Marcus, welcome to Frolic. Your comment on why you started to read romance books is approaching a thousand likes on Twitter. Would you mind sharing the story here?
When I was 20 I tried to get in a bar and instead went to jail for two weeks. I read a lot so after a week I had read every book on the cellblock besides the romance novels. I picked one up and have been hooked ever since.
Do you remember what your first romance novel was?
My first romance novel was ‘The Highlander’s Touch’ by Karen Marie Moning. The main character travels back in time and meets an immortal Highlander, who gets turned on seeing her in jeans.
Karen Maire Moning was a fantastic pick for your first book. Her Highlander series is incredibly popular. What is it that makes you come back to romance books?
I keep reading these books because they are light and almost without consequences because you know they’ll end up together in the end. But the stakes also couldn’t be higher when dealing with the most important subject of all, love.
If you had to list three of your favorites, which would you choose?
The Highlander’s Touch (because it was my first), The Duke’s Captive by Adele Ashworth, Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas, and Rebel by Beverly Jenkins.
All great choices, although I’m pretty sure Ms. Bev, legend that she is, would make the top three for so many people! Do you have any advice for people who have so far avoided reading romance?
Read everything. I think without reading these books I would be a one-dimensional character. I like feeling fully fleshed out.
It’s been a three weeks since we met in the Twitter comments and we got you established to review romance books. What has your journey been like since then?
It’s been amazing. Everyone is so helpful. Finally talking about these books I love is nice. I talked about them with my friends, they just wished I would stop.
That’s the great thing about Romancelandia…we LOVE talking about books. Are there any particular genres of romance you’d like to review?
I’m so new to the scene I’d like to read everything. Any era any settings. I want the love.
That’s the basic tenet of romance… a happily for now/happily ever after ending. This is also I hill I will die on. So, what can we expect from Marcus’s Romance Reviews?
Lots of content. I’m a talker so I post a lot. I want to do deep dives on old reads. Read-alongs with new ones, and conversation about all of it in-between.
I loved the review you did of Love in Moments, my February release. I’ve never been compared to a pastry chef before, but I will take the 5 chocolate-coated strawberries with gratitude. You’ve been immersed in Romancelandia for three weeks now, how have you found it?
It’s like nothing I ever experienced. My family knew I loved this genre. But they treated it like something I caught, and they should stay away. Now I finally have people to talk to and go over Bridgerton with me like it’s game tape.
I stan Julia Quinn. It’s amazing to see how successful a romance book series can be when produced in the mainstream. I’ve binged it three times already. And I write almost every day to the soundtrack. The final song, A Grand Finish, is perfect for epilogue writing.
Once last question Marcus… I know you are open to receiving ARCs from authors to review. How can they contact you?
I’m on Twitter, @MarcusRomance. I love reading everything, so don’t be afraid to hit me up.