If You RULED the Romance Genre!
by sue on Jan.19, 2010, under Book Chat
Lessons in French, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Feb 2010
If You Ruled the Romance Genre…
Not long ago, I issued a little challenge to my followers on Twitter to tell me what would constitute their ideal romance novel, from cover to title to story. Borders has been generous enough to give me more room than 140 characters, so I’m expanding the challenge.
Let’s go for the whole holiday cookie. If you ruled the romance genre…
Would you change it? Make some tweaks? Start over from scratch, or leave well enough alone?
What if you could wave your wand and make all the books in the romance genre suit your taste? All the cover art would be appealing to you, the stories what you hope for, the characters just what you like best.
I thought it was only fair that I go first.
And it’s harder than I thought! Hmmm, every book on the romance aisle is mine to command…
Ok–start with covers. I would have subtle covers. Hints of desire, teasing suggestions. Intriguing glimpses of characters. I think of runway shows–the sense that there is more to the model than you see, because the moment of view is so short. The covers would have a depth of color in them, colors in layers, beautiful colors.
The stories could go anywhere, be set any place or time, but in my romance genre, none of the heroines or heroes would be snarky. They would have flaws, sometimes serious flaws. Many of them would be witty and fun, even with their flaws. Like best friends, imperfect but appealing.
In my romance genre, the love scenes would convince me that desire is real. They might or might not be explicit, or hot, but they would be about desire.
Many of the books in my romance genre would be some twist on the commonplace, creating different worlds for me to explore, whether fantasy or a different time and place.
There would be a choice, from the sort of story that grabs me by the toenails and drags me through it, to a slow but fascinating build-up, to the kind of story that makes me laugh. I’m happy with giggles, too. I might prefer giggles, come to think of it. They often turn into laughs. (One reason I wrote Lessons in French.)
The titles would all be remarkable and intriguing, and they might be long.
I’m a writer, so I love words, and the way they go together. In my romance genre, the words would surprise and please me with how perfectly they say what they mean.
In my romance genre, horses would be more than cars with legs. All dogs would live forever.
If you ruled the Romance Genre, what would it look like? Love to hear your comments below . . .
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About Sue & Borders True Romance Blog
Sue G - Borders True Romance Host - Borders Romance Buyer, reads romance. For her JOB. No, really. You can email Sue at sgrimshaw at bordersgroupinc dot com.
Borders True Romance Blog is a community, developed for you, the romance reader, to find out more about the books you love; the authors who write them & where to buy them :) Borders.com
Previously published as Wishes No Matter How Fast You Run. . .The newborn baby boy is beautiful, perfect, and hers for the asking. All Kate Summers has to do is agree to one condition--she must disappear from Boston and never breathe a word about the adoption to anyone. Or How Far You Go. . .Fifteen years later, Kate has built a good life for herself and her son, Jon, in Hopewell, Oregon. Still, she is haunted by the fear that he will somehow be taken away. Then Daegan O'Rourke arrives in town and strikes up a friendship with her and Jon. But Daegan has his own past to hide--one with shocking ties to hers. A Killer Will Always Find You. . .Someone is watching Kate, watching her son, and is willing to go to any lengths to claim him. And the one man Kate is tempted to trust has dangerous secrets that could change her world forever. Soon the past Kate thought she could outrun will explode, unearthing a legacy of lies and treachery, and a fury powerful enough to kill. . .
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January 23rd, 2010 on 6:48 pm
I don’t know that I would change that much about the stories but the covers and titles could use an overhaul. I mean, it’s a good thing that I don’t buy for the cover or title because some of the covers aren’t that great and the titles are kind of cheesy sometimes.
January 23rd, 2010 on 1:56 am
i kinda happy with the way it is right now. there’s more and more books where the hero and heroine already have some sort of history together before the story began (I love those the best because I have a hard time believing sometimes that a h/h can have a happily ever after after meeting on page 5 and have a HEA on page 300 [aka 2-3 weeks later]).
but if i have to change something: less courtesan heroines please & less menage-like stories (like jennifer haymore’s a hint of wicked with the one hero, one maybe hero and the heroine having to choose between the two)–i like my romances with the traditional one hero/one heroine
January 21st, 2010 on 10:21 am
I’m happy with it just the way it is.
