Vaginal Fantasy Book Club discussion

Is there a point of view that lends itself to romance novels?

Is the immediacy of first person more titillating, or does it's intrusion remind the reader of the differences between themselves and the POV characters? Does the flexibility of third person help convey plot and story, or does it separate the reader from empathizing with the heroine?

Are there ANY romance books in second person?!

Unless a book (romance or otherwise) is very well-written, I find first person to be distracting and distancing. With third person, I can put myself in the protagonist's place - or any other viewpoint.

That's similar to my problem. Every time this protagonist says something I want to shout, "That's dumb, I wouldn't do that!"

I'm still hoping to be proven wrong. Any recommendations would be fab.

I read tons of romance in many sub-genres and can't really think of any 1st person POVs that contradict my sweeping negative generalisations... that are worth reading from other perspectives. There are a few "great-POV-rubbish-book/plot/etc" but none that I'd rec to illustrate that this POV can work.

A huge percentage of PNR, romantic UF, and YA seem to be locked into that style. I find this more often than not leaves me in the head of some whiney 20-something adolescent who behaves counter-intuitively to not just how I would react, or how anyone in that age group I've ever met would react, but counter to common sense. The authors also sneak in enough 3rd person to leave me yelling "the reader knows this but the character doesn't! Why is s/he behaving like they know this?!" I, too, also find the 1st person POV limiting and distancing, since I don't usually want to be the character, regardless of genre and plot. These weaknesses are so prevalent (maybe I just have really bad book-luck?) that I've had to actively learn to dnf a book at <20% since joining VF.

Wait, actually I might have to take that back... Veronica's alt pick last year- Dearly, Departed - had multiple POVs so you were never bogged down by one perspective. The protag wasn't written to have be irritating to begin with, granted, but the jumping around to different character's POVs really worked. Why yes, characters who have different experiences have different views and different information to share that others are not privy to! Go read this!