I recently binge-read a series that I’ve had parts of on my Kindle for over a year… the final two books came (or one more will come) out in 2022.  To say I was disappointed would be an understatement for I could find not one single thing about the hero or heroine in any of the three books I read to like or to root for their happy ending.

So, why did I continue reading not only one but two additional books?  Because I was waiting for the spark, for that moment that most readers know when it all falls together and you love who these fictional people are… and I never found that moment through three books.  Which breaks my heart.

I’ve made the choice to not review any of them here or on other locations.  I won’t give a negative review to just increase my reading challenges numbers or to put down an author who I’ll read again — but not until their next series launches.  These stories simply didn’t work for me.  I should have DNF’d them once I realized they just weren’t working for me, but I gave them every chance to win me over… and that didn’t happen.  The absolute truth is that just because this series didn’t work for me doesn’t mean that another reader won’t think them the best work of this author ever.  It’s a quote that “No two persons ever read the same story.”  And that is so true.

2022 is the year that I’ve declared that I will be using the power of DNF far more often.  And trying so hard with this particular series just proves how badly I need to use that DNF power of any reader… to not finish a book that isn’t working for me for whatever reason.

Sadly, I know there will be many DNFs to come, for I know my history of giving every book every chance that I can before walking away.  Years pass too quickly, and there are too many unread books to deny myself finishing the good ones just to give the bad ones a “chance”.

I love to get lost in a good book, you as well if you’re reading this.  🙂  Yet the reality is that I bought far too many books in 2021 that have no chance of being read before the ending of this year.  And that not only upsets me but gets me a wee bit mad at myself as well.  I read for pleasure, I review here on Happily Ever After Romance because I love sharing those books and thoughts with other readers – and if another review helps an author, well, I’m all for that.  Still.  Purchased books do help authors and publishing houses, but unread books don’t do a damned thing for anyone, right?

So, I honestly have to come up with another way of getting the books I’ve purchased read in a more timely fashion.  Personally, I don’t care what year a really good book was published, but authors and publishing houses do. *shrugs*  Add to the overload problem is my addiction to series or duets.  *sigh*  Yeah, that adds to the books that need to be read closer to the publication date.  So what’s a book-loving female to do?

I could buy fewer books.  Okay, okay you can stop laughing now.  I know that’s not going to happen.  I could limit the series that I get started on to a more “reasonable” number each year — but where’s the reading fun in that?!

I think I might stop the “big book hauls” in 2022.  It’s knowing that these unread titles are on the Kindle that is driving me batty over all of this.  If I know what’s available or releasing each month (still have my TBR pages only as a list of what to buy not book hauls) then I could simply buy the next book as I finish reading the one before.  But, again… where is the fun in that?  Grabbing those monthly book hauls is a big part of why I even have this blog – to share that anticipation and the fun of having multiple books just waiting for me, ya know?

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… Happily Ever After Romance is a newish blog, started in May of 2020.  It is a sister site to my Keeper Bookshelf site that has been around for many years now.  While KB focuses on current releases (bought & NetGalley ARCs) HEAR will focus on those long series that I’ve meant to get to but haven’t yet – the no-cost series starter/ first book in a series offers from Amazon – and those brand new series that I want to focus on here.

There are reasons behind the perceived madness – but we’ll leave that for now.

So, please, don’t think that HEAR is grabbing stuff from KB without permission – both blogs belong to me, and are, in a way, companion sites.  (example: you’ll see Marsha’s Keeper Bookshelf on the Goodreads grids of books read because one account at GR, but many, many shelves)

To be frank, I didn’t have to explain myself… but someone emailed me stating that another blog was stealing my content.  *eye roll* there is nothing here from KB except that name on the Goodreads book grid that I can’t get rid of!  It was perhaps kind of this person but annoying as hell to try or have to explain the sister site concept to them.

In any event, that’s the explanation.  Now.  Go take a look around Happily Ever After Romance and let me know your opinion in the comments.  It’s a growing romance review blog and will be around for years to come. 🙂