Each month, Sophia from Fiction Vixen and I put out a monthly newsletter called, How Many Licks (how many licks does it take to get to the center of a romance hero – or any other way you want to use “lick” and “romance hero” in a sentence) This month, we talked about tropes we are seeking out in 2015 – and in case you don’t subscribe to our newsletter, I thought I’d post it here for further discussion.
If you would like to subscribe, go here. We do a different topic or highlight a different author each month. And we always have a giveaway. And possible licking.
Mature New Adult Protagonists. Is that an oxymoron? “Mature New Adult?” A new adult character is someone just starting off in life. Whether in college or just having graduated college, they are trying to figure things out on their own. I think New Adult is a genre that can really pull on your heartstrings. Many times in these books, the characters come from dark, troubled pasts. They are living independently with not a lot of support from the parental units. It can be interesting to explore but it can also make me feel old. I’m almost 37. I don’t want to feel like I’m someone’s mother when I read a romance book. I don’t want to feel old when a hero or heroine goes to a party or gets in a fight with the one they love. I want to be able to relate. This is doable as our recommendations show below. We like vulnerable characters, but we like them mature too.
Recommends: The Ivy Years series by Sarina Bowen
The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan
Off Campus by Amy Jo Cousins
More Julie James Heroes and Heroines. We don’t know how else to describe this hero or heroine so I’m referring to all Julie James characters. Smart. Professional. Good at flirting. Good in bed (what?) Good banter. We like this. Mandi just read Party Lines by Emma Barry (out January 12 from Carina Press) and her hero and heroine fits this category. He/she is charming and funny and serious and sexy. He/she can hold a conversation. He can be a gentleman.She can be kind and patient. He/she can be a beast in bed. We want more of this. Victoria Dahl and Anne Calhoun are others that come to mind when we think of this type of hero and heroine.
Recommends: Girls Night Out series by Victoria Dahl
Uncommon series by Anne Calhoun
Anything by Ruthie Knox. Take your pick
Heroes that have served time. Yes, served time in prison. Mandi finds this dynamic so interesting. A hero is supposed to be..well, heroic and these guys have done something that have landed them in jail. That isn’t heroic! But their story to how they got to prison is fascinating. And even more so – their story on how they get out. How they find love. Why the heroine falls in love with him. Will he be redeemed? Not just in the immediate present but in 20 years will he still be out of jail? I find this so interesting. Sometimes they fall in love while still in prison. Sometimes the heroines are very innocent. Oh. Yes. We need more of this.
Recommends: Prisoner by Annika Martin and Skye Warren
Hard Times by Cara McKenna
Balanced Romantic Suspense. Mandi loves a really well done suspense book. The kind where the villain is so creepy that it makes the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The kind where you can’t guess how it will all turn out. But – and this is a big but – the romance can’t be forgotten. I’m sure this is hard for a suspense writer because if the hero and heroine are jumping into bed and having a grand time while her or his life is in danger, I don’t find it believable. But if they never get together because of the bad guys, I get mad. There is a very fine line the authors have to walk, and I know I’m picky but I do have authors that can do this well. I’ll definitely be searching for this in 2015.
Recommends: The Associates series by Carolyn Crane
Blood Money series by Edie Harris
Historicals. Hello? Historicals, are you out there? In my head I feel like I read a lot of historicals but when I look back on what I have read recently, historicals are truly missing. I’m not sure why this is…maybe just a natural downswing of one genre of romance? Even Elizabeth Hoyt, one of my favorite historical romance writers has a contemporary romance coming out soon. But then I read a Rose Lerner or a Courtney Milan or a Kristen Callihan and remember why I love this genre so much. I look forward to some new historical voices in 2015.
Recommends: The Lover’s Knot by Erin Satie
Anything by Rose Lerner. Take your pick.
Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan
Spymaster series by Joanna Bourne
Fantasy. Mandi is on a big fantasy kick. I’m currently listening to The Curse of Chalion by Lois Bujold and loving. I’m also getting a big itch to reread The Tairen Soul series by CL Wilson. I love fantasy, but I haven’t really read a ton of it, so I have a lot to catch up on. But I’m keeping an eye out for new fantasy books coming my way in 2015. I’m ready for long, sweeping books that take me away.
Recommends: Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier
Master of Crows by Grace Draven
Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughn
Not new fantasy, but if you’re enjoying the Lois Bujold (this series is great as is her Sharing Knife series), you’ll probably enjoy Sharon Shinn’s 12 Houses books: http://www.sharonshinn.net/HTML/twelvehouse.html
Good world-building and romance.
Thanks! I have not read this :)
Second this one, Mandi. Shinn has written a lot of fantasy/SF romance and she’s fantastic. The Twelve Houses series is one of her best.
