book recs, author services, general badassery
  • Blog
    • Free Romance Reads
    • Our Thoughts
    • 1-Click Wonders
    • Author on Authors
    • Chattin' with Authors
    • So You're New To...
  • Book Recs
  • Reviews
    • 5-Star Reads
    • Contemporary Romance
    • Historical Romance
    • New Adult Romance
    • Paranormal Romance
    • Romantic Comedy
    • Romantic Erotica
    • Romantic Suspense
    • Teen Young Adult
    • Hall of Shame
  • About
    • Contact
    • Review Policy
    • Guest Post Guidelines
    • Advertising on Romance Rehab
  • For Authors
    • Romance novel blurb help
    • Referral Program
    • Romance Remedy
    • Romance Author Services
    • Online Writer's Resources
    • Proofreading Test >
      • Proofreading Test Answers
  • Blog
    • Free Romance Reads
    • Our Thoughts
    • 1-Click Wonders
    • Author on Authors
    • Chattin' with Authors
    • So You're New To...
  • Book Recs
  • Reviews
    • 5-Star Reads
    • Contemporary Romance
    • Historical Romance
    • New Adult Romance
    • Paranormal Romance
    • Romantic Comedy
    • Romantic Erotica
    • Romantic Suspense
    • Teen Young Adult
    • Hall of Shame
  • About
    • Contact
    • Review Policy
    • Guest Post Guidelines
    • Advertising on Romance Rehab
  • For Authors
    • Romance novel blurb help
    • Referral Program
    • Romance Remedy
    • Romance Author Services
    • Online Writer's Resources
    • Proofreading Test >
      • Proofreading Test Answers
Picture

Should I break up with romantic suspense, or give it another chance?

8/7/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
So, I’ve been wondering lately if it’s time to call it quits with romantic suspense. You know, have the standard “it’s not you, it’s me” conversation and go our separate ways. It’s a tough decision because we’ve had some good times, romantic suspense and I. And there’s no denying that Cynthia Eden, Shannon K. Butcher, Kaylea Cross, and Katie Reus—just to name a few—are masters who’ve provided me with hours and hours of sexy, alpha book boyfriends, feisty heroines, and scary, sicko serial killers worthy of their own guest spots on Criminal Minds. But for every great romantic suspense I’ve read from the masters, I’ve read five more that featured crap that just irked the bejesus out of me. Stuff like:
  • Women who have sicko serial killers after them, but who run off on their own at the first opportunity without bothering to tell the heroes who are supposed to be protecting them, only to get captured by said sicko serial killers. I call this Bella Swan-itis and I have ZERO patience for it. Ladies, if you have a sicko serial killer after you, DON’T GO OUT BY YOURSELF. If you do, you deserve your fate and I thank you for doing your part to control the world population of stupid people. (No need to waste precious resources on such dumbasses, right?)
​
  • Heroines who have sicko serial killers after them, but who refuse police/FBI/bodyguard protection because they can take care of themselves, damn it. (Only they can’t and they don’t. But they stomp their feet and pout about it a lot.)
​​
  • Heroes and heroines who stop in the middle of a desperate fight for their lives to have sex. Just...why? ​
Picture
  • Villains who are cartoonishly evil and have no reasons for their actions. I prefer my villains to have interesting back stories (maybe they had a horrific childhood, or a past history of mental illness) and for the author to let me know a thing or two about their motivations, thank you very much.

  • Basically any of the TSTL behaviors found on this list.

  • Dead dogs. I don’t know why, but in romantic suspense, I’ve seen way too many instances where dogs were killed. There’s not ever a good reason for a dog to die in a romance novel, in my opinion. Show me how terrible the bad guy is in another way and leave the dogs alone.

  • Pages and pages of inner monologue about how hot the hero/heroine is while they are literally running for their lives. If someone is shooting at me, take my word for it when I say that I don’t give a CRAP how hot anyone is. Hugh Jackman could be standing next to me at that point, and all I’d be thinking about is how NOT to get shot. (Sorry, Hugh. You’re awesome, though. Seriously. Call me!)

  • Heroes that are played up to be the biggest badasses of all time, trained in every known form of combat, schooled in all manner of badassery. I’m sorry, but this feels like lazy writing to me. Everyone has a vulnerability or two. No one knows everything. As a reader, I don’t want to read about one-dimensional characters. I want to know about the hero’s vulnerabilities in a romance. It makes him more “real” to me and lets me relate to him more as a character. ​

With all that in mind, what do y’all think? Should I break off my relationship with romantic suspense once and for all...or should I give it another chance? Let me know what you think. I can use all the help I can get to make this decision.

And while we’re on the subject, what about you? Ever considered breaking up with a genre or category? Leave a comment or drop us a line. Seriously, let’s talk.
Submit

​Some of the BEST romantic suspense keepers

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Romance Rehab newsletter sign up

    FOLLOW US 
    Reedsy Top Book Reviewer 2019

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017

Picture

BLOG
FREE Romance books
​Book Recommendations

Our Thoughts
1-Click Wonders
5-Star Reads
Authors on Authors
Chattin' with Authors
So You're New To...
What Not to Read
REVIEWS
​
Contemporary Romance
Historical Romance
New Adult Romance
Paranormal Romance
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Erotica
Romantic Suspense
Teen/Young Adult
ABOUT
Contact
Review Policy
Guest Post Guidelines
Advertising on
​Romance Rehab

​
FOR AUTHORS
Online Writer's Resources
Proofreading Test
ROMANCE AUTHOR SERVICES 
Romance novel blurb help
Romance Remedy program

Referral program

Romance author services
  • Book cover critique
  • Animated book covers and social media graphics
  • Beta reading
FREE Romance Rehab newsletter: ​Subscribe here
KnockinBooks LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
​© 2020 KnockinBooks LLC