Are Some M/M Readers Reaching Saturation Point?
September 25, 2011
244 Comments
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Last week Josh Lanyon wrote an excellent post on Paper Boats – Knowing When to Abandon Your WIP and although the topic was somewhat unrelated to what I’m writing about today, there is a connection as it made me think about my own recent struggles trying to find M/M books that hold my interest for more than a few chapters. I love M/M but I seem to be losing my enthusiasm for the books and I have been having a tough time lately to finish them, even those by my favourite authors. Forget most of the newer authors – I can’t seem to drum up the interest and it would take a really extraordinary blurb to get me to read their books.
Initially I thought the problem was me because it usually is 
after all I read a lot of these books and I thought I just needed a longer rather than a short break from them, but lots of other readers seem to be suffering from the same ailment. A few guest reviewers decided not to read any M/M books for a while hoping that would help, but six months later two of them are still not ready to come back because the books they read while they were away did not light any fires. Another reviewer is back but I don’t know how long he’ll stay. Yesterday three other guest reviewers admitted to being bored with what they have been reading lately and one will be taking a break in a couple of months. The words I hear frequently are “boring” “uninspiring” and “sameness” and I can relate to what other readers are saying. I’m also having problems getting requests from the reviewers for new releases to review. Right now I have a list of blurbs that cover almost 60 pages for books that haven’t been requested. Some of them are what I call orphans – no one has requested them in 3 – 4 months so I cull them, but more blurbs are added the following week, and with new authors and publishers joining the M/M ranks every day the list will get a lot longer.
I have been reading M/M in its present form for 8 years and before that I read a lot of gay fiction for decades. M/M has evolved with new publishers and writers and these books now cover most genres, not just contemporary romance. M/M now includes science fiction, BDSM, post apocalyptic, paranormal, horror, murder/mystery, fantasy, historical, paganism, witchcraft, action/adventure etc. (I’m sure I have forgotten a couple of genres) and one would think that with such a wide range of books from which to choose the interest level would be at an all-time high, so why are some readers having problems with the offerings?
Sales are through the roof but is the satisfaction with the content the same as in the past when M/M was fresh and new and a welcome alternative to het? Is the reason we no longer love many of these books because they lack innovative plots or even a plot in some cases? A large proportion of our writers seem to have become complacent and are now resting on their laurels. Are readers wrong to expect that M/M books would continue to be exciting rather than rehash old ideas? We’re buying these books in unprecedented numbers apparently but are we reading them? M/M used to be this fresh, bright light in the industry so much so that many writers are flocking from print publishing to try out the new kid on the block. However, my computer hard drive and Kindle are full of DNF books because the quality just isn’t there. When I discuss books with other readers and some of the guest reviewers on the site many of us seem to be suffering from apathy. I keep hoping that this is a temporary aberration that will be resolved soon but it’s been months and my mojo for these books seems to have walked out the door. I don’t think increasing the number of sex scenes can cover up for the fact that there’s really no plot in a lot of the books, and while many readers love M/M stories because they are erotic, there’s a huge difference between erotic stories and erotica which is PWP.
Perhaps there is a much bigger problem and we’ve become dissatisfied with the genre because our standards and expectations have become much higher than in the past and we’re no longer prepared to accept less than quality plots and believable characterizations. Personally I have become more critical because I expect M/M to be professionally edited now that the genre has been around for close to a decade, but the learning curve still seems to be as steep as when these books were first published. There are many authors who buck this trend and write excellent stories and they are among my favourites, but some of the books I have been reading recently I can hardly get through the first couple of chapters before setting them aside.
So, are we readers becoming too critical by expecting M/M books to meet certain industry standards of professionalism? Should we not expect the stories to have fresh twists even if the authors use old tropes? I can’t tell you how many times I open a book and it seems as if I just read that story except that the cover, name and author are different.
Are you still enjoying M/M stories as much as you used to when you first started reading these books?
Author Information
Wave
Madonna196
Bogusia
Larissa
Sirius
I’ve been reading all genre, including m/m, most of my life, and I’m 50.
In the early days I went for boys’ adventures like Rick Brant and Tom Sawyer, enjoying the male friendship, and always sought that type of novel with a strong male friendship as the core of the story. I accidentally discovered Mary Renault in the early 70′s and loved her lush writing and became a huge fan of m/m novels.
But years ago the gay novel was usually melancholy and angst filled. Few ended HEA. I wanted HEA or getting to HEA. I think we’ve come a long way from Michael Nava, Joseph Hansen and Richard Stevenson, all good writers but I didn’t really click with their characters.
These days we have fabulous m/m writers in all genre, paranormal, sports oriented, time travel, mystery, suspense, romance, scifi, you name it.
Most writers now, in my experience, don’t write “gay” as another character, if you know what I mean. The whole point of the novel isn’t that they’re gay; sure, it’s obviously part and parcel of the novel but the characters live their lives as doctors, PIs, firemen, police, lawyers, construction workers, nurses; have the same issues as everyone else in their lives, money issues, work issues, relationship issues, family issues, pet issues, etc.
Granted there are some dreadful novels out there, but the gems make up for the rest. They give us great plot and settings, characters you wish could go on and on, banter to make you smile or weep or laugh out loud or have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
I don’t think there’s a saturation point, at least not for the good writers. I find something new and interesting in every novel by my favourites. Just like in het novels, it’s the talent, imagination and craft of the author who takes a basic theme of boy meets boy or a who-dun-it and make it their own, delivering to readers hours of pure reading pleasure.
The good writers like Lanyon, Boudreau, Harper Fox, Katie Allen, Tamara Allen, Roux and Urban, Elle Parker and SO many others, have a special something and their novels, even those with a similar theme, are fresh, interesting and (unfortunately for me as I have to get up at 6:00 a.m for work), impossible to put down.
I think m/m novels just keep getting better and better.
Madonna
Thank you for commenting.
Like you I have been through a number of genres before I started reading M/M and I loved books like The Charioteer, The Front Runner and Swordspoint because of the exceptional writing. M/M started off with both guns blazing, but for me recently those guns are shooting blanks except for a few favourite authors. That is not acceptable to me as we try to support new writers by either profiling them or asking readers to nominate their favourite new M/M author
I hope that I’ll be able to regain my enthusiasm for the genre soon.
Apologies, I haven’t been through the 150+ posts so I’m sure this is repeating stuff
. But I feel stirred enough to add my three penn’orth.
I think a lot of this is due to the changes in the MM market, even the very way it works and communicates with us. Authors are fish in a “pond” of fiction which is growing much larger and much more swiftly than other established genre markets, There’s pressure on MM authors and publishers to increase the volume, and that’s often at the expense of quality.
