Romance and Me: The Cheater Files

Hey Everyone!

Today’s post was inspired by the novel I am currenty reading where the heroine has trust issues with the hero due to her father being a cronic cheater and growing up having to witness her father’s womanizing ways.

Cheating is not a theme often explored in romance novels (or maybe it’s just me who doesn’t stumble upon those stories), the most I have seen is the hero or heroine having a jealousy fit but usually unfounded and serving only to prove the depth of their affection for each other.
But instances where either the hero or the heroine cheats on the other or someone else (either by thought, kiss, making out or sex) are rare. I would guess because witnessing either the hero or the heroine being unfaithful, even if to a third (and only marginal) character would make us readers have negative feelings about them and that would …

Romance and Me: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Sex in a Romance Novel?

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When talking/thinking about romance novels the topic of sex is bound to come up. Everyone has their own preference: whether they like it sweet and PG, or sensual and steamy, and some even don’t mind it being graphic, but everyone has their stand on the issue.As you well know Susi and I, we both want our romance novels to have some sweet smex, but recently I read a novel which made me wonder whether there is such a thing as too much sex…

You see this novel was marketed and shelved as a contemporary romance novel and I jumped in expecting a sexy romantic read, but instead got something else.Once again let me say not only I don’t mind reading sex scenes in my romance novels, to the contrary I enjoy and cherish them, but when I was reading this novel, I noticed that after a steamy scene there was no …

Romance and Me: The Curse or the Blessing of the Romance Covers

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As BLI familiars you must know our own Susi and Caro’s feature: The Good, The Bad and The Are-You-Kidding-Me, where every second Monday they take a look at book covers and share their thoughts (*cough* rants and gushing rather *cough*) about the beautiful and the ugly, and mostly about the ridiculous.Today I would like to ask the age-old question regarding your thoughts on romance novel covers.

As a teenager I didn’t read romance novels partly because of my upbringing (I come from a bookishly snob family, we only read books which had “some literary value”, I know, I know *eyeroll*) but also because of the embarassing and ridiculous covers of these books, I never would have been caught dead reading these in public:

or even this:

(I can so picture the old ladies around 70-80 years old who upon sitting next to me/in front of me …

Romance and Me: I’m a Gang Member Baby, so Why Don’t You Love Me?

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Today to tie in with Jill Sorenson’s guest post and latest novel (The Edge of Night) we are talking about gang love stories.That is, those novels where (at least) one of the characters is a gang member and which detail is crucial either because it shaped that character’s personality and outlook on life/love/relationships or because it causes difficulties for the couple.

I have Caro here to help me with today’s topic as she has recently read a few stories fitting this category, so I’ll give it over to her:

Caro: I haven’t read many gang books but the only ones I read were fantastic. I read Perfect Chemistry (and the following in the series) by Simone Elkeles, it’s a YA romance series and it features gangs. I LOVED it to pieces. Why? Well first the hero is part of a Mexicano Gang, …

Romance and Me: Sex or No Sex? – That is the Question

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I have to confess in the past week or so I haven’t been reading any romance novels (I know it’s shocking and I can hear several gasps from you, but I think you’ll understand and forgive me when I tell you that a very exciting urban fantasy kept me busy), so when it came to today’s post and deciding what issue we should discuss today I drew a blank. And the fact that I was in my post-lunch-siesta-lump didn’t help at all… :-/ So I launched an SOS and Susi was dear enough to come to my rescue and rant some:Susi: So Stella asked for my opinion and I’m sure I will totally embarrass myself but here it goes:

I’m actually annoyed about this topic very often. Yes we have a distinction between romantic and erotic in Romanceland and even the various eroticas mostly have an additional heat rating to …

Romance and Me: The Ex-Factor

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If by any chance you don’t know what I’m talking about I have to tell you until last night I had no clue there was a phenomenon bearing such a name. Last night when I asked a couple of my fellow Book Lovers if they had any romance issues I should talk about, our lovely Susi mentioned the X-factor, and me being clueless asked what that was. (I imagined it being some sort of romance novels centered around some kind of American Idol setting lol) And she informed me she was alluding to the exes in a couple. Ahh, lightbulb moment! And I agreed with her problems about these plots. So I am here today to discuss exes and their new portrayal in romances.

Until this spring ex-husbands, ex-boyfriends, ex-wives and ex-girlfriends were always portrayed as villains: being jealous, possessive and usually crazy.

But this spring I discovered a …

Romance and Me: How Sweet Do You Take Your Romance?

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Today I would like to talk with you about how sweet is too sweet?We all love to read romances because we want to read about HEA stories, stories that make us sigh with contentment at the end when putting down the book.

We want the story to be romantic and touching, but how much romance is too romantic and becomes syrupy sweet and cheesy?

I am a very romantic person yet I like my romance novels to (usually) be beliavable. And nothing ruins that better than a too gushy alpha male who suddenly cannot stop declaring nonstop his undying love for the heroine. Sure, I want him to have a gentle and sensitive side, but I feel like this too much gushing isn’t really in his original character.

Realistic storyline and more importantly credible characterisations are important to me, even if I’m reading a romance novel. I mean, come on, …

Romance and Me: Virgin or Slut?

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Before you faint in shock let me explain to you the reasoning behind today’s topic.
In most historical romances the heroine is an inexperienced, innocent virgin maid, whose sensuality and passions are awakened by the sheet acrobat hero who’s more than talented in the ways of lovemaking.

99% of historical romance heroines are virgins, untouched girls whose first sexual encounter is with the hero who is teaching them how to unravel their hidden passions.
However lately I noticed that more and more novels dare to deviate from the norm and feature heroines who aren’t virgins anymore (the widow heroines are becoming quite a big trend right now).
But have you ever come across a historical romance where the man was a virgin or quite awkward in the ways of love and it was the heroine who taught him?
There is only one novel which comes to my mind Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander …

Romance and Me: Why Do We Love Those Highlanders?

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Something has been constant from the very first historical romance novel I have read (Velvet Angel by Jude Devereaux) when I was about 18 to this day: the kind of hero I find irresistible. The one that always makes me swoon from the very first scene he enters the story and makes my heart and eyelashes flutter:
the Scottish Highlanders!

I bet many of you understand my boundless attraction to them, but for those who need to see the light and understand why Scottish Highlanders are better than any simpering Regency or Edwardian Duke*, here it is:
- they are always warmhearted (no matter how big and strong they are, every single one of them melts in front of little children );
- they are ALWAYS tall, strong, muscular, fierce looking, with chests hard as rock and a colossal height, they are the epitome of virility;
- a …

Romance and Me: Unconventional Heroes and Heroines

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I have been pondering this matter for a while now and decided to make a post to get your opinion on the issue.Namely, that in most romance novels (in about 99.9% of them) the hero and heroine are always extremely attractive. The hero is tall, muscular, with lush hair, strong facial features and an overall pleasant physique, while the heroine is usually willowy and beautiful.

We never encounter a hero who is bald or has pot-belly. Or one who is short and puny. Sure, there are the regency heroes who sometimes have scars, but these are usually described as adding some charm to their roguish features and if it wasn’t for the scar they would be too perfect and called beautiful, so the scar only helps to make them manly.

And as far as the heroines go, we never find one who is overweight, or who looks masculine or whose …