[Blossom]

Originally Posted by library addict

Thanks for the explanation.

While the characters do have some angst in their backstory, the plot follows the pattern of many mainstream romances. And (I'll put in spoiler tags so as not to spoil for anyone who plans to read and wants to know nothing)

Spoiler:

the characters don't try to mess each other up at all. They work on themselves and their relationship. There's not really anything in the story they have to redeem themselves for.

As for the cover, I thought it was a typical naked hero torso cover. The lip ring is not that common but goodness knows tattoos are.

I guess the NA books I've read were pretty tame as they actually were stories about the characters striking out on their own for the first time. Not necessarily what I would descibe as coming-of-age, but the first time they've lived alone, trying to juggle school and/or work and paying bills for the first time, etc. A lot of angst, but not trying to mess up others people's lives.

I had a higher tolerance for jerk heroes when I first started reading romance. Mostly because that was 99% of romances back then. I don't really enjoy books anymore where the hero treats the heroine like crap for the first 95% of the book and we only learn his true motivation in the last paragraphs. I think that's why I rarely read first person POV books anymore. I like getting the hero's thoughts. (Another reason I never jumped on the NA bandwagon is so many of the books are first person POV).

Not to say I don't have some jerk hero books on my keeper shelf . But many of those are by fave/former autobuy authors. And romances were different in the 70s/80s. Most of the ones I've kept have a nostalgia factor for me. And that type of story sometimes works very well. I just like books now where if that's the plot, we get the hero's reasoning during the story and not at the end.

I've yet to see a mainstream book cover with tattoos. All the ones I know of are indie or folllow the NA pattern covers.

I think we must keep separate the two type of romances out there before the lines gets so blur that we who want to read about healthy normal adults have nothing to read because they are no longer are being written.

I do hope it's just a fad. I can't compare these to the old historical books of the 70s and 80s as these books are in modern times so there is no excuse for their behavior. There is no redemption for these type of heroes/heroines even in the end and that is the huge problem. The writer shows them as normal when they are seriously messed up.