Its Valentine’s Week and Love is In the Air!
Tuesday is Valentine’s Day and surely Love is in the Air! All those hearts, balloons, and boxes of chocolates and other signs of romance all around are making me think of so many things, like the best love stories in movies and of course, in books (cue the soundtrack to Doctor Zhivago)! We can all remember the traditional love stories, meaning het of course! I’m sure they are popping into mind even now. Romeo and Juliet, Lancelot and Guinevere (Arthur got a raw deal I think), Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, Paris and Helena,Tristan and Isolde…most ended unhappily I know. But ah, how bright their love and passion burned! We can even think of our happy love movies. Love Actually is played constantly during the holiday season (love has so many faces).
But how about LGBTQIA love? Is Brokeback Mountain the first movie that comes to mind? How about Shelter or Big Eden or Latter Days? They didn’t have big names attached to them but the romance and love left you smiling instead of feeling torn apart. Perfect for Valentine’s Day watching! What’s your recommendations for Valentine’s Day binge watching?
I can remember my very first novel, outside of fanfiction (K/S among others) that was not only M/M but had a happy ending. That was The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I still have my hardback copy. It was a revelation. The idea of m/m romance and love with the possibility of a future in some way. The Catch Trap was published in 1979 which was when I first read it so a future then is markably different then the way in which LGBTQIA romance (and marriage) is regarded today (bigotry not withstanding). Some of my comfort reads are also my favorite love stories but not all. Some of my favorite couples also had pain, loss and suspense attached to their stories as well. Here are some of those.
Some of My Favorite Couples and Their Series in no particular order:
Ty and Zane of Abigail Roux’s Cut & Run series (some written with Madeleine Urban)
Lucky and Bo of Eden Winter’s Diversion series
Jory and Sam of Mary Calmes’ A Matter of Time series
Jin and Logan of Mary Calmes’ A Change of Heart series
Adrien and Jake from The Adrien English Mysteries by Josh Lanyon
Jonty and Orlando from Charlie Cochrane’s Cambridge Fellows Mysteries
Jim and Griffin as well as Evan and Matt from Tere Michaels’ Faith, Love & Devotion series
And this is without adding in those couples from my comfort list books! There’s more as well. Do you have your favorite couples? Tell me which ones I missed!
Goodreads has its own Listopia: Best Gay/Lesbian Fiction With Happy Endings (140 books). You might check out this list too. But back to your favorite couples and your favorite love stories. What love stories jump into your mind when I say “Romance”! That love with a capital L story where “one swims the oceans, fights all the fights, does everything they must to be with the one they love” story. Give us your list and see if you come up with Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Valentine’s Day gift card!
Valentine’s Day Love Story Challenge.
Yes its time for the Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Valentine’s Day Love Story Challenge. Give us your list of either top couples and their story or top love stories with your email address. One random reader will be chosen to receive a $10 gift certificate by midnight next Sunday, February 18th. This is a quick contest so get your lists in this week. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
And as a reminder, our Comfort Reads Giveaway also closes on the 17th. So here is two chances to win a gift certificate.
📚Comfort Reads Giveaway from Last Week!
Send us your List of Comfort Reads! Your Snuggle Up To, Comfort Blankey Books! One random reader with a List will be chosen to receive a $10 gift certificate from Dreamspinner Press. Contest ends February 17 at midnight. Please leave your name and email address where you can be reached if chosen.
Now for this week’s schedule.
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, February 12:
- Its Valentine’s Week and Love is In the Air!
