Saturday, February 13, 2010

Ladle It On!


You know the romance is gone when your sweetheart asks you to postpone vacuuming so he can clip his toenails first. Eeyew!

I’m not a big romance reader. I had a brief affair with “bodice rippers” in the late 70s/early 80s, when my days were spent diapering and wiping slobber, but that can be understood, right? I kind of wanted a hero to come and drag me off to his love nest. But as a rule, I don’t read romances. I wish I could write them, as they’re the biggest market share of novels being published these days. But I just can’t write those scenes. I’m afraid my eye-rolling would be evident in the writing.

Just read a book called “The Beach House” by Mary Alice Monroe (Jackie Swanson, thank you so much for sending it to me!). Various plot lines ran through it, including a romance. That’s the kind of romance I like. The hero wasn’t a brooding, misunderstood man, the heroine wasn’t the most beautiful girl in the world, and the romance wasn’t central to the plot. Actually, the romance was a little too understated even for me—at one point she’s throwing herself at him, and then the story skips over weeks when they spend time together, and doesn’t mention anything about the relationship. Hello, isn’t the main character even wondering why he thwarted her moves? And what’s she doing, throwing herself at him like that? Have some dignity, girl!

What’s your romance meter? Ladle it on like marinara on meatballs? A little splash, like white wine in a lemon-butter sauce? (Why do my analogies involve food, hmm?) Let me know your thoughts. Name names (titles, authors) if you wish. And by the way, my sweetheart brought home a dozen roses last night, so I guess I’ll forgive the toenail thing. Again.

4 comments:

  1. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It's a romance based on Hosea from the Bible: basically both a man and God woo a prostitute into a life of monogamy. But the voice of God is so powerful in the book that it brings me to tears every time I read it. It's so personal, so intimate, so raw. I recommend whole heartedly.

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  2. Romance novels are like a good movie - and not necessarily a chick flick - it's entertainment!

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  3. Well, I'm a romance novel junkie. I especially love the historical ones set in Scotland or Ireland. Not sure why, but there's just something dreamy about those old castles (I'll admit though that the thought of actually living during that time period is really unappealing!). I read almost purely for escape and entertainment - so the romances (or "throbbers" as I like to call them) are often the book for me.

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  4. I like to travel to a happy place when I read. Usually I'm ready to "get away" ! There are only 2 things that can "Calgon Take Me Away" a good movie and a good book. But - they need to be happy !

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