I’m super picky when it comes to romances. I think most romance readers are. We tend to know what tropes we like and avoid what we don’t.
I’ve been realizing though that I have a set of words that will make me run in the other direction if I read them in the book blurb.
Billionaire
No thank you. I don’t like the suspension of disbelief that reading about billionaire romance dudes makes me have. At the same time I fully acknowledge that I read historical romances with nobility. That is the historical equivalent of billionaires. I do not like this cognitive dissonance. Â
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Handsome
What’s wrong with handsome? It’s a romance. You’d expect handsome to play a part. I think I don’t like an emphasis on physical attractiveness right up front. I want people to like each other for their personalities. I like the slow development of feelings. If you have the hero described as handsome right in the book blurb, it raises my hackles.
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Sexy/Desire/Sizzling
This is along the same lines as handsome. I don’t like books that emphasize physical relationships over emotional ones. I’m a big fan of romances that have zero sex. It doesn’t mean I won’t read ones with physical activities but honestly, I tend to flip through those sections. They bore me.Â
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Do you have irrational disqualifications when reading book blurbs?
I might be deemed a terrible person for this, but when people call a book “important”, I roll my eyes. That’s a big claim to know what’s important to all people, you know.
I don’t read many traditional romances – mostly just YA. But I agree with your overall thoughts here.
I can relate to the “billionaire” turn off while still enjoying the “royalty.” And, I don’t feel the need to justify it. 🙂