Is this weird? I love romantic subplots, but I'm also turned off by romantic subplots?

Latina Bunny · Mar 23, 2016

I know, I know. Doesn't make any sense, lol!

But it that is how I feel as a reader at times.

I enjoy romance stuff, but then I don't. It's like I'm picky about romance stuff, especially adult books with m/f. (I love reading books with female protagonist who is also the POV character.)

Okay, let me explain. *Warning! Loooong Rant Mode on*

I love reading books with female protagonist POV characters.

(I read MG/YA, adult Romances, adult general fiction, and some adult chick lit/women's fiction, and recently, have been reading a bunch of cozy mysteries and urban fantasy/paranormal-ish mysteries.)

Meaning there will be definitely romantic subplots/plots, because apparently, according to many fiction books (and movies/tv/etc), women can never be happily single in life or whatever, lol. *rolls eyes*

Or even just happily married and can focus on other things beyond courtship.

I did not mind romantic subplots. I have read some chicklit and women's fictionor general fiction stuff with romantic subplots (or married husband subplot, lol). I used to love reading some Romances, especially Regency/Historical and some light Contempoary ones.

Anyway... Lately, I noticed a trend in some of my books that I have been getting tired and frustrated with.

For example, I dislike how the grown female characters (almost 30 or in their early 30s) act like blushing preteens/teens encountering a crush.

I disliked how the female characters allowed themselves to be distracted or seduced by the male love interest from the main plot.

I dislike how the arrogant (usually arrogant or overconfident or suave) male love interests purposely tries to distract the female character from the main plot or whatever with their sexiness. It's so manipulative to me. Ugh.

And of course the dude succeeds, and the female character gets all weak-kneed, and/or she ends up forgetting or getting distracted from whatever important stuff she had to tell him (or whatever mission she had or whatever).

That? Drives me up the wall.

The books I did enjoy had female characters that either got over their awkward, teen swoony stage, or you know, can multi-task and still focus on other things, like the main plot, the mission, and/or family and friends, etc.

I love romance stuff...but I hate the common tropes or gendered stuff.

Like, the guys are always the strong or tough, proactive, aggressive, suave, solid types of characters--and they always initiate the romantic encounters, too. Why can't I have female characters who have some of those traits?

Why are the females usually the ones acting like shy little blushing school girls who lose some of their brains/intelligence or initiative, whenever a man is in the vicinity?

Why is the female character always the meek/timid/polite one?

Why can't the girl be the strong, steady, focused one of the couples? Why is it always the girl that swoons?

*RANT mode off*

*sighs* Sorry for ranting, but this bothers me sooo much.

These are like, minor, things, but I see them so much to the point where I need a break from m/f romance subplots sometimes. (I go back to reading MG or a mature women's fiction/general fiction whenever I feel like this.)

It bothers me so much, that I stopped reading the Romance genre, which used to be a favorite of mine.

(I wonder if it's also because I'm a lesbian, so guys do nothing for me, lol?

)

It's making me even more pickier with choosing a book, and I'm already picky as it is. (I love books! It's just...I'm getting sooo tired of certain tropes and the gendered stuff.)

Is this weird? Anyone else has a similar experience?

Marian Perera · Mar 23, 2016

bunny-gypsy said:
For example, I dislike how the grown female characters (almost 30 or in their early 30s) act like blushing preteens/teens encountering a crush.

Same here. I'll put down any book where a grown woman trips over her own feet because she's so overcome by how hot a guy is.

I dislike how the arrogant (usually arrogant or overconfident or suave) male love interests purposely tries to distract the female character from the main plot or whatever with their sexiness. It's so manipulative to me. Ugh.

Some stories take this a step further with the man deliberately invading the woman's space, ignoring her boundaries, and making personal comments that are supposed to be edgy/sexy but just come off as boring/unpleasant at best and abusive at worst.

This is all supposed to be sexual tension because the guy is so hot.

And of course the dude succeeds, and the female character gets all weak-kneed, and/or she ends up forgetting or getting distracted from whatever important stuff she had to tell him (or whatever mission she had or whatever).

Of course he succeeds. Sleazy jerks who succeed are romantic heroes. Sleazy jerks who don't are just... well, sleazy jerk losers.

Like, the guys are always the strong or tough, proactive, aggressive, suave, solid types of characters--and they always initiate the romantic encounters, too. Why can't I have female characters who have some of those traits?

