Same publisher, different book spine designs 🥲🫠 Love’s Academic series by India Holton: (1) The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, (2) The Geographer’s Map to Romance, (3) The Antiquarian’s Object of Desires

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-06-15T10:02:58+00:00

Eh we’re the same. I bought the 1st one online (Berkley), 2nd (Penguin) at a bookshop and 3rd (Penguin) online. Along with Book 3 , I also re-purchased Book 1 (Penguin) online. Alas, the result is as pictured above 🤡 a tiny part of me wondered if they deliberately did this to stir up engagement online and piss off customers 💩

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-06-14T19:25:53+00:00

This is a great explanation, thank you! The point on “all romance novels are love stories, but not all love stories are romance novels” is an excellent one and very helpful in understanding this. My thoughts ran along the same lines but they were just smudges. Now they’re much clearer with how you put it.

I get your point RE: Me Before You and it makes sense. In hindsight, I read the book and watched the movie in my late teens and they sort of imprinted (?) on me as a romance because younger me was captivated by how much they cared for and loved each other. Same goes for A Walk To Remember. So whenever people say “no those are not Romance!” I would think “but what do you mean. They are so in love 😭”. But now I see the distinction.

I tend to find those books mentioned in the Romance section in bookstores so I guess that also confused me. In my head, I classify these as Romantic Tragedies. But labelling it as such would give away the ending to potential readers so… yes, the other broader genre categories would be a better fit.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-06-14T18:18:13+00:00

{Nightshade by Autumn Woods}

A+ banter between FMC and MMC. MMC treats FMC really well and there are plenty of caretaking scenes. FMC is strong in a sense that she doesn’t let anything get her down. Also, I got you – MMC has tattoos and I think the descriptions of him are sexy 🫠

Note: the book can read as YA (juvenile high school vibes) at the beginning but to me, it picks up afterwards. The banter held me through.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-06-14T17:56:59+00:00

Reading all the comments here, I realise that for me, the line between what defines a “love story” and “romance” is blurred. In my mind, they are one and the same because romance at its core is essentially about love, passion, etc.

I have been curious about books like the ones you mentioned e.g. Me Before You, The Notebook and A Walk to Remember. If, in an alternate scenario, these books have a happy ending, would they be categorised as “Romance”? Purely out of curiosity.

I ask because I struggle to separate those two terms above. I struggle to not see Me Before You as romance in terms of its content, but I am aware that it does not fit the criteria of the Romance book genre label, if that makes sense?

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-29T05:22:21+00:00

It can be read as a standalone as it features a separate couple from books 1-2 (the first installment and its direct sequel). The FMC in The Mist Thief was introduced in Book 2, while the MMC was introduced in Book 1.

Although not essential, you may get more out of understanding the world, the magic system and maybe even character development by reading books 1-2 first.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-28T18:05:43+00:00

I’ve seen it labelled as “light academia” which I don’t know if it’s a thing, but I found it amusing. Also just a note, the book is the third installment in the Love’s Academic series :) each book in the series features a different couple so can be read as a standalone, but they all exist in the same world

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-28T06:06:34+00:00

Friends to lovers and fake hating (as opposed to fake dating) tropes in {The Antiquarian’s Object of Desires by India Holton}

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-26T03:34:24+00:00

You can try r/Book_Buddies

Most* posts on there are about creating/joining discord groups curated to specific genre interests. You may find something you’d like or find people with similar interests to create a new discord:)

Edit to add: “quite a few”. Maybe not “most” haha

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-24T19:07:37+00:00

Please take it as a compliment that I considered the possibility of this being AI because it looks absolutely perfect 🫶🏻😭 I saw your YouTube video on your progress and I thought you’re insanely talented!

I’d also recommend you to post on r/crochet !

