romancereader While I do have a science background I dont find it necessary for it all to be spot on when I read a romance SF. Like you I am more interested in the relationships between the characters, watching them develop and hopefully joining everybody on a fun romp in another world. If this is handled well I don't even notice any glaring errors in logic or they are easy for me to ignore and I move on after a chuckle. Nobody did it better than Lois McMaster Bujold with the Miles Vorsokigan series.
Post by romancereader on Sept 26, 2023 19:02:30 GMT -7
A question for my fellow romance readers:
MrsD just posted a Mafia romance book in the Upcoming Book Releases forum. From her review, the book sounds very interesting, with several aspects that I enjoy in a romance. I know a lot of people here (and elsewhere) like Mafia stories.
But I just can't get past the fact the story is set in crime families. I can't romanticize the violence and brutality of the Mafia lifestyle. I imagine some of the stories are about people who try to or do escape their family gangster background, but surely not all? And how do the authors make a romance of a life in violent criminal families romantic?
I'm seriously asking this. I'm genuinely curious. It's a genre I just can't get my head around.
Thanks for any insights/better understanding you can give me.
Last Edit: Sept 26, 2023 23:14:07 GMT -7 by romancereader
Post by Banana Boat on Sept 27, 2023 8:27:26 GMT -7
Excellent question. I will read a story about someone who was inducted as a young (dumb) person or born into a mafia family and they are trying to get out or working with the government as a "mole". But evilness, brutality and manic violence, I'm not sure you can, in my opinion, make a good romance out of it. I read a story about Al Capone's grandaughters, who are still alive. They had no clue what he did for a living and stated he was a very loving caring person to his family. He wasn't to anyone else. Not my cup of tea.
But I just can't get past the fact the story is set in crime families. I can't romanticize the violence and brutality of the Mafia lifestyle. I imagine some of the stories are about people who try to or do escape their family gangster background, but surely not all? And how do the authors make a romance of a life in violent criminal families romantic?
I feel the same way especially Russian Mafia since I am Russian/Ukranian! I always think how do they romanticize this genre!
Here comes the sun even though I love that rainy day feeling!
Post by linviolet on Sept 27, 2023 16:41:45 GMT -7
As one of those readers I can only answer for myself, I know real life crimes and criminals of these particular genre are not to be celebrated their crimes are heinous and many people suffer the consequences. I read the books and know that its not reality, growing up in a city where gang wars were what put us on the map, and created certain police forces and laws to capture and end mafia families (I no longer live in said city) I know how ugly it was back in the days (and allegedly still happening in this day and age, if true I don't want to find out personally).
I don't consider the main characters heroes, they are bad guys living their lives and posing for the public. Same ways with cartel romance books, there's no heroes in those books, just reading about criminals who want to find a "normal" and live a life that they cut someone else's short for. I don't really see them through rose colored lenses, I see them for what they are. (Extortion, kidnapping, trafficking of any kind, killing, and a few others I missed are not in any way anything to laugh at, celebrate or romantize) In a way my morbid curiosity also wants to see how an author will "humanize" these characters.
I'll also admit to starting to read these types of books because I wanted less sweet and more darker tones. I still love the sweet books, and enjoy them very much those are the ones that make me giggle and smile like a little kid.
Post by linviolet on Sept 27, 2023 17:12:04 GMT -7
I have a rant, well, a complaint. Leaving my work space today I got a covid19 home testing kit since 6 people in my office have caught covid these last two weeks. I still wear my mask, but I had been not wearing it these past two weeks thinking to slowly wean off them.... guess who won't wean off them? me.
I have a rant, well, a complaint. Leaving my work space today I got a covid19 home testing kit since 6 people in my office have caught covid these last two weeks. I still wear my mask, but I had been not wearing it these past two weeks thinking to slowly wean off them.... guess who won't wean off them? me.
Sorry to hear that you got exposed. If you're vaccinated, hopefully you won't have too bad a time of it. And fingers crossed for no long covid residuals.
It sure is sometimes hard to continue to be one of the few, rare masked people out there. 🫤 But it's not much of an inconvenience in my lifestyle, and my two closest friends have been nasty sick for several weeks apiece over the last six weeks (some flu, not Covid), and I was glad to (so far) avoid it. It's nice to not catch a bad case of the flu, much less Covid!
I wish I still had that confident sense of invulnerability I had when I was young: I was a "good person" and so bad things wouldn't happen to me! Hah! Life slapped that one right outta me decades ago!
On the plus side, Covid has taught me better how to decide what's right for me and to work on being proactive and stand up for my decisions. Not perfectly, but better. Learning how to say to myself, "This is what I'm comfortable with and right for me, and others don't have to agree with me," has been empowering.
On the Mafia families, etc books, I've quit reading them as the ones I have read depressed me. I wanted the Mafia family wiped out; at least the folks that "supported" the efforts. I'm the same way about ones with cartel folks & even a bit that way with Motorcycle Club books, or at least most of them. Hasn't hurt me any; as you all know, I've tons of books yet unread so it's not costing me anything...and yeah, I do buy Kirsten Ashley's MC clubs books...but they're not among my favorites of hers as I don't care for the treatment of the women overall. I'm not advocating for the end of them all as some folks do enjoy them. I enjoy BDSM (depending on the author) and I know some folks out there would like to have those books done away with, never written about again, etc. Thank heavens for variety!
