Any themes you don't like?

and don't like when there's rape involved.  I do remember one of Suzanne Brockmann's Tall, Dark & Dangerous series books, Get Lucky, (Silhouette Intimate Moments #974, January 2000) dealt with the rape of the h.  It's my favorite TD&D book; she (Suzanne) dealt with the rape with sensitivty and dignity. 

And maybe it's getting older, but I don't like reading about extremely arrogant men anymore, either!

1. FOR THE MOST PART, Faeries, Leprachauns, shewolves, vampires, the underworld, demons, etc.
2. Men that are nothing but the "seed" for making babies.
3. "Lovers/Husbands&Wives" that were mates while wee ones.
4. 70-year old blokes and lasses that are "specimen's of perfection."
5. "Hidden" 19-year old children,  (do YOU keep YOUR 19-year old offspring hidden away when your 'true-love' from that 'one memorable night of passion in the footy-prep area of the high-school footy-field returns to town to bury his billionaire aunt'?)

but that comes through clearly in my blogs, I don't like romances that are too short to give us the hero's pov - that's what I don't like about a lot of Presents

I don't particularly like arrogance, but that's why I need the hero's pov to "justify" it

there are others - at the moment I'm not in the mood for "serious" books, so I've been avoiding the Chinese women's experiences books in my TBR, but that's generally governed by my reaction to the back blurb

For instance I've never seen Titanic, because it just doesn't float my boat (and besides we know how it ends - the ship sinks )

A lot of paranormals aren't doing it for me at the moment (with one or two notable exceptions), don't like sheiks (ditto), vampires (ditto) - it tends to have a lot to do with the size of my TBR, when I'm desperate I read cereal packets and coffee jars - maybe Nescafé should put GC on the label

I don't really analyse my likes and dislikes sufficiently to adequately reply to this question

Hugs

Sadhbh

The ones that come to mind instantly for me that i hate, are:

1) any forced sexual acts.

2) constant fighting/conflict...on again, off again relationships in romance books drives me nuts.

Themes i walk right by on the shelves are:

1)Sheikh,

2)Amnesia,

3)Secret baby,

Those are the ones that come to mind quickly...

was going to respond so am pleasantly surprised to see all these posts. I knew I'd forgotten some of my peeves. I have a hard time with the baby and five or more years later the H finds out. I'm sorry but that is just dishonest and so wrong. Every man deserves to know about and be involved in their child's life. There have been a few exceptions to this but for the most part I get ticked.

I hated that Luke and Laura thing and how it got turned around even back then!

I do not like forced sex or rape that then is excused as "love". This also includes brain rape for a heroine's own good.

I go not like all sex and no plot. It's not that I won't read erotica, it's just that I don't read for sex one way or another. Same wityh violence. I rea.ly like dark reads but a book that just is full of gratuitous violence with bodies slashed for mere shock value are boooring.

I do not automatically pick up sheihk or baby books but have had some pleasant and great reads in books with those themes. I know both themes are wildly popular but for me, I would not choose a book on those themes outside of my subscriptions or an author I like. One or two a month is fine, five or more in a row way too much. Same thing with mafia books.

I hate it when a heroine tries to force a hero to see himself...the change needs to come from within. Kind of like no one can stop an alcoholic from drinking...likewise, with love. You can't force someone to love or have a breakthrough.

Another thing I don't like is a preoccupation with how a character is dressed. it's fine as part of the description but I get tired of an obsessive concern with appearance or wealth either as good thing or a bad. The fat thing bothers me too. Or designer names...outside of Chick lit where I expect it more. Can't wait to read Marianne Mancusi's book about the Fashionista in KIng Arthur's Court and Jane Porter used an Armani suit well in a Presents.