I think it’s also affected by the nature of e-publishing. Everything’s produced more quickly, more easily (at first glance, anyway), and entry to the market is easier. Then once an author’s “in” and the excitement and awe has worn off a little, they should take – and be allowed – time to sit back and work on their craft and ideas. But instead there can be a feeling of panic – they’ll get left behind in the rush to be this month’s latest, that they’re expected to keep up with that faster production line, that their longer, more thoughtful works will get buried in the jumbled pile of all-genre, all-style publications. I don’t think this happens so much in mainstream, where delays and a slow pace are already expected.
I’ve commented mainly from the POV of an author, I’m afraid, but I’m a committed and enthusiastic reader too. I suffer all the same worries as you
:). But I truly believe that many authors produce great work, entertaining stories and fine quality craft, and that’s compared with all genres, not just MM on its own. It’s just that we have to search more carefully to find them now 
.
Clare
It’s wonderful to see you and thanks for stopping by.
First of all I want to say that so far none of your books that I’ve read fall into the categories I’m talking about in the post – cliche ridden, boring, uninspiring etc.
I have always admired your writing and you know how much I enjoy your books.
I don’t understand why authors panic about not having enough “product” out there. I would much prefer to read a book/year by an author which was well researched, the writing was top notch, there was an actual plot and the characterizations didn’t suck rather than one by an author who belonged to the book of the month club. Samhain takes a long time before they release a book and much of that time is spent in edits, yet their authors love the editors.
There has to be a compromise, because the way I see it if M/M doesn’t improve, a lot of readers will become ex readers.
I’m searching, believe me.
Still relatively new to this genre, and not tired of it yet. In fact, I’m still very excited to discover gems and treasures in this island. I base my buying habit to reviews from my friends and site I trust, like this site. When I first discover M/M, I researched recommended books from your site and Rainbow Award winners from Elisa Rolle’s site, which allow me to discover the gems. I do stumble on some not so great books, but they’re minority. Based on reviews and discussions, I usually know which authors I should stay clear of because they don’t write stories I might find myself enjoying.
Hi Cleon
You’re lucky that you have such a vast array of books from which to choose and you also have the benefit of recs from friends and review sites. Reviewers have to sift through a lot of books to come up with those they recommend and that’s probably why I’m feeling blue about the genre. There’s so much available but not a lot worth reading.
However that’s probably a temporary blip, at least I hope it is.
Hi, Wave,
An excellent post and you’re stating a lot of what I’ve felt for a long time. I’ve been reading mm fiction for many years, long before my first mm was published, and the over-emphasis on sexual athletics and as many kinks as the author can cram in have put me off reading a lot of well-established writers.
I want strong plot, intriguing and well-drawn characters, and an HEA or HFN ending. I want the intrigues, the emotion, the passion, the drama. Tab A into Slot B, C or D gets old quickly, as if the author is ticking off boxes in the Kama Sutra. I don’t read that and I try not to write that.
But have the publishers cottoned on? I had a story rejected because though they loved the characters and the plot it wasn’t hot enough, and I wasn’t prepared to stick in a gratuitous sex scene.
So what’s the answer? I’d love to know…
Chris
Hi Chris
Re your story, try different publishers. Not all of them believe that M/M should be erotica. Sure, sex sells as one publisher told me – when the authors see their royalty cheques and realize that the “hot” stories are raking in the dough and the mild one is sitting on the shelf, they go for the gold.
However there are a few authors like you who refuse to pander to those readers who are looking for a “hot read” instead of a well plotted story with memorable characters, and if enough of you stick to your guns the readers will come around. Right now there isn’t much choice for readers like me and I would welcome stories rather sex romps, although they have their place in the genre too.
I think part of the problem comes from the standardization of the genre. As in, are publishers accepting and releasing only romance that ‘fits the blueprint’, and rejecting romance that deviates from the usual tropes? I think this situation might be arising, because of fear that variety wouldn’t give the readers what they expected. But maybe that variety is what the readers need.
Interesting because I was just reading some Goodreads reviews of a book I happened to love because the characters were different and real and had flaws and quirks, yet some readers had a hard time with them for those reasons (most enjoyed the book, but a few comments made me think). Are readers more comfortable with safe, cookie-cutter characters who behave predictably? Is this one reason not only m/m but m/f romance is becoming a bit anemic? I’d rather read about a character who leaves me wondering and trying to figure him out than one who follows the familiar path. But maybe I’m in the minority? I think some of the more interesting books are the ones that get a big variety of reviews, from hate it to love it. Just saying.
Tripoli
Like you, I love books that are not predictable and take me on a different path. It shows that the writer put some thought into the plot and the characters so that the result, while not everyone may not like it, is certainly a walk on the wild side.
I love books that make me think, and my tastes are eclectic. Many readers may go ?huh? when I rave about a book.
For example Jordan’s Petit Morts series is one of my favourites. Why? Because the concept of one character holding the entire series in his hands together with the unusual stories is a real kick. Add to that there are 4 authors who are now writing books in the series and you have dynamite.
However we may be in the minority and that’s probably why we get so many “colour between the lines” stories. I love to play outside the lines.
Well put, Tripoli. It’s definitely the characters and not the storylines that are the major problem. I think we need a bit more ambiguity and complexity.
To be honest, that’s why I loved Barging In, which was recently reviewed here. The characters weren’t perfect — the tattooed guy, whose name I’ve forgotten, sorry, was discovering who he was during the course of the story, and that made him so much more interesting for me. Neither character was always likeable, but they acted like real people, and found their way to their HEA. And the setting was so different too. I think it boils down to author’s voice a lot of times too. The same two people can write similar stories, but one has a voice you can’t stop reading, and the other will just be blah. Well, anyhow, I’m definitely not burned out yet on m/m, and I hope this terrific discussion gives authors some food for thought. Thanx for such a thought provoking article!
I’ve noticed this as well- when I’ve written a really difficult man, a pain in the ass character who is as real as I can write him- naturally I love him, but I get reviews suggesting this character needs some lithium and a good therapist, or a kick in the butt- ?? It’s age, I think. The men I liked at 20 are not the men I’m writing at 50. But I’m taking joy in the work, and that’s most of the reward. Maybe readers who can’t stand my characters now will like them more when they get older.
Well put, Cornelia!
This is one of the reasons why we love your work so much at Storm Moon Press: you have wonderful stories that push the limits ‘the romance blueprint’ would impose.
