I'm In The Mood

After finishing book 5, I put down my pen and decided to read a few books.  A general rule for me is that when I'm writing - I find it hard to read.  It convolutes my scenes with other author's works, and I'd rather keep my brain free from clutter to keep my characters mine.

So now that I'm ready to read, I've had some really great recommendations from some of my readers on my FaceBook page.  Some of them being:

• Gone Girl
• The Book Thief
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
• The Goldfinch

And these all sounded really good, and someday I'll tackle them. However, to be quite honest - I didn't want to spend upwards of five dollars to over twelve for a digital book.  Call me cheap, but I was in the mood for two things when surfing the Amazon book list.  

1. Cheap or free
2. An easy read

So out of curiosity, I searched with the terms: 'free kindle romances'

After days of downloading a few freebies here and there, and perusing Amazon's catalog - here is what I found - you have basically two choices:  Steamy man sex without much substance or wit, or Amish covered in cloth with wagon wheels and horses.

Let me state that neither of those types of books is bad!  They just weren't what I was in the mood for. I wanted something in the middle, like the kind I write. I wanted something that made me think, without giving me a headache. I wanted something that was already proofread so that I wasn't editing it as I went along.

I didn't think this was too much to ask, but hey, it was the free section right? I guess beggars can't be choosers. I think there is a great divide between dry books without enough romance and too much explicit sex. I want something that gets your juices flowing and makes you cheer the characters on in their personal endeavors without feeling like you're committing a carnal sin by reading between the pages.    

Again, let me state the books that do promote either of these things have a market... it's just not me.

My biggest pet peeve is a book that relies on sex to sell a title. Come on writers ... write a book that has substance and can stand on its own without falling back on an obvious crutch. My books touch on sex or almost getting there, as we're sexual beings.  Of course, we're going to think of it! But it doesn't mean I use it like candy to bait the readers. I want my characters to have enough substance to stand on their own without taking their top off.

This blog didn't start out to be a book review.  My intent was to express my observations about how difficult it was to find something witty, romantic, and smartly written, without too much raunch.

But with continual search and lots of digging - I found a book that fits the bill.  It was romantic and believable.  The characters were fleshed out without showing too much flesh.  The couples did the deed but it wasn't thrown in your face.  There was an intelligence about the book without relying on sex to sell it.  

Another plus to this book is that it had a conclusion.  There is a sequel to this, but the writer gave the audience a satisfying ending that left us putting down our kindle happy.  From one author to another, way to go Rachel Schurig!   You put me in the mood and left me completely satisfied!

Find the synopsis below:

Lizzie Medina went to London to reinvent herself. Tired of being the quiet baby sister, and in no hurry to settle into a boring existence in surburbia, she escapes from home at the first opportunity. When she settles in London for a year of post-graduate studies, Lizzie is sure she’ll be able to start a whole new life. Immerse herself in the books she loves. Explore a new country. Work on her dream of writing a novel. She might even be able to find a little bit of excitement for once. 

But falling unexpectedly in love with up-and-coming actor Thomas Harper causes Lizzie to re-think… everything. Just as she’s convinced herself this small-town girl from the Midwest can handle this great adventure, Thomas’s career suddenly explodes to superstar levels, and Lizzie finds herself forced to navigate the fame game of red carpets, catty co-stars, gossip magazines, and paparazzi. When she wished for a new life, she had no idea it would be anything like this! 

Lizzie must now determine if her love—and her confidence—are strong enough to get her through the complications of dating a movie star. Even if she and Thomas are able to pull through before she has to leave London, how will she deal with the inevitability of returning to a life at home that no longer feels like her own? Will she follow her family’s wishes or follow her heart? Will the Lizzie she discovered in London be strong enough to help her pursue her dreams?