Romance or erotica?

I’m a reader of many genres, and many a non-fiction subject.
I have been a longtime romance reader. Depending upon my mood, I will read romances with sexuality explicit content. And, some times I won’t. But, that doesn’t make me a fan of erotica.
Let me explain…
Within publishing- and library-land, romance novels – ie ‘category romances’ – are about characters and their relationships and Happily Ever Afters (HEAs).
Erotica, conversely, is about sex. (Feel free to dispute this.)
In fiction, as in real life, I’m not a fan of sex for sex’s sake. Therefore, erotica, sans romance, is not my cup of tea. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t understand its appeal to others – both in fiction, and in real life.
I prefer to read character-driven well-plotted books – and that includes romances – in which sex (present or not, explicit or not) adds to the characters’ relationship and on-going story. I am not fond of books with lots of explicit sex scenes which have characters and plot thrown in, only to kill time, or so it seems, until the next sex scene.
(Therefore, I’m at a lost to explain the appeal of Elizabeth Amber’s Lords of Satyr series, but I’m not the only romance reader confounded by the compulsion to read them all. That said, the author makes a good attempt at world-building, and deals with characters’ and emotions, and not just the sex. I’ll keep telling myself that.)
Recently, I’ve found myself defending the inclusion of ménage books in the romance section of the library. Humans are weird. Emotions are weirder. Relationship, weirder still. So, along as it works and makes sense – in fiction and in real life – I can believe in romance between more than two people.
Isn’t limiting love to a couple just as discriminatory as denying a same-sex relationship? (Don’t misunderstand me, that doesn’t mean I support polygamy or polyandry when it is not based on mutual love, respect and trust. I do not defend any relationship not based on these.)
Now, does reading romance novels – explicit or not – affect my relationships? Am I just waiting for Mr Right to sweep me away? No. And I never have. I know that they are fantasies. Just like my reading of crime (novels and true-crime non-fiction) doesn’t make me a serial killer. (Nor, I hasten to add, a criminal of any description.)
I knew there was a disconnect between what you read and enjoy, and what you do and believe, early in my life. I might have hoped that my wardrobe was magical, but I didn’t spend hours inside it, hoping to travel somewhere else. I didn’t read scary or horror stories as a child, but there were still monsters under my bed. (They were there before I started watching the creepy and scary Sapphire and Steel TV series. A show that was so scary my parents were afraid to watch it, leaving me – about 10 – watching it by myself, after they’d gone to bed. And, yes, I had permission.)
When a teacher at my secondary school realised I was reading romances, she commented to my mother (who was on the staff). I overheard my mother say ‘I don’t care what she’s reading, I know she’s not going to go out and do it.’ (That’s because none of my older siblings had turned into Satanists, even if they had been reading Mum’s Dennis Wheatley’s Duke de Richleau books.)
Where does this leave me?

• Still reading romance, when the mood strikes, after 30(ish) years
• Although I do still feel defensive library staff look at me sideways, or make comments, when I request said romance.
• Which leads to point three: in my not-terribly-grown-up head saying ‘I have a Masters degree in English lit. Take that, and stop judging me by my reading’.

In searching the Oxford English Dictionary for help with the definitions, I find:
Romance: A story of romantic love, esp. one which deals with love in a sentimental or idealized way; a book, film, etc., with a narrative or story of this kind. Also as mass noun: literature of this kind.
Erotica: Matters of love; erotic literature or art (freq. as a heading in catalogues).
Pornography: The explicit description or exhibition of sexual subjects or activity in literature, painting, films, etc., in a manner intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic feelings; printed or visual material containing this. A distinction is often made between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ pornography, on the basis of how explicit or taboo the material in question is held to be.

~ Editorial by Aud Selene.

Between the duke and the deep blue sea by Sophia Nash

Regency Hangover with the Royal Entourage!

I was alerted to this new series via Facebook. I follow Julia Quinn, who is also published by Avon, and she mentioned the series receiving starred reviews – a very rare thing for a mass-market title, let alone a genre title, lest still for historical romance.

