Your Starter Pack for The Romance Report!
A new collaboration between romance-heads with blogs!
Hey all! In my quest to find new and fun things to include here on Forced Proximity, I started chatting with Jess over at The Romance Report, and we realized there was (naturally) a lot of overlap in what we’re doing, and wanted to find wider audiences for both of us. So as a starting point, today an extended version of my Bride by Ali Hazelwood is an asexual metaphor essay will appear on TRR, and Jess sent me three great recent articles on her site she felt would be a solid place to start for new readers (hopefully: you!). In the future, you’ll see more from them right here, though to be the first to hear about new posts, check them out on Instagram!
About The Romance Report
The Romance Report is a blog for all things romance book related. It was founded by Jess, an avid romance reader and creative writing student, with the hopes of creating a community where all lovers of love stories would feel at home. Since the launch last year, The Romance Report has published countless reviews and articles discussing romance book discourse, original creative work by aspiring writers and a host of interviews in conversation with indie romance authors. All pieces published by The Romance Report are available to read on their website and so is information on joining the writing team.
Time Travel, the Titanic and Taylor Swift — a Conversation with Shannon Carse
Beneath the Waves is Shannon Carse’s debut novel. The story follows Alice, a historian studying the past of others while desperately trying to escape the tumultuous realities of her own. She has been living a quiet life since the death of her father, throwing herself into her work and actively avoiding taking risks. That is until, in an unprecedented turn of events, scientists at the university where she works discover time travel, and they want Alice to test it out. Going against all her instincts, she decides to take the leap, a leap that finds her in 1912 as a passenger on the Titanic’s doomed maiden voyage. However, the quest to uncover the secrets of the ship’s demise leads her to something she could never have expected — Charlie, a steward on board who shows Alice a kind of love she didn’t know was possible; a steward who will die in the wreck. Is this man worth risking the course of history for, or will Alice have to let go of the one person who finally broke down her walls? In this captivating whirlwind romance, Shannon Carse explores love, loss and healing. I had the honour of reading an Advanced Reader Copy of Beneath the Waves this week and speaking to Shannon about it
Spending the majority of her time lost in a daydream, Shannon Carse has been writing and creating stories for as long as she can remember. Despite excelling in English class and contributing to her school literary magazine, she always saw writing as a ‘pipe dream’; she says, ‘When we ask kids what they want to be when they grow up and use phrases like “dream job”, I think it makes them believe it can only be a dream, not a reality. So, I grew up, got that corporate 9-5, and thought, “This is what adults do”.’ Thankfully for all of us, Shannon started writing again last year, and it was the breaking news of the Titanic submersible, along with having the Titanic in her DNA like any true 90s baby, that planted the Beneath the Waves seed in her head. But what really sealed the deal was the July release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and, in particular, the song Timeless, which details what Shannon refers to as ‘peak hopeless romanticism.’ Add a vivid dream containing a detailed storyline, and a conversation with a fellow author friend to the mix, and Beneath the Waves was born.
It is probably no surprise to anyone that I read a lot of romance books. While some stick with me long term, most of the time, I read the book, escape into the plot, put it back on my shelf and move on — this was not my experience when reading Beneath the Waves. Since finishing the last page, these characters have been occupying 80% of my brain. The story is powerful, the writing is visceral, and the meaning behind the words is impactful. Alice is a wonderful female main character, and one of my favourite aspects of the story is the way that Shannon uses the time period to emphasise the strength of women, even during an era when society viewed us as inherently inferior. Particularly in light of recent world events, I was moved to tears during the scenes depicting female friendship and power; they served as a much-needed reminder of the value of building each other up instead of tearing each other down.
Read this full author interview here
The Love of my Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood — a review
By Tessa Jane
The Love of my Afterlife, by Kirsty Greenwood, takes the reader on a frightening quest with Delphie Bookham. Delphie is a literal dead girl walking, sent back to Earth by Merritt, her “afterlife therapist,” to find the mysterious Jonah who accidentally showed up in the afterlife while unconscious for dental surgery. Delphie’s quest is simple: find Jonah, get him to kiss her within ten days, and live. And if she can’t? Well, Delphie was going to die anyway. Though now, if she doesn’t succeed, she becomes Merritt’s guinea pig for her new afterlife dating service.
Holy s***. Five stars. TEN STARS. This book is phenomenal. One of my favorite things about romance novels is when you don’t actually know who the other half of the relationship will be until you’ve started working your way in. (Mhairi McFarlane is an example of an author who’s done this, and is the reason I love the kind of storytelling it creates). And holy cow, am I glad that Kirsty Greenwood nailed it.
The characters in this book are written so realistically, as well. A little over the top? Maybe, but I could imagine actually meeting these people on the street in a city. Especially in romance, it can be hard to have an entire ensemble of characters that the reader actually cares about. Greenwood does this with ease, introducing the reader to Aled, and Mr. Yoon, and Amy and Malcolm, and countless more.
This novel is definitely a romance novel (in the best way), but it checks the boxes of a lot of genres as well. (I have to mention though, the smut was in low abundance, but was FANTASTIC – quality over quantity, and it was so perfectly placed and perfectly relevant to the story).
Read this review in full here
Fifty Shades of Fan Fiction — an Exploration of the Roots, Trends, Themes and Future of Fan Fiction
By Ash
Fan fiction has been a long-running, vibrant part of literary culture, originating from passionate fandoms and blossoming into a legitimate and influential force in modern storytelling. Its impact on the romance genre is profound, reshaping how stories are told, who gets to tell them, and what themes are explored.
The Roots of Fan Fiction
Fan fiction’s roots reach far back, with early examples found in the Star Trek and Sherlock Holmes fandoms, where fans crafted new stories about their beloved characters. These early works were often published in fanzines, shared by hand or through snail mail, building underground communities long before the digital age. As the internet became widely accessible, fan fiction exploded on platforms like Fanfiction.net in the early 2000s, followed by Archive of Our Own and Wattpad, which empowered writers to publish stories with global reach. This journey paved the way for fan fiction’s entry into mainstream culture, where it has influenced genres from romance to fantasy.
Notable Examples: Fifty Shades of Grey
One of the most notable examples of fan fiction influencing published romance novels is the phenomenon of Fifty Shades of Grey. Originally a Twilight fan fiction, it morphed into a bestselling series that redefined the contemporary romance landscape. This crossover shows how fan fiction can serve as a stepping stone for writers to reach a wider audience, giving them more confidence to publish original work. Many authors today acknowledge their roots in fan fiction and have credited their beginnings with shaping their storytelling abilities, including Cassandra Clare, Anna Todd, and Victoria Aveyard.
Read the rest of this article here
This Friday, I’ll be recommending books about men falling for the women who look after their children, aka, governesses!
What should I be reading next? Let me know in the comments!
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Available now: my debut marriage of convenience romance Rehabbing the Billionaire! Buy your copy on Amazon, or snag it on Kindle Unlimited! Then, rate it on Goodreads to help more people discover it!
Love this collab! Jess is great, and it was so fun to be featured on The Romance Report :)