Confessions of a (former) Romance Snob
My name is Katie Mack and I have a confession to make: I am a romance snob. At least I was until quite recently. I wasn’t a snob about romance novels in general, having read them since age 11. No, I was a snob about historical romances in particular.
You see, for 18 years I operated under the belief that all historical romances were bodice-rippers filled with awful rapist heroes and doormat heroines. Why, oh why, I’d ask myself, would a reader—a woman, no less—subject herself to such horrendous drivel? Why would a modern woman choose to read about a time when women were oppressed and the hygiene was problematic, when there are all of these wonderful contemporary romances at the tips of her fingers?
My snobbery knew no bounds. When my friends or family would comment on my questionable taste in books (read: romances), I would haughtily reply that I don’t read those romances, I read contemporaries. On message boards and review sites, I steadfastly ignored all praise of historical romances—DIK or not—and turned up my nose at the readers. Clearly they had dubious taste in reading material.
Then one day, quite to my dismay, I was forced to actually read a historical romance. I had been following, and rather enjoying, Suzanne Enoch’s Samantha Jellicoe series when I reached book four: Twice the Temptation. Ms. Enoch had decided to combine her two genres, historical and contemporary, into a book of two connected novellas, the second being the Samantha Jellicoe story. My ultimate goal of course was to read the contemporary story, but in order to fully understand it I felt I must force myself through the historical novella first. “Woe is me!” I thought, but I endeavored to forge ahead.
So forge ahead I did, and something shocking happened: I didn’t hate it. In fact, I daresay I actually liked it. There was no rapist hero, no doormat heroine, no ripping of bodices. Perhaps it is simply Ms. Enoch who doesn’t write those books, I thought.
There was now a crack in my snobbish façade. I found myself paying attention to historical reviews, and finally listening to all the good things being said about Amanda Quick’s early historicals. I decided to take the plunge. After combing through DIK reviews and the Top 100 poll, I carefully chose Ravished as my first full-length historical novel—though I must admit to some consternation over the title. It languished on my TBR shelf until one afternoon when nothing else sounded appealing and I decided to give it a go. And I loved it. 100% full-on adoration. It was so good. Could it be that I could actually like historical romances? Who knew?
Slowly, one by one, I began adding historicals to my TBR list—after careful consideration, of course. And slowly, book by book, my respect for historicals began to grow. In addition to Enoch and Quick I added Maggie Osborne and Elizabeth Hoyt (who I could spend hours gushing about). To my TBR list I’ve added Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase, and Carla Kelly. The list keeps growing.
I thought that an historical time period would be unappealing, but I actually find it quite fascinating to read and learn about how people lived two hundred years ago. And I’m building a whole new vocabulary of words like phaeton and hoyden and rusticate. But one of the biggest surprises for me was that where I previously escaped the stressors of daily life with a contemporary romance, I’m finding that in these tough financial times it is the historical novels that are providing me the true escape.
I think I must feel something akin to what a literature snob experiences after they actually read a romance or two and realize, “So this is why romances are so popular, ‘cause this stuff is really, really good.” I’ve come to appreciate that historicals can be as lush, compelling, sexy, smart, and wonderful as my beloved contemporaries. It’s like a whole new world of books has opened up for me, and I’m loving every minute of it.
The other day a friend of mine caught me reading To Taste Temptation and he asked, “I thought you didn’t read those ones?” To which I responded quite haughtily that, “Of course I read them. They’re quite good you know—nothing like those bodice-rippers of the past that people talk about.”
Hmmm, maybe I am still a bit of a snob – though I am open to new book suggestions.
-Katie Mack
All of Eva Ibbotson’s novels are lovely. Madensky Square is great, but try these: A Countess Below Stairs, which is completely, totally charming; Magic Flutes, ditto; and A Company of Swans. She’s a wonderful writer, in the grand style, with villainous villains and completely engaging heroes and heroines. Very highly recommended.
Her books are being reissued, by the way, and the names have been changed on a couple, for some mysterious reason.
Re: PA, I considered him a virgin hero, he was of an age when he married Gigi where most men would’ve had sex and thought nothing of it, nad if Sherry is still around maybe she can clearify, but I remember before his and Gigi’s seperation he was somewhat, pure of heart and inocent, and after it I think he became more jaded, for that I think his viginity was important as it was a physical sign of his emotional state.
