enjoy, probably I would reach out. But then you also have like your unicorn authors where you know, you do not know whether you get into their teams, even if you apply like a zillion times. When those authors come about, I’m like, I’m just gonna take a step back, I’m gonna read it when it releases. It’s absolutely fine. Yeah, I made amazing friends via ARC teams like this. And it’s just fun. I adore these women so much. We have the same shitty mind, the way we read or like things and all of that. So it’s, it’s really nice. I enjoy this completely.
I think everybody’s teams who I am on are extremely chill and relaxed people. I mean, they have things going on in their lives, but when they do reach out to you, I think I take a minute and see what they write, how they write, what kind of stories they write. So I have an interesting story. Last year, I think in April or something, I received a message from a newbie author saying, “I was going through your profile, and I really like how you post your reviews and posts and all of that on Instagram. I’d really love it if you could ARC read for me.” And she sent me that message. And then she sent me the link to her ARC form, which had her tropes, the blurb, and everything. I read through it, took about half an hour figuring out whether I can do this or not. And then I, you know, I can’t be too conservative in that sense as well saying that just because they reached out, I’m not going to not read or anything. Let’s give it a try. So I did, and I signed up, and I messaged her back saying that I would love to do this. And it was her first duet. She writes reverse harem books. The main thing that pulled me in was because the FMC was a dancer. So I’m like, sold on that. Let me just go through all the other tropes and everything. And right now she’s like a really sweet friend and I’m on her beta team. So after the first duet that she put out, the next two or three duets, I have been on her beta team.
The camaraderie that you have, the back and forth that you have with authors. Sometimes you do feel there is a wall saying that, yes, I’m an author, you are a reader, that kind of thing. But there are also friendships and it clicks immediately, you know, you just talked to them, and it’s like you’ve been talking to them for years on end, and it doesn’t feel like you met them right now. Even though everything is virtual like this, it’s that spark, that means that’s it. And once that happens, I’m completely hooked. Until you ask me, “Get off my team!” I’m absolutely happy with the connections that I’ve made. Those things are what make me want to stay on ARC teams and interact with other readers in the same teams.
Do you have a bookish account on social media to post about the books you’re reading/interested in? If so, what inspired you to make a bookish account to post on? What is your approach to sharing about, promoting, and/or recommending different authors and books?
So my account was basically my private account. And then I switched it to a public one. And then I ended up starting to share Reels of books that I was reading. I remember reading Lucy Score’s, Things We Never Got over. And I just fell in love with that. It had that small town grumpy sunshine vibe. And after that, it felt like you know, I needed to scream on top of the rooftop and just yell, “Read this book!” So that’s when I started to share Reels, you know, how you feel when you’re reading, how the world fades away when you’re into a book and things like that, you know. I found a couple of Reels like that and I started to share. And then I started to get messages saying, “What has happened to you? What’s changed?” Nothing’s changed or anything I’m just, you know, expressing what I’m reading or what I’m into right now.
And that’s when I thought that maybe if I just switched it into a bookish account, you know, it makes more sense. And that’s when I think, November of 2022 is when I took the plunge in switching my whole account into a bookish account. And I changed my private profile completely. And my account is basically only reviews. I started off only putting up posts of ARC reviews that I would receive, not all the books that I read. I would do it for when authors take the time to send you an ARC copy of their book. I think as a reader I genuinely feel that you need to reciprocate the same thing in appreciating that, right? So, it was not much, it was just the cover page of the book, and then my review underneath, and probably if I had space or something, probably the blurb of the book. And that was it. And I would make it a point to add in music, which was all either a Hindi song or a regional song. I feel that’s the unique thing that I put in a regional song or a Hindi or a Bollywood song. So I try to go through the book as to how it is, and then try to find a song which is along similar lines, gives me the same emotion that I got reading the book and it’s the same as when I listen to the song. So I tried to combine that, and that’s the thing that I love doing the most, you know.
And at one point, I stopped caring whether the other person understood or not. Music is music, no matter the language, you are going to understand it. I’m like, I’m just going to do that. So I started off doing that. And, yeah, now I will try to pop in a couple of cover reveals or, you know, teasers as such. And November of 2023 is when I started to make edits of the ARC copies that I would get. So small, small pictures from Pinterest. I genuinely am not good at it, compared to what I have seen from people who are doing it. I do not have that much patience to do it, so I kind of put an added pressure on myself, like trying to find pictures which correlate to like key things in the books and all of that. So I started doing that. And I don’t think I stopped doing that. But it is solely for ARC books that I get, and probably even books which resonate with me. So yeah, that’s how my account is right now.