Tropes definitely have their places. Heck, if you have three weeks of your life to spare, you can read all about EVERY trope out there at tvtropes.org. Part of the fun of writing, though, is writing something outside those tropes or even subverting the tropes. It keeps things interesting and breaks that monotony and standardization you mentioned.
Variety is the spice of life. I think you’re right that it needs to be the spice of the genre as well.
~K. Piet
Hi Cornelia
I set up shop here because it was different and not the usual “romance” model. A major reason I’m having such difficulty is because publishers and authors are trying to force fit the het business model on to M/M. Gay men are not women in pants so why do readers expect them to act like women in different situations? Even the characterizations are sometimes CWD (chicks with dicks). If I wanted to read het romances that’s what I would read.
I did a post a long time ago asking readers what were their expectationbs of M/M and they were all over the map, which shows that in some ways M/M could still be the wild wild west that I love, and a certain segment of readers would love it. That’s what I hope anyway.
I must be the stand out because I have reached a saturation point – for so much of the poor quality, badly written crap that’s flooded the M/M market. I read quite a lot so I’ve always looked for new books/authors. Unfortunately, I’ve been burned once to often. I’m much less likely to buy a book from an unknown author unless it’s got a fresh, intriguing plot and is highly reviewed. I’d rather wait to spend my hard earned money on books from my tried and true authors (write faster please!
For the money publishers are now charging for short “novels”, I’d much rather re-read my favorites or buy from their backlists.
Ellie
I’m hoping that the comments by readers like yourself will be a wake-up call to many M/M authors that the old days of accepting anything in the genre may be over (I hope).
I have to agree with you regarding the short novels. Novellas and very short stories don’t interest me at all as my preference is to delve into a meaty plot, get to know my characters and spend time with them. Although I love the reviews on this site and Goodreads, when I find out it’s less than 100 pages I usually won’t read the review.
I also dislike m/m/m. They’re on my dnr list.
You would have missed out on two excellent stories by J.L. Merrow: Muscling Through and Pricks and Pragmatism.
Sometimes there are a few gems among the short stories.
don’t give up the shorties! I really love to read and write a short story- it’s a totally different animal from a novel, and you have to read it like the unique child it is. But it can be such a joy, a tiny look into another life, like the little match girl wandering down a snowy street, peeking into glowing windows.
So I’ll add my 2 cents late. I don’t know if I’ve hit the breaking point yet, but I know a 45,000-65,000 word count story I could read in 2-4 days, now will take 2+ weeks. What I’d like to see are authors taking their time, write the longer book with well developed MC and plot lines. Publishers should remember great stories make for loyal customers which = MONEY. But I think as the consumer I have to do my homework if I’m not willing to gamble on a book being good and take the hit if its not.
Patty
I agree that we all have to do our homework but most reviewers try to read a wider range of books to help other readers make better selections. We’re not always successful of course and some of the problem is that many blurbs bear no relationship to the books requested for review. As you said, what is more important are well developed characters and believable plots which make for great stories.
One of the issues, for me, is works being touted as OMG FABULOUS!! that just *aren’t.* Until recently, I hadn’t read a lot of m/m romance – I’d been busy writing my stuff. I agreed to read a couple things and give my opinions. What I was given was rubbish. One of the stories didn’t even remotely follow the blurb, which sounded interesting. I waded through bad editing, plot holes, ridiculous situations, instant love between characters who’d never even spoken to each other, situations that couldn’t actually exist, characters doing things physically impossible during sex, sex with a minor (with absolutely no warning whatsoever – wth???), characters who call each other by their names every single second, characters using words that hadn’t been invented when they were supposed to have been alive, whiny gay men throwing themselves at each other (because that’s what we all do, yanno), man pussies, man tits, disgusting terminology like “gooey” being attributed to penises, and so much lubeless anal sex my ass hurt in sympathy.
Had this been my first foray into m/m, it would’ve been my last, and I’d only read a total of 8 books!! I honestly felt bad for readers. How are they to distinguish the good from the bad? How much money are they going to have to spend to find that one good book? At least I didn’t have to pay for the ones I’d read, but if I had, I’d have contacted the publishers and demanded my money back.
Editing is a big issue. Not just line editing for typos. Some of that gets missed, no matter how hard you try. I can personally say, with all honesty, that my books are line edited by myself three times before submission, and by an absolutely fantastic editor at BP three times. We still find things afterward. Why? Because the human brain see what it wants. It turns form into from if need be, and you won’t notice it until two weeks go by, and you’re staring at your beautiful bouncing bundle of e-book joy on your screen…and then you bang your head on the desktop and wail. Seriously.
The editing that’s missing is *content* editing. I don’t know why, either. I’ve worked with editors who didn’t ask me for content edits on things that I think they should’ve. I’ve worked with editors who told me they found only one typo in my whole manuscript (which I really don’t believe). Right now, my Breathless Press editor is very in-depth. If we miss something then we honestly just missed it. Or if it’s a plot issue, it’s something we hashed out and didn’t think was an issue. That’s why I’m sticking with Breathless Press. They’re much younger than other publishers, yes. But the editing I’m getting there so far outweighs the editing I’ve had *anywhere* else, I’d be an idiot not to stay with them. And I’m not afraid to go on record saying that.
And I know a lot of it is personal taste. Do I think it’s plausible for a man to be *in love* with someone he’s never spoken to, as I read recently? Hell no. That’s absurd. But someone else might find it infinitely romantic. ::shrugs:: There’s no accounting for taste. Stephen King’s been phoning in his work for years now, and people love him.
I don’t agree with folks who say there are no new ideas. I think there are, but often times they get pushed aside. “Readers won’t want to read that.” Let me tell you – there’s an audience for everything. Everything. All one has to do is hang around a kink forum long enough and it’s there. If a publisher wants to dive into that market is beside the point. The market exists.
What’s the issue with m/m? Bad editing? Writers who are writing for profit and not because they feel the stories in their bones? Writers who are writing m/m sex because “OMG THATS HAWT!”? (I swear if I see that spelling one more time in something other than a LOL Cats post I’m going to stab someone in the eye with a spork.) Publishers who are publishing for profit, and not because they want to stand behind quality work? Readers who are accepting crap because they don’t know any better? All of it?
What’s the answer to the m/m doldrums? ::shrugs:: I don’t know.
What I do know, is I sincerely didn’t realize the amount of drivel that’s out there. And I’m sure some would lump my work into the same category, though it’s definitely better than the 8 I recently read, and I’m not afraid to go on record saying that, either. I’m not Shakespeare, but I’ve turned out better stories in *one day* than all 8 of these put together. Frankly it’s insulting for a person like me, who has had to scrape and claw their way into writing, let alone into this industry, to be held up beside someone who slaps a headless torso on a pile of crap and calls it art.