I think you have pinpointed one of the reasons readers, at least me, sometimes have issues with New Adult. I don’t want the characters to sound much older than their age but on the other hand I lose interest quickly if I can not relate to characters or I find their behavior immature. As you said, the last thing I want to feel in a book with characters I want to get there smexying on is motherly.
I can’t handle immature characters, no matter how old they are
Interesting comment on NA! I have the same problem with NA, and YA. I do really enjoy them—when I enjoy them. But if I enter into the book feeling like the characters’ mother, I cannot. I fuss about their wellbeing, I don’t want to know the exact details of their sex lives, I feel worried for their future health and happiness, etc. etc. Not what I want in my reading experience.
Whereas if I enter into the book as myself, it’s entirely different. Sarina Bowen and Tammara Webber have done a great job in allowing me that and I love their books. But I can’t really say why it happens to me sometimes—that I’m relating to the characters as myself—and not other times, where I feel like someone’s mother. Part of it simply seems to be reader-author chemistry.
I’d love more fantasy romance/romantic fantasy to be out there…
I enjoy Tammara Webber as well!
I would add Sherry Thomas and Grace Burrowes to the historicals list.
I do love Sherry Thomas….and Jennifer Ashley and Elizabeth Hoyt.
And Lisa Kleypas.
Okay, so there is more than I originally thought ;)
I would love to see more heroes like Mal from Play.
More NA like Deeper by Robin York would work for me. I loved the heroines voice and the friendships.
It does take me out of the story when I’m reading NA and I start to worry they are going to be fired (usually should be) or have alcohol poisoning.
I’d like more blue collar jobs. Also varied jobs in law or military. Seen discussion on this and some of the positions beyond seal or agent sound interesting.
Yes, with historicals. I’m determined to read more Laura Kinsale and re read some Penelope Williamson. Can. Not. Wait. Until Oct for the new Kleypas. Now off to finally read Master of Crows.
I still need to read Deeper – I keep forgetting!
Would LOVE more blue collar (like real blue collar, not the the person OWNS the diner they work in..but is just…a worker)
Military romance too.
Dying for the new Kleypas!!
When is Draven going to come out with the sequel to Master of Crows?
I don’t know – I’ll have to tweet her and ask her….
I think you would enjoy Theresa Romain Mandi, I recently read one with a virgin hero. They are sure different from the mainstream historical romances.
Sheena just read her latest and loved. I’ll have to check her out. Plus – virgin hero. My favorite :)
I’ve enjoyed a number of NA’s this past year, The Hook Up and The Ivy Years being at the top of the list. I also loved Losing Control by Jen Frederick.
I completely agree with everyone here about what makes a good NA for those of us who are no longer in that category ourselves. :-)
What drew me to these particular books was that the characters were thrown into circumstances beyond their control, their only option being to mature and deal or fall apart and make bad choices. These stories were so good that I could easily picture myself in the situations. The writing so believable that I actually felt the heartache, disappointment, frustration, and love the characters experienced.
I’ve been wanting to try Jen Frederick. Need to get on that.
And yes, the writing in Ivy Years or The Hook up is so genuine. It made me feel THINGS. :)
Prison Heroes and fantasy are my thing these days. Historicals are my ole faithfuls! Oh and Jaysus I love a good Highlander!
I’m forever and always looking for more Julie James books. Especially JJ heroines. A lot of contemporary romance heroines are down on their luck and at a low point in their life until the hero comes along which is fine but after reading so many books like that, it rubs me the wrong way. Also, why isn’t everyone all over prison heroes?! Hard Times *swoon*. I just read The Winter King and it was an epic fantasy AND romance galore. It’s nothing like Outlander but it’s similar in the sense that it’s loooong and the fantasy elements and romance elements are balanced. For romantic suspense, I liked Fallen by Leslie Tentler. DIVORCED COUPLE! Magic words for me.
For good historical romance: How the Marquess Was Won if you haven’t read it yet!
-My Lady, My Lord by Katherine Ashe. The hero and heroine switch bodies! Very Freaky Friday.
-The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane by Elizabeth Boyle is a really fun one. Recluse hero and the heroine just barges into his life.
-Nearly a Lady by Alissa Johnson is one of my all time favorite ones, also fun and delightful. The best thing about it is that the hero and heroine talk their problems out (how shocking).
-The Unexpected Duchess by Valerie Bowman is another reallllly delightful read.
-Grace Burrowes has a bunch and they could be either a really BIG HIT or a miss for me.
-As for my all time favorite, Julie Anne Long. How the Marquess Was Won, It Happened One Midnight, Between the Devil and Ian Eversea, Like No Other Lover… her Pennyroyal Green series is so rich and just constantly amazing. Ok enough historical romance XD
Thank you for those historical recs!! I have not read any of them!
And the divorced RS – going to grab that now. I like those words :)
I second that request for more heroines/heroes like Julie James’ and ask that it bleeds over into the paranormal romance genre. I’m tired of all the uber alpha heros who run roughshod over the heroines inexperienced heroines.