Just FYI, if you ever want romance recs where the man is a virgin and the woman has experience, smarts and self-control, let me know.

I haven't read any F/F so I'm afraid I can't recommend anything there.

CL Polk · Mar 23, 2016

Yeah I write romance and I do not like writing a high-handed, arrogant jerk as a hero.

Actually in a historical i have planned, one man is a typical romance hero type, and the other one's respectful. the romance hero type is the bad guy.

Kerosene · Mar 23, 2016

bunny-gypsy said:
For example, I dislike how the grown female characters (almost 30 or in their early 30s) act like blushing preteens/teens encountering a crush.

I want to point out: Just because someone is older, doesn't mean they have a ton of experience in love and will react differently. Yeah, some super strong reactions that they might have as teens (because of the hormone war waging in them) should be different. But just because they're adults don't mean they must have "adult" reactions. Being completely frozen in their seat by their crush talking to them, too childish. But blushing, that's normal (if for them).

Is this weird? Anyone else has a similar experience?

For the most part I agree. The whole stoic male and flowery female routine is old, and I often fall out of stock-standard romances like that. But that's also the genre's main conventions. There are certainly stories that are different, and especially with the more open emergence of LGBTQ+/queer coming out nowadays.

I've never been able to connect with "weak" female characters, nor overly "strong" male characters. Perhaps that's why a majority of my MCs are "strong" female characters. My current WIP deals with two YA girls, one masculine (former child soldier raised by men) and one feminine (former princess) in similar roles, falling in love with one another.

ElaineA · Mar 23, 2016

There's a lot to chew on here.

bunny-gypsy said:
For example, I dislike how the grown female characters (almost 30 or in their early 30s) act like blushing preteens/teens encountering a crush.

I disliked how the female characters allowed themselves to be distracted or seduced by the male love interest from the main plot.

I dislike how the arrogant (usually arrogant or overconfident or suave) male love interests purposely tries to distract the female character from the main plot or whatever with their sexiness. It's so manipulative to me. Ugh.

And of course the dude succeeds, and the female character gets all weak-kneed, and/or she ends up forgetting or getting distracted from whatever important stuff she had to tell him (or whatever mission she had or whatever).

I'm with you on the grown woman behaving as a blushing teen thing, but I suspect that's also somewhat a function of book-choice. I personally haven't read toooooo much of that outside of Regencies (where you'd expect more of it since virginity is often a required female characteristic. I don't read YA, but those aren't grown women so YA doesn't apply to this point.) I've been reading more Rom-suspense and finding stronger, more focused F protags and less arrogant and more partner-oriented (in the crime solving/plot resolving sense, not sex "partner") M protags. I've also read more hot contemp with actual woman characters. I know you don't like blood and guts so the suspense isn't up your alley, but the content IS out there in the wild.

bunny-gypsy said:
Like, the guys are always the strong or tough, proactive, aggressive, suave, solid types of characters--and they always initiate the romantic encounters, too. Why can't I have female characters who have some of those traits?

Why are the females usually the ones acting like shy little blushing school girls who lose some of their brains/intelligence or initiative, whenever a man is in the vicinity?

Why is the female character always the meek/timid/polite one?

Again, this is out there, it's just not in the books/subgenres you're choosing, maybe? I recently read Act Like It, a hilarious contemp. The MMC is a complete arrogant ass, but the FMC is very much equal to him in opposing ways. (It's an enemies to lovers plot.)

bunny-gypsy said:
Why can't the girl be the strong, steady, focused one of the couples? Why is it always the girl that swoons?

This is the biggest failing of the genre still, I think. It's not "always," but it's still far more often than not. I've seen more editors/agents asking for grown woman characters (like 30's/40's grown), so I think there's a recognition of this shortcoming. But yanno, when the girl-swoony books are still selling like hotcakes, the publishers don't seem to want to take risks publishing other things. IDK, I think it's a market hole they just don't want to deal with on a large scale.

bunny-gypsy said:
(I wonder if it's also because I'm a lesbian, so guys do nothing for me, lol? )

Mayyyy-beeee

No, in all seriousness, expecting more equilibrium between characters goes beyond what turns a reader on in their personal life, I think.

bunny-gypsy said:
It's making me even more pickier with choosing a book, and I'm already picky as it is. (I love books! It's just...I'm getting sooo tired of certain tropes and the gendered stuff.)

Is this weird? Anyone else has a similar experience?

