As my list of books read gets longer, I find I’m getting pickier with the new books that I buy. I want specific story lines and the right kind of hero and heroine. I want smart and sassy, wicked and wild, and a little bit of sickeningly sweet. I don’t know if it’s just me, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to find a story I can lose myself in. So anyway, I decided to compile a list of things I look for in a romance.
1. Cover Art
I know it shouldn’t affect my decision, but it does. If the cover looks bad to me, it makes me wonder if the story is bad too. Cover art also influences the way I picture the lead characters. Too many books show blonds on the cover, when the heroine is actually brunet, or vice versa. So as I read, my mind wars with the descriptions.
2. Interesting Story Line
Some story lines are getting old for me. Cop and detective stories, for one. They do nothing for me these days.
3. Must Be a Series
I look for books that are in a series, because I love to get totally dragged into the lives of all the characters. And if an author can make me eager for the next character’s love story, that’s the best.
4. Removed From Reality
I have no interest in stories that are based on something that can happen in real life. This sort of goes back to the cop/detective thing. I don’t want to read a long story about chasing an insane killer while two partners fall for each other. Blech. I guess that means no thank you to murder mysteries.
5. Alpha Male
I need a hot alpha male with attitude, a slight sense of honor, and a wicked dark side. Oh yeah, pack me up some of that to go.
6. Great Female Lead
I also need a smart witty female who can challenge the hero and drive him a little nuts at the same time. Females are probably the most difficult to write. Their emotions are much more complex and convoluted than any guy. You may say, “but my guy has really deep thoughts.” No he doesn’t. He thinks about food, sex, work, and sleep. Not always in that order. Any deep thoughts he comes up with are derived from the desire to get one of those four thing accomplished.
7. That Brings Me to Sex
Don’t stiff me on the sex! I hate when the sexual tension gets built up to a fever pitch, only to receive one mild sex scene before the end of the book. This happens mostly in older books. These days, authors are getting a little bolder when it comes to sexing up their characters. However, I don’t want sex scenes at the cost of story line. Ha! Just try to please me, I dare you. LOL.
So anyway, that’s my long list of requirements. As you can guess, I don’t always find what I’m looking for, but the hunt is fun nonetheless.
