Any of you who visit IRR know that I tend to be slightly obsessive about reading. Recently that obsessive quality made an appearance when I stumbled over a box of older Harlequin HPs. I had won this boxobooks during a weak moment scanning EBAY. You know, one of those times where you bid $9.99 for 60 books, never thinking you will actually win, then you win, and you find yourself with 60-70 romances from the 70s, 80s and early 90s. Don't try to act like you all haven't had this same thing happen. I know you people.
Anyway, in an attempt to cull the "best"from this huge group of books, I went to my favorite source on old Harlequin/M&B stuff, the incredible readers on Amazon Romance forum . If you haven't visited these forums, I highly recommend that you do. There are readers posting at the Amazon forums that have read everything in all genres of romance and they are happy to share their knowledge. So, I asked for their favorite "train wrecks." Train wrecks are also known as WTFs by some, those books that are so horribly strange that you just can't look away and as you are reading you are constantly asking yourself, WTF??? They may feature plots that are absolutely exquisite in some ridiculous, over-the-top way. They most likely feature characters that are unbelievable, probably unlikeable, but fascinating on all kinds of levels. The late 70s and early 80s, were an incredibly fertile time for Harlequin and Mills & Boon writers and many of the best train wreck titles are from this period.
One such book that tends to send people over the edge is Robyn Donald's Smoke in the Wind. Donald started writing for M&B/Harlequin in 1977 and has written more than 70 books since. As HP writers go, Donald is one of the best. Her work, besides being well-written, has a depth and a fineness to it that is often lacking when writers are churning out titles as HP writers do. Most of her books are set in New Zealand or Australia and her descriptions of these locales rival those of the best travel writers. She obviously loves her home. Donald is generally admired and most avid HP readers agree that she is tops in the field, however, just the mention of Smoke in the Wind and many normally rational people start wailing and gnashing their teeth.
What makes Smoke in the Wind a Train Wreck title of spectacular quality? Well, let's just say that the course of true love doesn't run smoothly in this story. The book opens with our heroine, Venetia falling for gorgeous television executive, Ryan Fraine. Venetia is also a television journalist and as their work draws them together, she thinks that Ryan is looking for a modern, independent woman and she decides that she will be that woman. He wants casual, no-strings sex, so she will provide it and then he will eventually come to value her and their incredible physical chemistry so much that he will fall in love and crave a true commitment. Um, not so fast, Venetia. Turns out that our boy has mommy issues and craves an old-fashioned paragon of purity for his marital bed. You guys may have great sex, but when it comes to commitment, that is a BIG strike against you. As our heroine plays fast and loose, Ryan meets her lookalike, goody two shoes, virginal cousin and almost immediately falls in love. He drops Venetia like the proverbial hot potato, but not without slaking his manly urges one last time after telling her that she is just too big a slut to ever be his wife. You guys see where this is going, right? Fast forward five years and we find Venetia living somewhat happily in Australia. She has picked up the pieces of her life, moved away from her man-stealing cousin and her sleazy ex and made a career writing historical fiction. Yay Venetia! But not so fast, dear readers. Virginal cousin dies tragically young and Ryan decides to track down Venetia and all kind of craziness ensues.
Now the question that drives most readers insane is whether Donald manages to craft a believable love story for Ryan and Venetia out of the above mess of WTF! I say she absolutely does. After reading this one several times, I feel that it is a masterful example of a truly complex series romance. Donald makes these characters come to life in a big, messy, but very real way. We've all done crazy stupid things for love, right? They are both completely screwed up because of their past and their personalities and she explores this in a level of detail that is truly unusual for a book with this page count. By the end of Smoke in the Wind, I was exhausted. So much great angst! So trainwrecky! I went on to read every Donald book in my collection and then go out and glom all that I could get my hands on. If you like messy, crazy, angsty train wrecks, I advise you to do the same!
Meanwhile, let me leave you with a few facts of life that I have gleaned from my recent Harlequin HP immersion:
Heroines have red hair. Whether strawberry blond or deep auburn dark, evidently red-headed women have a tendency to fall for dominating, asshat men.
Actress/model=WHORE. You may be rich, successful and beautiful, but forget about hard work, if you are in either of these fields, the hero will immediately assume that you are an amoral slut who is just out to snare a rich husband.
No one is named Susan or Jack. Autumns, Prues, Amerells and Natashas abound, as do Berics and Trents and Blaines. you won't meet a hero/heroine with anything close to a common name.
Every man in New Zealand/Australia owns a station (but also has a luxury flat in Auckland/Melbourne from which they run the other businesses in their empires.)
Every man in England/America is an international financier.
If you don't own a station or a multinational company, you are probably a sheik or the prince of a small country that no one has ever heard of.