I don't think it's weird, and I don't think there's anything wrong with being picky. I'm extremely picky (probably snobby). I stopped reading romance for more than 2 years because I was getting tired of the same story in different clothes every. single. book. I've pretty much given up on regencies unless it's one by an author I absolutely can't ignore, like Jo Bourne. There's nothing wrong with your reading evolving/changing and you expecting more from the storylines. Nothing wrong with that at all (IMO).

LJD · Mar 23, 2016

I wish all the alphahole billionaires would crash their private jets into their islands in the Caribbean.

However, romance is a vast genre, and I'm usually able to find what I like in it. And when I read tropes I don't like, I just spend my time trying to figure out how to make fun of it. Which would explain my 90k parody novel, I guess.

Marian Perera · Mar 23, 2016

ElaineA said:
But yanno, when the girl-swoony books are still selling like hotcakes

And that's the rub. They do. On another board, there was a similar thread which started with a reader saying she was tired of virgin heroines paired with horndog heroes. I agreed, and mentioned there was a series where the author specifically stated that she rewarded her heroes with "pure" women, and to her, the "pure" woman being pregnant at the end of the story was the hero's way of staking his claim.

One reader asked eagerly for the name of the author and the series, because that was just what she loved to read.

What can I say? We've all got our preferences. But I'm glad the market has become a bit more accommodating towards fans of assertive/experienced heroines and mature/decent heroes, even if the opposite commands a larger readership.

gabbyganzel · Mar 23, 2016

I agree with almost everything you said about women and romance novels. I prefer novels that are thrillers or mysteries with a little romance thrown in (as long as the female character isn't whiny or totally inept). I don't like romance novels that are mostly an excuse to string together a bunch of erotic scenes. After two or three scenes, I find it totally boring.

Latina Bunny · Mar 23, 2016

Marian Perera said:
Same here. I'll put down any book where a grown woman trips over her own feet because she's so overcome by how hot a guy is.

I actually put down a couple of paranormal/urban fantasy-ish cozy mysteries because of this.

I understand people act differently sometimes when they're in love or lust. I get that.

But I'm pretty sure not every single person (especially girl/woman) gets their brain turned into mush just because their crush happens to be in the vicinity. Seriously. How do couples with jobs get anything done if they're always tripping their feet everywhere, lol?

Especially if it's jobs where they expect you to be professional or may involve other people's lives (like police jobs, etc).

Also, the characters that do get all blushy and stuff turn that stuff off when they need to actually focus on something important. (I assume people have an internal on/off switch for this kind of thing, lol.)

If the feel that the love interest is actually trying to distract them, then please don't let them do that, regardless of how horny you get. Or could we at least give more females a bit more willpower, please?

Because it's starting to feel like some of these kinds of books view women as some ditzy/air headed schoolgirls, regardless of age. Apparently, only men can focus on jobs and still be in control of their emotions and maybe even their own horniness (until they break down and cross the heroine's boundaries).

Marian Perera said:
Some stories take this a step further with the man deliberately invading the woman's space, ignoring her boundaries, and making personal comments that are supposed to be edgy/sexy but just come off as boring/unpleasant at best and abusive at worst.

This is all supposed to be sexual tension because the guy is so hot.

This was why I stopped reading m/f Romance genre novels for a long, long time. (And why I'm also wary of YA novels as well.)

That kind of shit is just a major, major turn-off for me.

I still read romances, but I'm really starting to get tired of this kind of thing. I actually started skimming Romance books for this kind of thing. It's really getting that bad for me, lol.

I have to read reviews, nowadays. I can't just pick up Romances willy-nilly (like I used to), anymore.

I've especially like it in books where the couple is already together, or are already married, and that really does help skip some of the obnoxious courtship stuff.

They're already together, so they have to focus on other things. They can still have a bit of romance, but there's none of that "sexual tension" and the guy is confident enough to not be trying to "win" her over, or whatever. The couple tend to be fine and let each other do their own thing.

(I don't mind conflict over their marriage, either. As long as the dude is not sleazy, arrogant, or controlling/abusive, and the woman can still have control over her own life.)

CL Polk said:
Yeah I write romance and I do not like writing a high-handed, arrogant jerk as a hero.

Actually in a historical i have planned, one man is a typical romance hero type, and the other one's respectful. the romance hero type is the bad guy.

That sounds cool.

