December 5, 2009
2010 challenges have been coming out of the woodworks since the start of December and I have decided to join quite a few, but I've decided to also host one of my own. Regular blog visitors and people who know me, know Contemporary Romance is one of my favorite subgenres within romance.

While searching and coming across challenges to join for 2010, I didn't find the contemporary romance reading challenge I was looking for. And what do you do when you don't find what you're looking for?
You create it yourself. So here it is...and I hope you will join me in the Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2010!


Before I list the details, I do want to make one thing clear: by contemporary romance I mean straight contemporary, so without paranormal, fantasy or time-travel elements. Sexy, steamy contemporaries are eligible and so are category romances. (i.e. Harlequin Blaze, Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Super Romances, Silhoutte Desires, etc.)

Details:

1. Read at least 10 contemporaries between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010

2. You don't have to pre-select your books, you can just add them as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed. Nothing is set in stone! Also, the books you choose can crossover into or from other challenges you are participating in.

3. Feel free to grab the button below for the sidebar of your blog. It would be great if you would link it back to this post so others can find their way back to this post and join the challenge.

4. If you decide to join this challenge be sure to create a post telling others and feel free to add a link back to this post so others can join in the fun.

5. I will be creating review posts where you can link your own reviews, but reviews are optional.


Find below the "work-in-progress"-list of my books for this challenge. Some have been and will be put in the list beforehand, others will be added along the way in the course of next year.

THE LIST: (in random order)

01. Kristan Higgins - Fools Rush In
02. Julie James - Something About You - Click HERE  for my review
03. Julia London - Summer of Two Wishes
04. Lisa Kleypas - Sugar Daddy
05. Carly Phillips - Cross My Heart
06. Deidre Knight - Butterfly Tattoo
07. Jill Shalvis - Slow Heat - Click HERE for my review
08. Deirdre Martin - Straight Up - Review coming soon!
09. Vivian Arend - Rocky Mountain Heat and Rocky Mountain Haven - Review coming soon!
10. Louisa Edwards - Can't Stand the Heat





HAVE FUN and HAPPY READING!





Pearl’s Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge







When signing up below for Mr Linky, please add the direct link to your post where your Contemporary Romance books will be listed as it makes it much easier for others to find.
If you don't have a blog, just leave the URL blank.
If you have trouble signing up below, please leave the name you want posted with your bloglink in the comments of this post or email them to me via this Contact Form


32 comments:

Mad said...

I'm in! :)

Pearl said...

@Mad > Yay!! Happy you are joining me!

Marissa said...

I am signing up for this one!

Janna said...

This is a fun one, I'm going to sign up too. I would have done so just for your gourgeous button ;)
I guess books by Jill Shalvis, Nina Bruhns and Gennita Low are considered contemporary romances, aren't they?

Grilsgood said...

I am presuming that what I usually read is what you are looking for. Books by Nicholas Sparks, Luanne Rice, Elizabeth Adler. If someoen also gets killed does that count? I do like Romantic Mysteries too.

Kara said...

Found this challenge and your fantastic blog from RR@H Novel Thoughts and Book Talk. Count me in!!!

Leontine said...

Hon, A; Don't ever let me hear you say you can't work the PS program...I'm so lovin' your button. B: I will pimp you out in my Show And Tell of December. And C: I'm still pondering if to join...you know I'd love to Pearl but I'm also looking at shelves. Do I own 10 Contemps? And since the genre is on the bottom of the food chain will I read 10 books?

I'll get back to you hon but congratz on concocting a great Challenge!

Pearl said...

@ Janna >
Jill Shalvis is definitely Contemporary Romance.
I am the last to make strict rules, it's all fun and freedom so as long as it's a straight Contemporary and there's romance...anything goes (I have read a book by Gennita though and it was more futuristic like, so that one I wouldn't count for this challenge)

@ Grilsgood >
As I said, as long as it's in a contemporary setting and it's not paranormal, historical, time-travel, (urban) fantasy, most anything goes. I'm easy that way *wink*

A tip, if you like romantic mysteries, I am participating in the Thriller/Suspense Challenge hosted by BookChickCity (see right sidebar) for the mysteries and romantic suspense I read/will be reading. Maybe that would be the perfect challenge for your romantic mysteries.

