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Originally Posted by tompe
I stopped reading them because too much of the romance component. If Charlain Harris and Laurell K. Hammilton is romance why is not Kim Harrison? I am just curious since I am trying to understand why I like some of the books lumped in the paranormal romance sub-genre but some of them I think is just not very good.
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By the "official" definition of the genre "romance", Charlaine Harris and Laurell K. Hamilton are not writing romances. They're writing paranormal stories with romantic elements.
Officially, a romance should center on the relationship and end with an "emotionally satisfying" (aka, "HEA") ending. And, while some authors may stretch that main story across two or three books, it usually happens in a single book.
As an example, when Christine Feehan writes about her Carpathian vampires, each book tends to focus on the relationship developing between a different couple each book. While there may be an ongoing story arc about the Carpathians, the main focus of each book is the developing relationship (and ultimate pairing up) of the book's focus couple.
Kim Harrison's books are very much about the relationship between the three main leads - Rachel, Ivy and Jenks. The series also has an ongoing story arc about Rachel's magical abilities, what was done to her to cure her childhood disease, etc. Rachel's had more than one love interest so far in the series - and I know of a heavy contingent still hoping she ends up with Ivy - but the love interests aren't the main focus of the books. Generally, what
happens with her love interests is used to further the main story arc, rather than the other way around!
That's not to say that some of the urban fantasy/paranormal series aren't called "romances" by people who don't worry too much about "official" definitions.
I have friends who won't read "romance novels" who will read urban fantasy or paranormal stories, even if the romantic elements are very strong. They'll even get invested in the romantic relationships and root for favorite pairings or possibilities. But if I slip a "true" paranormal romance in the pile of books, they generally give it back to me unfinished.
I've taken it to mean that they don't like stories that focus mainly (or solely) on the romantic relationship, but they don't mind - and even enjoy - stories that
include a romantic relationship.
Some authors bend the genres enough that I can't always tell which series will be accepted by these friends and which won't. For example, they've enjoyed Kelley Armstrong's books so far, although I would label those paranormal romances, but I think it's because for most of them, there's also some kind of suspense storyline going on as well.
Some people complain that world-building suffers in most paranormal (or science fiction) romances, because the couples need to much of the author's word count! And I've seen the difference between books labeled as science fiction, science fiction romance, and "futuristic" romance (world-building listed strongest to weakest).
Anyway, that's why I'd listed Kim Harrison and Carrie Vaughn as not officially being romances. To a romance purist, that would be the same with the Patricia Briggs and CE Murphy series, although Briggs definitely has a strong romantic voice, and both Briggs' and Murphy's most recent series did develop a romance between main characters over the course of a few books.
Clear as mud? Or more information than you could possible be interested in?!