Try some; it's good.
Wherein I ramble about books, movies,
music, TV shows, my life, and occasionally, hot emo boys.
My Books
Current WiP
My ValentineGuide sequel = DONE
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Monday, November 05, 2007
I'm baaaaack
Did you guys miss me?
This morning, I find myself thinking about relationship arcs. There's a particular magic involved when an author gets it just right, when the reader gets swept into the irresistible chemistry between the two main characters. I've read a few books where it just didn't work for me. I mean, I couldn't see the hero and heroine together, apart from the fact that the author wanted them to be.
So I started thinking: what takes a relationship from mechanical to magic? Well, for me, it's a combination of factors. Do the man and woman complement each other in some fashion? Is banter present? I can't stress enough the importance of snappy dialog between protagonists. For me, it goes a lot further than all the manufactured sexual tension in the world.
Lean close, y'all, I have a confession. I'm tired of all the mental lusting. Like one good look (or whiff in some cases) and the hero is dying of priapism. And the heroine could go through a case of pantyliners because of the river running betwixt her thighs. I'd rather read dirty talk than have the author focus exclusively on their bodily responses. I know what goes where, but dialog? Can be unbelievably hot when it's done well.
Let's see, what else? Well, for me, it can also be as simple as, do they meet each other's needs? If I can't figure out what one of them gets out of the relationship, then I'm not sold on them being together. When you think about it, falling in love is such a glorious, irrational process that it's rather miraculous any author can depict it at all, let alone with such verisimilitude that we catch our breath at the intensity.
What are some books where you feel like the author got it exactly right? You show me yours and I'll show you mine.
This morning, I find myself thinking about relationship arcs. There's a particular magic involved when an author gets it just right, when the reader gets swept into the irresistible chemistry between the two main characters. I've read a few books where it just didn't work for me. I mean, I couldn't see the hero and heroine together, apart from the fact that the author wanted them to be.
So I started thinking: what takes a relationship from mechanical to magic? Well, for me, it's a combination of factors. Do the man and woman complement each other in some fashion? Is banter present? I can't stress enough the importance of snappy dialog between protagonists. For me, it goes a lot further than all the manufactured sexual tension in the world.
Lean close, y'all, I have a confession. I'm tired of all the mental lusting. Like one good look (or whiff in some cases) and the hero is dying of priapism. And the heroine could go through a case of pantyliners because of the river running betwixt her thighs. I'd rather read dirty talk than have the author focus exclusively on their bodily responses. I know what goes where, but dialog? Can be unbelievably hot when it's done well.
Let's see, what else? Well, for me, it can also be as simple as, do they meet each other's needs? If I can't figure out what one of them gets out of the relationship, then I'm not sold on them being together. When you think about it, falling in love is such a glorious, irrational process that it's rather miraculous any author can depict it at all, let alone with such verisimilitude that we catch our breath at the intensity.
What are some books where you feel like the author got it exactly right? You show me yours and I'll show you mine.
Labels: books
Books with great chemistry? There are many but one brilliant example is Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory. The hero and heroine really laugh together and find each other mesmerising and interesting. So many romances rely heavily on conflict between the leads that it is refreshing to read a book in which they so admire and like one another.
As for me, some books where the love story felt totally right:
Simple Jess by Pamela Morsi (well, almost anything by Pamela Morsi)
All Through the Night by Connie Brockway
Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale
I'll tell you why, later.
Gwyneth