January 20th, 2010 on 12:21 am
I’m pretty happy with the romance genre the way it is. There are a lot of great authors with amazing stories, set in a wide variety of times and settings and all with happily every afters.
January 19th, 2010 on 9:53 pm
Laura Kinsale’s Seize the Fire is one of my all time favorite romances!
I think I’m fine with the way things are, but I admit I do wonder if the ever growing paranormal genre will push some of the other genres off the shelves. I like diversity and having a choice so lets pray it stays that way.
January 19th, 2010 on 4:06 pm
I would leave well enough alone. I love the romance genre just the way it is!
January 19th, 2010 on 2:10 pm
The line between snark and meanness is probably in the eye of the beholder, but yes really what I don’t care for is meanness. I do like the true art of snark with heart, but it’s not an easy art!
January 19th, 2010 on 12:55 pm
People who say all romances the same have not truly explored the genre. What I love about romance is that there is room for every kind of story. Yes, they do all share the element of a man and a woman meeting and falling in love, but beyond that, there is room for infinite variety. Lessons in history, dreams of the future, contemporary stories that deal with every issue we face today. The stories can be sweet or thrilling… and they’re all romance! What could be better than that?
January 19th, 2010 on 12:55 pm
Darn! I should’ve read that before I posted it. Here I was, feeling so eloquent, and I forgot the word “are” in the first sentence!
January 19th, 2010 on 12:51 pm
While I agree that the characters and their relationship is the most important part, I do pick up new authors because of the book cover. And the cover I want is a good looking man (stepbacks are okay but I will not buy a book with just a flower/landscape/woman–those are library reads only)! I first picked up a Laura Kinsale book (it was either “Flowers from the Storm” or “The Prince of Midnight”) because of Fabio (who is still my favorite cover model!) looking so good on the cover. But I loved the books and read all the rest, which is what happens when the writer is good. I am looking forward to the new book.
I don’t want mean characters and I prefer they be intelligent but it’s the author’s writing that matters the most. I just finished an old Shirl Henke where the hero and heroine both had seemingly unsympathetic pasts and she did a good job of making their characters and their story worth reading. I wouldn’t change much else because there is so much variety in romance. There are some that I tend to avoid but I know they’re popular with other readers so I leave them for someone else to enjoy.
January 19th, 2010 on 12:38 pm
I would leave well enough alone! I love romance the way it is now! I am with you on the covers and even sometimes the titles. Sometimes the titles just don’t match the book at all and this bugs me. Sometimes the covers don’t go with the book. So maybe I would change those.
January 19th, 2010 on 11:15 am
Honestly I love the genre just as it is. Okay, I would be with you on the covers. I like bright layered colors that catch the eye and intrigue. I love the depth and breadth of Heroes and Heroines in the genre. Cause I am not always in the same mood. Sometimes I want a sweet smooth talking man…and sometimes I want a gruff snarky hero who falls in love kicking and screaming.
January 19th, 2010 on 11:08 am
If I ruled the romance genre…
There would be less hyperbole and more realism, not every hero needs to be the rakiest of rakes or as rich as Croesus. Common people deserve their HEA, too.
Cerebral attraction + physical lust would sing in perfect harmony across the page.
Idiosyncracies, flaws, quirks, unique mannerisms would be embraced just as readily as a set of gorgeous abs.
The name Fabio would be meaningless to legions of females (sorry, ladies…he just never did it for me).
January 19th, 2010 on 10:38 am
I’m totally with you on the covers; I love a subtle cover that is filled with rich color. The fashion runway is a perfect comparison.
Please leave me a few snarky heroes, though! They are my favorite. I love a Darcy, House, or general misanthrope who can be taught to love by a perky heroine. As long as they are clever, I forgive them for their bitterness.
I love the mix of books out there in romance: futuristic, historical, erotic, supernatural. There’s always something new and exciting to read.
January 19th, 2010 on 10:45 am
Hey Kelly - & yes, snarky, PIA heroes are the best — must read Sabrina Jeffries THE TRUTH ABOUT LORD STONEVILLE — I think Oliver is just what you’re looking for.