Music is a very big part of my life because I was a dancer all my life. I think I started dancing from the age of six till I was 23. And then I stopped, then I started again, and now I have stopped again. But music and dance is like a very big thing. So for me, always the emotions that go through me, even if it is a sad situation, or something that’s happened in my life, I kinda play in my head the song which aptly fits my situation, right. So I take that same thing. And I feel it for when I’m reading books as well. I read a book by Pamela O’Rourke, she’s an Irish author. And she wrote this amazing book, it was book two in her series, and it started out as friends, you know, older brother’s best friend. And then it was just so much. There was a song, it was a Tamil song. Tamil is the oldest language in the world, by the way. There was a Tamil song which resonated with me, and I sent her a Spotify link of that song. And I told her, “I know that you probably won’t understand this. If you just Google the lyrics, you probably will get the translation of it. But I wanted to tell you, this is the song that correlates with Unwritten Rules.” And this is just the perfect knot that you need to tie to wrap up the present kind of a thing. So I told her that and she’s like, “I’m so touched and happy that you felt this way. I really appreciate you reading it and telling me this.”
Are you in any book groups for any authors on social media?
You have your reader groups, the author reader groups, then you have bookish reader groups that you have where a bookstagrammer or someone might have created their own group. I have gotten a couple of invites like that. I have willingly joined a couple of teams. I think on Facebook, I am probably at about 20 to 25 author groups plus bookish groups, maybe close to 30. Because even the first circle of authors that I am friends with, I am part of their ARC team, their street team. And then there are a couple of authors who have just a bookish group, not particular towards them, but to fellow indie authors, as well. So I think all in all, I think about 30 groups on Facebook give or take.
I think I’m more available as such on Instagram compared to Facebook, because Facebook is still my private profile, so you don’t get to see anything of me until I go to comment or post on a certain thing. Otherwise, it’s just that I keep getting them on my newsfeed.
What are your thoughts on the book community, both at large and in your specific niche, considering your own experiences and interests within it? How do you find the broader book industry has changed over time?
I think change over time is more so that authors are more available or more present with you as a reader, because you can get in touch with them. And they respond to you. I mean case in point, Sylvia Day. And this was like a good 10 years ago that I read her Crossfire series. And at that point of time, there was nowhere saying that, you know, if I do reach out to her via email or anything that she’d probably respond. That was not a thing that I would have thought at all. But right now, if I do reshare her posts or anything, she’s reposting the same stuff that I post. I mean, ten years ago, I wouldn’t have thought that she would have done that.
So, I think the availability that is there with the authors and readers is amazing. Again, as I said, that fourth wall has been broken down. There is a connection and social media is such a huge part in that change. I mean, you can see the negatives, you can see the positives, but I tend to see the positives. If the author did not want to be seen or visible, and it’s just like “my job is only to write books and I don’t want anything else to do with it,” their press wouldn’t be there. And I don’t even think people would even be talking about their books or anything. I think social media plays an extremely important key role in pulling readers into their, you know, atmosphere and like wanting them to read your books. So, the accessibility in that sense is amazing—really, really good.
Me staying not in the States, it’s very difficult for me to get over there for any book signing events or conventions that happen or book conferences that happen. I genuinely feel like, how I wish I was there.
Describe the book community through a social lens. Has this community granted particular social/friendship opportunities you might not have experienced otherwise?
I have a couple of friends that I have made through my author chats. They have their ARC team chats. And it’s not like 10, 20 people, it’s like a good 100, 120 people in there. And closer to the release date or the ARC goes out, there is like a flurry of messages which go out right? And because each one’s time difference is different to the other, at one point you get up in the morning like, “Why are there 300 messages on my right?” It takes time sometimes to like, go through it. But I definitely clicked with some people who had responded to messages that I had posted or you know, when someone would have asked me, “Okay, I read this book, and I know you guys have read this book, is there another book which is similar that you have? I want to read, you know, so that it can hold me over to the next book release kind of thing.”