Sometimes I really wish that in mysteries and suspense they would make the main character always threatened.  It seems like almost everyone is like that nowadays.  It can be just as thrilling to hunt down and protect others too but no one tries it.  I even like mysteries that are not murder mysteries but few writers do that anymore it seems. 

when an autobuy author writes a theme I'm not crazy over, I'm still compelled to buy the book ... it just languishes on the TBR for a while ... (kinda like an unconscious punishment to the book for not really being a favoured theme!)  

OK, another hated theme to go along with abusive arrogant men.  One thing I hate is when these men heroes think that a young girl or teenager not having sex with them makes her not a real woman and then the girl gets a crush on him.  Maybe it's not a theme but widen it from one book to saying that a man deciding and this whole thing like the measure of a woman and womanhood is the heroine as an object of his sexual desire....no, no, no.  I may never read that author again no matter how much others like that author.

I do stay away from politics, sheikhs, royalty. arrogant men, wimpy women, historicals ( I know, I know, they just don't do it for me! lol). I also don't like when women are being called fat or stupid or anything degrading. I've read a couple books like that and it irritated me to no end. I know there are probably many more but I can't think off the top of my head what they are. I do agree with many of you, though, on general things I avoid.

is that if a woman is a virgin, that means she is some how innocent, and some how stupid or nieve.

Some how, just the act of sex, unlocks some worldly gene. she is some how supposed to get a brain and not be so stupid.

Emilie Loring (out-of-print) writes the best propaganda that I've ever read.  All her heroines don't smoke, drink or swear, and the women that do are all slightly suspicious; her heros are all rich men of honor who are in the service or serving in congress, and none of the non-rich are ever crooked; all those that are suspicious have spent "too much time" in Europe, while those who have been to Europe and rejected it in favor of the USA are protrayed as downright-upright; the villians almost always have facial hair, and the heros are all clean shaven; all rich industrials are honorable men that wouldn't cheat anyone, while anyone supporting labor causes is either crooked or on the edge.  She makes the Republican party line sound like "business as usual".  Now, I'm definitely left-wing, but I love her books.  She is a prime example of how good "political" writing is done.

Yep, Sheiks suck for me too.  There seem to be "Sheik" Harlequin Presents books every month on the shelves.  What's up with that when it appears so many readers dislike the theme judging by this blog ?  These books (the ones I've read ) are more science fiction than romantic fiction as Sheiks are portrayed like the Rudolph Nureyev movie character from back in  da day.  Real Sheiks wives (they're allowed 4 at a time and many do exercise that right I'm sure) have to be Muslim or convert to Islam, they more than likely have to wear the Islamic Hijab (head covering) too and they have to produce sons.  Women aren't even allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia and don't let me get started on women's rights (or rather lack of them) in Middle East countries.  I know this because I am Muslim (though not of Middle Eastern heritage).  It makes me sick to know that  writers who know better pen books like these and fool young girls who read these books into thinking about Sheiks in a romantic fantasy way.  Hopefully older readers know better.  I say enuff already though.  Banish these books to the Desert !! 

Don't really care for the Royalty and step sibling love thing either. Although it's not a theme I can't stand the too arogant insultive hero (in older books every hero was like that but these dinosaurs are still around in lotsa new books too.)

The B.

Terri, you are so right about the virgin suddenly getting a brain after committing the 'act' in so many of these books.  And I too don't care for the "Millionaire" and the "Mistress"  book titles myself but have you noticed the abundance of those type of titles together with "Sheik" that on the shelves every month ?  They've started to replace millionaires with billionaires now which makes it even worse.   I don't mind the "Italian" or Spanish or Greek (or whatever) but it's way too frequent as well in book titles especially "Italian" - too much of a good thing.  Mostly I just want to read about successful guys who aren't too worldly- they really don't need a 'sexy' (?) Euro accent and if they're as hot as Brad Pitt and have more money than Fort Knox then it is too unreal even for fantasy to expect that they'll not only be attracted to but fall in love in with AND marry some regular girl even if she's pretty.   How does he do that - does he trip over the beautiful models and heiresses and starlets on the way to the girl wearing her best Target clothes ?  Some reality in the fastasy pls.  Harry Potter seemed more real to me than so many of these books.  Many Presents get it just right but so many don't.

