The Romance Loop

This book was a lot of fun! It's a smart, but still loving, send up to the tropification of romance novels. The books that the main characters are transported into are over-the-top examples of how ridiculous romance can be (he's a firefighter! he has an eight pack! he loves animals!), but the main characters themselves are imperfect people. It's a great juxtaposition of Romance versus real life.

Do you like your romance with a side of sci fi? Or is it fantasy? Exes Lacy and Elliot would be happy to debate the question - once they figure out why they keep "leaping" into romance author Lacy's novels and how to make it stop! Shotwell leads us and her heroes on a fast and fun adventure through classic romance settings as they untangle their pasts and (hopefully) learn the lessons they need to have a future together.

I was drawn to the premise of this book, but found the execution disappointing. I initially liked how Lacy, and later Elliott, got drawn into her catalog of romance titles. All kinds of romance clichés were presented, mostly in good humor with a tongue in cheek nod to the genre. I did like that part. No matter what kind of hero you like (doctor, weatherman, cowboy, vampire, adventure pilot, even alien) Lacy probably jumped into a story featuring them. The idea got old fast though. I wanted more depth and more figuring out of why this was happening as Lacy went along through the stories. By 63% of the way through the book, I wanted to scream if I heard Elliott ask, "What's going on?" and Lacy reply, "I don't know," one more time! When show more she finally did figure it out, the ending swooped in very, very quickly- too quickly to even fully explain the final twist. Maybe we were supposed to make our own ending? Thank you to Library Thing and Mary Shotwell for the opportunity to review this work. show less

This was a really cute romance novel. Lacy is a romance novelist whose career is faltering. At a book signing, a woman tells Lacy her books are drivel, right after Lacy sees her ex, Elliott, lurking in the stacks of the bookstore. After the woman follows her, Lacy heads to Elliott's brother's home. Before she can cross the threshold, however, she is transported into one of her romance novels. This happens a few times, sometimes with Elliott, until Lacy can determine why she was cursed with this transportation, and how to make it stop.
Unique and cute. I enjoyed it and will read more from this author.

I received a review copy through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

If you are an avid romance reader, you will find this book very charming. You follow Lacy, a romance novelist, as she navigates through the worlds of her own romance plots. Lacy's ex-boyfriend, Elliott, is dragged along for the ride. They work together to fix the loop that they are in and repair their damaged relationship. The story utilizes a fun mix of romantic tropes, and you will certainly enjoy the ride! The book is low stakes fun and perfect for a relaxing read.

Quick, fun read. Liked the story concept, romance author gets whisked into the various books she's written. Filled with usual troupes (meet cute, second chances, miscommunication, etc. Would have like a bit more character development, more of the backstory for Lacy and Elliott, and more about the mysterious lady.

This was a fun book! I loved following the main lead, Lacey as she teleported in different books she had written. I found myself smiling as Lacey and then Elliott navigated all the typical romance book tropes searching for the reason they are teleporting there. The novel started slow but quickly picked up and I found myself not wanting to put it down! I would definitely read more novels by this author!