From there, it’s kind of snowballed. I have made very many friendships like that. And to this day, we send book memes and Reels. And it’s like, “Did you see this? This is an ARC link here, go sign up if you have time for things like that.” We kinda have become friends like, “Okay, I’m doing this I’m busy here,” or “I’m with my daughter. Let me get back to you.” It’s nice, a good friendship and if not every day, every second day, we are definitely touching base and saying “Hey, are you doing good? What are you reading? What are you doing? Is life good?”
What are some of your favorite genres and tropes to read? Do you often follow the trends in terms of genres and tropes that become popular, or do you stick with a particular set of favorites? Do you follow an author regardless of what sort of stories they write?
I’m more of a contemporary romance reader. I love to read billionaire romance—I can go on a list, but I can definitely cut short by saying what I will not read. I will not read aliens. I will not read dragons. I will not read inanimate objects. Oh my god. That’s one thing which has popped up lately. A door, a pillow. The main MMC is a frickin’ pillow. Like how do you even write a book? How do you even get the rights to publish a book like this?
So those things I will not read. Rather to say that, in this world right now in which we’re living, if it is a story that somewhere out there is happening, it is a story that I will read. Small town romance, second chance romance, age gap, family drama. These are things that in your day to day life, there is somebody who’s experiencing this, right? I connect more with that than reading about fairies and witches and aliens and all of that. I’m not going to connect with that at all. So I prefer reading human books, per se, but that’s not to say that I haven’t read any PNR romances. Two authors did it and they did it so beautifully, I absolutely love it. Their main thing is not writing PNR romances at all. They write actually small town contemporary romances, but both of them write RH, reverse harem books, but one of them did a trilogy of shapeshifters and it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was so amazing. And I for one, I was like, not going to read the PNR no matter what. Paranormal romance of any which way, I’m not going to read. Vampires, werewolves, witches, I’m not going to read it because I’m not going to connect with it.
Then I thought, “If I’m not going to push myself in wanting to read, I will not know about it.” It might be only that her writing is something that I will enjoy reading. But that doesn’t mean that I will, you know, change my direction completely and read only PNR romances. My loyalty lies with the author rather than the trope at that point. I was just completely blown away with what she had written. It was amazing. Amazing. So, I will read it because she wrote it, not because of the trope in that sense.
I mean, you have other authors like TL Swan and Melanie Harlow. I don’t even think I want to dream of saying that I’ll get into their ARC teams or street teams or their chats in any which way. But I’m more than happy to read their books. TL Swan a couple of months ago, she posted something and I reposted it. I put it up on my stories. She actually messaged me. I’m like, it might be a PR team who’s there or you know, one of the girls who is working with her who manages her social media accounts. But they kinda validate you and they respond back to your message and post. I took a screenshot and I sent it like, “Do you see who responded to me?!”
Who are your favorite authors and how did you discover them? Do you read a lot of indie authors, mainstream authors, or a mixture?
I can say my heart is wholly, wholly with the indie authors. Because traditional published authors, they’re always there. I’m not saying no. But at the same time, I feel like I connect more to authors who are indie authors, because I think base level we are the ones who kind of uplift them so that they can soar and they can do more great things. I’m not saying no to the others, in any which way. But I feel the traditional published authors, they have a set foundation and a concrete base already with their readers. So, we are just probably the tenth tier or the 12th tier kind of people. So it’s fine. I’m more than happy to read them when time comes. But my heart and soul is within the community.
Sadie Kincaid’s PA was the one who picked me on her author team to ARC for her. And that’s how I got into Jade Dollston’s ARC team. I mean, I got her book and then I started chatting with her about it. That’s when I truly understood the meaning of having a conversation with an author which goes above and beyond. And I think we just kept chatting continuously for three days straight.
Then, at the same time, I got Carolina Jax’s book as well. And then I started chatting with her as well. Then one thing led to the other. And that’s how I got introduced to a AK Landow and LA Ferro. And it just kind of blew up from there. And there was no looking back. I absolutely adore each and every one of them.
When do you write reviews for what you’ve read and what platform do you share these reviews on? What is your approach to or thought process behind writing a book review?
