Bookseller Chats: Romance with Daisy and Danni
Hi BAMers (totally stole this from Jacque's post, but it is very appropriate!), my name is Daisy, and this is my very first post on our blog, so bear with me! I've worked at BAM for almost a year now, and I've been obsessed with romance books for a bit longer than that. Romance stories from contemporary to YA to erotica get a bad rep, but how can you get so upset over a HEA? Danni, who is co-writing the post with me, is another romance lover, but as you will see, our interests are very different. I hope you enjoy reading through our passions and please please please let us know if you've read any books that we mention and give us some recommendations of your own!
DISCLAIMER: As I will mention this term several times, HEA = Happily Ever After!
Danni, here, another bookseller at Books Are Magic. I’ve been reading romance since I was 13. I started when my older sister handed me a historical romance by Beatrice Small (Typical, you’re right.), then graduated to erotica and urban fiction. I took a break from about age 17 to June of 2018 when I read Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins. Why the break? I don’t know. I was trying to be literary by reading “smart books.” I know, I know: what was I thinking? Well, not only am I back to reading romance, but I’ve become a romance-proselyte. Unlike Daisy, I read sci-fi romance, historicals, and romantic suspense, erotica, and erotic romances. To echo Daisy, please write to us in the comments or on the bookstore’s social media to recommend books and talk about the books we mention.
Favorite tropes
Daisy:
I am declaring enemies to lovers to be the BEST–and I will die on this hill–trope in romance. With these types of relationships, the slow burn of the romance is enticing, the witty banter is hilarious, and that moment, you know the moment where they simultaneously decide to stop fighting their attraction and rip each other's clothes off (or simply passionately kiss), that moment is entirely worth the wait.
Because I am admittingly an incurable romantic, I love a good second-chance-at-love story. After life has ripped away your seemingly one true love, or you’ve dealt with a shitty cheater, or you've jumped from frog to frog with no prince in sight, you'll meet someone who blows up everything you thought you knew about love and your world becomes forever changed. Personally, I love when our hero or heroine is a single parent, who has given up on love and just wants to provide the best life possible for their child. In comes the friendly neighbor, or gruff firefighter, or stubborn mailman, the possibilities are endless!
Lastly, but in no way at the bottom of the list, is the relationship/marriage of convenience trope. First, there's always a problem—perhaps the hero/ hero is in financial straits or faces total social ruin. Second, there's the one and only solution: faking a relationship with someone they don't like, or barely even know. This is a trope that works best in historical romances, which are totally Danni's bread and butter, but contemporary romances are working hard at it. Take a Hint, Dani Brown does an excellent job with this. To boost his sports charity for kids after gaining social recognition, Zafir asks Dani to be his pretend girlfriend to elongate his 15 minutes of fame.
Danni:
Enemies to lovers: Daisy and I see eye-to-eye on Enemies to Lovers. It’s so damn good. I think I love it so much because it almost always comes with forced-proximity, meaning that the two main characters don’t like each other and then through circumstances must work together to achieve some mutually beneficial end. I love to see two people confront their opinion of each other by working together.
Opposites Attract: This does it for me because I think it shows/reminds me that some differences are just superficial. I think that weak differences like what music someone listens to or whether they are introverted or extroverted can distract from the stronger commonalities like morals or political views. I love to read about a person who thinks someone is not for them because of something that is ultimately not substantive.
Fake relationship: It’s always amusing to read a person falling in love with someone they had decidedly said they would not. To see someone go from I would never to Well, maybe there’s something here is hilarious and heartwarming.
Favorite trends
Daisy:
One of my favorite trends right now is a strong woman protagonist focused on her career, family, and friends, and doesn't feel the need to be in a relationship. The icing on the cake is seeing a man in awe of a woman who is flourishing in her element. As I would like to see more black women in this role, I fully appreciate The Wedding Date series by Jasmine Guillory. Each one of her ladies are independent, curvacious, curly-haired beauties who are fully committed to themselves and what they want and need. But she also shows that these women are worthy and deserving of love, something we don’t see enough of with POC characters.
I also love that we are seeing more literary romance. I adore a cutesy rom-com as much as the next girl, but sometimes I want a more in-depth, emotionally elevated story. And books such as Beach Read by Emily Henry and One Day in December by Josie Silver gave me just that. These were stories where I had to take breaks reading because I was genuinely overwhelmed with emotions, I couldn't read for days after because the characters stayed with me for some time.
Danni:
Strong woman protagonists that legit don’t need a man: I think my favorite example of this trend is The Lady is Daring by Megan Frampton. Lady Ida runs away in a stolen carriage to find her sister. However, she doesn't realize that Lord Carson is in the carriage! He decides to accompany her because a woman of stature should not be galavanting around without a man thinks Lord Carson. Lord Carson always wanted a meek and dutiful wife. Lady Ida is opinionated and quick-witted. (There is a little bit of I'm-not-like-other-girls thinking, but it's interrogated.) As they are on the road, Carson finds himself drawn to her and starts to consider if what he wants is really what he wants. Lady Ida doesn't feel the same way. I was living for the tension!