I agree with your comment about the genre — we’re really lucky we have it all in Romance — & the happy endings are the best
January 19th, 2010 on 10:23 am
Hi, Laura! Congratulations on “Lessons in French”! I have been reading romantic fiction for many years, and I am amazed by the variety and quality of the book choices available in today’s literary market. My favorite genre is Historical Western Romance. Due to the excellent character development and story line detail in some paranormal romance, erotic romance and YA romance, I am reading further and further outside my “fiction box”. I am a “book cover lover”. For me, the cover must match the content of the book. It’s very distracting to have the cover image be different from the characters or the setting of the story line. One thing that I would change would be for the romance book covers to show more tender embraces instead of so many torrid clenches. Some of the people on the covers look as though they are in terrible pain instead of the the throes of passion! Beverley Kendall’s new release, “Sinful Surrender” has a beautiful cover. There is obviously passion between the couple, but there is also a sweetness and tenderness. Very romantic! I really wouldn’t change much about the Romance Genre Realm because there is room for every storyteller, every story line, every level of “heat”. I would encourage writers to continue to offer their best quality of work, fueling their creative spark and expanding our reading horizon.
January 19th, 2010 on 11:23 am
Hi Virginia. Have you read Kaki Warner’s Pieces of Sky? It was the first western romance I’ve read in a long time, and it’s really beautifully written. It’s her first book, and the start of a three-part series.
I highly recommend it!
(Also has a beautiful cover!)
January 19th, 2010 on 1:46 pm
Hi, Katrina! Thanks for your comment. Kaki Warner is a new author to me, and I look forward to reading her work. Her reviews are great!
January 19th, 2010 on 9:08 am
If I ruled the genre — I’d try for more variety, fewer cookie-cutters. I want characters I can love, I want to be able to relate even if I’ve never had that experience. I want ordinary people coming to grips with the reality of life, finding out what they’re made of as they’re tested.
January 19th, 2010 on 10:52 am
I’m with you there — larger than life & I want to be intrigued with them within the first 20 pages of the story — the characters are why I read romance.
January 19th, 2010 on 8:06 am
I agree with you, Laura. I like “non-people” covers, too, though tasteful, teasing people covers appeal as well. One thing that’s changed over the last decade or so that I would unchange–ducking now–is to keep erotica/Romantica and Romance completely separate. They are not the same thing. Romance novels are different, and erotica is different. I’m not saying Erotica/Romantica is *bad*–not at all. I just think it’s muddied up the marketing and definition even further. Erotica/Romantica would be shelved separately from Romance and women’s fiction in my perfect Romance genre world. And I *do* like–and write–sexy romances, so I’m not a prude. I can’t wait to dig into LESSONS IN FRENCH!!! Happy reading!
January 19th, 2010 on 4:16 am
I think I agree with Kaetrin. Friends of mine who love books but have never read a romance tend to tell me “They’re all the same.” Okay, maybe there’s an element that’s the same - the focus on a budding relationship - but how the couple gets there in the end is so exciting.
I have to agree with you about covers, Laura. I just read Flowers from the Storm, which I bought from a used bookstore, and it had Fabio on the cover. It was a flashback to when I first started reading romance, but I thought it didn’t do the story justice at all.
Come to think of it, if the whole genre was mine to play with, I’d wish for more books like Flowers. It’s just about perfection.
January 19th, 2010 on 2:09 am
If I ruled the romance genre… well, I guess it’d be similar to what you said Ms. Kinsale. Stories with heart, wherever they were set, laughter even in stories with sad bits.
One of the things I love about “our” genre (I’m taking ownership as a reader!!) is the endless variety. I can read a tortured angsty hero - a la Flowers from the Storm (I cried and cried!) or a fabulous smile fest with superb witty banter - a la Jenny Crusie’s Bet Me. I can read about serious subjects like pregnancy loss and cry my eyes out - Robyn Carr’s Virgin River - even while enjoying the hot sexxoring and the delicious romance of a wonderful hero like Jack Sheridan.
Come to think of it, maybe I’d leave it like it is. There is some rubbish out there but then again, someone probably likes it. There’s so much great stuff and so many great authors - so long as there’s a happy ending, count me in!
PS - best wishes for your new book.