Romance Novels

*this is about my guity pleasures that are romance novels. Be warned; there is a purpose but there will be mention of said books*.

So I have a guilty pleasure. Actually I have a lot. The Spice Girls, musicals, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the last one to the point where I could probably teach a class on it.

But once of my big ones is romance novels. I like romance novels. Not so much with the trashy ones (you know which ones are trashy. Like the dime cent ones, the ones you can buy at the dollar store. Yeah those). But there are a few I do enjoy reading. I started reading when I was in middle school until my Dad put a stop to it for a few years until I was a little more grown up and I didn't read them at all for those few years (cough cough: eyes averted). One of my favorite authors of all time is Johanna Lindsey.

The series I read the most about her is the Malory one but there are a few other "series" and stand alones I like. One is called Surrender My Love (don't judge me!) which I love. Sure there's a somewhat underlying theme of Stockholm Syndrome not as bad as in others but I like it. Awhile back I picked up the first book in the series Fires of Winter and I just recently started to read it as I am on my tangible book kick.

And I had to put it down and return it because I will never read the book. I was reading it going..."Was there this much rape the first time I read the book? Because I don't really remember it being that bad". Now it is true that this could have been a subconscious thing and I did notice it then and that's the reason why I haven't picked up the book in years like at least 15. But it's unnerving how some of the sex scenes are in there. If you can handle them those scenes are about fantasy and enjoying it not being forced like forced forced not even seduced. And now I am bit worried about reading the second one in the series to see if it is the same because in the third one there is no forcing of sexual favors upon the heroine.

But it got me to seriously thinking. Lindsey's first book was Captive Bride which I read...ONCE. Because I didn't like the hero. I did not like the kidnapping, sex slave, forcing to bend to will thing. Not my cup of tea. I like my heros to be like heros not assholes. It's one of the reasons I don't like the Anita Blake series and I cannot seem to enjoy Tristan from the Kin Harrison series. The love interests are jack asses. In the first Anita book Jean-Claude her love interest blackmails her into helping him. Oh yes that inspires me to want to jump in bed with you sure. /rolls eyes

Anyways getting back to my original train of thought (sorry for getting derailed) it seems that romance novels from the 70's to the mid 80's were a time when women couldn't seem to enjoy sex so the romance novels had to add some type of forced scene in order for them to enjoy it. And it's more than a little unnerving because thinking back on (just taking Lindsey as the example I know more about since she's my fave) it's true. I had to tell a few of my friends today that with the exception of the Malorys and her later novels (like 85 on) I may have to pass on earlier books of hers I haven't read because if it is like that than no thank you. And it is interesting to see the change in romance novels from that time period to now where the heroines were taken in more ways then one. I suppose it is just a sad view of what society was like then but it is promising in that now it is now that way and that romance novels and chick lit (because yes they are different) are some of the best selling novels out there and the women in there are strong.

I am not sure where I was going with this. It could have been an exercise in trying to use my brain and write something analytical like I did back in college without getting graded for it and it needing to be perfect grammar wise. I just hope that in 100 years that people do not base women's writing just on the novels written in the 1970's but instead encompass it all and study it as an evolution because that truly what it is.