What could be better than having a
special day to tell/show the ones that you love how much they mean to you? J In fact I finished making
valentines for my loved ones. I hope it brings a smile to their lips.
Second best to having a special
treat for your Valentine is getting lost in a Valentine’s r©mance. In fact, this year I’m really excited about reading
Harlequin’s new line KISS: How to Get Over Your Ex – Valentines Day Survival Guide by Nikki Logan
It’s the first book in a
Valentines duet. Fiona Harper’s The
Guy to Be Seen With – Valentine’s Day Survival Guide is due out
next month. I can’t wait to read both.
Which got me to thinking, are
readers drawn to holiday themed books? Is the concept of framing a r©mance around a holiday (not just Valentines but any
holiday) more attractive to a reader than just your every day r©mance?
I remember not so long ago author
Holly Jacobs had a holiday themed books out with Harlequin American. The first
book in the holiday themed trilogy was Once
Upon a Thanksgiving. The second was Once upon a Christmas. And the last was Once Upon a Valentines. I really enjoyed all of them. But I can
honestly say their holiday theme initially drew me in, but it didn’t add or
detract to their likeability. It was the characters and the author’s voice that
held my attention.
And I must admit that I L©VE Christmas r©mances! I devour them. J And I will buy them just because I know that they are set
around Christmas. I love snow. I love the twinkle lights and the carols. And
most of all, I love that it’s the season of miracles, of forgiveness and
reunions. In fact, my second release out later this year (title TBD) is a
Christmas r©mance. So for myself I would
have to say that a holiday themed book is a great hook, but ultimately it’s
what the author does between the covers that keeps me flipping through the
pages.
So as a reader, are you drawn to
holiday r©mances? If so, what do you
find so appealing about them? Or would you rather stick with an every day r©mance?
Or does it simply make no difference to you?
Well I love all the little pink hearts in your post, Jen :) :) :)
ReplyDeleteI have a special place in my heart of holiday romances, but then I'm a sucker for holidays. Thanks for a great post!
Hi, Lacey. So glad you like the little pink hearts. I thought they were fun. :-)
DeleteGlad to hear that you like holiday romances too.
Jennifer, Thanks for mentioning the trilogy! I so loved those moms. As a reader, I adore holiday romances. I just read a Mitford Christmas book this holiday season. As a writer...uh, I adore holiday romances! LOL I do them a lot. I'm just finishing a Christmas book for SuperRomance and did a trilogy of short stories on Amazon that are set at Christmas, Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day. (It's my first St. Patrick's Day romance!)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks!
Holly
Hi, Holly. Thanks so much for stopping by. It's been quite a while since we hung out on the HAR forums together. Time flies.
DeleteAnd we have another vote for loving holiday romances. :-)
And a St. Patrick's day romance sounds great! Looking forward to it.
Jennifer, I'll confess, as a good Irish girl, I feel bad that it took me so long to write a St. Patrick's Day romance. Erie is a huge Irish town and it goes a bit mad on the holiday. Parades, Guinness, Irish Music, Guinness, Irish Step Dancing, Guinness, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and... well, you get the picture! LOL
ReplyDeleteHolly
I'm an irish girl too. :-) And since we don't live far apart, it's no wonder that St. Patty's is a huge celebration here too. The whole family digs out their green gear. LOL. And corned beef and cabbage is one of my favorite dishes. *licks lips* Is it March yet???
DeleteIt's almost here...I'm already dreaming about my Guinness!!
DeleteI know. This year is flying by.
DeleteEnjoy your Guinness and make sure it's green. ;-)
LOL-I second what Lacey said about the pink hearts! I'm a sucker for holiday romances-my faves are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's! Could also be because they occur in the fall/winter, which are my favourite seasons. Fun post :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the pink hearts! Thought they were so fitting for Valentines week. :-)
DeleteI agree. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentines do make great backdrops for romances. I'm thinking the 4th of July celebration with the summer sun and picnics would be fun too...but that's only an American holiday. Hmm...
I LOVE holiday themed romances! I agree with Victoria, Thanksgiving-Valentines fall in my fave seasons. And I, um, love pink. So Valentines is a great fit for me. :) I'm finding that when I start a new book, it gravitates toward one of those holidays, which tends to be a bit limiting. So I have to MAKE myself switch seasons. LOL. But I agree, holiday packaging makes me pick up a book.
ReplyDeleteI snuck the 4th of July into my current ms. Had some fun with all sorts of fireworks. :)
Holly, I loved that series! It was so much fun.
Great post, Jennifer! :)
Hi Ami!!!
DeleteSo far everyone loves holiday romances. I've always been curious about that since I know that I love them too.
And yay!!! on squeezing the 4th of July into your book. I love that holiday w/ the picnics, the warm weather and the fireworks. And in my neck of the woods, we have arts festivals. Lots of fun!!!
I tend to skip over holiday romance books unless the holiday is close by.
ReplyDeleteHi Nana! Thanks so much for weighing in. :-)
DeleteYou do have a good point. I do like my holiday romances to be read prior to or during the season.
I do like holiday romances a lot!! But I especially love to read them right around the holiday. Gets me in the mood for the holiday. :)
ReplyDeleteJennnifer, thanks for sharing!
DeleteAnd I totally hear you about them putting you in the mood for the holiday. :-)
I haven't sought out many holiday-themed romances, but I've enjoyed the ones I've read. I think Christmas themes would have to be my favorite. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for weighing in. It's interesting to hear everyone's thoughts. And Christmas romances would definitely rank as my top holiday read too. :-) Although Valentines would have to rank second.
DeleteI do love holiday-themed romances. And, I confess, I'll read them throughout the year. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jennifer!
Thanks Tina! It appears that holiday romances are a great draw. I've always been curious about this and I'm glad to hear that other people enjoy them as much as me. :-)
DeleteI've never been one for holiday romances as such. I actually bought a few coming up to Christmas but didn't get to read all of them. Now I'm sort of thinking I might put the unread ones aside for next Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Between you and me, I put aside my unread Christmas books until next year...or until a really big snow. Whichever comes first. :-)
Delete