Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Addicts discussion
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Taboo Relationships: What are your thoughts?
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I don't have any problem with reading stories like this as long as the story is well written and I can relate to the characters.
I agree, as long as it's well written and can relate to the characters. I've read a few with the age gap and the Boss/employee( now that was interesting)
I'll be honest I don't feel like all of those are taboo relationships. When I saw the word taboo I was thinking along the lines of V.C Andrews Flowers in the attic where it's like incest. In which case I don't read those (*_*)
I don't mind the ones you listed as less taboo. Actually, if done well, it can make the couple more interesting. Polyarmory and bdsm are not my cup of tea though and if furries means what I think it does, then I wouldn't want to read about it either. ;)
I don't really care as long as it's well written. However, the 'furries', I have reservation. Shifters: YES, as long as they are both in heir human form but then I guess it's not furry anymore unless neither shaves :>, but dogs or sheep or whatever and humans? Nope, I would not touch that.
G.G. wrote: "I don't really care as long as it's well written. However, the 'furries', I have reservation. Shifters: YES, as long as they are both in heir human form but then I guess it's not furry anymore unle..."Furries are people that role-play in cartoony animal costumes. They actually have their annual convention in my city.
I'll never understand why they hold it in the summer--it would be so hot in those costumes!
Mod
"Taboo" is pretty subjected. What you think of as taboo, maybe I wouldn't. Incest is taboo, sure. And not something I'd want to read either.
Mod
Haha! I threw furries in for fun. Furries are people who like to dress up as animals, for those who don't know. Super weird. No offense to any furries out there reading this. ;)
Victoria wrote: "I'll be honest I don't feel like all of those are taboo relationships. When I saw the word taboo I was thinking along the lines of V.C Andrews Flowers in the attic where it's like incest. In which..."Oh, God, when I was twelve and thirteen (back before the internet was the way to buy stuff) I used to haunt the second-hand bookshops trying to complete my Virginia/VC Andrews book collection. I even sent friends once when I had a ballet class!
Pretty sure my reading tastes are a little - ahem - better nowadays.
I'm a little iffy with most taboo relationships I think.Those of you that have read this series/book will know what I'm talking about, but I don't want to give it away for those that haven't...but there's a particular series that has a budding romance, but they find out they're supposedly related. I lost all interest in them as a couple at that point, whether it's true or not.
As far as age gaps, same sex, interracial...I have no qualms as long as it's written well and is believable.
Polygamy I'm not a fan of at all though, because I believe in being faithful to a single person. I hate when I'm rooting for a couple, and one of them goes outside of the relationship.
@Rachel and Kiersten ROFL! Ok, thanks for the clarifications. :P No problem at all with Furries then. :P
Krysta wrote: "I'm a little iffy with most taboo relationships I think.Those of you that have read this series/book will know what I'm talking about, but I don't want to give it away for those that haven't...bu..."
Love between a brother and a sister didn't seem bother people who read and love Games of Thrones. :P
Krysta you are totally right about taboo being subjective to the person. And I guess to answer your question when I run across a book that I feel is Taboo to me, I tend to pick up another book. Like this one totally wigged me out and I can't read it because of the main character and what she are doing.
Tampa
I don't mind. Some of what you listed doesn't seem that taboo to me. I like to know what makes people tick so I can read certain things. The shifters having sex in human form is okay but if they are in another form, I don't know. LOL. Most things don't bother me. I might be the odd one out.
Krysta wrote: "I'm a little iffy with most taboo relationships I think.Those of you that have read this series/book will know what I'm talking about, but I don't want to give it away for those that haven't...bu..."
I know of two series like that...one I loved and the other I haven't read but I do intend to give it a try...eventually.
To answer the original question, most taboo things don't bother me at all. If it's well written I can read about pretty much anything, the only thing I have a hard time reading about is forced sex between the main couple. To me rape is rape and I can't get past it when she's being raped but thinking oh gee maybe I like this.
As long as we're talking taboo couples, does anyone have a problem with couples that seem to hop into bed really quick? I've loved/read books where, when I think about it later, it seems like the couple falls into bed and Boom they're madly in love. There was no real development of the relationship.
I have a problem with those type of books bc there's no developing love story it's all about the couples jumping into bed. I like to read books where the love developes before they have sex. Flirting and making out is ok but I want the suspense it leads up to
I think all of it depends on the characters and writing. If I can understand where that character is coming from and why they like what they like. Even if it weirds me out a bit or I would want nothing to do with it then I count it as a good book.For example, I recently read a BDSM book that had fisting in it. I was super concerned about that part of the book because...well fisting weirds me out and I find nothing sexy or romantic about it. BUT, when it happened within the story I understood why these characters were into it so I wasn't bothered like I thought that I would be. This was also my first menage book so it was a book of firsts. :)
That weirds me out. I can't read 50 shades of grey for the scenes that people told me about are in it. I'm ok with the Dominant/submissive BUT it has to be done in a way where there are actual feelings between the two. I can't deal with anything that has abuse of any kind or sex is really rough.