Therein lies a larger issue, and one that I think is the most insidious. Authors and reviewers (NOT including this site!) patting other authors on the back for crap. I read a review yesterday of something I’d read and given bad marks to. The review GLOWED. The reviewer might as well have walked right up and actually kissed the author’s rump. The book Was. Not. Good. It just wasn’t. And it’s a crime to let the author think it was.
I see this all the time in places like Facebook groups – people posting excerpts that are really just BAD and others falling all over themselves to render praise and “OMG that’s so hawt!!!!” (I’ve still got that spork!) and “I WANT MORE!”
Well, I *don’t* want more. I’m going back to reading the way I used to do it – either I know the author and they’ve proven they have a brain, or taking my cues from sites like this one.
Which isn’t to say I’ve agreed with every single review posted here. I certainly haven’t. I’ve even disagreed with one or two reviews of my own stuff here. LOL But what I have found, by and large, is a review site that takes the review seriously, and isn’t afraid to post 2 or 3 star reviews and say the book wasn’t good.
As a matter of fact, I’m no longer submitting my works for reviews to a couple places, just based on that. How on earth am I to trust what they say about *my* work, if they’re lavishing 4 and 5 stars on drivel??
Hi DC
You make some valid points in your comments. One that jumped out at me was this
Josh Lanyon wrote an excelllent post 6 months ago about editing, including content editing. Here’s a link if you’re interested:
http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/2011/03/08/the-blue-pencil-blues-josh-lanyon/
We have to wade through all of that “drivel” and come up with intelligent reviews that don’t dump all over the author, and try to use words that won’t offend and don’t sound as if we’re kicking the writer to the curb.
We try to be as honest as possible in our reviews here even though some authors think we should give their friends a pass, after all “it’s just one book.” However we write reviews for the readers who will be putting down their money and we think they should know what they’re getting, before they buy. We also advise readers to check out other reviews.
Is there a solution to the current problem? I don’t know but I sincerely hope that there are some changes for the better.
The editing that’s missing is *content* editing. I don’t know why, either.
It’s because effective content editing is actually quite difficult.
How on earth am I to trust what they say about *my* work, if they’re lavishing 4 and 5 stars on drivel??
Amen. I left a couple of writing lists because of that godawful “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” attitude. That’s not what reviews are FOR. Not to say that criticism has to be harsh, excessive, or used to ridicule a writer, but if a book has a problem, the reviewer should explain what it is and why she thinks so. (One big problem, I think, is that some reviewers are not especially analytical and don’t know the difference between a review and a book report.)
If everything is praised, no matter how bad it is, then the praise becomes meaningless.
Lee
Amen to that.
Wave, I think this was a brave post, and kudos to you — and to your reviewing team (regulars and irregulars) for the work you all do.
With hundreds of new releases a month in what is, after all, a niche genre, of course the market is flooded. That’s inevitable. And of course we all go through periods of reaching saturation — it’s one reason I’m taking a year’s sabbatical. A break will be good for me and for my writing and (therefore) for my readers.
One reason your current state of ennui troubles you so is because you do still feel great passion for the genre. You care about its health and longevity, and it’s this concern, this self-awareness that goes toward building a healthy and thriving m/m community. That fact that you’re exploring these feelings in a blog post is simply the changing nature of social media and reviewing.
New and aspiring authors need not panic. Good writers and good books will still rise to the surface. The genre is not going anywhere, and the fact that authors arriving later on the scene have to work harder to be discovered is simply the way of all genre publishing since the beginning of time. Publishing like pretty much everything else on our planet is cyclical.
I think the real message here is that with so much to choose from, there is less and less tolerance for mediocrity — and that’s really not such a bad thing.
Hi Josh
On Saturday night when most people were out having a good time I was sitting in front of my computer thinking, because I was dreading cracking open another book, afraid of being disappointed again. So I decided to write this post because I couldn’t avoid the way I was feeling any longer.
Maybe they will listen to you Josh. It probably won’t make much difference but I hope that the newer authors don’t get caught up in the book of the month club and release recycled PWP. I can’t believe the lack of progress in the genre after almost a decade.
Having not read any of the comments, this is strictly in response to the original article.
I think many people who read, write and self-publish gay (or m/m or slash) fiction are falling victim to their desperate need to have the all important Happily-Ever-After (HEA). I reviewed m/m e-books for a short while a couple of years ago, but opted to quit within six months because I found most of the stuff to be no better than Harlequin romance in terms of prose style, characterization and [to a lesser extent] storyline. That being said, I think the plotlines are the least of the problem here.
The mistake I think many readers (male and female) make is that they equate tragic [or even ambiguous] endings with the books and films of the past that seemed obligated to punish gay characters for their errant sexual ways by making them ashamed or ostracized or suicidal. Yet, by the same token, I don’t know a single on-line reader of m/m fiction who didn’t adore Brokeback Mountain, Dream Boy or As Meat Loves Salt. These stories have sad endings, sure, but they’re also great love stories in the vein of Wuthering Heights, Romeo and Juliet, Madame Bovary and Othello.
Seriously, where would Shakespeare be if he felt the need to give all his characters happy endings? Would Romeo and Juliet be as moving or as memorable? Don’t say yes…because you’d be wrong.
I think the majority of m/m fans I’ve encountered on-line strike me as slightly immature in their insistence on characters with no emotional complexity (i.e, antagonists are all moustache-twirling villains and protagonists are either perfect angels or emotionally damaged men who just need rescuing and are ALWAYS redeemed) and coy “blushing bride” cutesy-poo happy endings.
If more people would step up to the plate and try and write something as complex and daring as As Meat Loves Salt, then maybe readers would have something to get excited about.
Oh, and please don’t everyone pile on at once. Just my humble opinion.
HIi Blake,
I am all for ambigious and complex characters, I do disagree though that tragic ending equals better chances that we will get those characters. I read a very “special” book for review recently, which annoyed me a great deal and had tragic ending. Tragic ending was the least of my problems with this book, believe me. Anachronistic, idiotic characters were my main problem though.
I love happy endings and I have read plenty of books where to me characters were complex and interesting and were happy at the end. However and here my “happy ending” requirement may differ from many readers, I will settle for any kind of hope at the end, I will settle for characters not staying together, I just prefer them not to be dead. Is it really impossible for the writer to write complex flawed characters without killing one of them?
I will even on rare occassions read the books where one of the characters dies, but they better be something as good as Dreamboy or At swim two boys, or I am not buying.
