Hi there!
I'm new here and I hope to maybe get a few suggestions for romance books from you. And I realize I have rather big expectations, but please bear with me^^
Now, the thing is, I've never liked romance books. The one exception was Pride and Predjudice, I liked that one. The few others I've read were always way too cliché and cheesy. Also, I absolutely hate those stupid missunderstandings some writers let their main characters have just so there is some drama. I also dislike stories in which the characters constantly go shopping or to parties. And there's also the matter of those incredibly inequal relationships, which usually go like: Guy is some kind of supernatural being, girl is very ordinary. So ordinary in fact, that I can't see in the slightest why he would even be interested in her. And of course he's so perfect that he's also incredibly boring *cough*Twilight*cough*. Nope, please nothing of the sort for me. I mean, there's nothing wrong with one of them being a supernatural being, as long as the other one also matters. In Twilight, for example, one could substitute Bella for just about any other female, as long as "her blood also smelled as sweet" to Edward. I hope you get what I mean.
I'm a huge fan of fantasy literature, and until recently I've read little else. Of course, there was also the occasional romance in those books, which I usually didn't mind. So I was thinking that maybe it wasn't the romance part I disliked, but rather the things surrounding it. Maybe the ones I've read until now were aimed only at a teenage audience or I simply didn't have much luck picking them.
Now, no matter, what kind of story, I like the characters to actually be intelligent and have believeable reactions and feelings (even in a very fictional setting). I like them to have faults and little quirks. I like relationships, in which the participants (and they don't necessarily have to be a guy and a girl) can both help/support the other, even if maybe in different ways.
The story doesn't have to be overly serious, it can also have comedy elements. What I don't like is tragedy. In contrary, the chance that I'd even start reading a book is exponentially higher if it has a happy ending.
Optional, but appreciated, would also be a setting which isn't in a big city, but maybe in the countryside.
Okay, those are quite the criteria... But not completely unreasonable ones, I hope.
I'm looking forward to your suggestions!
Illienne
I'm new here and I hope to maybe get a few suggestions for romance books from you. And I realize I have rather big expectations, but please bear with me^^
Now, the thing is, I've never liked romance books. The one exception was Pride and Predjudice, I liked that one. The few others I've read were always way too cliché and cheesy. Also, I absolutely hate those stupid missunderstandings some writers let their main characters have just so there is some drama. I also dislike stories in which the characters constantly go shopping or to parties. And there's also the matter of those incredibly inequal relationships, which usually go like: Guy is some kind of supernatural being, girl is very ordinary. So ordinary in fact, that I can't see in the slightest why he would even be interested in her. And of course he's so perfect that he's also incredibly boring *cough*Twilight*cough*. Nope, please nothing of the sort for me. I mean, there's nothing wrong with one of them being a supernatural being, as long as the other one also matters. In Twilight, for example, one could substitute Bella for just about any other female, as long as "her blood also smelled as sweet" to Edward. I hope you get what I mean.
I'm a huge fan of fantasy literature, and until recently I've read little else. Of course, there was also the occasional romance in those books, which I usually didn't mind. So I was thinking that maybe it wasn't the romance part I disliked, but rather the things surrounding it. Maybe the ones I've read until now were aimed only at a teenage audience or I simply didn't have much luck picking them.
Now, no matter, what kind of story, I like the characters to actually be intelligent and have believeable reactions and feelings (even in a very fictional setting). I like them to have faults and little quirks. I like relationships, in which the participants (and they don't necessarily have to be a guy and a girl) can both help/support the other, even if maybe in different ways.
The story doesn't have to be overly serious, it can also have comedy elements. What I don't like is tragedy. In contrary, the chance that I'd even start reading a book is exponentially higher if it has a happy ending.
Optional, but appreciated, would also be a setting which isn't in a big city, but maybe in the countryside.
Okay, those are quite the criteria... But not completely unreasonable ones, I hope.
I'm looking forward to your suggestions!
Illienne