2017 was the year we slowed down. Our personal lives were busy as hell and something had to give and since this isn't a paying gig, the blog was the thing that had to give. We started pulling back on things that felt more like a chore and less like fun and the result was a quieter year on the blog. While we miss some of the chaos of our inaugural year--and all the fun new friends we made that year--we don't miss the anxiety that we felt trying to pull it all off. And truth be told, our little blog is now mostly a space that records the books that we care the most about and really is a chronicle of our reading history. Maybe one day the fact that we keep plugging away at this might mean something else, but for now, with full time careers, this is what our blog is. We don't have a ton of engagement with others (our fault), we stopped doing giveaways and hosting authors (seemed to never pan out quite like it could've), and we've got this small little corner that feels comfortable right now, so that's where we are.
Anyway.
Even though we didn't read or post as much as we have in previous years, we read some really great works. The covers below will link you to Amazon for more information and purchase, should something look extra great to you.
Watch List:
The following authors are the ones that have an automatic 1-click status for us and we're super stoked to see what they'll be writing for 2018. Click on their names to learn more about them.
2017 Trends...that may carry over?
This year we saw a continuation of authors teaming up with each other to write book or series together. We also saw a slight uptick in anthologies (something I didn't think I would like and turns out I do) and athletes starring in romcoms (and some more serious aspects). What we saw an exponential growth in? Authors putting new content in their newsletters and authors providing free or paid assistance in how to write (conferences and writing weekends and new facebook groups and websites/videos launched) are two trends I suspect we'll see become bigger before we hit a saturation point. Something that's becoming more visible and I hope to see more of? More diversity in content and the people producing the content. Readers, especially romance readers, are some of the most open minded people I've come across and I know we're all eager to see new faces in our novels and writing our novels.
I think we may be reaching a level of "done-ness" when it comes to duets? Though I see that some are coming out this month, so I could be wrong on that. I have to admit, I've been enjoying the authors who are taking risks and writing stand alones (even when I get to the end and want more, it's refreshing to see a novel stand on its own)--and writing outside of their normal 'lane'. While I love the escape that Romancelandia provides, it's also nice to see strong writers expand and do other things too.
I think I speak for both of us when I say--happy reading in 2018, y'all.
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