I was in a conversation over the weekend about how to pick a book to read that is right for you. Some are too steamy, some are too dark, some are tropes you don’t enjoy. Turns out there is a solution!

This website, romance.io  allows you to put in your preferences and your block outs (no rape, no paranormal, no abuse, no suicide, no horror, etc, whatever they are),  the amount of (or lack of) and type of sexuality you are comfortable reading (or not), as well as the type of story, place, and time, you want read about.

On that website, in the menu bar, go to “Books” and click Romance Book Finder in the dropdown menu, and you’ll find all the customizable search options available. Toggle off what you want to avoid (for me that was lots!); in the first image below you can see a screenshot of topics I excluded.

This is brilliant. It is mind-boggling how specific you can get about what you want to read.

Once you get a recommendation, I’d still read reviews before deciding to read something. Most will not be a great matches, but at least you’ve eliminated a lot that definitely arn’t! And you’ll find something as you page through the suggestions.

Too many times I’ve started reading lately and there is content I don’t want to deal with. Often book jackets and reviews won’t tell you what is included, since they consider it a spoiler. If you want to read in the romance genre, this site is a good way to filter out all the types of content that you would prefer to avoid, as well as to hone in on what you would find most interesting and fun. I wish there were sites like this for general fiction too, and maybe one is on the way.

Also note that on the site you can type in a book title that you liked and it will suggest ones like it. The site also includes science fiction and fantasy, if that’s your thing. Or you can toggle any of that off.

Give this free resource a try if you are like me and enjoy a bit of romance, but want some insurance it will be healthy, enjoyable, and not too explicit.  Sometimes something light is exactly what is needed!  Happy summer reading, and may you find the perfect beach reads!

(Photographed here too are some romance titles I’ve liked that are reviewed on this blog.)