Katie: Thanks for the list…must get to UBS soon… :)
I hadn’t read a historical in years until last year when I had gone through quite a few contemps that were highly rated but were disappointing to me. It started with Bet Me by Crusie (I know I’m in the minority on that one) and it seemed like it was one bomb after another for me for a while. In desperation I started looking for an A rated historical and found Kleypas. I think she’s who got me restarted into historicals. I see you have Balogh in your TBR. She has some very good ones too.
I recently used the reader recommended list here in conjunction with the reviews to come up with highlighted pages of what I wanted to buy on my last trip to the ubs. I figure if the review is great and readers love it, it’s at least ok. My plan is to try one of certain well known authors I’ve never read before. One I bought was Duke of Sin by Adele Ashworth and while it’s ok I had just finished Slightly Tempted by Balogh and it just didn’t rate up there. I also started Night Fire by Catherine Coulter and while its pretty good, it’s an older one ’89 and has the heroine tortured in the beginning and I’m having a hard time with that. I have Almost Heaven by McNaught in my TBR pile and I think I might give that one a shot tonight. I love her contemporaries…
Magnolia88 – I agree that it is misleading to list a hero as a “”virgin”” if it’s not a major or even semi-major point in the book. Thanks for the rec’s. I really would like to read a virgin hero just because it sounds different.
I can’t imagine why anyone put Camden of PA on a list of “”virgin heroes.”” Now that I think about it, he may have been a virgin when he met and married Gigi because they were both very young, but when the book starts, that happened 10 years in the past and he’s been with other women in the meantime.
I think it’s really misleading to put him on a list of “”virgin heroes.”” Every hero was a virgin at some point in their youth and if the book contains a flashback to when the hero was a virgin, does that make him a “”virgin hero””? If you want a real virgin hero, try Outlander, or Untouched by Anna Campbell. There are many other actual virgin heroes on that list. I know Eloisa James has one.
Magnolia88 – Seriously? He’s not a virgin hero? I thought he was because it’s on the Special Titles Listing for Virginal Heroes, which is based on reader suggestions. Grrr. That’s the second book I’ve found on that list that was wrong. Why do readers suggest books for lists when they don’t meet the criteria? Did they just not read the book?
MaryK – Thank you for reminding me about that. In fact, the author’s first book, Absolute Trouble, is a FREE e-book download, and the rest of her backlist is available for only $1.50 each! Seriously good deal. Here’s the link: http://www.inkalicious.com/inkstore.php
I think the Michelle Jerrott/Michele Albert books are out of print, but I was able to buy them as ebooks from the author’s website.
Virgin Hero?? I don’t remember that from Private Arrangements. Unless we’re talking about a different book. PA has a married hero who has been estranged from his wife for ten years. And he wasn’t celibate during their separation.
Magnolia88 – I’ve heard very good things about Private Arrangements, and part of the reason I’m looking forward to it is that I’ve never read a virgin hero before. It should prove an interesting change of pace.
Jane – I definitely agree that lurid covers are a big part of keeping the bodice-ripper reputation. Plus, the Fabio legacy has not been a good one. And the father you mentioned sounds like a pompous ass. A signed picture of Fabio? Give me a break. Even my snobbery wasn’t that bad.
I was interviewing for a babysitting job a few weeks ago, and I had sent my resume to the parents. The father asked, “”So you review romance novels?”” I confirmed that it was true, and he continued, “”You mean bodice rippers?”” I laughed a bit, and said, “”Yes, though most readers don’t like that term. It’s pretty outdated.”” So he asks, “”Do you have a signed picture of Fabio on your wall?””
Urg. I think one of the biggest reasons historicals have their Reputation is the covers– as you so perfectly displayed with the picture with this post. I don’t think contemporaries are quite so lurid, and anyone who is unfamiliar with historicals just gets a mental picture of Fabio tearing off the dress of some top-heavy woman with a vacant expression on her face. Not exactly representative of what the books actually are, is it?
Katie: Thanks for the contemporary recs. I haven’t even heard of most of those books.