I thought I'd hate any BDSM. I didn't read 50 Shades of Grey but I read this one where the submissive actually had all the power and was calling the shots. I was surprised I liked it.
Mod
I've read some alright BDSM and some cringe-worthy ones. They're a bit of a gamble for me.
I just would like to say one thing, because someone has to, 50 Shades is a really bad BDSM novel. So if anyone would like to try this kind of romance/erotica, I'd advice reaching for different title.But when it comes to "sex scene – plot – sex scene" kind of books, I'd agree with Jessica. It's all about the actual story. Though I have no problem with erotica, sometimes it just doesn't work.
Teya wrote: "I just would like to say one thing, because someone has to, 50 Shades is a really bad BDSM novel. So if anyone would like to try this kind of romance/erotica, I'd advice reaching for different titl..."Thanks Teya. I agree about 50 Shades being a bad BDSM novel. There are some really great authors out there in that subgenre for example, Cherise Sinclair is one of my favorites. :)
50 Shades is dangerous because it's so popular and every single "fact" about BDSM she wrote is 100% incorrect!But then, I have 100000000 other issues with that book, including the fact the author was so unethical she published Twilight fan fiction without credit (I HATE Twilight, and still I'm furious!).
Jessica wrote: "There are some really great authors out there in that subgenre for example, Cherise Sinclair is one of my favorites. :)"Cherise Sinclair is fantastic. Of course her books are very "fairy tale-y" but she gets all the facts right!
I was so furious when Rolling Stone magazine wrote about her as "the next E.L. James" when she was around before that plagiarist, and she was writing better books before her!
Sonya Heaney wrote: "Jessica wrote: "There are some really great authors out there in that subgenre for example, Cherise Sinclair is one of my favorites. :)"Cherise Sinclair is fantastic. Of course her books are very..."
Oh I didn't know they did that. That's terrible. She is one of my favorites.
I can't believe they making movie of 50 shades.
Sonya Heaney wrote: "50 Shades is dangerous because it's so popular and every single "fact" about BDSM she wrote is 100% incorrect!For me still the biggest issue is the lack of personalities when it comes to characters. And the 180° change with the main character. Seriously, the author kinda pushed bad-boy-on-and-off switch.
When it comes to taboo relationships in general for me there are some lines I don't want to see crossed and some I don't mind. The taboo factor is surely one of the quickest way for adding drama to the love story (even when the lines to cross are invented for the story as with paranormal sociaties). the most important thing is that the author hadn't rely solely on this thread. If the story is well written, characters are interesting and we have other interesting storylines then I don't mind.
I agree with a lot of the above comments. If the story is well written and there is chemistry, it doesn't matter if it seems "taboo". The only caveat it: If you are gearing toward YA, then you might want to be careful....
Mod
That's really broad question. It usually is very dependant on the world created in the book. So it can be misalliance, interspecies, age diffenerence (like few hundred years or so ;) ), it can also be same sex, bdsm or just any other relationship that crosses the line that exists in created reality. While reading books you see that taboo factor, acknowledge it and go with it. But for me personally, it's mostly lolita complex and incest (it's hard to find it hot when you actually have a brother).
For me, really the only thing that really icks me out is a huge age difference. It doesn't matter if it's the man or the woman that's way older than their partner. Sick. The only exception to that for me is if the "old" one is a paranormal of some sort and still appears young.
The only thing I've come across that strikes me as taboo is 3-4 men and 1 woman. I'm not into the gang bang thing
Cindy wrote: "For me, really the only thing that really icks me out is a huge age difference. It doesn't matter if it's the man or the woman that's way older than their partner. Sick. The only exception to th..."Me too! I don't know why but I can't quite get past it, ESPECIALLY if the younger person is a minor. Scrawny little boys...not sexy! Old saggy man butt (which is how I saw older men when I was a teenager)...not sexy!
Incest also bothers me in any form.
Furries...there used to be a show on MTV about them. It was really weird!
Lena wrote: "Furries...there used to be a show on MTV about them. It was really weird! "They bother me too, but not in a taboo way. I just don't get it. I'm always to confused to enjoy the story.
What have you come across in a book that you considered taboo?
How do you feel about taboo relationships? This can be anything from polyamory, BDSM, Sub/Dom, furries (LOL) to the less taboo relationships like large age gap, interracial, same sex, related by marriage(not blood, ew), Boss/employee, your choice.