What I've been thinking about lately is the realism spectrum.
Some romance novels are like Melrose Place (an old guilty pleasure of mine). The characters are over the top and the plot twists are almost too extreme to fathom. If done wrong they can be obnoxious and tacky. But, if they are done well, those novels are devilishly entertaining.
Other romances, on the other hand, are like Lifetime movies, which half the time are based on true stories. The events are realistic, the characters are everyday people. If done wrong they can be boring or predictable, but if done right, they can be so poignant that they make your chest ache.
I have favorites on both sides of the fence and plenty that fall in between.
How 'bout you? Do you like "extreme" guilty pleasures in your romances, or so much depth that you could be almost be reading the newest addition to Oprah's Book Club?
By the way, is the new MP any good? I don't have cable. Still, it's not Melrose without Heather Locklear.
ReplyDeleteLike the new layout! :-)
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Melrose Place, so I can't speak to that, but Oprah books don't generally do much for me. LOL I prefer some good heat no matter what "flavor" of romance I'm reading, and preferably something where the story clicks along at a good pace.
So I think that leaves me somewhere in the middle - love a good mixture whenever possible. :-)