While I typically only read science fiction and fantasy, with the occasional dabble into high literature, I also understand the necessity of reading other genres. Since I’ve started writing (with an eye to publish) a young adult novel with an element of romance, a friend reccomended I read some romance novels to understand how to write those scenes well. Considering all I’d heard about romance novels was that they were porn for women, It sounded kind of icky, but I figured I’d try it out.
It mostly ended in disaster.
First I figured that I would find a bestseller, something with thousands of reviews on Amazon or a series that had been out for ages. I selected the first one that came up on an Amazon search-the Outlander series, by Diana Gabaladon. Apparently it’s a bestselling series, though I’d never heard of it before.
I read the first two books in the series, and I’ve put up the reviews below. To sum it up, while the books weren’t at all bad, I didn’t like them much. There was (surprise surprise) too much focus on character interaction and too little on what would have been, and should have been, a very cool setting and plot. On top of that, I didn’t find myself liking the characters overmuch. Some emotions were raised in me, but on a very small scale. I have no interest in reading the rest of the series. Also, the sex scenes were boring as hell.
The next step I tried was to read M/M romance novels. If I’m going to read porn, may as well read the kind I like, right?
Here I found a mixed bag. A few of the books I read were absolutely terrible, putting the lie to all the five star reviews they got on Amazon. Here I found a lot of the bad stereotypes people have about romance novels-no plot, meaningless sex, stupid characters. One of the books I read was composed nearly entirely of sex scenes, which read and were led up to as though some 13 year old girl was mashing her ken dolls together in an attempt to arouse herself. Another just had poor writing in general, and yet another started out well but nosedived after the halfway mark, ending up with what was essentially mindless furry sex. Nothing wrong with the writing on that one, but once again-good plot, lousy execution covered up by sex. I was very disappointed with it.
What is up with romance novels and werewolves or shifters? Random question of the day. Why is a guy being able to turn into an animal hot? Nothing wrong with it, but it’s just so far outside of “my thing” that I’m left confused.
However, there was one-just one-series of books I liked, by J.L Langley. I will put up the review in the future, but this book-while it had a bit too much sex- had a good combination of plot to go with it, and the characters were not just cardboard cutouts. The world the author set up was also quite well done. The genre? Sci fi, of course.
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