Top Ten Tuesday #49

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke andthe Bookish!

This week's topic is...

Top Ten Things I Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romance In Books

So I decided to split it up this week between likes and dislikes. I noticed this topic in the list weeks ago and was so excited to get to it and had all sorts of ideas swimming around in my head...that I didn't write down. I know that I'm forgetting quite a few really fun ideas I had for this topic but the ones I came up with today are good all the same.

*5 Dislikes:*

Insta-Love

There's nothing worse than picking up a book and having a couple meet and within minutes, hours, days start thinking about forever and love and blah, blah, blah. I can't stand it! I will admit there have been books in the past where I've made an exception because I loved the storyline so much and the characters but just in general it's a big fat no. A turn off. A very strong and instant attraction? That I get. But I'm very much not the love at first site type of person. Except maybe with Stephen Amell, I knew I loved him the moment I saw him...sigh. Ha moving on...

Cheating

I can forgive a lot of things when it comes to a really good romance. The one most unforgivable thing that will completely turn me off from a book is cheating. I wouldn't forgive it in real life so why should I make an exception with a story? If you're not happy with someone, and if you're messing around with another person than obviously you are not, than why on earth are you still with them? There's just no excuse for cheating! None!!

Lying

Another huge pet peeve. Also another thing I wouldn't put up with in reality so definitely not in a book either. I'm not talking the little tiny white lies that we tell each like "Thank you! I love this sweater you bought me!" While on the inside you're cringing and already sticking it in the back of your closet. I'm talking the major ones, the big ones. They always seem to backfire anyway don't they?

Sex. Sex. Sex!

Without a purpose that is. Some books throw sex in there for no reason other than to make it seem more like a romance. I want plot, I want purpose, I want it to feel needed. Let that tension build to a point where I think that I may break if they don't finally do it. I've started too many books where on page 5 people are already falling into bed. There really has to be what I feel is a valid reason for that. Anything else is no better than porn. And if porn was what I wanted, well that's what I'd be doing instead of reading your book. Plus sometimes there really is such a thing as too much sex. I know right? I can't believe I said that either!

Control Freak

This is both a like and a dislike. But for this post's purposes I'm sticking it under dislike. I freaking love a good alpha male. One who likes to maintain control and is powerful and assertive. But there's a line between a good alpha male who exudes control and a douche who's a total control freak. There's a time and a place. One of them can be sexy and dominating in a good way and the other is bordering on mentally abusive.

*5 Likes:*

Kissing

Oh the kissing! Even the anticipation of that first kiss between a couple can be so amazing. Sometimes there's even nothing I like better than having to wait til nearly the end or at least the last third of the book to get to that moment. It can be the most exquisite kind of torture. And when it finally happens? Sigh. Perfection. A really good and well written kiss can be a billion times better than things going any further than that. Oh yes, the kissing! :)

Enemies/Rivals to Lovers

Nothing gets my pulse pounding harder than a really good fight that's fueled with an underlying attraction. The sexual tension just builds and builds as they fight until one of those fights everything finally comes to a head and bam! *Points to above like* A mind blowing, anger fueled kiss. Love it!

Forbidden Romance

Oh. My. Gosh. When two people who are for whatever reason not supposed to be together, yet fall in love and have to either hide it at first or fight to be together? Oh my heart...Forbidden love, at least written right, can be the swooniest of swoons.

Friends to Lovers

I swear I'm like sighing as I type each one of my likes. I'm such a sucker for romance. And having people go from friends or best friends to discovering they feel more is just the best. Sometimes it comes upon both people suddenly or sometimes one of them has felt it all along and suffers in silence afraid of either ruining the friendship or it not be reciprocated. I also throw in the older brother's best friend/best friend's older brother tropes into this category which tend to be my favorites. There's just so many possibilities here and I just love it so much!

Second Chance at Love

I love it when people two people who once loved each other deeply find a way back into each other's hearts. Especially those ones that were maybe high school sweethearts and then years and years down the road they're thrown back into each other's lives and realize that there are still sparks there. Even if they have to fight their way back to it. Especially if they have to fight their way back to it. Overcome whatever issues pulled them apart to begin with. 

So that's it for this week! I feel like I forgot some major stuff in both categories. I did have fun with this topic though! What likes and dislikes did you come up with this week?

Oh and just as sort of an afterthought...I would love for authors to quit overusing the phrase "released a breath I didn't realize I was holding" I didn't feel like it really fit into this post but it's such a huge pet peeve when I've read that line or various wording of the same thing over...and over... and over...and...