I am not sure if it is my advancing age, the thousands of books I’ve read over the years, or just changes in my personal taste but my list of deal-breaking words and scenarios in new book blurbs has increased and now I find within the first few sentences of a book promo I can eliminate over 75% of romance books as potential reading material.
Personally, I’m inclined to blame being burned and let down by too many books with certain tropes and set-ups or just being burnt out on the ‘sassy’ cupcake shop owner heroines and the angry at the world emo men roaming romanceland. I also don’t want any more runaway brides (who go to home towns then fall back in love with first love boyfriend who is magically still there and waiting). If I see any secret babies I’m out without even asking further questions.
Just last week I was watching one of my favorite musicals (Hello, Dolly) and I was remarking that if it was a book I wouldn’t have picked it up because likely “Sassy matchmaker finds true love with grumpy business owner” wouldn’t appeal.
Which makes me pause. And wonder.
How many amazing books have I passed on because whoever wrote the blurb tried so hard to make the characters blend in and/or used catch phrases and words to describe it that my eyes glazed over and I moved on?
Here are a few of my favorite books that if I’d just read the blurb I would have definitely passed on.
Lord of Scoundrels
Tough-minded Jessica Trent’s sole intention is to free her nitwit brother from the destructive influence of Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain. She never expects to desire the arrogant, amoral cad. And when Dain’s reciprocal passion places them in a scandalously compromising, and public, position, Jessica is left with no choice but to seek satisfaction …
Neanderthal Seeks Human
There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn’t know how to knit.
Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination
Move over 007, a stunning, sexy-and decidedly female-new player has entered the world of international espionage. Her name is Olivia Joules (that’s “J.O.U.L.E.S. the unit of kinetic energy”) and she’s ready to take America by storm with charm, style, and her infamous Overactive Imagination.
With all three of these – had I read the blurbs today I would have thought “cheesy… PASS” and yet these are some of my all-time favorite books. Clearly, reviews and recommendations are a huge help these days for me in selecting reading material since a blurb can only tell us so much – and often comes across in a way that makes the book unappealing. Should authors and publishers re-think the formatting and style in which so many of them use that limited space on the back of the book (or description page on good reads/etc)? I think so. Mix it up, surprise me, and entice me!
Of course I will need you to be honest and not surprise me with time travelling virgin warriors from another planet when I think I’m getting a contemporary romance… but that is a whole ‘nother rant.
Now I’d love your feedback: What book(s) have you read despite a terrible blurb? When have you read something despite thinking “no way is this for me” and loved it?
This does make me wonder what great books I have turned away because the blurb alluded to a certain elements (like amnesia or time travel) that I dislike in plots. You mention Lord of Scoundrels, which I loved, but the blurb mentions the heroine helping her “nitwit” brother. I have a dislike for the whole “sacrificing something for the sake of your sibling, who doesn’t appreciate it” storyline. I probably wouldn’t have read it based on the blurb alone.
The Sweet Spot by Laura Drake surprised me because its blurb mentioned him “taking comfort where he could find it” when his marriage broke-up. Since this is a book about a couple reuniting that is normally a sentence that would scare me off. However I took someones advice and I read it anyway, ended up thoroughly engrossed.
oh amnesia and time travel are two of my “no thanks” items as well! I will have to check out the book you mentioned – sounds like a good one!
Wow, LoS is one of my favorites. but it does sound very fluffy just based on the blurb.
I was surprised when I went back and read the blurb how unappealing it sounds!
I second The Sweet Spot as a blurb that is unappealing in relation to the actual story. I loved it.
I don’t like the secret baby plot either. How could you really keep a baby secret now anyway with social media? And time travel always makes my head hurt when I think about it too much. LOL.
Nice post; I skip over books with vague or poorly worded blurbs
I tend to ignore book blurbs altogether and instead rely on reviews. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a blurb AFTER finishing a book and said, “wait… That’s not what was going on at all”. Sometimes (or maybe all the time) publishers try to tease up interest via what they consider to be attention grabbers and wind up misrepresenting their product.
YES!! I have read many a book where I’m waiting for something on the back cover to happen… and it is 2/3 in and really it was a spoiler!
Lol. Time traveling virgin warriors. My Man, Michael came way out of left field. I love Lori Foster books but that book steered way too far from the series.
I love that you knew precisely what book I meant.
I have probably passed on 100s because of the book blurb but I am finding that the blurb has more spoilers than the reviews. Authors and publishers do not want reviewers adding ‘spoilers’ to their reviews yet the blurbs tend to give away many secrets and spoilers.