And Outlander is a must-read, although I personally don’t even consider it a romance novel. It’s more of a historical fantasy adventure epic with a huge side of romance. :)
Private Arrangements is also a beautifully written story and hugely popular for good reason. I had issues with the hero’s behavior, but I highly recommend it. Sherry Thomas is extremely talented.
Another recent book I liked is Scandal by Carolyn Jewel, and I’ve never read anything by her previously. Also Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran was really good, another new author.
RobinB – I’ll have to look into the Gabaldon series. I know it’s well-loved – even my non-romance reading sister loves it! And I also hate to read books in a series out of order so I appreciate the heads up on the Clare novels.
Hi Katie,
I’m a historical romance reader who actually started out by reading the Outlander series (most of it!) by Diana Gabaldon. It’s history mixed in with fantasy, and while waiting for the next volume in the series, I started reading other varieties of romance. Magnolia88 mentioned “”Ride the Fire”” by Pamela Clare, and I agree that that’s a wonderful book as are books by Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, et. al. Before you read “”Ride the Fire””, be warned that it’s #3 in a series (“”Sweet Release”” and “”Carnal Gift”” are the first two in that order). I know this was discussed in another blog entry, but I hate starting a book only to find out it’s the third or fourth volume in a series and I haven’t read the earlier ones!
Okay, here’s a list of some of my favorite contemporaries (excluding Gibson, Crusie, and SEP). Unfortunately some of these titles are out of print, but should be available used. I believe that all of them have been reviewed by AAR.
Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves
Absolute Trouble and All Night Long by Michelle Jerrott
Off Limits by Michele Albert
Suzanne Enoch’s Samantha Jellicoe series
Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone
Body Check by Deirdre Martin
Take a Chance on Me by Susan Donovan
Guilty Pleasures by Cathy Yardley
Kathryn Shay’s Firefighters trilogy
Head Over Heels and All Shook Up by Susan Andersen
Robyn Carr’s 1st Virgin River trilogy
Here’s hoping I don’t completely turn you off contemporaries! Another thing you might try is to find a reviewer whose historical tastes compare favorably to your own, then check their contemporary reviews using Power Search.
Please! I will take some contemporary suggestions.
I’ve read most of the books on AAR’s Top 100 list and the contemporaries were hugely disappointing to me. I was not a fan of the SEP and Gibson books on there and Roberts’ books are just “”okay”” to me. I love Crusie, though.
Katie: How about some recommended contemporary titles? I, too, have been put off by the shoe-obsessed ditzes, but would love to discover the contemporaries you describe. Do you have a top 5 or top 10, since the bestseller list is not reliable?
Wow, my TBR list is growing by leaps and bounds! How will I ever find the time? :)
Oh, and Sherry, although I didn’t list it, I enjoyed Delicious and have Private Arrangements waiting to read.
I totally agree with Magnolia88 in that I envy you for having Loretta Chase ahead of you to discover. My favorite of her full-length books is MR. IMPOSSIBLE, but my favorite of all her work is a novella named THE MAD EARL’S BRIDE in the anthology called THREE WEDDINGS AND A KISS. See if you can track her down.
I envy you even more for having Judith Ivory and Laura Kinsale to discover. Ah, if I could forget all about it and read BEAST again…what a revelation that had been, truly all a romance could be and then some.
My happiest recent discovery is an older book by Eva Ibbotson called MADENSKY SQUARE. The spine says romance, and it has a lovely love story and a happy ending though I’m not really sure that it fits the current romance definition. What I do know is that it was a magical read for me. All of historical writing is worldbuilding, and that story contains some of the most magnificent world building I’ve ever read, along with everything else I could want in a story–prose, character, heartbreak, wit, humor, triumph. Sigh. I could go on and on about it.
And be sure to check out Shana Abe too!
Until a couple of months ago, I was exactly where you are – I wouldn’t touch a historical romance novel with a ten-foot pole! My one and only experience with a historical was way back in high school. A friend of mine was hooked on them and gave me either a Rosemary Rogers or Kathleen Woodiwiss novel and I recall it being a true bodice-ripper. I hated it and never read another romance again until a few years ago, and then I only stuck to contemporaries. I don’t know what made me want to broaden my romance reading horizons, but I decided to read Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Just Imagine and really liked it (of course, I have enjoyed almost all of her contemporaries, so I knew hers was a style that I enjoyed). From there, I went on to Kleypas. Loved her! Then Osborne and Spencer (the books I read by them were quite enjoyable). Now, my TBR pile probably includes more historicals than contemporaries, from Chase to Hoyt to Clare to Garwood to Carlyle. . . Some I’ve read have been good, some have been duds, but the same is true of the contemporaries I have read. I’m glad I decided to branch out and I hope you will continue to be, too!