By the way, really do not get the appeal of As meat loves salt, tried hard to read it, really did not care for the writing. JMO of course.
So, I guess I agree and disagree, disagree that unhappy endings necessarily means great characters.
I want the writers to write what their muse demands, I will never ever downgrade the book simply because it has tragic ending. I have read plenty of classics with tragic endings (as I mentioned before Russian literature of 19 century, which is my first and forever love is not famous for happy endings), but yeah, I would prefer if possible to avoid deaths in this genre.
However, however if this is *all** that stops writers from writing great books (readers unwillingness to read the books with tragic endings), I will be the first one on line to buy the book which is great otherwise. Only truthfully I doubt it.
Also just one person opinion.
Okay, so I reread what I wrote and want to clarify some more. Of course I do not mind deaths in the stories, all that I want is for main characters to end up alive. Is that really such a huge restriction on creativity? I mean this is just what one reader wants obviously, but I would imagine that those who do not want main characters to be dead may have the similar thoughts in mind. I don’t know, as I said if that is such a huge problem, by all means, write a book which is as awesome as Dreamboy, I will buy it.
Oh and of coursse one person’s opinion, not person. Sorry.
Blake
I enjoyed all of those books you mentioned and I would like to add The Front Runner, another gem. However most M/M readers were originally “romance” readers – het, Harlequin and the like, and they despise books that don’t have a HEA or HFN.
I don’t know how successful Dreamspinner’s Bittersweet line is but I would bet you that these books don’t outsell those with a HEA/HFN, no matter how well written they are. It’s a mindset.
Again this is a holdover from the old romance genre model. I must say that a few authors are trying to break this model but I don’t know if their books are selling.
the thing about the happily ever after ending, real or not, is it gives a reader some hope, some feeling that redemption is possible. It’s that hope for redemption that readers need in the face of whatever conflicts the characters are working through.
I wouldn’t say Brokeback Mountain had a sad ending, because the message there, that love is everlasting, even stronger than death, that love can give meaning and form to a life, feels true and real to me. I loved that story. Now, Cormac McCarthy- he can write an unhappy ending. The Road? No hope, no redemption, that book made me consider finding some emergency cyanide pills.
The happy for now, which is all I can write, (being cynical and depressed most of the time,) at least gives readers some hope in the power of love, and gives them the possibility for redemption.
To all:
I’m wondering how much of this has to do with formula fatigue…all romances follow formulas, if only A meets B, A (usually) ends up meeting with B.
How far are you willing for your authors to stray from the general formula(s)?
I definitely welcome books that are outside the lines but I’m not originally a romance reader – mysteries and fantasy were what I started reading initially.
The thing is, I don’t consider M/M strictly a romance sub genre since it spans at least 10 other genres, many of which don’t focus on romance.
I’ve been reading m/m books for about two years now and I haven’t hit a fatigue point yet. But then again, I tend to skip around sub-genres (sci-fi, mystery, paranormal etc.), so the plots vary enough that I don’t get bored. Also, I only read books that are recommended on this site or the Goodreads M/M Romance group, so I rarely read a complete dud.
It must be very different for reviews… so I’d like to thank you and your staff Wave for taking one for the team and wading through a lot of trash to find these gems for us. We all appreciate it.
Thanks Diane, on behalf of everyone here who volunteers their valuable time to independently review books for the readers. It’s always nice to know we’re appreciated for our efforts.
What a great essay and all the comments are really thought provoking. Luckily I haven’t reached saturation point with m/m yet. I’ve actually had the opposite experience to Wave. I’ve found several fantastic new authors this year and I’ve been really excited to see what other newbies come onto the scene. My disappointments this year have been more with the older more established m/m authors whose latest books haven’t really sparked my imagination. But I do switch genres now and then which probably helps to keep things fresh.
Hi Mandy
I’m really happy that you have found many books that you enjoy and that there are some new authors whose books you love. I have found a few but not enough, taking into account the number of newbies who have moved in.
If I hadn’t switched genres A LOT I probably would have taken a very long break from M/M sooner. I love the genre and my expectations are the same as most readers – that the quality of the books would improve over time, but for me it’s depressing when book after book seems to be the same except for the title and author.
I don’t think that the quality of the books has declined recently, because I distinctly remember how awful it was when I started reading m/m romance. It always was the case (in my experience) that 80% of everything published in the genre was rubbish. I think it was just that it was so wonderful to have m/m fiction to read *at all* that the excitement of discovering it made the bad books seem better.
Now that there’s so much of it, we’ve forgotten what it felt like in the days when it was a longed-for rarity. And the fact that there are so many bad books to get through before you find a good one leads to the same kind of soul-destructiveness that poor editors must get when they contemplate the slush pile.
But over in the Science Fiction genre, they’ve believed that “90% of everything is crud,” for years so I don’t think the m/m genre is alone in that. It just makes the task of reviewers all the more necessary (and all the more difficult,) to filter out the good ones.
I’m firmly of the opinion that there are more good ones too, these days. The worst may have got more numerous but the best has got better.
Hey Alex
Thank you for joining the conversation.:)
I do remember the old days when M/M was the “new kid on the block.” I was very forgiving because it WAS new and it was exciting to have an alternative to het. But shouldn’t the quality of the books have improved over the years? Many of the publishers have been in the epublishing business for a long time and I would have expected that experience to translate into a better selection of books being made available to readers.
Thankfully I have a few favourite writers who are still putting out good stories, but its hard to find “new to me” authors who are truly committed to giving readers the same thing.
I think that what publishers and authors have learned over the years is that anything will sell. They’ve learned that they can dash off a book in the minimum amount of time, put no effort into editing it, slap on a cover, and it will sell. Having discovered that, why should they go the extra mile of giving the story time to develop some complexity, spending months editing it, proofing it and making it a quality product? Why put all that extra effort in for no reward – because the quality book will cost five times more in terms of time and effort to produce, but it won’t make any more money than the slapdash one.
Simple economics means it’s better for publishers and authors alike to produce 5 bad books than one good one. The only thing that stands in the way of that economic truth is the wish to take pride in doing good work, knowing that there is no benefit in it. And I’ve only got that luxury because someone else is paying my bills.
I actually think that the downturn of interest in the genre is a good thing – it will force publishers to see that they *can’t* sell any old thing. Perhaps once that’s established, quality will become more of a selling point, and will then be economically worthwhile.
