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Exceptions to my romance novel rules

5/6/2019

1 Comment

 
Exceptions to my romance novel rules
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’ve been pretty vocal about things I can’t tolerate in romance novels and tropes I never want to see again. But I will admit that there are just some authors who so darned good that I can forgive nearly anything. And this post is all about a few of my favorite exceptions.

via GIPHY

Stalkers

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there’s nothing romantic about stalking someone. It was creepy and weird when Edward broke into Bella’s house and watched her sleep, and still millions of readers thought it was just so, so romantic. Blech! But, that said…

I have read 3 books where the heroes did exhibit stalker tendencies, and the romance still worked for me:
Mercy by Debra Anastasia
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Dark Protector by Celia Aaron
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Last Hit by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick
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Why did these work for me when most others would have epically bombed? They were so well-written and engaging with unique, fascinating characters that I totally accepted the stalking without batting an eye. #SorryNotSorry

via GIPHY

Billionaires/Millionaires

I’m sooooooo over the whole billionaire/millionaire thing! Romancelandia is positively littered with hot young billionaires/millionaires, and it drives me crazy! I blame Fifty Shades of Grey. In fact, I’m so over billionaires/millionaires that if I catch even a hint of billionaire/millionaire in the blurb, I don’t bother reading any further. But, that said…

There have been some exceptions to my billionaire/millionaire rule--some truly awesome characters that I thoroughly adored. Here are a few of my all-time favorite billionaire/millionaire exceptions:
Breaking the Billionaires Rules by Annika Martin
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Brooklynaire by Sarina Bowen
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Two Weeks Notice by Whitney G.
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The Negotiator by Avery Flynn
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via GIPHY

Escorts

I was almost kicked out of the Girl’s Club back in 1990—when Pretty Woman came out—for suggesting that there was nothing sexy or romantic about prostitution. I tended to avoid romance novels about escorts after that. But, that said…

There are a few escort romances that made it clear to me they were exceptions to my rule. Here are my top faves:
Escort by Skye Warren
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The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
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The Price of a Kiss by Linda Kage
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By the Hour by Roni Loren
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via GIPHY

Crushing dramatic deaths

Look, I don’t read romance so that I can end up emotionally devastated, curled up in the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably. If I wanted to feel like that I’d read the news. But, that said…

These books featured crushing dramatic deaths and were so well-written and induced so many feels that I still loved them:
Full Tilt by Emma Scott
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All In by Emma Scott
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Desperately Seeking Epic by BN Toler
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via GIPHY

Instalove

We all hate this one, right? I bet you figured this would be the one rule I wouldn’t have an exception to, didn’t you? Well...that’s true...except for this one…
Stay Close by Alexa Riley
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via GIPHY

Kidnapping

Stockholm Syndrome is NOT romantic or sexy. Normally I bail on stories where the heroine is kidnapped by the hero for any reason. But, that said…

I did love these:
Willing Captive by Belle Aurora
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The Bad Guy by Celia Aaron
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Semi-Sane by Isabel Jordan
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Blood Submission by LE Wilson
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Lola Carlyle Reveal All by Rachel Gibson
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via GIPHY

Heroes who are jerks (at least at first)

I have a HUGE preference for nice guy heroes. I usually bail pretty quickly on the jerks of Romancelandia. Except for these guys, who I loved even though they started out as total jerks:
Diary of a Bad Boy by Meghan Quinn
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Vicious by LJ Shen
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Disgrace by Brittainy Cherry
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Finding Kyle by Sawyer Bennett
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Chaser by Kylie Scott
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What about y’all? Any exceptions you’d like to share with the class? Let’s have ‘em!

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1 Comment
hng23
5/7/2019 01:10:23 pm

I'm not a fan of million/billionaires either, but... Roarke. I'm working my way through JD Robb's In Death series (halfway through, as of last night!) & I want one of those.

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