Magnolia88 – I have to disagree with most contemporary heroines being ditzy. While there is certainly a good number of them, I think there is an equal, if not greater number of heroines who aren’t. And to a certain extent, I allow the occasional brain-fart moment in a character because nobody is perfect and I’ve certainly had these moments myself.
My personal reading tastes run more towards not-so-gorgeous characters, and people who aren’t fashion obsessed, because these are the characters I relate to more. There’s quite a large number of contemporaries that feature these types of characters.
As for romantic suspense, there are those that are laughable, those that are labeled “”suspense”” but aren’t suspenseful at all, and those that are really, really good. I lean more towards books that feature a heroine in a law enforcement position, because then I can avoid the whole overdone “”psycho stalking poor defenseless heroine”” plot.
But I do see how it would be easier to suspend disbelief in a historical time period, where you aren’t directly comparing it to your own life.
One thing I’ve found about contemporaries is that bestseller lists don’t often make good TBR lists. There are some bestsellers who are very good, some who are above average, but a whole lot who are just mediocre, IMO. Some of the best contemporary authors are the midlisters.
Katie: Although I do enjoy the occasional contemporary, I still find them far inferior to historicals because I have such a hard time relating to heroines in most contemporaries. Most of them come across as fairly ditzy to me. (What’s with the shoe obsession? Does everybody have to be Carrie Bradshaw?)
I also have a hard time suspending disbelief in the “”romantic suspense”” genre because the plots are often so laughable and the heroines TSTL.
I think that’s why I like historicals – I have no idea what life was like during the Peninsular Wars, or how the ton would react in a certain situation, or so it’s much easier to suspend disbelief.
Thank you all for the recommendations. I’m making a list.
Magnolia88 and Heather: A bias against contemporaries? I’m aghast! But since you have both now discovered them, I won’t go on and on about how good they are.
LeeB – Thank you! Although I can’t take credit for the cover photo. It is quite humorous though, isn’t it?
Like Magnolia88, I held a bias against contemporaries for the longest time. Matter of fact, I didn’t start reading them in earnest until I began reviewing and I’m still playing catch-up.
I’m glad you found historicals and that you’re enjoying them! I have to second the Putney, Clare, and Long recommendations and add Julia Quinn, Jo Goodman and Jo Beverley to the mix.
Another recommendation: Julie Garwood’s early historicals and medievals. They are my favorites. I’ve got my future sister in law reading them and was jealous that she was enjoying them so much that I had to reread them all over again. They are just as perfect as the first time I read them. She is a staple on my bookshelf, right up front within easy reach.
Katie: Fun column (and book cover too)!
There are just SO many wonderful historical romances out there that you will have a fantastic time catching up on all you’ve missed.
PS: You want new book suggestions?
Try Pamela Clare (Ride the Fire is awesome, also Surrender and Untamed), Julie Ann Long (The Perils of Pleasure and A Lover Like No Other), The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne, anything by Mary Balogh and the Fallen Angels series by Mary Jo Putney.
My favorite all time historical is Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught but her other books are uneven imho. (Not a fan of Whitney, My Love, which is sort of a landmark book in the historical genre and engenders a lot of love/hate).
Welcome to the wonderful world of historicals! I envy anyone just now discovering Chase and Kleypas. (Try Balogh and Putney.)
That’s so funny — I held a bias against *contemporaries* for many years and thought them inferior to historicals. I thought all the heroines were ditzes who spent all their time shopping for shoes and maxing out their credit cards until they fell for their billionaire boss or the Greek tycoon/Arabian sheik. (My mom read a lot of Harlequins.)
But then I found Jennifer Crusie, and discovered that there are good contemporaries if one looks hard enough. I still prefer historicals, but there are good and bad in every genre.