Yeah, the romantic hero sometimes feel like a creep to me.

Well, my mama did say that my family is filled with strong-willed and opinionated women, and that we need men who are pretty cool with that, (if we women wanted to get boyfriends/husbands).

Apparently, many men don't like strong-willed and opinionated women.

I would like to see dudes who are pretty laid back and chill, like my dad (and some other male family members/family friends), lol.

Kerosene · Mar 23, 2016

I forgot to mention: Personal sexuality and/or knowledge pertaining to non-"normal" romance can certainly be a factor in this. Any type of experience can bring a level of certain criticism to your reading.

ElaineA · Mar 23, 2016

LJD said:
I wish all the alphahole billionaires would crash their private jets into their islands in the Caribbean.

LOL, I have never been able to understand the billionaire thing, like there's hundreds of young, hawt ones. It's like the overabundance of young, hawt dukes in regency. The billionaires in my neck of the woods are Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, and the dukes I know of, with the exception of William, are all closer to 70 than 30.

Marian Perera · Mar 23, 2016

ElaineA said:
It's like the overabundance of young, hawt dukes in regency.

Or historicals in general. I've burned out on dukes, earls, viscounts, etc. Especially the ones with several equally hot younger brothers, cousins and BFFs waiting in the wings for their turn.

Latina Bunny · Mar 23, 2016

Kerosene said:
I forgot to mention: Personal sexuality and/or knowledge pertaining to non-"normal" romance can certainly be a factor in this. Any type of experience can bring a level of certain criticism to your reading.

I think this is part of it. I am aware of non-"normal" romances, and even read some non-traditional stuff in the past, so that could be affecting my outlook on "traditional" m/f stuff...

I've also read a lot of slash fanfiction growing up. And some M/M Romances and LGBT YA. Obviously, the dynamics can be a bit different in those stories compared to m/f Romances, just a little bit, lol.

I think even being a Lesbian (feminist) also affects my outlook. Because I know that some women can be "strong", and others can even have what society considers "masculine" traits, etc. Hmm....

I still like some romantic m/f couples in non-romance stuff, though.

Like, I have loved Bones and Booth having romantic tension since the beginning of the tv series, for example, etc.

I still go "Awwww" at sweet romantic m/f stuff in various movies/tv shows/video games/non-Romance books, so I'm not anti-m/f romantic stuff or anything.

ETA: It does affect how I feel about sensual/erotic m/f stuff, though. Being LGBT, I obviously can't get into m/f erotic or sensual stuff, lol.

gabbyganzel said:
I agree with almost everything you said about women and romance novels. I prefer novels that are thrillers or mysteries with a little romance thrown in (as long as the female character isn't whiny or totally inept).

I'm loving cozy mysteries right now.

I'm finding more varied female characters, though I'm still finding that occasional stoic/tough male. (He's sometimes the policeman or detective, so that could be why he's portrayed as "tough".)

LJD said:
I wish all the alphahole billionaires would crash their private jets into their islands in the Caribbean.

However, romance is a vast genre, and I'm usually able to find what I like in it. And when I read tropes I don't like, I just spend my time trying to figure out how to make fun of it. Which would explain my 90k parody novel, I guess.

LOL @ that first statement! XD Yeah, I wish they could just go into an episode of LOST or something, hehe.

Romance is vast, but I think I can't get into that genre anymore (or, at least, m/f stuff). I still read an occasional Historical Romance or a sweet-ish Contemporary, but I think my tastes are changing a lot.

I just can't tolerate any more gender norms (gender roles? heteronormativity?) of this particular genre, I guess.

I do still enjoy romantic subplots in non-Romance stuff, though (as long as woman has control over her own life).

ElaineA said:
I've been reading more Rom-suspense and finding stronger, more focused F protags and less arrogant and more partner-oriented (in the crime solving/plot resolving sense, not sex "partner") M protags. I've also read more hot contemp with actual woman characters. I know you don't like blood and guts so the suspense isn't up your alley, but the content IS out there in the wild.

Yes, I'm finding this fact out as I branch out beyond Romances.

I've been trying out some cozy mysteries and General Fiction/Women's Fiction/Chicklit. I've really enjoyed the women doing their thing (and can multi-task with their romances with men, lol).

ElaineA said:
Again, this is out there, it's just not in the books/subgenres you're choosing, maybe?

I think so. I've been trying to branch out to other genres. I think getting out of genre Romance and YA for a little bit could help.