This is an opposites attract romance with forced proximity. This book made me laugh and possibly has the best sex scene I have ever read in a historical romance.
Favorite books of 2020
Daisy:
Other than the books I mentioned, my favorite read of 2020 is The Roommate by Rosie Danan. If you ever wished romcoms were about 60% hornier, this book is for you. The Roommate is like no other romance I've read. The story follows uptight New York socialite, Clara, as she becomes unlikely roommates with Josh, a laid back LA porn star. The opposites attract trope of the story was really fun, and the character's personalities complimented each other very well. The story also dives into discussions of sex positivity and sex education, as it simultaneously validates workers in the porn industry. Danan also highlights the revolting aspects of porn production that often leaves performers at risk mentally, emotionally, physically and/or financially.
Danni:
Lord Hold Takes a Bride by Vivienne Lorret
This romance has a lot going on and going for it. The basic set-up is that Winnifred Humphries is a chubby heiress about to get married to a man who loves her money and another woman. Asher Holt is a man who needs a lot of money. Their paths cross when Winn’s friends kidnap Asher. When they let him go, he is missing the money that was in his pockets. He then decides to kidnap and ransom Winn to get his money back. This puts a funny plot into motion. I loved this opposite-attract-forced-proximity romance.
I love a romance that says something about class differences. This novel made me think about gender expectations vis-a-vis physical beauty and financial stability. Lorret cleverly subverts gender and power dynamics while still having an entertaining and swoon-worthy romance.
Harbor by Rebekah Weatherspoon
Rebekah Weatherspoon released her conclusion to her Beards & Bondage trilogy, which I started the second day of this year and upon finishing, decided that I should stop reading for the year because there was no way I would read anything as fantastic. However, then Weatherspoon released Harbor and I was proven wrong.
Harbor is about a polyamorous (MMF) couple who are brought together after the double murder of their respective partners. Brooklyn, Vaughn, and Shaw are patient, kind, and supportive. This book leans into the intersection of BDSM and coping with trauma. I felt like this novel kicked down the door to my heart and will not leave, and I ain't mad at it.
Most common misconceptions
Daisy:
Not all romance is 50 Shades of Grey!
Romance and erotica are not mutually exclusive. Most stories have an actual plot, flushed out characters, emotional depth, and yes, sometimes lots of sex.
Danni:
I think the most infuriating misconception is that romance novels are for stupid women, women who are incapable of handling the rigors of general fiction, or the God-awful label of “literary fiction”. I have so many issues with this notion, but I’ll say this: what does it say about literature that for it to be intellectual or poignant a person has to be suffering?
Favorite subgenres
Daisy:
For the most part, I currently only read contemporary romance, but in the past, I solely read young adult romance, which is really good and should not be pushed to the side. Moving forward, I would love to read more Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Historical Fiction romances. I have The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole on my audiobook TBR, but would love some recommendations! Concerning Young Adult, I wholeheartedly recommend You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson, and both Emergency Contact and Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi.
Danni:
Sci-Fi: I want to read about aliens! I want a romantic space opera! I want someone to travel back- or forward in time. I love sci-fi in general, so its combination with romance is extra special. Two of my favorite series are the Alien Huntress series by Gena Showalter and the League series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Earlier this year, I read Always Human by Ari North which is a F/F sci-romance, and I was living for it.
Historical Romance: I personally find historical romances to be the most romantic—controversial, I know. There is something about the straight forwardness of communication that I love. No one can ghost anyone or send mixed signals by liking a picture on Instagram but not responding to texts. I'm sure it wasn't but in my mind, romance back then seemed simpler, grander, and more enduring.
And of course…
Daisy’s Recommendations:
Anything Jasmine Gullory (specifically The Wedding Party), The Playbook Series by Alexa Martin, The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, and The Roommate by Rosie Danan.
Danni’s Recommendations:
The Wagers of Sin series by Caroline Linden, The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin, The Barenuckle Bastards series by Sarah MacLean, and literally all books by Rebekah Weatherspoon and all books by Katrina Jackson.
Daisy: In anything that I read I want to really feel something, I want to have to put the book down because I am welling up with emotion, I want to scream out of joy, frustration, and heartbreak. I want to maybe throw the book against a wall (RIP The Host by Stephenie Meyer, lol), I want to immediately tell my friends about what I read or have to sit and sift through all my emotions for days. That is the perfect book for me. That is more often than not, romance. I hope we have inspired you to pick up one of the books we mentioned and prepare yourself for a whirlwind of hope, love, and endless laughter.
