I DO VERY MUCH WANT A TRAVELOGUE ABOUT HOW TO PLAN A READING VACATION AS MY FRIEND AND I JUST BOOKED ONE TODAY. *ahem* Not like I'm excited about it or anything.
I definitely want to hear your opinions!! Unfortunately most of my close friends aren’t big readers, but I would love to participate in and/or organize a reading trip! I’ve seen a few people that organize them as a business, so I’m very curious about those.
We didn’t book with an organizer - we’re doing our own thing. But the thought process was: we found an area we wanted to go, and realized that there wasn’t a big difference between the mid-budget hotels and a nearby fancier one, so we decided to go all out and get the fancy hotel and make a weekend of it.
End of June! We’re going up to Maine and going to bounce around the area where we’re staying a bit, but then mostly be inside. With books. On comfy surfaces. With warm beverages.
As an indie author, I always appreciate your insight into BookTok and romance trends, and your thoughts on brand building are no different. Thanks for consistently getting my wheels turning! And, I know one fake-dating story that actually ended up in a marriage, but it is 100% an outlier and not nearly as good as any fake-dating story I've ever read (or even written).
I have never legitimately fake-dated anyone, but in my younger days, I did on occasion pretend to be a friend's girlfriend so his family would leave him alone. I also let another friend let his roommates think I was his girlfriend so they'd believe him that he was straight (spoilers, it turns out he was not, in fact, straight and just hadn't figured it out yet despite it being SO OBVIOUS to the rest of us). And now that I think of it, I have also pretended to be a date to make an ex jealous. None of these situations resulted in romance, though. What can I say? I love shenanigans. Unsurprisingly, I'm sure, fake dating is also my favorite romance trope.
I might sound like a heretic but enemies to lovers has started to feel a bit lazy to me? I’ve coincedentally read several of them this year and it’s … a convenient device to get to the chemistry between the main characters because the emotions are already there and they’re not really building towards it. I have similar thoughts about forced proximity … It’s probably just my reading taste that’s changing ☺️
genre hopping makes me think of ashley poston - realistic YA, a few sci-fi/fantasy, now in a groove of romance with supernatural elements (ghosts, next one seems it will have fated music) but within the real world.
and she's another one who has kind of found what works for her and created her own subgenre (that many people are now trying to imitate). perfect example!
Here to confess I did fake date a boy in freshmen year of high school so he could avoid dating this sophomore girl who was obsessed with him (yes the logic IS teenage lol). It lasted a few weeks before we legitimately ended up dating for a few more weeks and then ended fake and real dating all together. Fun fact: he’s gay now!
I DO VERY MUCH WANT A TRAVELOGUE ABOUT HOW TO PLAN A READING VACATION AS MY FRIEND AND I JUST BOOKED ONE TODAY. *ahem* Not like I'm excited about it or anything.
ooo that sounds so fun! I'll add this to the content calendar.
Yasss thank you!! Looking forward to it.
Did you book with an organizer? Or your own thing?
no! I just go to the same place and read every year basically and I have opinions!
I definitely want to hear your opinions!! Unfortunately most of my close friends aren’t big readers, but I would love to participate in and/or organize a reading trip! I’ve seen a few people that organize them as a business, so I’m very curious about those.
We didn’t book with an organizer - we’re doing our own thing. But the thought process was: we found an area we wanted to go, and realized that there wasn’t a big difference between the mid-budget hotels and a nearby fancier one, so we decided to go all out and get the fancy hotel and make a weekend of it.
yessss this is the vibe. when are you going?
End of June! We’re going up to Maine and going to bounce around the area where we’re staying a bit, but then mostly be inside. With books. On comfy surfaces. With warm beverages.
That sounds amazing, I’m going to have to check in with you for an update
🫡 duly noted!! Will probably do some sort of newsletter write up but yes! Happy to report back.
Love it!!
I also want a travelogue for a reading vacay!
As an indie author, I always appreciate your insight into BookTok and romance trends, and your thoughts on brand building are no different. Thanks for consistently getting my wheels turning! And, I know one fake-dating story that actually ended up in a marriage, but it is 100% an outlier and not nearly as good as any fake-dating story I've ever read (or even written).
I have never legitimately fake-dated anyone, but in my younger days, I did on occasion pretend to be a friend's girlfriend so his family would leave him alone. I also let another friend let his roommates think I was his girlfriend so they'd believe him that he was straight (spoilers, it turns out he was not, in fact, straight and just hadn't figured it out yet despite it being SO OBVIOUS to the rest of us). And now that I think of it, I have also pretended to be a date to make an ex jealous. None of these situations resulted in romance, though. What can I say? I love shenanigans. Unsurprisingly, I'm sure, fake dating is also my favorite romance trope.
incredible, I might have to interview you if I ever actually write this piece
I might sound like a heretic but enemies to lovers has started to feel a bit lazy to me? I’ve coincedentally read several of them this year and it’s … a convenient device to get to the chemistry between the main characters because the emotions are already there and they’re not really building towards it. I have similar thoughts about forced proximity … It’s probably just my reading taste that’s changing ☺️
I totally agree! I think the majority of my favorite reads so far this year have actually been something closer to slow burn friends to lovers.
Which is also a bit more realistic, I feel, and easier to get behind the relationship :)
genre hopping makes me think of ashley poston - realistic YA, a few sci-fi/fantasy, now in a groove of romance with supernatural elements (ghosts, next one seems it will have fated music) but within the real world.
and she's another one who has kind of found what works for her and created her own subgenre (that many people are now trying to imitate). perfect example!
Here to confess I did fake date a boy in freshmen year of high school so he could avoid dating this sophomore girl who was obsessed with him (yes the logic IS teenage lol). It lasted a few weeks before we legitimately ended up dating for a few more weeks and then ended fake and real dating all together. Fun fact: he’s gay now!
Great post!