Trash Talkers discussion
Favorite themes/plotlines/formulas in romance novels? and suggestions
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Some of my favorites are about the woman NOT looking for a man to sweep her off her feet.
I also like series books - like Lisa Kleypas's Wallflower series. ((leSIGH)) I like meeting the characters in one book, and getting to know more about them in the next few books.



I also like the witty banter and series books.

I also love books set in the south that feature a large family with lots of old family secrets. Like Nora Roberts' Carnal Innocence or Linda Howard's Shades of Twilight.

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Rhapsody, a book that fits that description is my favorite novel of all time, AFTER INNOCENCE by Brenda Joyce.


I think Outlander has my favorite kind of relationship. Jaime and Claire are each great in their respective spheres; each one has a skill set that helps the other, and they negotiate a good relationship with each other.
I don't need the woman to be a kick-ass fighter AND castle-manager AND seamstress AND cook, only to find a man who is better than her at all those things. Maybe she's a great castle manager and cook, and he's a great fighter and negotiator. Or she's a good diplomat, and he's the iron fist in the velvet glove. But I like it when the couple has complimentary skill sets, and are each awesome in their own way.
I also like plotlines where the characters discover their own awesomeness, and help each other become amazing. "Knight in Shining Armor" by Johanna Lindsay does this, in a lot of ways.
Also, as D. said, witty banter, a strong independent woman who isn't necessarily pining for love.
Witty & intelligent dialogue, interesting & believable plot, acutal development of a relationship. I like to see some growth, as a person, as a couple, etc.
IMO character driven plots feel like the story has no direction. We just read a bunch of "stuff" and then whamo...the end.
IMO character driven plots feel like the story has no direction. We just read a bunch of "stuff" and then whamo...the end.


I like those books myself. She was a convict, needed a job, so he took her in as his housekeeper. I like the indentured servent ones too.
So yummy
Happy reading everyone..
Bekah
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I like a lot of different themes, but generally speaking, my fav is an underdog heroine who needs to be coaxed out of her shell. Maybe she's totally broke and the hero saves her from destitution. Or some horrible trauma in her past has left her closed off and the hero helps her open up. It can be all sorts of things, so long as she's vulnerable and needs "rescuing" which takes most of the book.
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Rhapsody, a book that fits that description is my favorite novel of all time, AFTER INNOCENCE by Brenda Joyce.
I like a lot of different themes, but generally speaking, my fav is an underdog heroine who needs to be coaxed out of her shell. Maybe she's totally broke and the hero saves her from destitution. Or some horrible trauma in her past has left her closed off and the hero helps her open up. It can be all sorts of things, so long as she's vulnerable and needs "rescuing" which takes most of the book. If he rescues her in the first 50 pages and the rest of it is her and him alternately in conflict/falling in love, I stop caring. I just cannot get interested in confident, strong, successful female leads. In RL, I'm an independent feminist; when I escape into fantasy-world, I want to enjoy a story about a delicate flower, you know?
So that's me! What about other people? I'd love to know people's favorite themes and maybe we can trade some recommendations.