Alex
Part of the problem we’re facing with M/M books is that readers have been content to sit back and accept whatever the authors and publishers send our way. If we stop buying books from writers we KNOW just throw a bunch of sex scenes together, without regard for characterization and plot, that would be a start because it would hit them in the wallet. Readers have to take some responsibility for weeding out bad writers who are taking advantage of us, by speaking with our credit cards, or not.
Absolutely. The publishing industry is set up to give the buyer what they want, and if it thinks they want ever more of the same, that’s what it’ll produce, at the minimal level of effort necessary.
Of course, then you get the problem of defining what a good book is. As far as I know, many people genuinely enjoy the books that are all sex with no plot, and one person’s poetic lyricism may be another’s purple prose. Everything would be a lot easier if the really good books consistently outsold the bad ones, but that so often isn’t the case.
Sturgeon’s Law, there.
Theodore Sturgeon was asked why so much science fiction was so bad. He famously responded “90% of Science fiction is crap. Then again, 90% of everything is crap.”
I find it works as a guideline.
I think we can often be a fickle lot. It seems when there’s a book out there that veers away from a “traditional” story, many readers will shy away from it.
If you look at what usually tops the charts in sales, it most often follows the typical formula: closeted cops and firemen; cowboys; military guys.
It’s what drives publishing, movies, TV and theater: people want and expect certain aspects (hunky hero; HEA romance; cleanly resolved plot) and if anything steers away from that, the work rarely finds a large audience share and stays in limbo. Granted, there are exceptions, but I think very few.
Hi, Bryant,
‘If you look at what usually tops the charts in sales, it most often follows the typical formula: closeted cops and firemen; cowboys; military guys.’
Yup, you’re so right. Unfortunately, it all boils down to one thing. The poor writer is damned if he/she does and damned if he/she doesn’t
Me, I’ll carry on writing the kind of books I want to write, and refusing to conform to the formula. My books aren’t churned out and released in droves, and don’t make the Top Tens. *shrugs* Tough, but I don’t see why I should compromise on my writing. It’s too important to me.
I’ve been told that kind of reaction is ‘unprofessional’. As far as I’m concerned, it isn’t. I won’t write to the lowest common denominator.
Hi Chris,
I always gravitate toward the unusual or the new take on things, so you’ll have at least one reader you can count on.
I get so easily bored with stuff that follows a formula and doesn’t take me down roads I’ve never been down before.
Not unprofessional at all- for those of us still writing, still loving our books, and still not in the top ten, we are clearly writing for the story, for the love of the words. And that’s a pretty darn good reward. If our goal was money or fame, the ability to write to formula would probably be easier. But if our goal is to write something good and true and real, and offer it as gift to our readers- then we’re probably suceeding with our 25 dedicated readers.
Hi Sarah
I love this and I wish more M/M authors were as dedicated to the art of writing.
BTW I think you have a lot more than 25 fans.
I can’t decide if my goal is to have 25 readers or to change the world with my stories! Either would be fine.
I imagine you’ve got it worse than slushpile editors. They can glance at a few pages and move on. I’m guessing you feel obliged to trudge through a larger percentage of a bad book before giving up on it. I really feel for you.
I also feel for the authors who have been unlucky enough to have their first efforts accepted by the small press pubs here online. In a few years, when they’ve sharpened their writing skills, they’ll look back on that early work and cringe in embarrassment.
I am so thankful my first few stories were roundly rejected by publishers. Those rejections were heartbreaking at the time, but now I see them for the blessing they were. I think if those efforts had been published, I would want to crawl into a hole and never come out.
New writers don’t always realize this. That’s why tough editors are so valuable and so necessary. They’re not just gatekeeping to protect readers from drek. They’re protecting authors with potential from ruining careers before they even start.
Mara
I have always enjoyed your books and it’s interesting to hear that your first stories were rejected, which was responsible for you learning your craft and now being proud of your writing.
Perhaps a few more M/M authors should get rejection letters because then we wouldn’t have to buy/read their “mistakes.”
Hey Wave,
I have arrived to diagnose the source of your ennui! Two days late and moving fast!
Ha! Not really.
I agree with Josh’s statement that you most likely do still feel passionate about the genre, otherwise you wouldn’t feel so let down by unsatisfying books.
But I have a different theory about what you are missing in books nowadays. I think you are missing unique and identifiable voice. A quick glance over books that you have stated that you liked reveals the common denominator of authors who have a strong, unusual, authoritative voice
I would suggest that you enjoy books written by authors who have a specific worldview and something to say, rather than authors who are merely making up stories, regardless of how entertaining those stories might be.
I also suggest you seek authors who are not necessarily “writing from their hearts” or who are “writing from their guts” or writing from whatever body part contains the highest level of emotion on that particular day. I propose that you seek authors who write from their brains, which is harder, yet more rewarding than writing from sections of the body devoted to things like pumping blood and digestion.
Nikki
You are always a ray of sunshine for me. Readers are still talking about your last column and you can expect an email from me in a few days asking you to work your magic again.
You’re right about the type of stories I enjoy. While I CAN enjoy romantic fluff or escapist fun stories and do, I also want stories that will move me, bring me to tears, make me mad in a good way, show me an unexpected path, make me think, make me remember parts of it in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. I’m looking for books that are memorable not throwaways like dirty bedsheets. However I know that great stories take a little longer than a week to write and edit, so I’m prepared to wait.
I’m looking forward to The Irregulars – as a matter of fact I’m hoping that the release date of March next year is wrong and that the book will be here by the end of the year.
I love the fantasies that Blind Eye Books publishes but unforunately you are a small publisher and only publish a few books a year so my fix is always delayed. Books such as Lord of the White Hell 1 & 2, and Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale as well as her Rifter series are like manna from heaven to me, with the dense and incredible worldbuilding and wonderful characterizations.
However, I realize that many readers are looking for a different experience and much lighter fare and I do at times, depending on my mood, but not as a constant diet especially when the stories are so badly written. All I ask is that the books should be properly edited and the characters well developed. I would settle for two dimensional characters if the authors can’t do better, but I demand that there should at least be a plot not just a bunch of sex scenes strung together. Is that too much to ask?
You’ve got mail.
I’m looking forward to The Irregulars – as a matter of fact I’m hoping that the release date of March next year is wrong and that the book will be here by the end of the year.
Ah, I’m sorry to disappoint. But, like you said, good fiction does actually take time. And shared world fiction takes even more time to get the details to all line up. But in the interim, and since I’m talking about voice and the importance of being able to identify it, here are 4 sentences. One from each Irregulars MS. Can you tell which of the 4 authors has written each sentence? The authors are Astrid Amara, Ginn Hale, Josh Lanyon and me.