Though I'm still picky about even romantic subplots in non-Romances, lol.

ElaineA said:
I don't think it's weird, and I don't think there's anything wrong with being picky. I'm extremely picky (probably snobby). I stopped reading romance for more than 2 years because I was getting tired of the same story in different clothes every. single. book. I've pretty much given up on regencies unless it's one by an author I absolutely can't ignore, like Jo Bourne. There's nothing wrong with your reading evolving/changing and you expecting more from the storylines. Nothing wrong with that at all (IMO).

Thank you for the reassurance.

Kerosene said:
I want to point out: Just because someone is older, doesn't mean they have a ton of experience in love and will react differently. Yeah, some super strong reactions that they might have as teens (because of the hormone war waging in them) should be different. But just because they're adults don't mean they must have "adult" reactions. Being completely frozen in their seat by their crush talking to them, too childish. But blushing, that's normal (if for them).

For the most part I agree. The whole stoic male and flowery female routine is old, and I often fall out of stock-standard romances like that. But that's also the genre's main conventions. There are certainly stories that are different, and especially with the more open emergence of LGBTQ+/queer coming out nowadays.

I've never been able to connect with "weak" female characters, nor overly "strong" male characters. Perhaps that's why a majority of my MCs are "strong" female characters. My current WIP deals with two YA girls, one masculine (former child soldier raised by men) and one feminine (former princess) in similar roles, falling in love with one another.

I agree with everything you said here.

Oh, yes, I understand that older doesn't automatically = experience in love, and everyone does react differently.

It's just...it happens to much, ya know? I want more variety of reactions and variety of experienced people.

And it just happens to women/girls in Romance fiction a lot more often. The majority of dudes I've read don't seem to have this issue.

OOOOH, just thought of something!

Maybe it's also because I sometimes enjoy some male anime/manga/JRPG characters. Those Japanese male characters have more qualities I like in a male sometimes, lol. (This is probably due to Japanese culture, of course.) They can be sensitive, polite, awkward, adorkable, and/or sweet...

LJD · Mar 23, 2016

If you want to read an m/f romance in which the gender roles are reversed, there's Alisha Rai's A Gentleman in the Street. The heroine is the alpha billionaire...

under the moon · Mar 23, 2016

One thing I also get SO tired of is either the man or woman or both having piercing blue eyes or sea green eyes. Do you know how many people in the world have green eyes? Such a minority, I think. It's so unrealistic. But part of the fantasy, I guess.

A couple of time travel romances that went about things a little differently, for anyone who's interested: Beautiful Wreck and Transcendence. Beautiful Wreck had a unique and more feasible method (in my opinion) for going back in time and the male love interest wasn't some kind of swaggering jerk. Transcendence was extremely unusual with the majority of the narrative coming from the point of view of the male; barely any dialogue is spoken between him and the woman, and it's hilarious.

I haven't come across any same gender romances that have kept my attention, though. They seem to fall into the exact same ruts as heterosexual romances.

Latina Bunny · Mar 23, 2016

LJD said:
If you want to read an m/f romance in which the gender roles are reversed, there's Alisha Rai's A Gentleman in the Street. The heroine is the alpha billionaire...

It sounds interesting, but... is it erotic or explicit? I really can't get into erotic/explicit (at least, any more sensual than an Avon Historical Romance) m/f stuff. I'm more of a sweet romance/closed-doors kind of gal, when it comes to m/f and m/m, anyway.

LJD · Mar 23, 2016

bunny-gypsy said:
It sounds interesting, but... is it erotic or sensual? I really can't get into erotic/sensual (more than an Avon Historical Romance) m/f stuff. I'm more of a sweet romance/closed-doors kind of gal, when it comes to m/f and m/m, anyway.

Yes, it has a fairly high heat level.

Latina Bunny · Mar 23, 2016

LJD said:
Yes, it has a fairly high heat level.

Ah, my instincts about the cover was correct then, hehe.

That's unfortunate for me, of course.

I think that's one of the problems with m/f romance-y stuff (besides the gendered tropes and norms stuff). Because I don't like the sexy parts, I end up missing out on half or most of the content, lol.

edutton · Mar 23, 2016

CL Polk said:
Actually in a historical i have planned, one man is a typical romance hero type, and the other one's respectful. the romance hero type is the bad guy.

I'd read that!

amergina · Mar 23, 2016

bunny-gypsy said:
Ah, my instincts about the cover was correct then, hehe.

