Fans of Interracial Romance discussion
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What Turns You OFF When Reading an Interracial Romance?
message 851:
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Andrea
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Jul 11, 2014 03:49AM
Un-believable!
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Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva wrote: "Oooh, y'all. FIRST LINE in this book I attempted to read and its a wrap!"Sadie was blessed with good hair....."
Not even joking. Done."
110% done.
message 853:
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The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
(new)
Please send me a PM as to the name of this book so I know to avoid it like the freaking plague! Hopefully I haven't bought it.
FPD, I have to admit, after Savannah told me the title and author, I looked the book up.
message 855:
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The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
(new)
Don't torture yourself, lol. Even if it was free, I do have standards. Hell, I'd rather read dinosaur tentacle chthulu porn than some nonsense about a character bragging about her "good hair".
Yea ima need the name and the author of that book too. Lol. Cuz the last thing I'd wanna know is that the book is already sitting on my shelf or on my kindle. If someone would do the honors of PMing me. All would be appreciated.
TheFountainPenDiva wrote: "Please send me a PM as to the name of this book so I know to avoid it like the freaking plague! Hopefully I haven't bought it."Thirded please.
Mod
The author responded to my review today. I'm not sure I understand the response, but I do appreciate her taking ownership, which she did. In that spirit, I will leave it be even though, as mentioned the explanation doesnt alleviate my unease really. At any rate, props to her for respectfully responding.
Lately there are several IR books with stereotypical titles. Then there seems to be this billionaire and mafia crime series bandwagon. The billionaire stories or the mafia ones are not my type of books to read but that is what I'm seeing most when searching for new books in the IR genre. What I would really love to see make a comeback are longer stories. I have some great short reads in my collection as of late but I'm fan of longer stories with a great plot a balanced level of romance, passion and all.
A-W wrote: "Lately there are several IR books with stereotypical titles. Then there seems to be this billionaire and mafia crime series bandwagon. The billionaire stories or the mafia ones are not my type of b..."A.W. being a fan of Fifty Shades, I'm open to a good billionaire romance still, but for as many IR books that exist with that theme, only personally found a handful that were enjoyable to me. Can't quite understand why I can read a hundred mainstream billionaire titles who followed the basic copycat formula, that can garner at least a three star review from me. Yet, have only found maybe one or two with the same theme in IR that didn't make me cringe. I am not exactly an easy critic, but if a book hits my gooey center, I can forgive a lot. Now like you, seeing billionaire in an IR blurb from an non-favorite author, can make it an automatic skip, not because of distaste, but previous bad experiences. Yet, I'll give an unknown mainstream Fifty clone a go because for the most part they will stick to the expected script.
I admit to reading billionaire stories for this exact reason...they are formulaic and comforting, in a way, when I just want a quick and fun read. But I *do* cringe at the whole "billionaire" genre at times...as I'm always telling a friend of mine, it's like there is a young, hot billionaire on every corner in these books! All the real life billionaires I've ever seen are older and mostly unattractive :/ And to top it all off, I even came across a TRILLIONAIRE series the other day. What ever happened to just millionaire, anyway?
Billionaires are trendy. And sometimes I think it is all about trends. I can remember when there were very few contemporary romance books on the shelves. Now it seems as if romantic suspense is dying.I think authors get sucked (pressured) into trends.
I think putting the word "billionaire" in the title is trendy. But Rich & powerful men have been a romance novel staple forever. Rich men -- millionaires & billionaires -- are thick on the ground in romance and outnumber the Poors by, like, 1,000-to-1.
In Historical romances they are Dukes and Earls. In Para normals they are always the Alpha. If it is a military romance then the hero is always the elitest of the elite, he's a SEAL or a Special Forces. etc. It is really very rare to have a 'normal' guy be a hero.
I don't mind Dukes or SEALs or Alphas, but man I hate Billionaires. Hate them. It has become rather irrational at this point. LOL.