@Leontine >
Thanks for the compliments on the button (Janna too by the way!) but I did have some help...I was ready to tear out some hair and throw the towel in and go to the "real" Photoshop peeps (for example you...), when hubby took pity on me, came to the rescue and saved the day and helped me save my button :)
Thanks in advance for the pimpage! And as for the joining in the challenge...You'll probably own more contemporary books than you think, for example Erin McCarty's and Maya Banks' books definitely qualify and didn't you just get a Elizabeth Lowell (of the top of my head, because I am really bad with names sometimes) contemporary, with the secondary character from her medieval trilogy?
And what's more, I know you joined the Erotica Reading Challenge (which I am joining too, yay!), any contemporary setting erotica crosses over to this challenge too, so that will be two birds with one stone *wink*
You see? More than you think. But seriously, joining is not obligatory...Nothing is set in stone and most anything goes.

Pearl said...

@Kara
Thanks for joining! Looking forward to seeing what books you'll be reading.

Barbara said...

What a great challenge! Thanks for no paranormals etc.
I'm in and enthusiastically looking forward to it. I'll pick out my 10 books.

Marissa said...

Erin McCarthy, Maya Banks, Jill Shalvis, then I almost have my ten books ready for 2010! Yay!!! This challenge is going to be so much fun!!

A Buckeye Girl Reads said...

I have so many contemporary books sitting on my shelf right now. This is a perfect excuse to read them! Do chick lit books count?

Pearl said...

@Marissa >
That is exactly the goal of this challenge : FUN!

@Buckeye Girl Reads>
Chicklit books? No problem!

Leontine said...

Challenge leader!!! I haz got a question!!! I just realized as i wrote my comment on your participation in the In-Death challenge that Nora Roberts with her contemporary titles may be eligable for this challenge. HOMEPORT - SACTUARY - RIVER'S END - BIRTHRIGHT etc...does this faal under your contemporary romance challenge, because then I'm signing up...I've got Erin Mccarthy, Maya Banks, Susan Elizabeth Philipps, and then some Nora Roberts, which will be re-reads but I love them and it gives me an oppertunity to review them ;)

Pearl said...

Leontine!!!! You as the romance expert who introduced me to English Romance and lead me by the hand through my first steps...You are asking me if Nora Roberts, the grand dame of Contemporary Romance is eligible for this challenge??? LOL

Yes hon, of course! It's contemporary, it's romance, as long as it is not historical, futuristic, paranormal, time-travel, fantasy, it falls under the challenge.

Leontine said...

Hi hon, because the mentioned titles also have a suspense thread - a murder takes place or an object gets stolen - and I wasn't all that sure and the straight up contemp romance made me think of "just" romance and nothing else. I'll think on it but now that I have NR in mind I also have titles of which I know for a 100% that they are contemp.romance. Either way, I'm in ;) I will create a post somewhere this week and you'll see my name pop up on the list her with mr.linky ;)

Jana J. Hanson said...

I'm in too! Great challenge!!

Jamie (confessions of a book junkie) said...

I joined too!

Leontine said...

It is official, I have entered this challenge *grin*

Miss Haley said...

I'm signing up here: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2009/12/contemporary-reading-challenge.html

awesome :D

Beth said...

I like the sound of this challenge. Is there a minimum number of pages required per book? After all some ebooks are kinda on the short side.
And for those of us, like myself, who don't have the time or the skill to have a blog of our own, how do we let everyone know what books we've read to meet the challenge?

Randi said...

Thank-you for hosting this challenge. I really enjoyed it last year.

Pearl said...

To all who joined: WELCOME! I am a bit pressed for time this week but promise to welcome you all personally on your blogs in the coming weeks.

@ Beth > Regarding the page count. Ebooks normally are have less pages than print books but they do count for the challenge. But I would like to set a mininum of 50 pages so as not to include the really, really short ones, which are more stories than books.

As for your other question next to welcoming everyone on the blogs I will make a seperate review/list posts where non-bloggers can post their lists and reviews.

This will be via emailing me their titles of the books they've read, so I'll keep up their lists up to date.
If there are reviews made by non-bloggers they can also be emailed to me and I will make a post + link to the list post

So please bear with me and I will contact you all in the coming weeks with more information.