If the heroine of an HP is barren or infertile, she's gonna get pregnant the minute the hero looks her way.
If you are the heroine of an HP it is super bad luck for your family, because they are most likely dead. Conveniently killed off so that you have no support when the hero pressures you into marriage. Also, you must be an orphan in order to insure that you won't be good enough for the hero's snooty family.
If you do have a family, they will be responsible for your downfall. Either your mother will be a grasping shrew out to sell you to the highest bidder or your father will have gambled your inheritance away, forcing you into marriage with a right bastard just to save the family name. If you have siblings, they will either be super bitches (sister or, more likely, step-sister) or incompetent criminals who get caught quickly (mostly brothers).
If you have a stepbrother, you will very likely end up married to him.
OK guys, what do you all think of harlequin HPs or series romances in general? Have a favorite train wreck book, that you love to hate?
Leave me a comment and I'll enter you in the drawing for a free Christmas romance!
***Holiday Romance giveaway update, screw picking names, it is Christmas and I love you guys, so you're all getting a book! If I don't have your address please email me, either here or FB and I'll do my best to make sure you get your book before XMAS. Thanks for checking out my little blog and I hope you all have the best New Year ever! *****
"Whether strawberry blond or deep auburn dark, evidently red-headed women have a tendency to fall for dominating, asshat men."
ReplyDeleteHey, now just wait a minute.
I love HPs as a series. They call for willing suspension of disbelief, as in "leave your reality at the door". There's no subtle in that world.
You want WTF? Try Susan Mallery's Desert Rogues series, Silhouette Special Edition. Desert sheiks and their brides. Try this one to start: The Sheik's Arranged Marriage. She pretends to be someone more seductive and thinks he doesn't recognize her.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/302276.The_Sheik_s_Arranged_Marriage_Desert_Rogues_2_?from_search=true
You know, Sheiks are the one element of series romances that I don't like at all. Even the later RD stuff features sheiks and I keep avoiding them. That said, I trust your judgement and Mallery is good, so I'll give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteAnd word on the no subtle thing. I love that about them. Emotions are extremely heightened and over the top, but the stories are sort of streamlined and boiled down to the high points. I have really enjoyed reading them. I find them incredibly relaxing. No big expectations and since they don't require much in the way of a time investment, it is like a mini vacation.
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ReplyDeleteReally great piece. Of course, I particularly like the hero dripping wealth and international financier observation. And heroine is orphan or has family from hell... and I am going to have to read SitW... though I may throw it out the window about 20 times before I finnish it.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Pennie, you will want to throw it out, but you will be so mesmerized you won't be able to stop reading. it is one of those!
ReplyDeleteAh, I remember these. I always got the ditzy chick who stumbles and charms the rich guy or down-to-earth-boy-next-door. All my good ones I lent out and never got back.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I didn't get mine from eBay, but from the subscription service that I had to cancel after receiving too many bad batches and "bonus" books they charged for later. However, I got my first wine glass set from them. lol
I can see myself either loving or hating Smoke in the Wind, or possibly both, or loving it and hating myself for that fact. :) I just went to read the reviews, and saw "THIS IS NO LOVE STORY" which is what I thought when you first described it. But then I started thinking, well, people do treat each other like crap and sometimes end up working it out in the end. (Do they? Or do I just think that because books/movies/TV shows tell me they do. My view of the world might be twisted from soaps.) But I like people having issues and working through them. And these seem like believable issues. But also, even as I'm writing this, the feminist in me is being revolted. See? DILEMMA.
ReplyDeleteKimberly, this is a true train wreck, which means that while reading it you will experience love, hate, envy, greed and all the rest of the seven sins, with the possible exception of gluttony! I however, will fight to the death anyone that says that this is not a love story. It is absolutely a love story. A love that has to be won, lost and fought hard for before it is finally truly realized. Way more of a love story than most romance novels. Also, re: feminist thing, Venetia is nobody's pushover. She has a physical jones for this guy and she realizes it. She owns her role in perpetuating a deceptive picture of herself in order to try to manipulate him and she definitely stands up for herself. Donald's heroines tend to be more self aware and intelligent than many in the HP world. If you are looking for a pretty romance, this isn't it. But if you want something where you see two fully developed characters dealing with their own stuff and then figuring out how to value and love each other (with a shit ton of angst thrown in) then this might be for you.
DeleteQuanita, I remember all those bonus books! I used to sign up for every book club under the sun and then my mom would be like, where are all these books coming from or I'd forget to make payment and it would all catch up with me. I think they have kindle bundles now. I'm not sure about the wine glasses though. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL! YES, that was my life! I think I still have one or two of them. I think I should post a pic. ;)
DeleteAbsolutely! I would love that.
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