Welcome to Regency London, a popular time and setting for historical romance, with all its aristocratic excesses.

It comes to a head when six dukes, the Prince Regent, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, gather together to celebrate the Duke of Candover’s last night as a bachelor. Unfortunately, a surfeit of absinthe leads to scandal – and no wedding, as the groom and his party fail to turn up for the ceremony.

The news explodes through the broadsheets and the public clamour for redress and punishment. This reaction is entirely believable, as the Prince Regent was often attacked in the media due to his excessive spending. It was a period of increasing social unrest, and division between the social classes.
This is the first novel of the series – which earned a starred review from Booklist.

In order to appear to be doing something, the Prince Regent chooses Alex, the Duke of Kress, as his first scapegoat (well, it was his valet who supplied the absinthe from his cellars). Banished to Cornwall, Alex is tasked with refortifying St Michael’s Mount, and marrying from a list of potential brides, supplied by the Prince, within a month.

Upon arriving in Cornwall, Alex finds Roxanne, Countess of Paxton, clinging for life halfway down a cliff, left to die by her husband.

From such an unusual meeting, the course of love between the two would never by typical. Add in a house party of dukes, eligible ladies, eccentric family members and staff – and a murdering husband lurking around – and you get a witty, unpredictable, and entirely original read.

I, for one, am hanging out for the rest of the series – the second is The Art of Duke Hunting, featuring the missing Duke of Norwich (this novel earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly) – what did happen to Norwich? Will Isabelle win her duke? Will the Prince’s hair grow back?

~ Reviewed by Aud Selene.

The crimson thread by Suzanne Weyn

Sometimes the best books are the ones that feel familiar, books that take a story you love and add a little flavour of their own - and that is exactly what you get with The crimson thread by Suzanne Weyn.  Bridget and her family come to the loud and crowded streets of New York from a small village in Ireland, a chance for a fresh start for all of them. 

Nothing is what they expected, everything is crowded and dirty, and even their apartment is cramped and dirty.  They make do and count their blessings, especially when they all find work quickly, but after a problem at their work forces her father and older brothers to leave the rest of the family behind while they find new jobs, it becomes a struggle. 

A new job with a wealthy family seems like a dream come true, especially when Bridget starts to learn new skills that make her a better seamstress - but all those skills count for nothing when her fathers boasting leads her to agree to the impossible.  But somehow it is not impossible, not when she has a guardian angel who seems intent on keeping her safe, although his attention is not without its own terrible price.

The crimson thread is an expert retelling of the classic Rumplestiltskin, and if you will excuse the pun, Suzanne Weyn has taken the threads of the original story and woven a tale that is all her own.  The echo of the original is there, but there is also so much more, and you can't help but cheer for Bertie (as Bridget is soon called) as she manages to make her way through the hazards life and her father put in her way.  A heart warming story that was over much too quickly.

If you enjoyed The crimson thread then you may also enjoy other books in the Once upon a time series by authors including Suzanne Weyn, Cameron Dokey, and Nancy Holder.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

A witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

The move from London to Winter is a culture shock for Anna in more ways than one - she has moved from a big bustling city to a small coastal town, and along the way she has discovered that she is a witch.  Not a fly on a broomstick, stir a big cauldron kind of witch, but rather a power from inside herself kind of witch.  It all come as something of a shock, especially when she finds out by casting a love spell with a group of friends that was a little too successful. 

Now Anna is caught between two factions of witches, and she has no idea which way to turn.  On one hand she has the people who have taken her in, tried to teach her about her powers and to be responsible and careful - and on the other hand there is the group that makes her feel as though there is something they want from her.  Anna will have to make a choice eventually, and there are some people who will do anything to make sure that she makes the "right" choice.

A witch in Winter is the first book in a trilogy, and if this first book is anything to go by it is going to be an explosive series with action, adventure, magic, and a thorough sprinkling of romance to top it off.  Warburton is a fantastic author who has taken a very ordinary little seaside village and turned it into the location of epic battles, ancient mythology, and secret societies bent on control.  A fantastic read that I wanted to finish in one sitting to see what happened next.