If there are questions you can always email me via the contact form in the left sidebar or in the "About Me" Tab of the header.

Unknown said...

I'm in.......http://marilyns-romance-reviews.blogspot.com/

Christine said...

Pearl, I'm in! I'm finally getting all of my 2010 reading challenge posts up. I think I over did the challenge thing a bit this year, but oh well. This one shouldn't be a problem since contemporary romance one of my favorite genres these days.

Tricia said...

I know I'm late but I'm in!

Missie, The Unread Reader said...

I'm In! I'll be checking your blog for some good recs! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Pearl!! Luv this challenge! I'm one away from completion!!! *grins & smoosh hugs you*

Anonymous said...

Will you be hosting this reading challenge for 2011? I would love to participate :)

Grilsgood said...

Don't have a blog prefer reading more, here is what i did


1. Rice, Luanne, The Edge of winter
2. Garwood, Julie Gnetle Warrior
3. Green, Jane Swapping Lives
4. Wiggs, Susan The Ocean Between Us
5. Green, Jane Swapping Lives
6. Roberts, Nora Affaire Royale
7. Howard, Linda Cover of Night
8. Roberts, NOra Command Perforance
9. Koontz, Dean Dark Rivers of the Heart
10. Lofts, NOrah Gad's Hall
11. Krentz, Jayne Ann Fired Up
12. Garwood, Julie Sizzle
13. Roberts, Nora Playboy Prince
14. Garwood, Julie Prince Charming
15. Holland, Cecelia The angel and the Sword
16. Yerby, Frank Devilseed
17. Woods, Stuart Kisser
18. MacDonald, John D Tan and Sandy Silence
19. Brunstetter, Wanda E. A Sister's Secret
20. Brown, Sandra Two of a Kind
21. Segal, Ehrich Love Story
22. Garwood, Julie Saving Grace

Christine said...

Hi Pearl!
Just wanted to thank you for hosting this challenge. I'm so excited I managed to meet the challenge in the nick of time as I just finished my 10th contemporary romance a few days ago. My list of books read can be found HERE.

Cheers! xo

plentyoffish.com said...

Wow I would like to take this contemporary romance reading challenge! Reading romance books is my passion. Do you have something like this going for 2012?

Nice to meet you!

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Pearl
Netherlands
39, married to my real life romance hero, addicted to TV shows, reading romance novels and Twitter. I'm a chronic (e)book hoarder and my absolute favorite genres within romance fiction are contemporary romance and romantic suspense, but I don't shy away from historical, paranormal or erotic romance either. Even the occasional (urban) fantasy romance, futuristic and sci fi romance may make it to my Mount TBR. This is my corner of the world wide web where I let you know what books I'm hoarding, reading and reviewing.
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On My TBR Shelf

  • Unforgivable - Laura Griffin
  • Snapped - Laura Griffin
  • Darkness at Dawn - Elizabeth Jennings
  • Sizzle and Burn - Alexis Grant
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  • Animal Magnetism - Jill Shalvis
  • Crazy for Love - Victoria Dahl
  • Kink - Saskia Walker/Sasha White
  • So Sensitive - Anne Rainey
  • Dark Taste of Rapture - Gena Showalter
  • The Darkest Secret - Gena Showalter
  • Vampire in Atlantis - Alyssa Day
  • Vampire Dragon - Annette Blair
  • Captive Spirit - Anna Windsor
  • Chosen by Blood - Virna DePaul
  • Rebel - Zoe Archer
  • Stranger - Zoe Archer
  • A Taste of Desire - Beverley Kendall
  • Mistress by Midnight - Maggie Robinson
  • To Desire a Devil - Elizabeth Hoyt
  • To Tame a Dangerous Lord - Nicole Jordan

Digital TBR Next

  • Driven - Jayne Rylon (reread)
  • Shifting Gears - Jayne Rylon
  • Beg Me - Shiloh Walker
  • Tempt Me - Shiloh Walker
  • Jazz Baby - Lorelie Brown
  • Playboy Prankster - Pamela Britton
  • Just Like That - Erin Nicholas
  • Sweet Inspiration - Penny Watson
  • Breathe - Donna Alward
  • My Gigolo - Molly Burkhart
  • Scent of Persuason - Nikki Duncan

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