Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group discussion

I was curious about this.

I've noticed that long-time romance readers tend to get a little more jaundiced about romance reading. I am not trying to be judgmental when I say that. It's just an observation of mine, having been a part of various romance novel reading communities for several years, and a reader of romance for over twenty years (25 to be exact). Do you think your tastes have changed? How so? There is no wrong or right answer. Please do not be upset if someone has the opposite opinion to yours. It doesn't mean they are more right or you're wrong. I'd like to know what you think.

My reading taste has changed over the 20 plus years that I have been reading. I use to be a true hard historical reader, but that changed so many years ago. I'll read historical books right now, but I have to admit, I like "my time" books and that's why Ill dive into a good catcher contemporary book.

Maybe it's just me that notice this, but a of older books are better than the present books. The book was filled with love and a great story.

I have some books that came out in the 90's or little later and they are good. The only thing that make their year show is things that they use, other than that, to me, a person couldn't tell, especially if there was a new cover on the book and a person didn't know about the first release.

Example: All The Queen's Men. The book came out in 1999, but in my opinion, it doesn't read like it came out 11 years ago.

I cut my teeth on those old school Harlequin romance novels, but I now find that I need my heros to be flawed, my heroines realisitc (and hopefully smart) and some semblance of believability to the plot. Also, I'm much more willing to break out of my comfort zone and try new genres of books. I've enjoyed books by Anne Rice, Tom Clancy, Piers Anthony, Johanna Lindsey, Mary Balogh, Stephenie Meyer and Stephen King.

You never know when you will stumble across a great story in a genre you never considered before.

My tastes have changed in that I have added Paranormal romances to my list of favorite genres. Up til about 5 yrs ago ( give or take a few yrs) You couldn't have paid me to read about Vampires, and Werewolves and Werecats and other non-human intities. I just couldn't believe the words Vampire and romance went together LOL!. I haven't dropped any favorites.

My tastes have changed in some ways, and not much in others.

How they have not changed:

*I still like old-fashioned love stories where the love bond is the focus and the sensuality arises out of that love connection.
*Most of my favorite themes have stayed consistent over the years.
*I still love a strong, compelling story that's dark, intense, and angsty.
*I still love Harlequin/Silhouette books (maybe not all the lines, but there are some lines I'll read until I die).
*Historical romance is still one of my favorite romance novel genres. Always will be.

How they have changed:
*More and more I like flawed heroes and heroines. I like to see the outcasts win the day and find love.
*I'll take more of a risk on edgy themes than I used to. Although I still avoid adultery and love triangle themes.
*I love paranormal romance now. Like Debbie, I was very resistant to paranormal at one time, even though my sister has loved paranormal for many years.
*I'm not as fond of young, very naive heroines paired with older, patriarchal heroes (okay, I know you're thinking, why you love Diana Palmer? Well, she writes a really good love story, so I can overlook the older man/younger woman theme). I prefer an older heroine (even if she's inexperienced sexually) who's independent and has her own mind. I don't like the heroine to be dependent on the hero. I guess it didn't bother me back in the day, because that was the norm.
*I don't care as much for the raping heroes. I used to read this when I was younger. I still like forced seduction, but I don't care for out and out rape in romances. I read some of the older books and I kind of wince at what was the norm, that the industry has moved away from. Although, at the same time, I will defend bodice rippers, because they were significant for their time.
*I will read more new to me authors than I used to. I mainly stuck to a short list of tried and true authors. I'm so glad I widened my horizons.
*I hardly ever read mainstream contemporary. I used to read a fair amount in the 90s. Now, most of it doesn't really float my boat, other than the interracial-themed ones.

My list of favorite authors have changed over the years because some of those favorite authors have changed their writing style and I just can't get into them anymore. I used to love Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, and Cassie Edwards, but they've changed over the years and I just can't get into them anymore.

Debbie wrote: "My list of favorite authors have changed over the years because some of those favorite authors have changed their writing style and I just can't get into them anymore. I used to love Nora Roberts, ..."

Ditto on outgrowing your favorite authors... It makes me so sad, but I've left plenty of them behind. Maybe it's not them, it's me :{

I have let go of a few authors, such as Catherine Coulter and Brenda Joyce.

I wanted to add that for me, there is always an exception to the rule. If an author can do a great job with a disliked theme or plot element, I can still love a book.

