tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post5731437602598433677..comments2024-03-28T07:00:12.226-04:00Comments on Romance Novels for Feminists: RNFF Pet Peeve: "Baby, You're All That I Need"Jackie C. Hornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04146684628443152376noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-1342265681633891092013-01-25T17:23:01.911-05:002013-01-25T17:23:01.911-05:00Glad your memory kicked in. Will look forward to c...Glad your memory kicked in. Will look forward to checking this out.Jackie C. Hornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146684628443152376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-63411493500716249702013-01-25T09:27:42.189-05:002013-01-25T09:27:42.189-05:00I remembered an m/f book! 'Branded As Trouble&...I remembered an m/f book! 'Branded As Trouble' by Lorelie James in her Rough riders series. India and Colt are both recovering addicts and their love story addresses and deals with this. India struggles at one point and has to turn to her AA mentor. Colt is still dealing with his families reactions to his past.Merrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10011475229740382877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-77135060663250469912013-01-22T18:09:13.299-05:002013-01-22T18:09:13.299-05:00Yes, I agree. Somehow acting highhandedly on your ...Yes, I agree. Somehow acting highhandedly on your woman's behalf becomes a sign of how powerful your love for her really is in books like this, which I'm sure appeals to some readers, but not to me, or to you :-)<br />Jackie C. Hornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146684628443152376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-5623103699477097272013-01-22T15:32:30.380-05:002013-01-22T15:32:30.380-05:00Hi Jackie. Great post! This is so interesting, esp...Hi Jackie. Great post! This is so interesting, especially considering the chat we had about my WIP. The man giving up everything for the woman is no better than the other way around. I think that if the hero truly respected the heroine and her autonomy, he would have let her resign, or at least gotten her consent before doing it for her!<br /><br />best,<br />AndreaAndreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07797997358429349847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-73133873151866647132013-01-21T10:25:34.280-05:002013-01-21T10:25:34.280-05:00Thanks for the recs, Merrian. I look forward to ch...Thanks for the recs, Merrian. I look forward to checking them out.Jackie C. Hornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146684628443152376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-44402962609557851442013-01-21T00:33:39.232-05:002013-01-21T00:33:39.232-05:00Hmm, not really many recommendations to make at al...Hmm, not really many recommendations to make at all (sadly) in answer to addiction or PTSD or other hard psychological stuff being well handled in the genre. If you read m/m, 'The Island' by Lisa Henry has a very realistic portrayal of PTSD and recovery from severe trauma as part of the story, not just a notional throw away as part of the HEA. Also an m/m - in Abigail Roux's 'Cut and Run' series, Zane is a recovering alcoholic/addict and managing his sobriety is discussed and included in the ongoing storyline.<br /><br />I want to applaud that Arden was given a realistic problem with her drinking as part of her response to the many loses she has endured. I think (in the genre) it is quite a risky endeavour for an author to make her heroine an addict. It's just that the author failed the storyline, she pulled back from the risk and undermined herself and the story in doing so.<br /><br />Merrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00022565372969180953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-81783536356395922262013-01-20T08:28:39.712-05:002013-01-20T08:28:39.712-05:00Yes, the alpha of the pack in paranormal romance a...Yes, the alpha of the pack in paranormal romance and urban fantasy does bear quite a resemblance to the absolute ruler of the commonwealth/family from earlier eras. His rise in that genre seems to be a function of his decline in more realistic romance, don't you think?<br /><br />Are there romances in which you think alcoholism or other "hard psychological stuff" is dealt with in a better way?<br />Jackie C. Hornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146684628443152376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-63271162242068772592013-01-19T20:18:20.288-05:002013-01-19T20:18:20.288-05:00Yes, father is supreme ruler of the 17th century c...Yes, father is supreme ruler of the 17th century commonwealth. I agree that I don't want to live in that world but it is the world of the Alpha's and their packs in PNR/UF so it is a prevalent idea still. <br /><br />The solution to Arden's drinking problem makes her relationship another addiction/crutch. That stuff is only ever a short term fix and usually fails if a crisis arises. I recently read an m/m where the hero realises he has a drinking problem and seeks out AA. When a crisis happens his partner gets the whiskey bottle out and gets him drinking. I was really shocked. Why not follow through on what has been set up about his drinking struggle? Why undermine him and why show his partner enabling/undermining him if that is not an actual element of the story? I hate how this hard psychological stuff is thrown at characters and thrown away by authors undermining the work of creating believable characters with coherent motivations.Merrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00022565372969180953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-36545216231626850262013-01-19T18:27:24.916-05:002013-01-19T18:27:24.916-05:00Merrian:
Interesting ideas. Didn't the 17th c...Merrian:<br /><br />Interesting ideas. Didn't the 17th century notion of family also figure the father as King, with the rest of the family as his subjects? Not so sure I'd want to live within that paradigm ;-)<br /><br />Wow, can't believe I forgot about Arden's drinking! You're so right, that thread does disappear; Luke frowns upon Arden's tippling, and she stops. As someone with relatives who have struggled with alcoholism, I'm not convinced that "you complete me" is the best way to deal with someone's drinking...Jackie C. Hornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146684628443152376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-3265219079438703062013-01-19T16:21:30.636-05:002013-01-19T16:21:30.636-05:00Thinking about this reminds me of the 17th century...Thinking about this reminds me of the 17th century notion of a family being a mini commonwealth replicating the external world i.e. a whole world in and of itself. So maybe it isn't just that'you complete me' but also that as a whole world nothing else is needed or has control over the couple.<br /><br />Another thing with this book is that the heroine being clearly a functional alcoholic who is magically cured by the reappearance of her true love. First it is unusual to see an addict heroine. But more sadly as a narrative thread this just dwindles away to nothing primarily it seems because of the 'you complete me' thing.Merrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00022565372969180953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-38553604998137987982013-01-19T11:14:54.002-05:002013-01-19T11:14:54.002-05:00:-):-)Jackie C. Hornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146684628443152376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-630346294397505634.post-37240628807636979192013-01-19T05:01:52.705-05:002013-01-19T05:01:52.705-05:00I've actually been toying with flipping this a...I've actually been toying with flipping this around so that it's him that feels the "you complete me" thing, and then because I'm mean I make that not go well for him.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02973405888540293627noreply@blogger.com