Hey there!
We’re Jemms and Apers, intrepid librarians and romance readers here to review and recommend the wide world of romance books to help you find your next great read. But why should you trust us to give you that bestie-level advice on what’s hot, sweet, and everything in between? Glad you asked! Let us introduce ourselves 😁
Apers
What brought you to romance?
I borrowed some Linda Lael Miller’s from my mom and then some Christine Feehans from my best friend in high school. Every day, she would be reading one of the Feehans and she’d finish it by the time we passed in the hallway so she’d hand it off to me in exchange for the one she’d finished the day before and then keep reading the next one, so she always had at least two romance novels on her at all times.
What keeps you coming back to romance?
It doesn’t matter what happens in the stories or in their lives, it always ends happily. And of course I love best the ones with girl gangs or sisters, so not only does the heroine end up with the person of her dreams, but also her friends and sisters will too eventually.
What inspired you to start this project?
Well, of course, there’s the pepper scale that Jemms and I started as a way to recommend books to patrons at our branch library, but then friends (and friends of friends) would start asking for romance recommendations. Thus the idea was born of having a reference that could quantify the vibes of a story for readers to explore.
Jemms
What brought you to romance?
My gateway into the romance genre was fanfiction: way back in 2012 Tumblr fandoms were thriving, and young Jemms read a constant stream of Marvel, Supernatural, and Sherlock fanfic (probably way too young but 🤷♀️ I turned out alright). Although I was an avid reader since childhood, I never picked up a romance until Apers described the genre as “real-life fanfic.” The rest is history! (and don’t fret, I still read and write plenty of fanfic)
What keeps you coming back to romance?
What’s fascinating to me is romance as genre really boils down to people and relationships, and how they interact with them—the opportunities to explore both the fantastical and mundane within romance are endless. The focus on women’s stories and pleasure is also something I enjoy a lot about romance, especially since both are frequently lacking in other genres.
What inspired you to start this project?
As a fanfic reader coming to the romance genre, I really appreciated how fanfiction stories were categorized and recommended; the tagging system on Archive of Our Own lets users search for the exact tropes, acts, spice, and angst levels they want in a work. Having a similar way to connect readers with the types of romance they want to read or try alongside my best friend was a no-brainer!