I have a big new endeavour on the horizon that I'll share with you soon, but before that time comes I have an important question I'd love your answers to.
As readers, what themes/tropes in romance do you enjoy? What would you like to see more of in romance books? On the flipside, what themes/tropes do you dislike or think have worn out their welcome? What makes you want to pull out your hair when you read it in a storyline? When I refer to romances I'm including all the genres of PNR, UF, erotica, GBLT, and BDSM. I want all the genres to be represented. I again want to THANK YOU ahead of time since this post and these answers are very important to me as it's going to lead to an exciting new monthly endeavour separate from what I do here on my blog.
Since I'm hoping for a lot of responses, I'm going to reward you for your time by
giving away a $5 GC to Amazon to a randomly drawn commenter who answers the questions I've asked (I also highlighted them to make them easier to see). I'm excited to read your opinions since I'll be combining them with mine to write up a post about what modern readers want.
-This giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE!
-To enter, please answer the questions I've posted above, along with your email addy.
-I will use random.org to choose a winner and they will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will have to be chosen.
-Giveaway will end at 11:59 pm CST on 1/12.
Themes: I enjoy reading novels that have
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to see more of in a romance book: I would like to see something realistic. Something more than Insta!love. Normal highs and lows.
Themes I dislike: I don't like the male best friend gets pushed to the side when new guy is introduced storyline.
What annoys me: I can't stand it when a girl obesses over a guy or acts like an inept child in an important situation. There are so few consistent and strong females. Just once I would like to read a story in which the girl doesn't run off to do something stupid and the guy has to save her and tell her that he loves her and that she can't do stupid stuff anymore.
If you are thinking of writing a book, I wish you best!!
Thanks so much for jumping right in! I WISH I were creative enough to write a book. I'll actually be writing a monthly blog for one of the romance book publishers (I'll save the name until my post goes live later this month) and my first post will be just this topic....What we modern readers want and are we happy with what we're getting?
ReplyDeleteSo I really, really appreciate all of your opinions!
Even though they are hit or miss with me, I enjoy love/hate relationships as long as they feel like equals and are more on the light hearted side. Things I hate are instlaove or when they are completely co dependent on each other, especially the girl. I can't stand it when the girl is spineless or makes incredibly stupid decisions. It just really sucks that it's hard to find good YA heroines. :|
ReplyDeleteI like: Paranormal..all types of paranormal. I also love the love/hate relationship in some books. Some authors can pull it off while others can't. I like reading a book that makes me laugh. People have laughter in their lives so storylines should be all dark, quiet kick ass seriousness. There should be times of laughter and fun and if an author can put that in a book and make it believable..all the better.
ReplyDeleteWhat would I like to see more of: I would love to see more real women in books. Real size type women. There are larger women out there and if an author writes about a woman with some padding I want the cover to reflect that same type of woman. I don't want to see a size 0 on the cover when the book is about a size 18 woman.
I dislike seeing that in a first book in a series that the couple had their HEA and then 3 books later they are broke up, never should have gotten together in the first place and she is now with his brother. I've only read that once and I can't remember the book but it really P*&^ed me off.
What makes me want to pull out my hair when I read it in a storyline? When the Hero treats the Heroine really bad emotionally but she goes back to him in the end. That would not happen to me, and I don't know how many women would put up with that, seriously. If the hero is going to be an ass let him be the villain...because once he's gone down that dark, dank road he will never look the same in my eyes.
miztik_rose@yahoo.com
Dang, that should say shouldn't be all dark, quiet..ect..
ReplyDeleteWELL, I'm new to romance but I think the whole vampire thing is so overdone...and werewolves don't seem to be too far behind. Submissive, swooning women are tiresome. And I like to see real women and real men--chubby, balding, boring jobs, weird quirks, "baggage," opinionated, and definitely not gorgeous. I do like romances where people reconnect after a long time apart--high school sweethearts who meet up at the 25 year reunion or reconnect via social media. Perhaps readers are looking for escape and don't want realistic love scenes, but sex is messy, funny, fun, awkward, and a bunch of other good things. I tend to giggle when it's so perfectly gorgeous when a couple is in the throes of passion.
ReplyDeleteLet's trade in those "clear eyes the color of sapphires" for the reality of tired, bloodshot eyes in desperate need of visine and mascara!
catherinelee100[at]gmail[dot]com
You will definitely have lots of opinions on these questions. But here's mine to add to the mix...
ReplyDeleteAs a reader, what themes/tropes in romance do I enjoy? - I like the re-telling or author up-dated takes on fairy tales. I like the age old bad boy meets heroine in distress and grudgingly helps her, then falls in love with her. Or when two people are thrown together by fate in an epic adventure to save the world and end up falling in love. I like many themes in romance actually.
What would I like to see more of in romance books? - I like to see bad boys turned good. Heroine’s that can hold their own more often then not. I would like to see more supporting characters in books find their happily ever after. And it would be fun, especially in paranormal and UF books, to see how the family accepts their daughter or son bringing home a vampire/werewolf/alternate-species fiancée. Most books don’t talk much about that but for myself, I think its fun to read the reactions.
On the flipside, what themes/tropes do I dislike or think have worn out their welcome? - Its not really a theme but I don’t like it when a smart character in a book completely disregards all sense and knowingly goes out/off into danger. Like a heroine hearing a knock at the front door while she is all alone and even though she knows there is a killer on the loose.. she still goes outside in a robe in the dark without a flashlight and unarmed.
What makes you want to pull out your hair when you read it in a storyline? - I hate when the hero of a story comes off badly, that he hurts the heroine emotionally or physically in a story and she seems to have amnesia so she instantly forgives him. I don’t like when the hero or heroine of a story cheats and it gets downplayed to an momentary incident that’s doesn’t need to be remembered. I really hate when the hero dies in the book, this hasn’t happened often but it really makes me want to pull my hair out after coming so far in the book and ending up with a sad ending.
LadyVampire2u AT gmail DOT com
I have to say that I enjoy a large variety of romance books. I read historicals, paranormals, contemporaries, and sci-fi books. I read everything from mainstream, light fun reads to more intense, erotic stories.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite themes include in historicals being caught in compromising positions, I like stories based on fairy tales, all kinds of paranormals.
I would like to see more heroines as real women, especially on the covers of books.
Things that make me want to pull my hair out include not having a HEA, characters who cheat, characters who are abusive or degrade others, etc.
Good luck!
~June
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
My perspective is going to be that of an m/m romance reader. You are not surprised. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat themes/tropes in romance do you enjoy?
Friends to lover, gay/out for you.
What would you like to see more of in romance books?
Better writing, editing, and proofing.
What themes/tropes do you dislike or think have worn out their welcome?
I'm really tired of reading about rock stars and movie stars in the closet...
What makes you want to pull out your hair when you read it in a storyline?
TSTL character. Someone needs to get Darwinian on them.
I don't like angst for the sake of angst but I do like gritty romances when the writing is good. I enjoy unique takes, even on well worn themes. like intelligent romance with a plot other than the romance.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind m/f romance but hate quivering wombs and sopping wet panties. eep!
How could I forget - no more stalkers! I am so very tired of stalkers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your comments thus far! I see that many want to see more realistic heroines, and that's exactly my feelings too. Very tired of model-like heroines and wanting to see heroines of many different shapes and sizes.
ReplyDeleteKeep those comments coming! You're helping me create a great post for which I will be crediting you for too.