I feel the same about the billionaire stories Tina. You also make an excellent point about how other heroes are presented in books as being at the highest level of whatever his career may be in the story. The IR military(BW/WM) stories are personal favorites of mine because my husband is military but I can recall only a few stories where the Soldier/hero is just an ordinary Service member of the military. One on particular is Connelly's Flame from Aliyah Burke's Navy Seal series. Ross is the lowest rank on the team he didn't have much money nor did he make a lot of money. I liked the fact that he was just an ordinary hero. It makes the romance more refreshing.
Tina, you're right. I read historicals and you could just as easily substitute "Duke" for "billionaire" and what I said about billionaires would still apply. Now that I think about it, while these kinds of stories are entertaining, the ones that have stuck with me emotionally are stories that feature "ordinary" men.
What I think is beginning to turn me off....no, not beginning, it already has...are all these guys that are described as Alphas but in all actuality they are jerks. They are irrationally demanding, they talk to the heroines like they are village idiots and then we readers are expected to think this is sexy. It's not sexy when a man is being condescending to a woman. It's not sexy when a man treats a woman like she is property. And it's certainly not sexy when he treats her like she is a child. And whenever I pick up a supposedly sexy book that features a man who behaves this way, I end up losing interest in the story and never bothering to finish reading it.
Total agreement with the above statement
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I don't mind a hero that is a bit of an ass, as long as there is a (good)reason for it, and he is able to prove that that attitude isn't who he really is. I also don't mind a heroine that may start the story weaker than I would like, BUT she has to progressively grow into a woman that does have a backbone and who ultimately learns how to be strong. The truth is not all women start out strong. Some women need to learn how to be that way due to their upbringing or whatever. So I guess the key for me is GROWTH. If a story doesn't show character growth then it is lacking to me. But of course a lot of the books lately aren't long enough to show any character growth or anything else...
Mstcat wrote: "I don't mind a hero that is a bit of an ass, as long as there is a (good)reason for it, and he is able to prove that that attitude isn't who he really is. I also don't mind a heroine that may start..."Mstcat I totally agree with this. I have a soft spot for alpha-hole heroes. The stories I tend to love with this kind of hero, are the ones with heroines who learn to have him doing their bidding on important things, in the end. He can start out being the biggest jerk, but I need her to be his world, when all is said and done. I really like all types of heroines from girly-girl to alpha-female. My hero's have to be alpha, for me to get into a book, no betas allowed.
Thats the thing about a lot of books; there is no TRUE justification for a-hole tendancies. If a man is conflictex or scarred for GOOD reason? I will not only NOT be bothered by the assery but it will likely make itmore beliebeable for me AND gratifying when he comes out of it in all his enamored glory.
Thats the thing about a lot of books; there is no TRUE justification for a-hole tendancies. If a man is conflicted or scarred for GOOD reason? I will not only NOT be bothered by the assery but it will likely make it more believeable for me AND gratifying when he comes out of it in all his enamored glory.
Indigo.plume wrote: "Too much sex.Sex too soon.
Sex scenes that go on and on and on.
Sometimes I wonder if I've accidentally downloaded an erotic book, because more than half the book is focused on something sexual."
Ditto!
Mod
I think we all have our guilty pleasures. Mine are possessive/jealous/obsessed heroes and black ops soldiers/assassins or other dangerous heroes. Nothing wrong with liking what we like.
Kim wrote: "What I think is beginning to turn me off....no, not beginning, it already has...are all these guys that are described as Alphas but in all actuality they are jerks. They are irrationally demanding,..."I agree.
Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "I think we all have our guilty pleasures. Mine are possessive/jealous/obsessed heroes and black ops soldiers/assassins or other dangerous heroes. Nothing wrong with liking what we like. "
Danielle I like those too, if you add a secret baby or unexpected pregnancy then you've hit my tired-but-oh-so-yummy theme sweet spot.
Mod
Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "Yeah, I definitely like the pregnancy storyline too. :)"I actually think there are quite a few IR authors that do military, mafia, secret children, unexpected pregnancy, and office romances (unless the boss is a billionaire) pretty well. It's when you step outside those parameters, bad book landmines lurk. I have pretty much given up on finding good adult IR PNR/UF. I have seen a few good reviews for YA with those themes, but alas I'm allergic to anything that might have a prom crisis. I don't even try anymore, despite really loving a good vampire or shapeshifter romance.
