I've read very many MIlls&Boons and Harlequin romance novels in my early teens to mid twenties and I later came to realize that they all basically follow one plot. Girl meets boy, girl and boy hate each other, a conflict ensues and they realize they have feelings for each other, then the story ends with a wedding and happily ever after. The thing I found irritating is the formulaic plotting of the story, there are literally no surprises once you've read about six of these stories. Also in real life, people meet and have an instant connection in most cases. Does anyone else feel the same?
You have a few types. The one you talked about. The ones based on sex. Today's "abuse" is popular. I know most people are delusional and try to okay it, but it's abuse nonetheless. I've only seen a few good ones. Nicholas Sparks isn't too bad.
Yes, you are spot on that the abuse storylines are overkill. Good romance novels are hard to find, but there are a few that I like. 'Redeeming Love' by Francine Rivers is one of the most interesting romance novels I've ever read. (I just realized that it, too, has an abuse storyline. Sorry. But in this case it is actually integral to the story). Other authors who do an above average job are Anne Marie Winston and Karen Robards (historical fiction only, I think her modern stuff leaves a lot to be desired). I think romance novels in general are typically hit and miss. It's better to look at reviews rather than get excited and then disappointed.
I think I read a couple when I was a teen as well. They're very cliche and never anything original or different. They're boring and I'd rather spend my time reading something intellectual. Some people are very into that type of thing though, and I think it's just a way for them to escape their reality. I don't like it.
Hehe sorry to disappoint, but I've recently (in the last 2 years) gone back to reading romance, and I like it as a light read, nothing to be taken seriously. I read a lot of Mills and Boon in high school, but soon got sick of it the older I got. I ditched it in favour of biographies and suspense thrillers, both of which I still love. But I also still like some romance, but certainly not of the Mills and Boon/Silhoutte/Harlequin variety...uurgh, they're sooo dated and lack imagination! Do they even still exist?? I search for mine on Amazon, and I've been quite pleasantly surprised because some of it is really rather good; crammed full of angst, mystery and not just sex, roses and hearts. I absolutely hate a cheesy, OTT fluffy romance. The ones I tend to go for are like a modern take on light suspense/mystery with a heavy romance slant, that's the best way I can describe them.
Yes, romance books are irritating because they are so far from the truth. I realize they are fiction and fiction is not necessarily based on truth but at least lets make it believable. I think reading them as a young adult gives you the false pretenses about romance as do as Disney Princesses do for young children. I do not mind a fairy tale, but when like you said they are all the same and end the same it gets a little dull. I usually do not read romance but I do like Nicolas Sparks but I feel he is more than a romance writer anyway. I guess it is what sells, so they will keep churning them out and I will keep looking for something more grounded and substantive.
I largely think that it depends upon what sort of romance novels you are reading. Or sometimes the best route to go is to go with books with a primary genre that is not rooted in romance, but something else, and romance is a secondary genre. That usually works out well. I find that those romantic relationships are written in a much more realistic fashion, and in a way that I am much more likely to relate to.
@morgoodie....I agree that romance novels could be damaging and send out the wrong message to younger impressionable readers, because they may believe everything they read. As an adult however, I actually enjoy it as long as it's not TOO exaggerated. I see it a pure, decadent escapism, something a little less dull than my own life hehe @DreekLass....I think you're right, especially for those who like non-traditional romance. I just feel that there are so many ways of enjoying romance as there are many sub-genres within it. Unless you absolute hate it and it's not your thing, in which case you're best off looking for something totally unrelated to romance.
I tried reading a romance novel once, but it was so dull and uninteresting that I had to stop after chapter 2. I thought it was too predictable; it was about these childhood friends who were in love, but she thought he didn't like her because she was a librarian or something and he was a bad boy who liked other type of women. Meanwhile, he thought he wasn't good enough for her. I really can't remember the title, but when it comes to romance novels in general, I feel as though the stories themselves don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I just don't have a reason to care about the characters or their musings. I like to read historical fiction or fantasy where there are more things at stake than just two people and their silly love conflicts.
I got bored with those. There used to be lots of old romance novels lying around here because I had nothing else to read. I bought a Sidney Sheldon novel, The Sands of Time, at a second-hand bookstore when I was in high school. It was then the best story I've ever read and more compelling than what I've read before. It still remains as one of my favorites.
I think the only romance novel author I know of is Nicholas Sparks. I have read A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, The Choice and a few more. At first, I loved them but after a while, it became too predictable. And especially with Nicholas Sparks, it's the usual formula, the rural location, the sweet leading lady and the strong leading man. It's almost always a happy ending as well. You would get tired after a while... But for The Notebook, I guess that's the only romance novel by him that I don't get tired of. I can read it everyday and cry with it. It's tenderly written and it's just so heartbreaking. I think the settings fit the story and the characters are so real and relatable. It's a romance novel that's not just pure romance, it has morals within it. But yes, after reading many of his books, it can get tiring. There are some books that I just skipped and haven't even finished until now.
I'm so over all these harlequin romance books business. I got sucked into this world a few years back and then it just hit me that they really are quite boring and predictable. Not going to lie, I read fifty shades trilogy and even that, is a big disappointment to me. I have no idea why it has such a large fanbase.