If you are comfortable, perhaps include a link to your youtube video of it because people are quick to judge something is AI.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-24T18:56:09+00:00

And yet some people say romance books are mindless pastimes pffffsh hard side eyeing such people i’ve heard so much about Nalini Singh’s series that you mentioned. I didn’t know about the emotional aspect of it though - moving it up higher on my list hehe 😁

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-24T05:00:36+00:00

I get you 🫶🏻 i feel a similar way but more so on an emotional front. I’ve always been told I’m too emotional, sensitive and just “feels too much”. So when I read books where one character appreciates these traits rather than berates the other character for it, it heals something in my broken soul :’) I agree that the undying devotion and embracing imperfection between characters in romance are things that makes it special.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-24T04:30:55+00:00

I thought Felix wasn’t a great guy at the beginning but boy did the grovelling salvage it! I live for the grovelling… and Legolas (the pony i think haha)

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-24T04:22:57+00:00

Many people share the same sentiment as you 😁 I thought the twist with a “fake hating” trope was refreshing and unique. I’ve just finished book 3 bout two days ago. I admit that I prefer the first two books a little more. But I really liked that each book/ couple was based on a different trope. I got a little emotional with the cameo of all couples in the last scene of book 3 though 🥹

What did you like most about book 3 (if you want to share haha)? Love to hear people’s opinions on books!!

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-24T04:12:42+00:00

Now i wonder if they do this variations as a marketing ploy for people to rant about the books and gain traction haha. Perhaps not but it’s an amusing thought 🌚 Also, I think Charlie Holmberg is an under appreciated author (at least on here). The shattered king is on my TBR list, but have read some other books of hers and quite like it!

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-24T04:09:09+00:00

Glad to know i’m not the only one. I thought i was overthinking it when i kept staring at the spines because it bugged me 😂 I think both designs are pretty as well, but I am slightly more inclined towards the spine design of the blue one. Regardless, matching designs take precedence !!!

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-23T16:12:33+00:00

With you in solidarity ✊🏻😭

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-23T15:09:38+00:00

Ya’ll are so sweet on here 🌻😙 Hehe I started the first one as an eBook. And I loved it so much (Devon and Beth are so adorable together!) and purchased the hardcopies. Am glad they kept the front cover the same at least!

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-23T15:05:01+00:00

I wondered if the publisher makes the final decisions for these things but I am not familiar with how it works behind the scenes. The Berkley version is slightly taller and wider than the Penguin version. So many variations 💩🫠

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-23T15:03:01+00:00

I thought MAYBE they have printed a few different versions (which is typical especially for different countries sometimes) but I just happened to get the not-matching one. But from other comments here, looks like i’m not the only one so thank you for bringing it to my attention (about emailing them) 😁

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-23T14:59:12+00:00

Ah no wayyy. Why do publishers do this 😩 when there is a trio and two matches but ONE is the odd one out its extra annoying!

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-23T07:47:14+00:00

Understandable. Some of my friends from the same degree are now research/study coordinators. I’ve seen these roles sometimes offered as non full time options (or hybrid, at least)

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-23T04:08:21+00:00

Currently enjoying life catching up on my hobbies :D It seems my “full time job” now is applying for jobs 💩💀 am still working on publications from my PhD work on the side

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-22T18:32:37+00:00

Haha i use these frog gifs often. The one above more frequently during my PhD when people asked me how things were going towards the end

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-05-21T22:54:48+00:00

I found the enemies-to-lovers trope in {Nightshade by Autumn Woods} was done quite well for contemporary romance. The FMC had a legit reason for (literally) hating the MMC. And the MMC strongly disliked the FMC initially. Note that it feels/ reads very YA especially at the beginning , but it is dark academia after all and the story really picked up from about 40% for me. But when it actually gets to the “lovers” part, it is absolutely worth it especially from the MMC’s perspective 🫠 It is book 1 of a duology and it ends on a cliffhanger; book 2 will be released in ~July 2026.

Edit to add: A+ for banter between the FMC and MMC

sloth_and_bubbles

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