The Curse of Romance. What do you hate about Romance novels? What do you love?

[Suenammi Richards]

As a romance novelist I find it very difficult to get reviewed.  It seems writers, bloggers, and everyone else have preconceived notions about what to expect in a romance novel.  Generally these expectations are not very positive.  I personally am a very selective romance reader.  Currently I read only about 4 to 5 authors religiously, and have a hard time getting through a story that is poorly written. I also have had several people who only read "Sci-Fi", "Murder-Mystery" and even YA claim that they enjoy my novels.

I love romance because of the scion of love defying all odds.  When done right it is the ultimate feel good story.  I want to write good romance that tells a captivating love story.  But it's very hard to do without any feedback from writers of other genres.

So I'm wondering how many people decide to not read a book just because it's labeled as romance?  And if so please share with me why that is. What are your 'terrible' romance experiences, and what has actually worked for you.

 

Thanks,

 

~Sue

[Kay Springsteen]

I have a similar issue. Many people don't want to consider reviewing my story because it's not erotica - in fact, it's published under a "sweet" label, with suggestions of intimacy but no graphic depictions of sex and no questionable language. My book is getting 5-star reviews at Amazon but just because so many people feel without graphic language and erotic scenes a romance story does not have "enough meat" and gives the reader "no rewarding scenes," I am getting turned down by reviewers. It really is about the story for me, not the shock value of the content. If a story calls for these things, I'm not a prude--go for it. But my stories just don't always call for the graphic scenes. When will romance be taken seriously?

[Ashley Amo]

i agree its about the story. i'm all for a romantic love scene but sometimes the tension is a whole lot better. and trust me i'm not a prude either. i actually prefer a romance novel to have a great story line. I don't want 20 pages of just sex. if i wanted that then i'd obviously go read erotica.

[shelly blomker]

well, I guess when it comes to romance, I seem to find it in many of the books I read. I don't really read romance novels because I can't get into the stories as will as a suspence or a thriller. I usaully read what interests me and if it have romance in it then that's fine too. I think I read mostly YA fiction with a mix of some regular fiction in there. I'm trying to keep up with certain authors and finish series.

[Kathy Maxwell]

I agree. Romance as a sub-plot works for me. When I read "romance," it's usually in the form of Christian historical fiction by authors like Tracie Peterson, Janette Oke, and Lynn Austin.

When I was a teenager (42 years ago!), my grandmother read a lot of romance novels so she introduced me to Emily Loring and Grace Livingston Hill. She would get 10 or 12 Harlequin romances a month, too. Some were okay...most were quite formulaic. They certainly weren't as torrid as they are now!

[Victoria @ Birdy Books]

I love romance when it's not the same cheesy boy meets girl story over and over again. I love it when the author can but a new spin on a classic plot line. Otherwise, to me, that genre becomes old and boring really fast, and I tend to shy away.

-Victoria
http://birdybooks.blogspot.com/

[Kay Springsteen]

I agree. I'm always looking for a twist--to read and to write. My debut novel featured a blind hero.

[Evangeline Han]

I agree with you, too. I love it when an author writes a romance novel that doesn't follow the usual plot mold. Romance novels are one of my favorite genres and I usually choose it over other genres. I like the way there aren't really many graphic descriptions that erotica has; I get uncomfortable with sex and bedding scene descriptions (not that I don't read those in books I come across in bookstores).

[Bri Meets Books]

I'm changing my mind on romance lately!  I like the romance when its mixed with another genre or plot.

[Ashley Amo]

I guess I just don't want to read what I call "my mom's romance books". I like a love story, but I like there to be some action and suspense in there too.

[Kay Springsteen]

Oh trust me, the route Harlequin took...those aren't your mom's romance books...

[Suenammi Richards]

Its funny because I don't mind erotica or even romance novels with a lot of sex in them.  I mind when the rest of the story is filler for more sex.  I grew up reading the old Harlequin ones also when sometimes a kiss and slight groping was considered scandalous. But I do believe romance has to mature with the times.  I just really think that as a culture we are becoming more desensitized to sex and yet losing the true concept of intimacy.  I think in a sea of 'sex sells' most romance gets a reputation of appealing to the lowest common denominator because of the misconception in general media that love and sex are the same thing. I've just read so many derogatory comments on romance that I feel like all romance is placed under the bus.  I wouldn't say that all YA is this or all Fiction is that but people don't seem to have the same hangups with romance.  I think it's like any other art form.  There are some versions of it that are wonderful and some that are just terrible.

[Kay Springsteen]

I really should have clarified that sex in any work of fiction is fine. And if it's erotica and driving the story, that's okay, too. I won't read the erotic novels that are nothing but sex-driven but that's personal preference. My issue is being somehow considered inferior because I got my break writing a sweet romance. The story could just as easily have had erotic scenes in it but I was writing for a specific publisher so I didn't and it was the best thing I ever did. The story became about the relationship and the romance and all the other events. It's also getting 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. And yet I still get other people telling me they aren't interested in reviewing it because I'm not a steamy author. As if the mark of a good writer is being able to string common and often vulgar slang together and describe the accompanying sensations. I feel as soon as books get classified into the genre "romance," it is assumed they must be what my son-in-law calls "housewife porn."