Comments on: Smokinhotbooks Turn-Offs

By: Julia Rachel Barrett

Julia Rachel Barrett — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:51:40 +0000

Turn offs…”I love you but I can’t tell you but I love you but I can’t tell you but I love you but I can’t tell you but I love you but I can’t tell you and I don’t think you love me…do you love me? I’ll never ask…I’ll just run off and put myself in terrible danger rather than find out.” I lose hair over this nauseating scenario.
I detest whiny, helpless heroines, ridiculously macho heroes and dialogue that consists of quips.
Although I’ve written a Cougar story, I went with the minimum age difference the publisher allowed – I’m just not into granny messing with the eighteen year old next door. I did once date a guy five years younger than me. He was very mature!

By: Mary Anne Graham

Mary Anne Graham — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:09:05 +0000

I need to see the couple meet, greet and make it sweet. I hate it when the hero/heroine are married at the beginning of the book. I’d never buy one of those on purpose, so if I end up with one, it’s because I got tricked by a blurb/sample that read like a courtship novel.

I might get fooled once, but I probably won’t read that author again!!

By: Kc

Kc — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 02:03:48 +0000

@mamakitty wimpy heroines make me want to take a dirt nap

By: Mama Kitty

Mama Kitty — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 02:53:30 +0000

Much like you, I can’t hack May/December romances. A few years is ok, but if the woman is 10+ years older than the man, I can’t do it…. even though FH is 11 years older than me. Hypocritical of me? Maybe. But I have a younger brother who’s 11 years younger than I am and I guess I relate older women & younger men to me dating someone my brother’s age. And that just gives me the heebie jeebies.

I do like the mobster themes, but I haven’t seen many that are well done in books, so I’ll just stick with The Sopranos for now (FH and I watch it together every weekend when they replay the Lite version on A&E), LOL. And as for the BDSM themes… well, I can hang with those, but they’re not my normal cuppa. I have to be in a mood for those.

OH! The I love you, I hate you, no wait I love you books? HATE. Either you love them or you hate them. Grownups talk. They don’t act like complete morons, bone each other, and convince themselves that they really do hate the other person or they’re going to get over them by hooking up. Yeah right. Once you get a taste, you want MORE.

What REALLY bothers me is when females are whiny, snivelling, and stupid. I hate weak women. If it’s a weak woman who finds her strength, I can hang (provided she’s not a total moron to begin with) but if she’s a total Mary Sue Dumbass, I’ll put the book down and walk away. And I NEVER do that.

By: Tanya (Among The Muses)

Tanya (Among The Muses) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:25:00 +0000

Oooh – What a great post — and graphic!
I haven’t read any mob-type books yet, so I don’t think I should comment on them. As for the BSDM — it definitely doesn’t bother me – if it’s written well. For example – The Reluctant Dom made me want to rip my heart out and never read anything erotic again. And there were a couple of other books that made me think, ‘Eeewww.’ However, Shayla Black’s Wicked Ties I thought was rather yummy!

With the cougar thing, I think it depends on just how old the characters are to begin with, and the context of the story.

The last one you mentioned is very true for me as well — and it seems like this is happening more and more! I just finished a book where the heroine and hero had trust issues up until the last couple of chapters.

My absolute BIGGEST pet peeve is whimpy heroines! I don’t mean shy, or nervous, or unsure. I mean the ones that either play over-the-top naive or spineless. I’m not sure if they’ve seen a newspaper lately, but it’s the 21st century! The don’t have to be aggressive, or dominant, or even fail to show weakness, but just not always cowering down.

Great post topic!