I have discovered a new pet peeve. Well, okay, in all fairness, I don’t believe it was a problem until recently so it’s truly a brand new one. But it’s a major one, believe me.
What is it, you ask?
Reviews, recommendations or otherwise just plain commentary on erotic romances and erotica that don’t necessarily make it clear that’s what they’re talking about in the first place.Â
ARGH!
No, really. This is something that’s slowly been building up in my spleen since so many of the blogs I visit regularly have started pushing both ebooks and erotic romances/erotica. I don’t have a problem with them doing either of those things. I’d like to know what’s out there. Honest. Otherwise, how am I ever going to figure out which ones to try?
It’s just that, not to name any names here, but I don’t know how many times in the last month or so I’ve read about a story that sounds interesting on someone’s blog only to find out after checking further, like say the author’s or publisher’s site and sometimes not even then, that the book is actually pretty kinky and that’s putting it mildly at times because I don’t mean light stuff.Â
Yes, there are those that are very upfront about what might alternately turn someone off or on but I’ve seriously come to the conclusion that some of you are apparently missing the point that to positively promote erotic romance, et al, you’re going to have to be explicit on spelling out some details.
Pun very much intended. ;p
Um, I’m not sure who you were addressing that last to, Jane, but if me, it’s not so much a listing of acts I’m wanting but simply a heads up that a book is erotica or even erotic romance in the first place and maybe some type of intensity key in the second. Those would be a nice start.
The fact that a story is along those lines wouldn’t be a problem, either, but some of the publisher and author sites don’t even give a lot of details themselves. Which I find really strange. This isn’t something readers want to be surprised by after buying the book, you know. 😀
Some epublishers use a key but I’d have to dig around to find the one that was the most helpful. I do remember finding one that made me think, “Finally! Now that helps.”
That’s an interesting thought. I do wonder what is considered kink these days. In almost all of the “erotica” romances that I have read, there is a certain number of sex acts that almost always take place. I think that I have read so many that they are starting to sound normal to me! I think in one review I wrote that anal sex is almost obligatory in these books, if not the m/m/f sex.
Would you like to see a summary of sex acts? or a warning? I would love to do this but am unsure of what you are looking for.
I’ve recently joined the ebook world and Cindy, your issues aren’t unfounded. If you wait a couple of days for me to get out of this reviewing slump, I promise to have some info on our site about ebooks, the price and the worthiness of it. K?
Bev,
I’m glad you posted this (I’ve been lazy, so it’s taken me awhile to get back here..LOL). You’re not the only one, I promise!
Yeah, but still valid, Cindy. I sometimes worry that in rambling I don’t provide enough information but I still try to include anything out of the ordinary. To me, a short story or erotic leaning one would be something that needed to be mentioned somewhere.
Thank you! Yes, this has been bothersome lately. God bless the reviewers of these books because some of them sound freaking fantastic but then I discover they are 1) e-books and I know I can’t read a book on the computer, yes, I’ve tried and I don’t have an e-reader 2) they are erotica without a HEA 3) they are 60 pages long. Now, I love Bam, love her! but she just reviewed a book that sounded great until I hit the part where it said it was 60 pages. I’m sorry but sex, relationship and possible HEA in 60 pages? Very few authors can pull that off still, I want that damn e-book called Bone Deep because it sounds right up my alley. Too bad I’m not sure about the page count (I think this one was 120 pgs or something).
I guess if I was ready to jump into the ‘e’ market it would be with that book but egads! Until I know what I’m doing and I know the prices mesh with what I am getting, I’m just so not ready.
Hmmm, I think my rant might be a tad different than yours.
CindyS
You know, I didn’t even realize that little rant was building up until it sort of spewed forth this morning after I ran across yet another review that sounded so good only to find out the book included S&M. Not that I’d be opposed to that on principle but even on the publisher’s site it was unclear exactly what else was in the book. I mean, talk about messing with reader expectations. Pul-lease. Talk about feeling like people are trying to pass something off as romance that isn’t. Oye, wonder where people get that idea?
I think my brain exploded and I started typing. I was so surprised at what came out that I almost didn’t post it. Then I thought, what the heck, if it’s bothering me, it’s bound to be nagging at someone else since there’s been such an explosion of erotic romance reviews lately.
And, believe it or not, I am calmer now even if I don’t sound like it. ;p
I have to agree with you on this. It really bothers me when reviewers don’t give us readers all of the info about a book. And I think that whether or not a book is erotica is very important to a review.
I promise if I ever read one I’ll be very specific about it, k?
LOL