- This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
- A MelanieM Review: Flaunt by E. Davies
Monday, February 13:
- DSP GUEST POST Ari McKay on Letters from Cupid
- DSP GUEST POST Tara Lain on Fire Balls
- Release Day Blitz The Start of Something New by Tamryn Eradani
- A Caryn Review: Too Soon For Love by Kimberly Gardner
- A Lila Release Day Review: Jerricho’s Freedom by Jake C. Wallace
- A VVivacious Review: The Start of Something New by Tamryn Eradani
- An Ali Audiobook Review: Empty Net (Scoring Chances #4) by Avon Gale and Scott R. Smith (Narrator)
Tuesday, February 14 (Valentine’s Day):
- DSP GUEST POST Evelise Archer on Jaeger
- DSP GUEST POST Lila Leigh Hunter on Dating in Retrospect
- Jared’s Family by VS Morgan Release Blitz and Giveaway
- A MelanieM Release Day Review: Yes, Professor by Renae Kaye
- A PaulB Review: The Atherton Pack 4 by Toni Griffin
- A Stella Release Day Review: Letters from Cupid by Ari McKay
- An Alisa Releases Day Review: Warlock in Training by TJ Nichols
Wednesday, February 15:
- DSP PUBLICATIONS GUEST POST TJ Nichols on Warlock in Training
- Release Blitz Clare London – How The Other Half Lives
- A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The New Wolf (Building the Pack #1) by RJ Scott
- A MelanieM Release Day Review: Blossom of the Samurai by Sedonia Guillone
- A MelanieM Release Day Review: Poppy’s Secret by Andrew Grey
- A Stella Release Day Review: Dating in Retrospect by Lila Leigh Hunter
Thursday, February 16:
- DSP GUEST POST Remmy Duchene and BLMorticia on Wounded Pride
- Release Day Blitz Learning to Want by Tami Veldura
- An Ali Audiobook Review: Where There’s Smoke by Cari Z and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)
- An Alisa Review: What the Cat Dragged In by Kate Steele
- A Lila Audiobook Review: Hanging The Stars (Half Moon Bay #2) by Rhys Ford and Greg Tremblay (Narrator)
- An Alisa Audiobook Review: Behr Facts (Foothills Pride #3) by Pat Henshaw and David Ross (Narrator)
Friday, February 17:
- Suki Fleet – Foxes Tour and Giveaway
- RIPTIDE TOUR and Giveaway: Half by Eli Lang
- A Stella Review: Half by Eli Lang
- A Paul B Release Day Review: Skythane by J. Scott Coatsworth
- A Caryn Review: How The Other Half Lives by Clare London
- A Free Dreamer Review: Foxes by Suki Fleet
Saturday, February 18:
- A MelanieM Review: Necessary Medicine by M.K. York
- A MelanieM Review: Danced Close (Portland Heat, #6) by Annabeth Albert
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 
Some of my favorite couples already mentioned on your list, like Jake and Adrien, Jonty and Orlando, and Ty and Zane.
Here’s my addition favorite couples to the above:
– Kit and JX from Holmes & Moriarity series
– Tucker and Elliot from Fair Game
– Mark and Stephen from I Spy series
– James and Sedgwick from the Dickens with Love
– Lucien and Stephen from A charm of Magpie series
– Whyborne and Griffin
– David and Murdo from Enlightenment series
Thank you for this post and wishing you guys at STRW an awesome Valentine with your dearest ones!
puspitorinid AT yahoo DOT com
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Thanks for the great Valentine’s Day post! I hope you all have a wonderful V-Day.
Some of my favorite couples are:
Whyborne and Griffin from Jordan L. Hawk’s Whyborne and Griffin series
Jonty and Orlando from the Charlie Cochrane’s Cambridge Fellows series
Cole and Jae from Rhys Ford’s Cole McGinnis series
Charlie and Travis from NR Walker’s Red Dirt series
Laurie and Sasha from Harper Fox’s A Midwinter Prince series
Gray/Caleb & John from Jordan L. Hawk’s SPECTR series
Crick and Deacon from Amy Lane’s Promises series
jen(dot)f(at)mac(dot)com
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Thank you for the post. You have a great list for fave couples and my list would probably show some similar ones too.
Mine are:
Jory and Sam from Mary Calmes’ A Matter of Time series
Jin and Logan from Mary Calmes’ A Change of Heart series
Rand and Stefan from Mary Calmes’ Timing Series
Ty and Zane from Abigail Roux/Madeleine Urban’s Cut & Run series
The couples (Dex/Sloane, Ashe/Cael, Calvin/Ethan) from Charlie Cochet’s THIRDS series
Tucker and Elliot from Josh Lanyon’s All’s Fair series
Kit and J.X. from Josh Lanyon’s Holmes & Moriarity series
Gaven and Vlar from J.C. Owen’s Gaven series
Neil and Andrew from Nora Sakavic’s All for the Games series
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
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I love many genres and like many of the couples mentioned, but I thought I’d add some that are out of the ordinary, not necessarily m/m rom, throwback, but still really good, even classics:
Neil Travers and Curtis Marin from Hellgate SF series
Dave Brandstetter and Cecil in Joseph Hansen’s classic series
Scotty Bradley and Frank in Greg Herren’s series
Donald Strachey and Timmy from Richard Stevenson’s series
Dakota Taylor and Junior in Cap Iverson’s little known Western series
Seregil and Alec from Flewelling’s Nightrunner series
Victor Bayne and Jacob from Price’s PsyCop series
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Oops, just in case, my contact info: TheWrote [at] aol [dot] copm
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