Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
What do women want . . .
in their guy-on-guy gay romance novels? (Because you know guys aren’t the market for this stuff.) No, really: the women who crave this stuff, what do they want to read? Hot man-on-man action followed by tender cuddling? Or two guys hitting the mall together for a romantic day of shopping?
Is it boy meets boy, boy loses boy, boy gets boy? Must one boy be young and beautiful, the other worldly and experienced? Should all members be thick and empurpled?
Do you have to have an HEA?
Discuss.
While you’re thinking about this, have a kitty.
D.
I want the same thing from m/m romance that I want from m/f romance or f/f romance: a good story with a HEA/HFN. What constitutes HEA is slightly different (fewer epilogues with babies or baby substitutes) but otherwise not that different.
The hot guy on guy action assumes that the romance is an erotic romance, but there is some m/m romance out there that isn’t. One of the best m/m books I’ve read this year has almost no sex on the page, and is all about the relationship.
I’d say yes on the HEA for most romance. Without the HEA you make the readers mad. It’s like having a mystery that doesn’t get solved. Of course HEA could be they part as best of friends, I suppose, maybe. But if someone dies, I don’t think it counts.
I think the characters can be whomever you want. Two tough guys seems to be a popular theme–except come to think of it, in those one seems to be closeted. Hmmm. I haven’t read a lot of m/m so maybe I should stop trying to pass myself off as some kinda expert.
What do women want in hot m/m action? Hell if I know.
I don’t understand this phenomenon anyway. Oh, wait, I do like f/f action, maybe it’s somewhat similar.
Thanks. So far so good.
jmc, what book are you referring to in your last sentence?
…you know heterosexual guys aren’t the market for this stuff.
FTFY.
Tigers & Devils by Sean Kennedy. Available in print and eformat.
Sorry to be a comment hog, last one, I swear.
Charlie Cochrane’s “Lessons In…” series runs a close second for favorite new-to-me author this year. The series is set in the early 20th at Cambridge and is a combination of mystery and romance. Most of the sex is off the page or is referred to in vague euphemisms, not graphic. Available in ebook from Samhain and the first two books in print.
Alex Beecroft’s False Colors received good reviews; I have it TBR. It’s a historical set in the mid 18th century, I think. Been wibbling about it, because I have a hard time believing in an HEA/HFN in historicals.
Pat: FTFY — fixed that for you?
jmc: hog all you like. Thanks for the recs.