That's unfortunate for me, of course.

I think that's one of the problems with m/f romance-y stuff (besides the gendered tropes and norms stuff). Because I don't like the sexy parts, I end up missing out on half or most of the content, lol.

I wonder if that's also why you run up against the more... "traditional" (for lack of a better word) male/female dynamic in the romances you read? I've read a lot of m/f where the FMC is certainly a match for the MMC...he ain't saving her...more like the other way around sometimes... but they're also high heat romances.

There seems to be (at least IMO) a certain mindset (whether reader or publisher or some combo, I have no clue) that people who like lower heat also prefer more "traditional" gender roles...

edutton · Mar 23, 2016

Marian Perera said:
I haven't read any F/F so I'm afraid I can't recommend anything there.

I've read a few adult F/F romances... as with any genre they have their own tropes to deal with (mostly around FBI agents and/or power-suited female executives, based on my limited sampling of what's available on Kindle). I would probably read more Lynn Galli and Gerri Hill, although overall I've been finding I enjoy the YA offerings more.

Latina Bunny · Mar 23, 2016

amergina said:
I wonder if that's also why you run up against the more... "traditional" (for lack of a better word) male/female dynamic in the romances you read? I've read a lot of m/f where the FMC is certainly a match for the MMC...he ain't saving her...more like the other way around sometimes... but they're also high heat romances.

There seems to be (at least IMO) a certain mindset (whether reader or publisher or some combo, I have no clue) that people who like lower heat also prefer more "traditional" gender roles...

Could be.

Of course, I don't hate all of the traditional stuff. I somehow managed to enjoy some Historical Romances and some tame Harlequin contemporary stories. I like some chick lit / women's fiction which had some m/f romantic subplots and cozy mysteries with some minor romantic subplots.

Maybe I'm just burnt out from it all. Maybe my tolerance level has been exceeded (lol).

Oh, I can definitely believe that sweet stuff can definitely be traditional in gender roles and stuff. Some of that market is in the religious/inspirational/Christian section, so it's understandable.

Also, probably some readers may like the comfort of the traditional or conservative stuff. I'm a bit conservative in some ways, too, so I can understand that mentality.

(I obviously don't fully discard femininity/masculinity stuff. I consider myself Femme on the Femme/Butch lesbian spectrum, for example.)

I'm trying out cozy mysteries, and while a few of the gender tropes are there, they're not the kind to annoy me, and the female characters are fine and can focus on other things.

(I just had to put down only a couple of books out of the several I've read, so that's good!)

I just have to research more often. Take a break from m/f Romances or certain types of strong romantic subplots in general.

Anna_Hedley · Mar 23, 2016

Genre's definitely a factor with romances. The gender role stuff seems to crop up most commonly in historical romance (which is to be expected, I suppose) and, oddly, contemporary that's set in the real world (where I'd expect to find much less). I find it's much less pronounced in romances that are also another genre: scifi or fantasy or thrillers or whatever regardless of their heat level. Possibly because the focus is split between the main plot and the romance.

I also find that f/f suffers less from gender roles but, not, oddly m/m. Even though the characters are both men I fairly frequently DNF books because of squicky insinuations (that the more "feminine" partner must be a bottom because he is "feminine" and often very stereotypical to boot, for example). Despite that I still find a lot to read that suits my tastes and doesn't fall into unfortunate implications territory. I'm struggling to think of something to recommend you because everything I've enjoyed is fairly filthy, haha.

Viridian · Mar 23, 2016

I don't think you're weird, Bunny Gypsy. To be honest, the same thing stopped me from getting into romance a long time ago.

Gender roles make me incredibly uncomfortable and I don't like reading about them. No offense to anyone who likes soft women and tough alpha males. Everyone has their own personal preferences. I'm sure my personal favorites make some people uncomfortable, too. It's all good, and people should be able to read what they love.

Find authors you like and stick to them. I've noticed that lesbian romance tends to have the least sexist nonsense, if that helps.

There's good books out there, you just have to find them.

LJD · Mar 23, 2016

CL Polk said:
Actually in a historical i have planned, one man is a typical romance hero type, and the other one's respectful. the romance hero type is the bad guy.

I wrote a contemporary romance in which the alpha billionaire is the villain (the heroine's ex)

Is this weird? I love romantic subplots, but I'm also turned off by romantic subplots?

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