A: Henry wore masking tape and ink-stained rubber bands around his nine fingers and was currently loaded with whiskey and a sweet, nameless poison.
B: He watched the agent pull a seat belt across his chest and Deven followed suit, mimicking the man’s gestures as he’d learned to do over the last year.
C: Archer studied Ezra, studied the beads of sweat popping out over Ezra’s human features, took note of the anxious licking of tongue over lips.
D: “And so you’re thinking that this is the work of some reactionary cadre of old-time religion goblin butchers, therefore you requested a native speaker to assist when you go talk to the community?”
Since I would probably get them all wrong because I don’t know who is writing which story, I have a better idea. Close to the release date we should pose these questions to the readers and the first one who gets them right gets a copy of the book.
However, I think I can take a stab at one of them now:
C. Josh Lanyon
We also talked about an interview with all the authors and I’m holding you to it.
Yes, certainly. We’d love to do an interview. And yes, C is correct! (Now there’s only A, B and D…)
You are a hard taskmistress. Since I know I’ll screw up, you should think about my original suggestion to have readers come up with the answers to win a copy of the book.
They are a lot better at solving puzzles than I ever could be.
Oh my god. New book from you guys. I do not care how long it takes, I will wait. Oh wait, no I cant, but for the good book I will so wait
. Eh sorry, I often get very excited when I am learning that the new book is coming from the publisher and authors I love. Do you take preorders? I want to 
. See I want all the books to be like Lord of White Hell, like Turnskin, yes like Wicked gentlemen. Not of the same subject of course, just well edited and well told stories. I do not need the love story to be the main focus, I love action and drama, I have eclectic tastes, even if I adore fantasy and scifi, but please let it be well edited and well told. Ok, I am shutting up now. Squeee, new good book will come eventually.
Sirius
The Irregulars can be pre-ordered now. It will be released in March.
The short answer to your question is “yes”
Oh I am so going to do that. Thanks Wave
My guess would be: a) Ginn Hale, b) Astrid Amara and d) Nicole herself. And yes, I was fairly convinced even before Wave guessed it correctly that c) was Josh.
You are such a showoff Liade.
I could have guessed the other answers too but I wanted to give other readers a chance to show how smart they are, since I’m so nice.
Nikki will have to find a really tough riddle for you to solve.
I’m also wondering – when is an M/M book a ‘romance novel’?
“Bear Like Me” didn’t start out as a romance novel — in fact, the romantic interest doesn’t show up until a few chapters in, and the romance parallels what you might call the main plot.
I’m looking at the novel(s) I am working on and getting a bit worried that, while there’s a strong love story in each, the main plot of the book is something else. Any way to know if they’d qualify?
Jonathan
Thanks for joining the fray. The simple answer to your question is that a romance novel is one that has a HEA or a “hopeful” ending.
Here’s how The Romance Writers of America (RWA) define a romance:
Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.
A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.
An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love.
This definition from RWA may be helpful to you in terms of the novels you’re working on
“Novels with Strong Romantic Elements
A work of fiction in which a romance plays a significant part in the story, but other themes or elements take the plot beyond the traditional romance boundaries.”
Here’s a link to the RWA site:
http://www.rwa.org/cs/the_romance_genre
Ah, wayyy late. Sent here by Erasts’ LJ post.
I think there are a combination of factors operating. When I started reading and writing pro m/m about five years back, there weren’t that many books out there, and much of what was drek was obvious from an excerpt. But there weren’t so many excerpts to wade through, either. Now, we see more books in a single sub-category — vampires, for instance – than you’d see in the whole genre.
And the game seems to have become less about writing well and more about writing fast and then promoting the hell out of it. Even the chat lists are no longer *chat* lists, they are “post an intriguing subject line and then drag the audience off to YOUR blog.” The yahoo lists used to have a sense of community. Now they’re just billboards for ads for individual blogs, and sites for endless repetitive promos where a handful of readers enter all the contests and nobody actually converses.
And the actual quality of the stories is never discussed except to slather praise on the latest release. Most review sites — this one and Speak Its Name are the two most notable exceptions — have policies that ensures free books for review — nothing negative, nothing critical, nothing that could possibly offend. This means more people spending their money on something they regret, and eventually getting turned off
Some of the quality issue is due to is publisher haste. Some of it is editors who don’t really know what a content edit is. (I get more useful content crit from my wife and a writing friend I won’t embarrass by praising her here than I have from my actual editor.) And sometimes editing is very awkward – an editor trying to impose her style on the writer, rather than bring out the writer’s voice. Though that is true in any genre. A degree in English doesn’t impart the skill to know how to do content edit. The only people I know who are any good at it are also voracious readers.
One thing I do find: I am weary of sex scenes that seem to be thrown in because the writer can’t think of anything better to do. Trouble is, though, that’s precisely what many readers DO want. I’d bet that for every person here who’s said they would rather have plot and characterization than hawt buttsecks, there are ten readers who buy the book solely for that.
Romance as a genre has gotten a lowbrow reputation not because of mean, awful critics, but because MANY readers are not at all critical and DO read only for the vicarious gratification of an HEA or HFN. They want the formula and nothing but the formula. And this formula, driven by those readers (who do buy books, and lots of them) have an effect on what publishers produce. Hell, when we see readers–and we do–who vow that they will never touch a writer’s work if either of the two heroes has anything to do with a woman.. when we see readers who MUST have a female character so they can relate (this puzzles me; isn’t it possible to relate to the 90% of a person that isn’t genital?) it’s obvious that much of what’s driving the machinery is the demand from readers who are not, in fact, much concerned with the quality of the writing.
And I suppose we are to blame for this in some respects. By promoting the genre, we’ve attracted people who are quite simply hacks that would write anything they can sell. If you have never run across a story where one of the characters had been given a hasty name change and gender reassignment and been popped back into a hackneyed romance formula plot… I certainly have. (If I never run across another frakking “alpha” male/submissive “beta” again, I’ll be one happy reader.)
I’ve got a question to ask in return: Are those readers who are getting saturated reading outside the m/m genre? I know I do; If I couldn’t cleanse my mental palate with a little Pratchett or Bujold or Wodehouse, I’d have run screaming from the genre years ago. I don’t think I will ever stop wanting to read gay (or lesbian) romances, and I do prefer happy endings because I can read the news for everything else. But I’m getting more and more selective about which books I will buy.
Hi Lee
It’s good to see you here and thanks to Erastes for sending you the link. It’s been interesting reading all the comments. It seems that many readers feel like I do, but until the authors and publishers are prepared to change their evil ways or until readers rebel, develop a pair and refuse to buy books from certain authors and pubs, there won’t be an appreciable change.