My tastes are like Arch said,if a book written many yrs ago still sounds like right now it is one of my keepers.I think Brockmans are in that same class too,one of the reasons we all seem to like her maybe.
I have never been able to figure out tho why I`ve never liked HR,my Mom and Gram had plenty of those to sneak(I was awful,they finally gave up and just let me go)as well as contemps.Maybe it was cause I would read my Dads Crime mags and Mystery/Crime still ties with Rom. Suspense for #1 for me.

Kathy Anne, John Medina seemed like a today's man. Which, he's still a today's man. I've read All The Queen's Men last year, after it has been out for 10 years.

John is my baby.

I'm a big fan of bodice rippers but I have found that some of the more extreme bodice rippers don't thrill me as much as they once did. I've never been a fan of cheating, adulterous plot lines but some of the "forced" seduction scenes and abusive heroes have less appeal for me. A couple of Johanna Lindsey's and Catherine Coulter's that I once really liked are not so great now.

Me too, Pamela. There are some extreme bodice rippers I avoid like the plague. An abusive hero is not my fave. It depends on the execution what I consider abusive, though. Catherine Coulter's books tended to make me wince, although I have a few of hers that I consider keepers.

Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Me too, Pamela. There are some extreme bodice rippers I avoid like the plague. An abusive hero is not my fave. It depends on the execution what I consider abusive, though. Catherine Coulter's boo..."

I stopped reading for a few years and when I started again I found several Catherine Coulter's that I know I had read before but I reread them and thought "how could I like this?". Many of them had heroes than were more than just abusive. He would humiliate and demean the heroine and she would take it. I guess that bothered me even more. The "doormat" heroine. I prefer the heroine to have a little backbone. I don't mind shy and quiet but I don't want doormat.

You know...I don't think that my tastes have really changed that much. I mean, I've added new things, but the core (romance) hasn't changed much. When I was younger, I was a fan of romance, mystery/suspense, and paranormal. This is still true today. As I got older, fantasy and sci-fi got added to the list, and recently steampunk. I think my tastes have just expanded. At heart, I'm still a true-blue romance fan.

I guess there is one thing that has definitely changed. When I was younger, I was a fan of the old school bodice rippers (and I do still like some) and the Native American male/white female romances (like the types written by Cassie Edwards) and I'm not really into that anymore. I always had an issue with it, but, as an adult woman, those heroes who were borderline abusive or outright rapists have no appeal whatsoever. As for the latter, I think I just lost interest. Maybe I overloaded myself with too much Cassie Edwards back in the day. LOL.

Harper, I can't bring myself to read a straight-up NA romance anymore. I think I read way too many growing up. And I had a class about NA cultures, and now I just get depressed thinking about how many of those cultures are more or less extinct. I still love a hero who is NA and living in the western society (or if the heroine is part NA).

Ahhhh Cassie Edwards and Bertrice Small...

those were the good ole days when women became faint "at the sight of him", men pulsated all over the place and doing it in the woods managed to sound comfortable AND exciting.

So true, ReeCee. LOL.

I used to love Regency historicals. Now I find I cannot get into them as the heroines sound so silly. I mean, it's like they've been dumbed down or something. Where are the Elizabeth Bennetts of the old times?

I used to be all romance or nothing in the past, but I've moved into other realms now. Mystery/suspense, thrillers work for me too, even if there's no romance per se. A female protagonist is necessary though, like in Tess Gerritsen's books.

A lot of my auto-reads of the past such as Nora Roberts and Christina Dodd (her contemporaries) don't cut it for me anymore. I keep having the feeling they are giving dumbed-down versions of stories which doesn't do their talent justice.

I also used to be in the sweeping saga types earlier, a la Barbara Taylor Bradford and Danielle Steele. I cannot do them now. If I get such a book, I'll read the first pages and read the last pages. The journey doesn't appeal so much any longer.

I think writing and thus reading has changed over the years. You don't see those sweeping sagas today. They seem to be 'of a certain time/era' if that can be said.

I know what you mean. Some Harlequins really grate on my nerves or they are just so blah.

Eugenia said it all for me, except that I have kept a PARTIAL list of go-to authors. But when I need to leave one of those favs behind, its depressing (I'm on the verge with 20 yr. friend, Mercedes Lackey). I think, however, that I have left TYPES behind more than anything because I read until I'm just sick of them (Jonathan Kellerman, Stuart Woods, for example). I did Sci-Fi/Fan and lite series Mysteries to death, and I did "woman's fiction" to death and now I'm about tired of PNR . . . what's next?

I don`t think I`ve given anyone up.I still reread Sandra Browns and Linda Howards and Tami Hoag and all of those 1990 writers that I grew up with,I think I just keep adding new autors and genre on all the time.