Sarah over at Monkey Bear Reviews has a great post up called Falling Out Of Love With Romance. It really resonated with me.

She writes:

I’m finding it hard to motivate myself to read a romance these days, even those I’m sure I’ll enjoy when I get around to them. I’ve always read widely, but romance is the one genre to which I turn when I’m looking for a relaxing, uplifting story…

I’m experiencing the exact the same thing.

Despite the large number of romances published each month, I noticed I have just one on my list of six April releases which I’d like to read. With a couple of notable exceptions, I’m just not that enthused about romances featuring Navy SEALs, werewolves, vampires, shifters, etc.

Ditto. I think I hate most Navy SEAL books with a passion, and longtime readers will know how I feel about vamps and wolfie books.

I remember a recent conversation with Keishon (Avid Book Reader) on Twitter. She said that some of the most compelling love stories she’s read recently were not in romance novels, but in mystery series. I agree with her.

And I have to agree with Sarah, agreeing with Keishon. When I think back to some of my favourite romance couples, quite a few of them are featured in books that actually aren’t just about them and their romantic entanglements. I love the subtlety of a burgeoning relationship in the midst of murder and mayhem. Karin Slaughter (Pox on her for killing off Jeffrey), JD Robb, Julia Spencer Fleming, Patricia Cornwell (pox on her for losing her ever-loving mind and trying to kill off Benton) to name but a few.

The last book that I read was actually a Young Adult book by an author called Jay Asher, prior to that, it was Dorothy Koomson’s The Ice Cream Girls, which is as far from a romance as you can get. Coupled with the fact that lots of books that are being published by the bigger houses are also hystericals, my romance reading options, seem to be getting less, and less. Big. Effing. Sigh.

AND ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING PARANORMALS/URBAN FANTASY ALREADY!!! BO-RING!!!

For the full post, pop over to Monkey Bear Reviews.