Romancing the Books

I’ve read a few blog posts lately by readers who have had enough of the formulaic romance books. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you probably know I’ve been kicking around the idea of writing in the romance genre for quite a while. I’ve been researching. I also started writing a project, which I put aside in an effort to get focused in the things I need to finish. But it’s there.

Anyway, I digress.

Romance readers (the ones who blog, anyway) seem to be put off by the same things that keep me from really getting into reading the genre. This is the impression I’ve gotten from the posts I’ve read – they don’t like recycled plots or the general cheesiness, the over-the-top “perfect” characters, the cringe-inducing bad dialog.

So what keeps them reading?

I can’t speak for anyone else, but what keeps me interested in the romance genre is the emotional connections characters make in the stories, the heat and the drama of it. Romance publishers seem to think this is accomplished by the application of a formulaic plot and bad writing.

Trashy romance novel.

That’s what I think of. It’s a cheap substitute for a more human experience. I don’t understand why the bar is so low in that particular genre. It has such great potential.

Does anyone have suggested reading? Who writes the BEST romance novels? Not necessarily the person with the biggest sales. I know who Danielle Steele is. I mean skill, like Anne Rice/Stephen King level writing skill, only without vampires and such. Well, maybe with vampires if they’re necessary. At this point, I’m not sure I care.