Mod
message 881:
by
The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
(new)
Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "Sadly, I haven't felt drawn to an IR book in a while. I'm hoping that I see something that pricks my interest and rekindles my love for the genre."For the now, I've reached my boredom quota with IR. I'm just really not into bikers, billionaires, mafioso or whatever subgenre du jour is the "hot" thing. I've passed on numerous books that are full of colorism-fail. I realize I need to step away for awhile and immerse myself in other genres I love. I'll come back to IR--I always do.
Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "Sadly, I haven't felt drawn to an IR book in a while. I'm hoping that I see something that pricks my interest and rekindles my love for the genre."Truthfully I've strayed from the path myself lately. I'll come back because of my Sienna Mynx, and Eve Vaughn love. Truthfully I just have so many books on my to-read list, so going for the sure bets, unless it's mandated by the group I mod.
Kimberly wrote: "I admit to reading billionaire stories for this exact reason...they are formulaic and comforting, in a way, when I just want a quick and fun read. But I *do* cringe at the whole "billionaire" genre..."Millionaires are so last century :-). I don't mind billionaires myself, but as I have said in a previous posting- please do some research for the potential type of lifestyle such a person would have. What writers seem to be doing is to write an average Joe next door and sticking the adjective billionaire on him.
Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "Sadly, I haven't felt drawn to an IR book in a while. I'm hoping that I see something that pricks my interest and rekindles my love ..."Have you read Lavender Parker? She has written two that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Kiss of Fire
Kiss of Ice
Mod
I love the genre, but I feel ya.
Tina wrote: "Arch wrote: "Some people that review books are not writers but that does not make them grammar pros either. If a person is going to come at someone for grammar they better know what they are talki..."I have even approached some writers to offer free proof reading services. None have taken me up on the offer. I just ignore reading their books now. I just don't feel like investing the time in a story that will annoy me.
Mod
Justine wrote: "Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "Sadly, I haven't felt drawn to an IR book in a while. I'm hoping that I see ..."Justine, never heard of this. I saw a couple of my friends gave this a high rating too. Definitely adding it to my to-read list. Thanks for the rec.
message 889:
by
The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
(new)
Arch wrote: "The hero does not have to be rich. Sam Starrett wasn't rich. Love is stronger than money. I like the undercover rich guy, bka the guy who shops at Walmart and you would not know he is rich just buy..."Average working-guy heroes are awesome. I mean I crushed so hard on my Shakespeare professor in college (OMG that accent and looking like Joseph Finnes). Sexy professors are hot. Arouse the brain as well as the body.
For me there are no rules...if its my version of good writing the guy can be rich, working class, broke- whatever. Romance is flooded with stwreotypical versions of what society believes trips the fantasy triggers of the average woman. Some still believe that to be "no money worries" so they shove billionnaires at us left and right. Absolutely...thats lovely lol. But not necessary for me.
Justine wrote: "I have even approached some writers to offer free proof reading services. None have taken me up on the offer. I just ignore reading their books now. I just don't feel like investing the time in a story that will annoy me."That's too bad. Grammar/usage stuff in IR romances is a bit of a sore tooth with me.
The old adage 'you have to work twice as hard to be half as good' always rings bells in my head when I read some of these books. It is especially resonant when you have primarily POC writers writing POC characters in a genre that is on he cusp of exploding.
How people receive subjective things like 'tone' or 'voice' or 'plot' can't be controlled. But technical things like grammar, usage and POV can. So when these things are brushed off, it bothers me. Because, as unfair as it is, POC writers in the IR genre are going to be judged more harshly than their white counterparts. And something as simple as grammar should not be the thing that you get dinged on.
BTW, if anyone has not seen it, you should watch Weird Al Yankovic's Word Crimes video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-...