The reviews that I usually write are for only the books that I receive ARCs for, or a beta and alpha. But I definitely leave a rating for each and every book that I read, be it on Amazon or on Goodreads. You definitely will see on my profile that I have rated a book. But writing a review is usually on the ARCs that I received. Because if it is the other way around, I’m spending time reading on Kindle. And then I’m spending the other half writing my review on Goodreads. So I generally stick to writing my reviews only for books that I received. If the book totally knocks the socks off of me, and I’m like, “What did I just read?” Even just a sentence, I sometimes leave a review. If it is not an ARC copy or anything, if it really blows me away, I will leave a review. It might be even just a sentence as well.
I tend to think as to what I was feeling, why did I pick up this, or why was this book sent to me? I’m not going to go in completely blind in reading a certain book. I want to know the tropes, so what exactly pulled me to wanting to read it? So I probably start off why I started reading, saying that, “Oh my God, it’s an age gap. That’s my thing, I want to read.” And then I try to not give away plot lines. I mean, not even plot lines, I don’t even try to give a story outline that they would give in the blurb.
But rather I write as to how I felt when I was reading it, try to resonate with what I have in my life, what’s going on in my life, what I have seen happening around. I feel as a reader, if I’m reading something, I think that’s more something that would pull me to want to read a book. Because if somebody else has said that, that’s something which I would think like, “Oh my God, yes. That’s what makes me want to read. That’s how I’m feeling if a situation like that comes up.” So I tend to write my reviews in that sense. There are people who actually take out paras or key dialogues, and they post it and then they write. It’s like a question and answer kind of thing. I don’t tend to do that. I’d rather write what I feel and how I enjoyed it, and you know, what makes me want to recommend it to you.
Do you feel a certain obligation or pressure to give authors glowing reviews if you get a beta/ARC or you’re a fan of the author, whether you’re connected to them somehow or not?
I am brutally honest, when I get a beta or an alpha. If I’m picking up a book, just because I want to read it, and I don’t like reading it, I’m just gonna stop. I’m gonna DNF the book. But at the same time, if it is a book, something like that, which happens when I’m beta reading, I’m going to be brutally honest with the author saying that, like, from my point of view why I’m not gonna like this, or why I’m not liking this. They genuinely appreciate that. I’m not saying that everybody is going to take it the same way that I’m taking it, but you know, it’s possible that they might not enjoy. I do give that feedback and it’s always taken in the positive sense. They have definitely taken into consideration what I have told.
And I appreciate that from the author’s point of view as well, you know, that it’s good. But then there are certain times where I have received ARCs where it could have gone so much better. I mean, in my head, the story that I had built up was perfect. I would not go to write a review. For that, I would just probably leave a star rating and be done with it. I have never received an ARC that I genuinely did not enjoy. I did receive a book, which because I received the ARC, I sat and read through it. I mean, it was 300 pages too long. It was a good 500, 550 pages, and then she could have finished it at 300 or 275. She pushed it so much. I’m like, “This absolutely makes no sense.” So I didn’t write a review, I didn’t give a star rating for that one book. There was another book, which I just like, ignored completely, because I’d rather not do any of that and then get the author’s rating down or give a bad review. I don’t believe in writing bad reviews at all. I’d prefer not to write anything.
In an age so flooded with technological influences, what keeps you inspired and motivated to continue reading?
I enjoy a certain trope, or I enjoy reading something this author has written. I immediately like, go back and read the other books that she’s written, or I want to go and read something similar in that sense—how their take or how their perspective is on a certain trope, be it a billionaire romance, second chance romance, everybody is not gonna write the same way. Everyone’s writing is not going to be day one, it goes like this. And then day 150 is done, then you get your happily ever after. Not everybody writes like that. You have dual timelines. Dual points of view, multiple points of views. And each one’s perspective goes so differently. And that’s what just keeps me on the edge or on my toes saying, “I want to read the next, I want to read the next.”
And I always vary between reading, you know, sweet fluffy romances and then dark romances. It might be mafia romance or general overall dark romance. It’s just that you need that, “Oh my God, what am I reading?” kind of thing. And then at the same time you finish like, I need something fun and sweet and laugh out kind of a way, or I want something like you know, you cuddle under the blanket and it’s a meet-cute kind of a thing as well. Yeah. Basically I’m a mood reader. It’s wanting to know what’s next or what’s going to happen next, or what the author is going to put out next.
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