YES! I have gone to a blurb to pull an intro for a review- only to find it is too revealing and I don’t want that much info in my review.
I would actually like to read a time traveling virgin warrior book. Does this exist? Please say yes. I don’t like the blurb for “Neanderthal Seeks Human”, so I haven’t read it. Maybe I’ll give it a shot.
My Man Michael by Lori Foster is the book I referred to. Virgin warrior woman (who time travels) is heroine. MMA fighter who is busted beyond repair (unless he does travel in time/space, breed with the ladies of heroine’s world to strengthen their race, etc) is Michael. Let’s just say all this is revealed in first maybe second chapter and I quit.
If you want light + silly + funny + delightful contemporary then NSH is a great choice!
I definitely use blurbs to screen books. I use key words to stay away from tropes and character types I don’t enjoy and visa versa. I don’t know of any fool-proof method to “find” the right books or to not miss-out on good books. But if you discover one, please share!
I did read about 160 romance books in one recent year. Now I find so many books seem to share the same basic plot and characters (rogue athlete/publicist to clean up his image, competing lawyers on opposite sides of an issue, billionaire-who magically rarely has to work-and ingenue/assistant, and lots of small town/reunion type stories, etc., etc.).
I can imagine the burn out you bloggers feel (as well as agents and editors who have to slog through so much of the same). I know when I read a few books outside the romance genre, I’m more excited to pick up a new romance again.
I love UF and mystery and even find mixing up romance genre helps too – you’re right!
There are so many potential stories out there the ‘same old thing’ really is annoying. If I hear athlete/richman/bossemployeeromance/secretbaby/reunitedsmalltown… well I’m out.
Or should I be?? If I find the right balance/mix I’ll let you know!
I don’t know if I would call them “terrible” blurbs but I’ve learned to spot NA from the words used in the blurbs. If there’s a “tortured hero with a big dark secret that’s blacker than black” or a “misunderstood girl who cuts off all the feels” my reaction is to run the other way because HELL NO TO NA. Despite that, I have found a few gems by shoving down the urge to flee.
Oh, and “a girl with a terrible secret that happened one night.” Any variation of that usually means sexual assault/rape. I am in no way trivializing rape but can we please get some creativity up in here? Why does her deep dark secret always have to be rape? Why can’t it be a fetish for blue raspberry flavored pop rocks?
I get what you mean- totally.
Also: please find me this blue raspberry pop rocks loving heroine. She sounds like someone I’d like to spend time with.
I find blurbs and covers to be very interesting marketing tools. I imagine that a good blurb and cover direct the right reader to the right book. For example reader A is looking for a regency romance. The first port of call is the cover. Female (occasionally accompanied by a male), in period clothing, with a slightly painted isn’t-this-picturesque feel. The title or author tend to be placed in a ribbon of colour that sets it apart from the background.
The blurb tends to be slightly longer than a historical or general romance blurb. It will often say it is a regency romance and be deep with characterisation on the H and h.
While the blurb and cover pigeon hole the book, it is ultimately trying to drive the ‘right’ reader (aka a reader in the mood for regency) to the book. The book than needs to be in harmony with the blurb and the cover for the reader to come out an feel satisfied that the product they consumed was the one ‘advertised’ to them.
Bad blurbs and covers, for me, are when they don’t work in harmony with the book. When they misrepresent the content or the flavour of what is contained within. That feels like false advertising to me.
I also think blurbs have the problem of being inherently ‘soulless’. For published authors they are very rarely written by the author themselves. They are written by someone in the marketing/ editing department. Blurbs are also limited by word count and therefore decisions about what is ‘necessary’ begin to be made. You’re not going to write a flowing poetic piece for a blurb because it will take up too much of the word count. They’re formulaic and never as much fun as the book itself is.
I ultimately use the blurb as one part of a bigger whole in making my book buying decisions. The cover also plays a part. 3-star reviews play a part. Once upon a time author recommendations (the recommendations that you find on the actual books themselves) held some sway, but I learnt quickly that was a rocky road for which I was never the winner.
I’ve stopped reading blurbs and depend entirely on reviews. I hate sassy, can’t abide secret babies, meddling seniors give me the creeps and deep dark secrets give me a headache. It’s simpler to depend upon trusted reviewers to filter all the dross and lead me to the gold. Some have similar tastes to me; others hate what I love. It’s always better with the human touch, though.
Maybe the authors concentrate so hard on making a first impression on the blurbs that they end up ruining it. I just read whatever you Smexy ladies tell me is good and my life is stress free :)