On the Covid front; yeah, reports are the infection counts are going back up again. If I go anywhere that I'm getting exposed, I guess I'd best start wearing a mask again as my sister doesn't need having to deal with me for that as well as all they're doing in their life. I still have a container of hand sanitizer in the car for use after handling cash at the drivethru window. I'm afraid we're dealing with this (throw in flu & RSV) for the rest of our lives. And so it goes....
Post by linviolet on Sept 28, 2023 16:53:50 GMT -7
romancereader Thankfully I got negative results. I'll still have to take another one tomorrow once more, as part of the protocol set up at work. Which seems to not be working but I'll do it anyway, better safe than sorry. My husband had a cold, he slept in the guest room for the weekend and wore a mask around us, when he was helping me out around the house and doing some shopping. Now the baby is sniffling, but that's more of exposure from his little classmates at day care. But for me is only a matter of time before Leo passes onto me what he caught from them. Mom life.
kc I have masks in my car, both cloth and disposable. I have my hand sanitizer at the ready, I even carry wipes (and not just Leo's wipes) because I am trying not to bring something home or to my grandmother who is an elderly woman whose health is my priority. I wash my hands, try not to be exposed in open areas even if it looks like there aren't a lot of people around, but it just seems this plague isn't letting us off still. Leo actually has the sniffles at the moment, and three kids at the day care have been out sick all of them from his class so I knew that was going to happen I prepped by buying Pedialyte, Tylenol and some vitamins.
romancereader Definitely found the post useful, a number of this authors books have been on my wish list for while and bumped her up after reading your original review... just trying to decide which to get in audio first... it's between Astral and Dr Galaxy.
I've begun to read the DR. GALAXY book, and wow, is it different. Jennie Schwartz is a very imaginative, creative writer. You know how when you finish a book and you think to yourself, "Meh, I could have written better than that!" or, "Wow, I could never write that well!" I'm not halfway through and I'm thinking, "I could never have written that!"
Totally not what I was expecting. Totally has a twist that I would have said I wouldn't like, but somehow is working, and working well (IMO). I'm impressed so far.
Now, I will say, at 43%, only a few days have passed in the story, so I think it's safe to guess this will be like the previous books, where the conclusion of the full story will be several books away -- and I'm not sure if those other books have been completed, so there may be a wait for "the rest of the story." 🫤
But still, I'm happy to have discovered a new-to-me author who is a prolific writer.
I hear you about Mafia romances. CBS started "Yellowstone" 3 weeks ago. They already had it streaming for several seasons on Paramount (?) One guy all in black, kills people for Costner's character John Dutton. John's having an affair w/ the Governor. There may be romance and adventure on the show, but IMO that was/ is overshadowed by the violence. I realize in a Western they fight over land, livestock, for/ against building condos, fight for a romance partner. Sorry. just not for me. I'd prefer a rom story devoid of or having minimal violence.
Linviolet--- Glad you tested negative. 2 weeks ago I went to nearby clinic. It can take a month to get an appt w/ my internist. I tested + for COVID (I first had it in Feb. 2022.) And CNP prescribed Paxlovid (like sucking a bullet) & a puffer. Anyhow my anti-vax hubs was sick a week ahead of me. He still has a hacking cough and can't smell or taste food. I hope this is not an endless circle.
mlover My doctor pretty much said if you think you're exposed get tested, if you test positive I'll write you a prescription for paxlovid. I tested negative so a win for me and my family. We just got over a cold, well I'm still working on that but I'm way better. Anyone anti-vax choice or not should know that if you leave your body fighting multiple sicknesses/ virus the immune system becomes weak and the older we get the longer it takes for it to return to it's best. Which in some cases isn't very good in the first place. I hope he gets better, and hopefully his cough lightens up and he gets his sense of smell and taste back soon, but there's people who said it took months for it to come back and I know one of my cousins says her sense of taste is not the same since and it's been 3 years.
Prior to 3 yrs ago, my hubs was rational. Now he's anti-vax, etc. It's hard to be rational w/ an irrational man. I asked him to get a COVID test via his MD or a nearby clinic. He refused, saying they use a toxic chemical on a Q-tip for a COVID test. For the last few years he's bragged that his immune system can fight anything! About 5 yrs ago he had pneumonia. In July 2018 he had a heart attack. He turns 73 tomorrow. Wish he'd ignore his online "experts." He's not superman, not super-immune
One online "expert" said chew nicotine gum if you can't taste food. The expert claimed nicotine is not addictive!!!
His 'sources' don't feel compelled to share where they obtained their info. A tiny bit of hope, I told him 3 yrs ago, FBI went undercover w/ the Oath Keepers. 2 yrs ago he told me he gave up on Oath Keepers b/c FBI was undercover w/ O K. God give me strength.
I wish the US House and Senate held it's members to some standard of ethics and the law.
Matt Gaetz. Reportedly is a pedophile. Has taken underage girls on a plane to another state for sex. The plane manifest lists a person's name and age. If he's a pedophile, he needs removed from his job.
Jim Jordan yrs. ago was an assistant OSU wrestling coach. A team MD sexually molested OSU wrestlers. A list of OSU wrestlers was ready to testify. Reportedly Jordan told the wrestlers to back away from the truth. If true that was obstruction of justice. And Jordan needs removed. I believe Jordan was trained as an atty?
I cringe when I see or hear either of these 2. If these allegations are true, how can a lawmaker get away w/ being a law-breaker?
mlover, I don't know about all that but I consider both men a royal abomination. I sure wish they'd work as hard on taking care of the country as they do their friends & personal concerns! That Ohio elected Jim Jordan I consider an embarrassment to the whole state! as you can guess...I didn't vote for him!