Last week I was between two review books: I have just finished reading a contemporary romance novel and the next book on my reading schedule (oh no, do not think I have a fancy schedule I follow, it is just a thrown together list of books and review dates I have signed up for) was a contemporary romantic suspense story, when I felt like I was suffocating and needed something else. No, it wasn’t because the books weren’t good or were lacking in anything, no it was simply that I overloaded on contemporary stories and needed my historical romance fix. It certainly had physical symptoms like an actual withdrawal: 

– my attention span was that of a fly (all over the place, the book couldn’t hold my interest for longer than half an hour),
– I felt bored with the story, the characters and the romance (I stress once again that the story was great, I just wasn’t in the mood for it),
– unrelenting craving for something,
– ending with virtual shivers and my closing the book.

When I tried to understand what was my problem with a/two great well written stories I had an epiphany: they were both contemporaries, and the 2 books I read prior to them were contemporaries as well. That’s when I realized I must have reached my limit and needed some historical romance.

Historical romance has been my introduction to the romance genre and my first (and still ongoing) love. It is my guilty pleasure. I just can’t tire of it (unlike paranormal romances, now it’s enough if I spot “vampire” in a blurb to make me lose my interest in the book, but that’s a story for another post).

So after I identified the root of the problem I didn’t take any risks, I picked a HR I loved and re-read it for pure pleasure. No review needed, no deadlines, just me savouring the story of how the hero and heroine met and fell in love with each other. And it was wonderful *happy sighs* Exactly what I needed. And after I have recharged my HR batteries I picked up the poor contemporary novel I had abandoned and enjoyed it a lot.

So after my experience I wondered,

About Stella

Stella is a proud bookaholic and a self-taught multilinguist in training. Besides reading, her other great passions are travelling and baking. When she is not globetrotting she lives in sunny Budapest, where she loves to spend her free time preparing (and feasting on) delicious cookies or devouring equally yummy books. Her favourite genres are urban fantasy and romance and she couldn't live without her daily dose of sunshine. Besides being the Latin Lover on BLI Stella also blogs about books and a bookish life on Ex Libris.

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