And I suppose we are to blame for this in some respects. By promoting the genre, we’ve attracted people who are quite simply hacks that would write anything they can sell. If you have never run across a story where one of the characters had been given a hasty name change and gender reassignment and been popped back into a hackneyed romance formula plot… I certainly have. (If I never run across another frakking “alpha” male/submissive “beta” again, I’ll be one happy reader.)
These are some of the problems I, too, have with the genre – a lack of imagination and recycling old hackneyed tropes without updating them or the characterizations. Reviewers read many more books than “regular” readers who depend on us to give them honest opinions about the books we read. I suppose we feel an obligation to continue reading poorly written/edited books so that others will know, before they buy, what to expect and what we think they should avoid.
One thing I do find: I am weary of sex scenes that seem to be thrown in because the writer can’t think of anything better to do. Trouble is, though, that’s precisely what many readers DO want.
You’re absolutely right. I did a survey over a year ago and many readers admitted that they loved the sex, so many authors are caught between some publishers who demand more sex and those readers who only buy books that are way up there on the erotic meter.
I’ve got a question to ask in return: Are those readers who are getting saturated reading outside the m/m genre?
I can only speak for myself. I read extensively in other genres because I would go mad if all I read was M/M. I don’t think you will find many readers who read only M/M books who are still sane.
Thanks again for dropping by Lee.
Hi Wave
I’m a bit late to the party but had to leave a comment as this post really struck a chord with me.
I’ve only been reading m/m for about a year but I have to say that at the moment I’m bored with it. I used to read a 2 or 3 books a year but when I discovered m/m when I got my kindle I couldn’t get enough and was reading 2 or 3 books a week.
The idea that I could read any genre I liked with gay MCs was so appealing back then I guess I let a lot slide. However after spending well over a thousand quid on books and only having finished half of them, I’ve had to re-evaluate why I enjoyed this genre so much to begin with and why I don’t now.
I guess it was the novelty that I could read the stories I loved with a protagonist like me but I’ve come to realise that most of the time these aren’t the stories I loved but cheap imitations with gay characters that wanna go all Harlequin Romance on me, drop what they are doing (I like sci-fi/action/fantasy/para etc. so you know there’s usually some big crisis going on) so they can moan and groan and quiver and shiver and come with fireworks and love… it’s so annoying I just skip it and read the dialogue so I don’t miss anything (if you can call “ooh”s “ahh”s and “oh my god”s dialogue…
So I guess I’ve come to the realisation that maybe m/m isn’t what I’m looking for because I want the romance to be a subplot like it is almost every other book I read or film I watch. I want it there, I want it to be between to men and I don’t want it to be doomed but I don’t want it thrown in my face. It should be woven into the story to enhance it… so that it it was missing completely, the story would still be enjoyable and complete.
As for writing sex, if I needed that, I would (and do) watch porn. There can be sexy moments but I don’t wanna know that the guy’s getting a hard-on or read about the sweet pain of that first cock up his arse. I’m not a prude, I could talk about or have sex all day long but I it makes me uncomfortable reading about my heroes getting down and dirty. I want them to have balls on the battlefield not, use them to T-bag their best mate while they’re in the middle of saving the world.
So maybe m/m romance isn’t my thing but where am I to go? Read great action/sci-fi/fantasy/para books where the guy gets the girl? Read grim artsy-fartsy gay novels where everyone’s miserable? Or stick with m/m and spend a fortune until I find that one treasure I’ve been looking for?
Wow! I’ve been ranting but m/m got me back into reading (and I’m grateful for that) but I’m hooked and the dealer who had the good stuff’s left town
Hello Extremeboi
I feel exactly the same. I think m/m is going through a period I don’t like and the dealer who got me hooked HAS left town.
It’s funny how similar our tastes are. I never grew up on Harlequin romances and didn’t develop a taste for them. I read a few “Harlequinesque” type books and bodice rippers but soon tired of them because they weren’t to my taste – they smacked of the kinds of stories my mother would enjoy. There’s nothing wrong with Harlequin type stories, it’s just not what I want to read
I like action/adventure, fantasies and mysteries and I hate it when the entire story is about angst and the love affair and there’s so much sex my eyes cross. How many times can you read the same thing over and over, the only difference being the names of the MCs and the locations?
This is what I’m looking for:
When I find these books they can’t keep me away from them because I LOVE to read. Like you, I’m still searching and sometimes I find a gem, but not often recently.
There are lots of excellent writers out there, gay writers and straight, who write the kinds of books you might enjoy. If you like mysteries you could try the Todd Mills Mysteries by R. Zimmerman that won’t set you back a lot of money.
The books are available on Kindle for $0.99 each. Try a couple and see if you like them. I hope you do.
Don’t be a stranger next time.
Hi Wave
Thanks for the welcome back! I just re-read my post at it really did sound ranty. I just downloaded a sample of Closet from Amazon UK and I’ll give it a go based on your rec.
I’ve been thinking about sex in novels and how it never bothered me outside of the romance genre because a) you didn’t know it was coming unless you’d been warned by a review or a friend, b) it was almost always called for and c) almost always well written. It was kind of exciting to wonder will they/won’t they? But now when I see it coming, I dread it. I have a favourites category on my Kindle and I was so fed up with everything else I was reading I went back to some of them and although I love those books, if there was a sex scene, it made me cringe because of just the shear VOULME,/b> of literary sex I’ve exposed myself to… not to mention badly written sex. I definitely need a break from it.
I remember you did that post about hot vs. sweet m/m romances and gave a few recs. I’ll have to go back and choose only those with a heat level zero for now. But knowing my luck I’ve probably read them all!
Ugh… screwed up my tags and couldn’t edit comment. Sorry about the bold.
Here’s an absolute must if you haven’t read any of the books in this series – Cut and Run is the first story released in 2008, and book 4 Divide & Conquer will be released a week Friday. The authors are Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban and the publisher is Dreamspinner.
If you want to check out the MC’s, we’re interviewing them on the site today (I should say the fans are)
and here’s a link to the interview:
http://tinyurl.com/3qujz6l
My other favourite series that I think you would absolutely love is Dangerous Ground by Josh Lanyon. All the books are reviewed on the site. The last one is Dead Run released in September.
I hope you will check out these recommendations. I have been hooked on these two series since I started reading them both in 2008.
If you want any more recs. email me.
“I thought I just needed a longer rather than a short break from them, but lots of other readers seem to be suffering from the same ailment.”
Sing it sister! Yell it from the roof tops.
I agree.