Mayhaps daydreams smell like unfulfiled wishes and memories of days long gone. LMAO. Couldn't resist.

Per Peeves:
1.TSTL heroines
2.TSTL heroines that ruin a PERFECTLY good book
3.TSTL heroes
4.Books with retarded plots
5.Villains that never do anything really evil!
6.Vampires that don't act like vampires, demons that don't act like demons, etc
7.Heroines with a Xena complex
8.Children in books. Unless it's a CHILDREN'S book.
9.women authors that just keep telling us over and over how bad the hero is supposed to be yet we never even hear of any of the "bad" things he's ever done!
10.when the author kills an awesome character for no reason and leaves the TSTL hero or heroine alive.

I have lots more but we'd be here all day. LMAO.

Mailyn ~ I bet I know exactly what author you're talking about in #10. I've heard a lot of rumbling about this one. I still haven't read this series yet.

I loved The Bookseller's Daughter by Pam Rosenthal but there were a few things that irked me on that one too. The phrase Her freckles tasted like cinnamon (another stupid metaphor) and the repeated use of the word "vulva".

I tried to read Too Tempting to Touch by Cheryl Holt. Could not do it. Exactly how many times does one have to use the words "cock" or "prick"?

Oh good lord, do you have any idea what you're starting by asking this? Shoot, my list is numbered into the 1000's. LOL

But instead of taking over your comment box with my entire list, I'll just say I'm with Mailyn AND you. TSTL heroes/heroines, dumb metaphors, the over use of words like 'cock', 'prick' or, even worse, the dreaded P word (spells like hussy). Blech.

Holly ~ I try. :-) Seriously, the "daydream" metaphor bothered me. I'm sure it's supposed to be cutesy, but ugh. Besides, I haven't blogged in a couple of days ~ I needed to write about something.

I agree with Holly on the overuse of those nasty words. Worse the the P word is the C word (like "punt"). I will admit to being a bit prudish, but that will make me stop reading a book altogether. In fact, that's pretty much why I won't read erotica. Every time I've ever tried it, I couldn't get past some of the words.

Jen

LOL @ Mailyn's list. hehe

Pet Peeves in romancelandia? Secret babies, fake marriages, amnesia, time travel, bodyguards/stalkers, boring ass stories that masquerade as something else.

Her freckles tasted like cinnamon

LMFAO!!! What is with these people?! Oh yeah those words. I mean really, I can say them too. So can a 5 year old. You'd think someone that gets paid to write could come up with something better!

Yes, I think you know who I'm talking about. LOL. I'm still bitter about that. I know how to hold a grudge. Mehehehe.

Jen ~ I've read some erotic romance that I actually liked. But, there needs to be story ~ not just a bunch of messing around.


Ames ~ Looks like you've had your share of these. I don't think I've ran across an amnesia story yet.

Mailyn ~ Stupid metaphors. Eek. Am I too rigid? Metaphors don't have to bad ~ they're supposed be descriptive. But c'mon! Daydreams don't have a scent and I'm pretty sure freckles don't have a taste.

I used to let a lot of things slide in my reading, but now I get more irritated by stuff. Weird phrases like the freckle thing are really stupid. I mean, I know some scents can remind us of a certain time in our life, but daydreams?

Secret babies, where the heroine keeps the knowledge from the father for years are a huge pet peeve of mine. If the hero was such a bad guy that the heroine couldn't tell him about the baby, then he sure doesn't belong there as the hero. Hate that plot.

There aren't many things that bother me in stories because I don't tend to look at ALL the bad things because if I dwell too much on the bad stuff, it'll ruin the book for me and I try not to do that, I try to find a little goodness in ALL things, but things that DO get to me sometimes are all the amnesia, secret babies, the constant fighting between the hero and heroines, TSTL heroines that think they're invincible and ALWAYS right, you know those kinds of things...

Stacy ~ I don't get the secret baby stories ~ "I loved you enough not to tell you I was pregnant because I didn't want to trap you then you wouldn't love me anymore....." Is it supposed to make a heroine appear strong who is that stupid?

Dylan ~ Good examples. I also try not to let things bother me. I can usually get past a bad metaphor or something else that irks me, if it doesn't happen too frequently. I'll get irked, but eventually I get over it.

TSTL when a character does something that NO rational person would do. Oh, and when a character behaves out of character to the historical period they supposedly live in. Hate that.

Rosie ~ Going along with "going out of character for the period" how about using catch phrases and slang that weren't even in use during that time?

Truthfully, I can usually overlook things because I'm in it for the story. I can put on my rose colored glasses and pretend I didn't just read what I thought I read for the sake of the story. One or two stupid metaphors isn't going to make me stop reading ~ repeated use of the same words over and over and over (and over) again on just about every single page of a story? Yup ~ I'm tossing the book and moving on. I've got too many other things to read.

I hate sentences like that-- Shampoo and daydreams, indeed. How cheesy!

I have lots of pet peeves, but often I can be persuaded to overlook them if I really like the story. Lots of them have been covered here, but right now I'm hung up on Mailyn's #9-the heroine who hates the hero so much and won't stop going on about how awful he is,and you just don't see it.

Oh, and pop culture refs-

When the h/h is described as looking like a famous person. It's a shortcut and lazy, and it kills the book if you don't like the celebrity in question. I read a book recently where the hero was compared to Kevin Costner. I have enjoyed some of his movies and hated some, but I don't find him attractive.

Lame use of music. When the hero serenades the heroine, for example.

There's so many. Like the slang, the clothing/shoe label thing, the obligatory "Buffy" reference in a paranormal.

Ever reada paranormal without a "Buffy" reference?

No chemisty between h/h.

Speaking of overusing nasties, (this is gonna be sorta graphic) is the euphemisms for love juices.

Ya all know I like Lora Leigh's breed series, but she always has her heroines having twitching and oozing twats. In fact she uses "frothy" when descrubing the female juice and I'm always like "what the heck is going on down there?" LOL! "Creamy" is another one that doesn't work for me. But I suppose it's difficult to find "romantic" words for this kind of thing ...

descrubing??? wth? I shoulda previewed that one! (although I feel like "desrcubing" after reading some of stupid descriptions some authors use! HA!)

hehehe, you guys gave me a good laugh this morning.

So, if daydreams don't have scents what should a kid smell like, besides soap and shampoo?

Devon ~ Come to think of it, I don't remember reading a paranormal without a Buffy romance. Is it some sort of requirement?

Zeek ~ I always say I'm going to start previewing ~ I haven't yet. I tried reading a book recently where I couldn't stand either of H/H. They were spoiled brats and I wouldn't care less one way or another if they did get together. And I figure if I as a reader am investing a few hours of my life to their story, I should at least care about it, shouldn't I? BTW ~ I didn't finish the book.

Tara ~ Good question. I have no idea. Most kids I've been around (when I say kids, I'm thinking the 5-9 age range) smell like a combination of soap, shampoo, dirt and sweat.

Kid smell (at least boys) = wet puppies.

Rosie ~ I smell like wet dog half of the time. We have 2 Therapy dogs at work and they come visit the admin building for treats almost everyday. Luckily, I keep my office stocked with Germ-X and lotion.