Rant: Erotica, Serials and convenient scape-goats

Beware RANT:

I started to post this to FB on Saturday night after I read yet another BDSM erotica book but decided that I should post it here instead.

I read a lot of books all across the romance genre, and lately it seems like my inbox has been flooded from the publishers full of BDSM erotica, all trying to be the next Fifty Shades or Bared to You.

Some of them I have said no to and some I have said yes to. Of all the ones I have said yes to I have liked NONE of them. In fact I am getting sick of the whole lets copy Fifty Shades theme. I am sure that there are people out there who love them, and I am not knocking you, I’m just saying that I am tired of them.

Now don’t get me wrong I like a good BDSM erotica story and there are some fabulous ones out from authors who are auto-buys for me. In fact I recently read one that was in a word FANTASTIC, and the review will be up tomorrow for that. But I want something original in the genre.

Now on to the other part of my rant, serial romances..

I was recently asked by an author what my feelings were on this new trend and I have to say that until Saturday I had never once read one. I figured what floats one readers preference was fine as we don’t all like the same thing.

However after reading this book, that was originally put out as a serial, and has now had the first part of the series compiled and will be coming out next month, I can honestly say that I am NOT a fan. In fact I feel like we as the readers are getting the royal shaft. We end up spending more for the entire serial than we would if the book came out as one, and then we don’t get a HEA.

And that is the reason I HATED the ending of the book I just finished. In fact I have a feeling that if I hadn’t had all three of the Fifty Shades books to read back to back or at least book one and two I wouldn’t have liked it as much as I did.

I read romance because I want a solid HEA at the end of my book. I don’t care if the book costs .99 or $15.99 I want a solid resolution with a HEA at the end. I don’t want it to be a “PART ONE” of the series.

If there is more to the story and you want continue it along with other people that is fine, have the resolution with one couple but make them a key part of the next part of the story. DO NOT have them break-up at the end of the story. This is an automatic FAIL for me as a reader.

Now to the convenient scape-goat. This is something I absolutely DESPISE  and authors take note. Unless the BF of the hero or heroine is in fact a really bad guy DO NOT AND I MEAN DO NOT MAKE THE HERO LOSE THE BEST FRIEND BY HAVING THEM DO SOMETHING TO BETRAY THEM! If you do this in a book I read, no matter how good the book is until that point it will get an automatic FAIL. Best friends are an essential part of life, and by having said best friend betray them to save someone else it is unacceptable and a cop-out.

This is especially true if the hero and said best friend were in the Special Forces. This is a sacred bond and you spit on that bond by doing so. If something happens to BF loved one and is forced to betray hero, you have him tell him and make a plan so they WORK TOGETHER to save both of them. You ABSOLUTELY DO NOT HAVE HIM SACRIFICE ONE TO SAVE THE OTHER. This goes against everything they believe in.

You have made the BF a convenient scape-goat as a bad guy, and I do not like that.

I am normally a really positive person and can find the good in any book, however these things will make me hate the book and tell others exactly why I hate it and that they shouldn’t read it.