BOOK CLUB THURSDAY: LIKE A VIRGIN

Welcome back! 

This week for Book Club Thursday we're talking virgins in our romance books. As I'm typing this, I'm trying hard not to sing Madonna's  "Like a Virgin".  I know- now the song will be stuck in your head too! 

There was a time, many MANY years ago where virgins in (contemporary)romance books were the norm, if not expected. For me, as I've aged I don't care to read romance books with virgins-especially the heroines. I know it sounds sexist but I already expect the heroes aren't. 

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with them. However, I prefer more mature heroines and heroes in my novels. And part of them being mature is how well they are developed in back stories/history which is bound to include previous (sexual)relationships. 

Now some authors write virgins really well but I'm at the point where sometimes I just want to pull my hair out and scream REALLY?!?!   I think it's my personal tastes have changed as I've grown as a person and reader. I guess in general, I just want mature realistic characters in my novels and right or wrong in my two cent opinion it probably means they aren't virgins. I say they because on a rare occasion I have found hero virgins. 

As a side note, I should clarify that romance has many genres- so I'll amend what I said above by just a bit: I expect heroines in historical romances to be virgins(usually) and I'm not bothered by that. But virgins have a very very limited place in paranormal and contemporary romances. I've read (a limited amount of) inspirational romances and although they are not in any way explicit, many times the hero and heroine have past sexual experience(s) that is alluded too. 

I'd love to hear what you have to say about this week's theme. Are virgins an overdone theme in romances?  Do you care either way?

As I went back and reread this post prior to hitting the PUBLISH button, I realized something. I think it's something true booklovers/readers will get. I'm talking about this theme like the characters are REAL people (wait -they aren't?! LOL) Like I said- it's something I think die-hard book lovers will get. So.....

What did my BFF's have to say about virgins? Find out now by visiting:

Ann@Romancing the Readers

Kare@The Many Faces of Romance


And come back next Thursday 11Dec14 for: I Can't Wait - 2015 Book Previews.  

Comments

  1. I agree with you. It's isn't often you find a guy that's a virgin. Very rare.

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  2. What's weird is when I was researching, historical had so many more virgin heroes than contemporary. The stories are out there, but we can't read them all!

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