The Millionaire Itallian, Greek Sheikh's  Virgin Mistress

just one question - does he HAVE to be granola eating?

you lost me there

Terri- You forgot Highlander watching

and thoroughly enjoyed reading about what others do and do not like.

Pet peeve 1: arrogant men/submissive women. I have a friend who loves HPresents and passed a bunch to me. I read a few and quickly realized they all seemed to be the same plot with different names and different scenes. Some are well written, but I just do not like the H/h. So, many of them are still languishing at the bottem of my TBR.

Pet peeve 2: any book that has a H or h that I just can't like. They have (what is to me) a fatal flaw of being unlikable. I read one book recently where the h was abusing alcohol, her whole life was falling apart. Her former flame brought her on board as his chef and she still struggled to get her act together. Major turn off.

Pet peeve 3: a book that instead of showing the conflict in various ways, keeps telling the reader over and over what the conflict is using basically the same words over and over again. I end up feeling like the author is talking down to his/her readers.

Pet peeve 4: dismembered body parts, or other nastiness "intrigue" right from the beginning. I don't mind reading about blood if it is in a medical setting (I'm an RN-lol), but I don't like horrific writing, or mysterious--well for the most part. As soon as I think that I will read one that I do like.

Pet peeve 5: poorly proofread books, incomplete sentence structure "fragments." I end up getting dumped out of the story when there are problems that should have been caught by a proofreader. Having done some writing for a support organization, I know how hard it is to proofread my own work, this is when a writer really needs someone else to step in and give an assist. IMHO

Pet peeve 6: any setting that has an imbalance of power between the H/h.

The last book I read for March was a new to me. The book Fat Chance was by a new to me author Deborah Blumenthal and is the story of a plus size columnist.

I am reading this thread late, but I enjoyed everyone's comments.  Depending on the author, I may read a theme I do not ususally like and still enjoy their book, but on the whole I avoid the following:

1. Paranormal - Vampires, Werewolves etc - I have no interest in them (despite their many fans i.e The Black Daggar Brotherhood which I tried to read but could not finish)

2. Secret children - how could you have a child, but never tell the father and then get together later with him.

3. Sheik books - for all the reasons others listed.

4. Rape or forced sex

5. Submissive h's-  I like a woman who can stand up for herself

Themes I dislike:

- Infidelity...  it's usually the hero that's been unfaithful and that's just a nasty taste in a romance novel.  I can't enjoy books were the heroine has to live with his infidelity, while the hero gets the ego boost of knowing she stayed pure as the driven snow for him. 

- Separation... similar to infidelity!  It's just not fair if the separation is done in a way where the hero gets all kinds of sex and the heroine pines.  Also, I dislike separations where the time apart just seems like wasted years.  I don't mind SHORT separations (under 5 years, but I prefer month long separations), but if I see a 10 year separation I just think how wasteful so many many years were, and how they turned into completely different people by the time they got back together, and if it hadn't been for the separation they would have been such happier well-adjusted people. 

- Sheikh stoires (where women have no rights)... at first, I hated all Sheikh stories, but now I've read a few more, I've seen them WRITTEN WELL.  However, if I come across a story where all of a sudden the woman has NO RIGHTS and her choices are taken away from her by the hero, I just shudder.  That ain't romantic, that's darn scary a position for a woman to be in. 

- Rape, Sexual Abuse, Physical Abuse.... these are horrible horrible realities of life, and just not my preference for a romantic read.  I read romance for light hearted escapism and entertainment.  If I wanted to get depressed and cry, I'd find a different type of book.  I have seen stories written very well that had these themes, and I have enjoyed them, BUT if I'd known in the first place that abuse was a theme of the book, I wouldn't have picked it up to read.