Romance Audiobooks discussion

Ilona Andrews has posted about Romances on TheOddShots.com Blog she shares with Nalini Singh, Jill Myles, Meljean Brook, and Patrice Michelle.

It's pretty funny but you better be ready to duck because Ilona is just looking for someone to be slapped!

http://www.theoddshots.com/2011/02/ro...

She nailed things perfectly. I grew up on the Woodiwiss, Rogers, Lindsey, Small, Fern Michaels (pirates) etc. I think the sameness/tameness of the stories is what has lead me away from most contemp & historical romances. I hate the PCness of todays world. If you don't like something or it offends you just ignore it/turn it off/don't buy it. Just because you have problems with something doesn't mean other people shouldn't be allowed to enjoy it. Ok, stepping down from soapbox. :)

I guess we're reading different books. I haven't been bored by a PC plot in a while - maybe by a boring author. I'm on book 2 in the Pink Carnation series, and if you are looking for adventure, come on in, the water's fine! The couple of Lindsey's I read were, well, sorry, unreadable. I think I DNFed them both.

Yes, I'm all for people reading whatever (read Pink Carnation, read Pink Carnation) they like, and I'm amused at those who think when a heroine slaps a hero that it's domestic violence and should be banned. There's lots of adventure in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters, in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (ok, except for that one long day), in Marsha Canham's every book (well, they are all sort of older).

I'm just saying, I am not beset by hundreds of books that are too PC and/or historically accurate to be fun, so I don't feel as she does that there aren't enough romances with adventures "on the shelves".

edited to add, really, read the pink carnation books - at least the first one! LOL!

I get what she's saying and I pretty much agree with her. Though I haven't been reading as much as I used to so I'm not as familiar with current writers as I should be.

If you want a "gritty" Romance with life and death struggles or rough and tumble characters, I think you'd have to look in Romantic Suspense, Urban Fantasy, or Paranormal Romance. I don't think you'll find it in straight Historical or Contemporary Romance.

I avoided the "historical novels" that began today's Romance genre (didn't like the sleeping around), but I did read Woodiwiss, early Karen Robards and Katherine Sutcliffe, and Jennifer Horsman. Those had a larger than life, high adventure thing going on that I don't think we really see anymore.

Jennifer Blake was one of my favorites from that era and some of her books are being reissued. I don't know if it's just my pessimism showing as it often does or what but I fully expect the reissues to be panned by reviewers who are holding them to modern standards of behavior. I'd love to be wrong, but like I said - sadly pessimistic.

I remember reading Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught, and Johanna Lindsey as a teen and during college and those were my favorites. I did burn out on them after reading them over and over and they did start feeling like the same stories. Which is why the genre grew and changed. But some of the historicals I've read in the last few years just can't really hold up to some of those that I remember loving early on. So, when I really crave those early books I pull out my original paperback copy and do a re-read. I think I re-read most of my pb's for Garwood, Woodiwiss and McNaught last year.

I also LOVED Anita Mills series with Lady Of Fire, Fire and Steel, The Fire and the Fury and Hearts of Fire.

I just loved reading that blog entry because I was laughing my butt off. Oh, and I LOVED that she had as one of her graphics. That was one of my favorite Mallory books! I was disappointed in the audio but will listen to it anyway some times. (Trying to get the stockholm affect going on that one!)

Oh, I HAVE found books that I totally love. It's just that for so long it seemed like everything was the same and I got bored with most of what was available so my reading tastes changed. I will definitely be listening to the Pink Carnation as soon as I finish All Clear. :)

I love the TheOddShots.com blog. They can be so funny or thought provoking.

I have yet to read Meljean Brook, but if even a bit of the humor she blogs with comes out in her books they would be awesome.

The husband and wife Andrews writing team is always a riot, it must be fun to live at their house!

How is All Clear? The Connie Willis book? That's number two, with Blackout being the first? They sound fascinating, and she's a great writer, but is there enough luuurve?

I listened to Blackout and then read All Clear. I really liked them, but the romance aspect is practically non-existent. I love WWII era books and time travel so these books did it for me, but I would have appreciated more romance in them.

I enjoyed both Blackout and All Clear. I for sure didn't see what happens at the end coming. As far as romance, it's next to non-existent as Christina said. The time travel and WWII storyline was enough for me.

No, I wouldn't have expected romance from BLACKOUT and ALL CLEAR. I have a weakness for WWII as well, and CW is supposed to be an outstanding writer.

Krissie, As long as you don't mind the lack of romance I highly recommend both of the books. Just be aware that Blackout ends kind of abruptly so you should have All Clear ready to go as soon as you finish Blackout. :)

You know, a little romance, just a touch, improves everything IMHO. Nevertheless, this sounds like too fascinating a premise to miss.