If you enjoyed A witch in Winter then you may also enjoy The pledge by Kimberly Derting, The selection by Kiera Cass, Pushing the limits by Katie McGarry, The treachery of beautiful things by Ruth Long, and Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

The Attolia books by Megan Whalen Turner

A couple of years ago, there was an online poll on which literary character you'd dump your life for and run away with... Ok, there were a few Darcy fans, some Gilbert Blythe...

But, there was a groundswell of support for Eugenides, star of the Attolia books by Megan Whalen Turner, beginning with the eponymous The Thief.

I'll be upfront here - I'm one of them. Well, actually, I am deeply in literary-love with Eugenides, but will also admit he would be an utter pain to live with!

It's so difficult to say why I love this series - and Eugenides - without giving the plot away.

What I can say is, each book has its own character. As you read through the series (in chronological order: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, The Conspiracy of Kings), the story is shown through different eyes.

Book three, in particular, is interesting in this regard. We, his loyal and loving fans, know what Eugenides is like... but the book's mouthpiece, doesn't. And, you spend a fair amount of the book just waiting for the real Eugenides to show up.

There is action, romance, politics, religion, intrigue... Oh, these books have everything!

A hint of the type of man Eugenides is... when his Gods talk to him, they say things like 'stop whining' and 'go to bed'.

And, I am not the only fan who has struggled to share how ABSO-BLOOMING-LUTELY marvellous these books are, without sharing spoilers. Check out this Booksmugglers review.


Check out the book trailer and see if this book sounds like you...

To recommend books like this is very nearly impossible. There's the fantasy and world-building that comes with great fantasy. And court-politics. And romance. And... just so many things! But, it's the characters that make this one.

So - giving it my best shot! Crown duel and Court duel by Sherwood Smith. Maria V. Snyder: Poison study, Magic study, Fire study and the related series Storm glass, Sea glass and Spy glass. The Elantra series by Michelle Sagara.

~ Reviewed by Aud Selene.

Everything I know about love I learned from romance novels by Sarah Wendell

An odd read from me. Well, sort of...

I do read umpteen-dozen romance novels, however, I am not a fan of romance in my own life.

That said - reading this book, helped me realise that part of my decision to be romance/relationship-free is actually as a result of reading romance novels.

"Romance novels taught me it is never OK to let a man take advantage of you" quote from Caroline, A Reader.

For me, this is true - but I can translate it wider: value yourself and don't stay in a crap relationship.

But - enough about me! Onto the book...

If you've ever wondered about your own personal addiction to romance novels, this book will help explain it.

If you've ever wondered about someone else's addiction to romance novels, this book will help explain it.

Gathered together from interviews with romance novel authors and readers, this is a wonderful exploration of one of the most popular genres in fiction - ever.

And, no, romance novel readers do not - on the whole - live expecting Romancelandia values and occurences to happen in real life. So, we are not expecting a disguised duke to be hanging around as a Texan cowboy.

The author, Sarah Wendell, is one of the Smart Bitches - from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blog - one of the best places EVER for romance readers.

By turns funny and heart-breaking, this is a wonderful read. It goes to prove that romance novel readers are the first to laugh at themselves - and their preferred genre. But, we're also prone to defensiveness. Seriously, who wouldn't be when your very intellect and ability to differentiate between fantasy and reality is questioned by almost everyone, based on the type of book you read... Oh yes, carry around a romance novel, and people feel free to comment on your reading choice. But, no one says things like 'oh, Kafka. How try-hard intellectual of you'...

Other interesting books about life lessons learned from pop culture, of one sort or another are: Everything I need to know I learned from  a children's book; Everything I needed to know about being a girl I learned from Judy Blume; All I really need to know I learned from watching Star Trek.

Don't forgot to check out Sarah's other great book about romance novels: Beyond heaving bosoms...

~ Reviewed by Aud Selene.