Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

Is it possible that chain-reading romance books would mess with your mind? I love reading romance novels but I swear if I read to many of them in a row my dreams get a little to steamy and my mind tends to wander into the gutter all day long. Am I the only one?

You're definitely not the only one! Sadly, If I read too many in a row it makes me sad/angry/depressed that things like that don't happen in real life! I always have to take a break and return to reality, lol!

LOL Nope not alone at all. I start daydreaming about Hot Steamy Alpha Heroes.

I don't have the problem of my mind wandering into the gutter-don't really need a reason for that. :P But I do find I have to switch up genres from time to time, or I become bored. For the last few months I've been reading nothing but UF & PNR, but this month I've read a HR, CR, YA & I'm reading a memoir. It's a nice change.

My mind always finds its way into the gutter, not that I dislike it at all. It's a nice way to pass the time, staring into space.. Mind in full gutter mode haha

Yeah, too many romance novels (especially PNR) and i start to loose my grip on reality! Most of those books make it look totally normal to have your own personal stalker!

I'm totally okay with the steamy dreams and having my mind in the gutter. Especially when I read on my break at work lol

Most of the books I read have romance as a central theme - mainly because I find that it forces the author to concentrate on character development. (Some more successfully than others I'll admit). But I do find that I'll go on a sub genre kick every now and then and will burn out on it.

For instance at the moment I'm attempting to put my books and ebooks into Good Reads and have started on a stack that contains a lot of PNR in it. And whilst I'm putting all the books in as to-be reads so that I'll go back and rate them, you know it's kicking off a whole PNR reading kick.

BTW - the only reason for the dedicated effort into GR ... I needed a way to look at covers easily for challenges. :)

And as for gutters... well I'm really happy (and often inspired) here. ;)

Nothing quite like listening to a steamy audiobook while at work. ("She's always in such a good mood...smiling all the time...") Does make the day go faster and I actually look forward to spending the whole day working on a stack of invoices or filing now! As long as I don't have to edit or put actual sentences together while I listen... LOL

Kathryn wrote: "Nothing quite like listening to a steamy audiobook while at work. ("She's always in such a good mood...smiling all the time...") Does make the day go faster and I actually look forward to spending..."

Glad to see I'm not the only one doing that!

I know your not the only one becuase the same thing happens to me.

I have started to break up the romance with SciFi books. This method has been working pretty well.

LethalLovely~Maybe We're a Bliss of Another Kind wrote: "I don't have the problem of my mind wandering into the gutter-don't really need a reason for that. :P But I do find I have to switch up genres from time to time, or I become bored. For the last few..."

I do the same thing. And occasionally throw in a straight up Sci-fi or fantasy to switch things up. But I usually just switch romance genres themselves. Keeps me balanced (or not lol).

P.S. Lucy-Ann: "If it weren't for the gutter my mind would be homeless." cracked me up!

I will start dreaming about it. Then when I wake up I'm all hot and bothered. Ugh!!!

I'm prett much a romance reader, whether PNR or Historicals. They seem to feed something in my soul that I don't seem get in real life. Probably the alpha males. :)

Lucy-ann wrote: "If it weren't for the gutter my mind would be homeless. ."

hehe

I find I go through glut and starvation periods. Some weeks I read nothing but romances and then I go off them and want something gritty and real. And usually ultra depressing. Kind of a bipolar reading habit!

Mhollie wrote: "I'm prett much a romance reader, whether PNR or Historicals. They seem to feed something in my soul that I don't seem get in real life. Probably the alpha males. :)"

Me too, historicals and PNR all the way. The problem with reading too many is that I sometimes expect my hubby to behave like the hero I'm reading at the time and get annoyed when he doesn't. You know: "Why can't he be more like Mr. Darcy?"

Lucy-ann wrote: "If it weren't for the gutter my mind would be homeless. ."


LOL....just so you know...this is now my quote of the month. Too funny, and it's totally true!

And Moss, I go throught those periods too. Sometimes there is only so much romance I can take and a good mystery or murder is called for to keep my head where it needs to be. Too much freakishly hot romance can really mess you up ;) Lol

C.J. wrote: "Me too, historicals and PNR all the way. The problem with reading too many is that I sometimes expect my hubby to behave like the hero I'm reading at the time and get annoyed when he doesn't. You know: "Why can't he be more like Mr. Darcy?"

I have that same problem!! After reading Twilight I was pinning after Edward and wishing that my bf could be more like him. Now that I've read the series again I find both boys annoying, so I've gotten over that. But I do the same thing where I sort of fall in love with a character in a book and wish my bf could be more like him.

I also go through stages. I've been in the mood to read a lot of steamier books lately, but once I get my fill I'll go back to some sci-fi's, urban fantasy and YA's again.

I also prefer historicals and pnr's to contemps. Contemps have to come highly recommended for me to even consider them. I don't like that much modern day realism in my books. I read to escape into something that isn't close to my real life.

Vanessa wrote: "Now that I've read the series again I find both boys annoying, so I've gotten over that. "

Lol, Vanessa, you're funny.

Lucy-ann wrote: "If it weren't for the gutter my mind would be homeless. So pretty much I don't have to take a break. It's just the way I am wired. In a week I have read 12 books. All with some kind of romance goin..."

Move over friend, I've got the margaritas

C.J. wrote: "Me too, historicals and PNR all the way. The problem with reading too many is that I sometimes expect my hubby to behave like the hero I'm reading at the time and get annoyed when he doesn't. You know: "Why can't he be more like Mr. Darcy?"

I know! I do the same thing. One day I will probably drive him away with my silly expectations. Probably serve me right.

Qylie wrote: "Is it possible that chain-reading romance books would mess with your mind? I love reading romance novels but I swear if I read to many of them in a row my dreams get a little to steamy and my mind..."

LOL! I love this post, Qylie! Too cute! I agree, you are not alone. I break my steamy PNRs up with some gritty UFs here and there. :D

I have never had that problem. I can read and read romance, and it has no effect on my dreams. Wonder if it has to do with the meds I take for insomnia?

Gaaah, I read around 10 of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series in one week. You don't wanna know what was going on in my dreams O.O Had to break the chain with some Lord of The Flies...

I think I'm missing out. I would love to dream about a sexy alpha hero-- most recent book-related dream I had was last week and it involved the post-apocalyptic fiction I made the mistake of reading right before bed time (and I'll take sexy alphas over packing for the end of the world any day!).

Ok you're not alone. I actually asked my psychiatrist about this. I'm addicted to vampire/werewolf books. I can't get enough of them. Thank goodness for this site because I keep finding new vampire/werewolf stuff to read on this site. Anyway I worried to my psychiatrist I might be rotting my brain these books. He any reading is good. Reading that I enjoy is even better. He said all these vampire/werewolf books are JUST AS beneficial as reading something like War And Peace would be. So if romances are working for you go for it. My psychiatrist says it's okay.

Jennifer wrote: "You're definitely not the only one! Sadly, If I read too many in a row it makes me sad/angry/depressed that things like that don't happen in real life! I always have to take a break and return to r..."


This sounds exactly like me! Smutty romance novels definitely keep me fantasizing while in my cubicle at work all day. But they are also intensely depressing because life and romance isn't nearly as adventurous/sexy/kinky/satisfying as portrayed in the book.

I wish we had hot werewolf men in real life. :P Or fated mates, haha!