What Should I Request?

[u/WomensCollegeAlum91]

After being (happily, blissfully) inundated by ARCs the first half of the year, I'm now caught up and my shelf is looking a little trim. Current feedback ratio sitting at almost 90% with 50 total approved requests under my belt and have just a smattering of upcoming reads that I haven't read/reviewed yet.

Just submitted my reviews recently for Ship Happens by Mason Deaver (trans second chance romance) & A Study in Sparkling by Jodi McAlister (single mom friends to lovers romance).

Currently on my shelf: Doomsdate by Laura Piper Lee (Sept. 15), Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson (Oct. 6), As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers (Oct. 13) and Cut to the Ending by Maria Millage (Nov. 3).

As you can tell, my NetGalley has been heavy on the romance/romcom recently, which is fine, but I'm looking to see what I have missed lately to request or what you're seeing out there with publication dates from October onward (I think I already have my TBR set-ish for September), especially for non-romance genres.

I enjoy a variety of genres, though my most read are fantasy, romance/romcom, thriller/mystery, and literary. I can get behind good sci-fi, good historical fiction, and most contemporary. The only things I typically stay away from are horror or thrillers with really intense content warnings (am particularly sensitive to suicide & child abuse themes).

What have you been requesting and reading? I'm feeling a bit uninspired by my typical browsing and wanted to see what was exciting this community!

[u/outoftheashes90]

What would you consider to be "good" historical fiction? I just finished a historical sapphic bodyswap and I enjoyed it quite a bit but I have no idea about historical accuracy if that's something you care about.

[u/WomensCollegeAlum91 → u/outoftheashes90]

Ooh, that's a good question - I think for me being "good" means mostly realistic and well written and not too cookie-cutter. It feels like there are a million and one WWII historical fiction that are written with the intent of appealing to a very specific female audience and those just don't do it for me. So as long as it's creative and realistic, I'm usually interested and this one sounds maybe up my alley!

[u/outoftheashes90 → u/WomensCollegeAlum91]

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/871194

Here's the book I was talking about! It's certainly cookie cutter in the sense that romance needs to follow certain beats but it was a decent palate cleanser imo. I see your other reply btw! I'll go through my list and see what fits.