It is hysterical, creative and sooo on point.
message 892:
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Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors
(last edited Jul 18, 2014 10:19AM)
(new)
Mod
I'm more interested in character than material possessions in a hero.
Mod
Love 'em!
Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For Goodreads) wrote: "Outside of my Harlequin Presents addiction (but I read those more for the angst and the over-the-top drama and storylines), I'm not really attracted to books with billionaires unless they can put a..."Though I like the trope, my one pet peeve about literary billionaire's is the lack effort explaining anything about their job, industry that made that money, and how they have all the free time in the world to stalk the heroine all day. Most billionaires are work-a-holics, unless retired. These guys never are. I used to be a big fan of Judith Krantz, though her books were trashy, she would always do an excellent job of immersing you in the characters world be it art
, retail
, advertising
, etc.. There might be tons of sex, and drama, but you ended up learning a lot about a previously unknown world. No one does that kind of research anymore.
Mod
message 897:
by
The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
(last edited Jul 18, 2014 02:03PM)
(new)
Arch wrote: "I like nerds"Nerds rock my world!
And Pagan, you are so right. I think a huge part of the problem has to do with story length. Remember, Krantz and authors of that ilk wrote doorstop-sized novels, lol. Nowadays everything is either a novella or a blasted serial (which I loathe). That means no in-depth exploration of the daily workings of the job.
Mod
Love 'em!"
I don't know why I said like, when I love them. Dave is a nerd and I love him.
Tina wrote: How people receive subjective things like 'tone' or 'voice' or 'plot' can't be controlled. But technical things like grammar, usage and POV can. So when these things are brushed off, it bothers me.This. I get it that it's not something that's important for everyone, but it does actually matter if a reader can't understand what an author is trying to convey because the author's grasp of grammar is far from the reader's.
That works both ways – one of my sisters tells me my difficulties lie in taking everything too literally* – but there's a reason we have the term "standard" wrt to the English language(s). Without a standard that a population – or, at least, a large portion of the population or a powerful portion of the population – agrees on, there's too much room for miscommunication.
I'll also admit that I still find myself judging online strangers by their grammar. It doesn't matter how often I tell myself it's not a sign of stupidity; if I know that a person typing in non-standard English isn't a non-native speaker** my knee-jerk instinct is "stupid person sharing ideas – proceed with caution and scepticism".
Tina wrote: The old adage 'you have to work twice as hard to be half as good' always rings bells in my head when I read some of these books. It is especially resonant when you have primarily POC writers writing POC characters in a genre that is on he cusp of exploding.
And this is the other part of why I want to see writers in the genre doing a better job – even the non-PoC writers.
Part 1. Although it shouldn't be so, Americans largely still have the "one PoC represents every PoC" attitude. i think it may be fading in younger generations than mine, but it's still awfully prevalent.
Part 2. Because most writers currently in the genre are WoC, there seems to be a perception that IRR = PoC writer. So, even if the author isn't a WoC, enough readers are going to perceive them as such that any mistakes they make can contribute to Part 1. And, unfortunately, even if the author's non-PoC status is well known, they could easily fall victims to accusations of mocking the PoC speak/write. (I've seen both happen.)
I wish Parts 1 and 2 weren't issues. I wish my only problem with bad grammar was ease of conveying ideas. I wish there was no reason for my annoyance to be especially heightened when reading IR or AfAm or AsAm books, but there is reason for me to feel that way. Until that changes, I don't think grammar issues will stop bothering more in books that are expressly labelled IR or IRR than in "mainstream" and "mainstream Romance" books.
*Not entirely incidentally, I have a lot less trouble understanding non-standard grammar when it's spoken than when it's written.
**I don't know or understand the processes that change my instinctive reaction of a writer when I know that they are an L2 or L3, etc. speaker/writer of English. It's there, however. I don't cringe, I don't have to fight subconscious not to dismiss their thoughts, and I don't have to castigate myself for that prejudice that I haven't overcome with native speakers.
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Fans of Interracial Romance
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jewel Adams (other topics)Tilly Bagshawe (other topics)
Judith Krantz (other topics)
