Let’s chat about Paranormal Romance. Do you like the genre? Any favorite PNR books to recommend?
Julie:
Paranormal is my favorite genre, that’s not a secret. I enjoy the fun worlds and interesting creatures in these books. I enjoy the mysteries all the action. I’ve recently learned though that Urban Fantasy (UF) more describes the type of Paranormal books I enjoy, and Paranormal Romance (PNR) is a bit different. To me the lines are kind of blurred, since both of those genre include romantic elements, but I guess Paranormal Romance books focus on the romance over the plot/action. I like my books to have more than just two people fighting their feelings for each other and then finally giving in by the end of the book though, so whether a book is classified PNR or UF does not matter to me as long as the characters are interesting and the book’s plot is fun. I’ve got some favorite PNR or UF series on the recommendations page if you want to see them.
Rose:
I started reading paranormal romance mainly because of, yep you guessed it, Twilight. And I don’t care what anyone of ya’ll say, I’m still a Twihard! After Twilight, I read some of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, the first book in the Morganville Vampire series, and a few of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I also read A Discovery of Witches. Now, here is the thing… I definitely like vamps and shapeshifters more than witches. I am not really sure why that is, but I get bored with paranormal at times because of the whole element of the unknown. There can be this great conflict and magic or some fantastical creature can come clear out of left field and save the day. NOT COOL! I hate when problems are resolved this way. So entirely frustrating. So I DO enjoy a good paranormal romance every now and again, but it certainly is not my FAVORITE genre.
Lynn:
I looked up the definition of Paranormal Romance on Goodreads to be sure I liked it. I’m not really into vampires and werewolves (The Cullen family being the exception.) Like Julie, I am more into Urban Fantasy. I like the real-world-ness of these books. The fact that around any corner could be daemons, fae, Akiva, or Jericho Barrons. And I always prefer some action and a strong female main character. I think the appeal of this genre is female leads who are action heroines with a side of sexy time.
I am a big fan of Urban Fantasy — that’s probably MOST of what I read, though I do dabble in high fantasy, paranormal romance, and a teeny bit in sci fi. My favorite books right now are Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy, Maas’ Throne of Glass series, and Meyers’ Lunar Chronicles, none of which probably REALLY qualify as Paranormal Romance, but all of which kind of dip into that kind of territory.
I’m with you that the UF are a lot of fun, and they do have a romantic element even if they’re not a true “PNR” book. Great suggestions there. I need to keep reading the All Souls books.
I used to read more paranormal romance, but I’ve been transitioning away from it lately. I’m sure I’ll go back at some point, but lately I’ve been sticking to more fantasy and contemporary.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
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Yea it is good to switch up the genres we read 🙂
[…] Julie, Rose, and Lynn chat about paranormal romance. […]
I’m not a big fan of paranormal romance. I read a few for a while, but then the genre fell flat for me. No one seemed to be doing anything different, so I got bored. I may return to paranormal romance one day, but that day is not today. 🙂
Brenda @DailyMayo recently posted…Books Without Romance: 12 Book Characters who Prefer to be Single
I know what you mean – I have read a lot that were very formulaic.
I haven’t read too many paranormal books, so I can’t judge. I didn’t like the ones I did read, I think it’s because I like a romance to be a romance, and paranormal to be paranormal. Somehow when the two mix, it’s not that good (at least for me).
Great chat idea, by the way!
Nish recently posted…The Night it Rained Guns
I don’t know, nowadays it seems like no matter the genre, romance gets thrown in heh.
I’m more of an UF gal myself. The one PNR series that I do really like (Immortals After Dark) is heavy enough on the action that dominates UF to feel more like UF than PNR. The sexy times are just bonus, LOL.
I have that on my to-read but man that’s another of those series that seems to go on forever. 15 books?
I have gotten a bit tired of Paranormal Romance, but there are still some that manage to keep my attention, like the Black Dagger Brotherhood series 🙂
Sugar & Snark recently posted…Snark #Review: Courtney Comes Clean
I really need to start the BDB series, huh?
Most definitely!
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perso i prefer teh series by lara adrian vs the black dagger brotherhood because with lara adrian the females have an active role there are not just trophee
miki recently posted…Blood Trade ( Jane Yellowrock 6) by Faith Hunter
I like when the female characters have an active role. Those are on my to-read as well.
I read all the Sookie Stackhouse novels and all the Twilight books. I have read the first 2 books in The Discovery of Witches trilogy. Paranormal anything isn’t something I pick up often. Too many other books in my TBR pile that interest me more, I guess.
Terri M., the Director
Second Run Reviews
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I’m quite a bit behind on the Sookie books, and still need to read the second Discovery of Witches book. I own these though – maybe I’ll catch up this year for our challenge heh.
Good luck. 🙂
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i love both paranormal romance and urban fantasy ( and yes some are difficult to put in one category only) but paranormal romance is not only with vampire or werewolves either ^^ you can have djinn, dragon, gargoyles, feline shiter and all kind of supe really^^
a good paranormal romance with a djinn for example is Words that bind by Ash Krafton
but i also love Nalini singh book the psichangeling series if you love feline shifters, some wolves and other shifters ( even rat are cited) and psi ( telekinetic, empath etc). i would recommend you to read this series in order as the main plot expend each time a little and we learn more about the universe( yes tehre is action and plot)
more on the urban fantasy side we have her guild hunter series which is excellent as well
if you are looking for a urban fantasy thriller ( action romance and some suspense) the omega force by susannah sandlin is a must ( all kind of shifters and some alpha humans)
( it’s closely related to her series the Penton legacy ( more paranormal romance than urban fantsy) which focus on vampires but can be read as a stand alone)
as Suzanne johnson she has a fabulous urban fantasy with plot, and action she also master divinly the description… it also has romance ( not a real love rtriangle if you read between teh lines) in this series you have all kind of paranormal creature.. mermen, shifters, fae, vampires and..historical undead( forget zombie these one are sexy and quite human safe for teh immortal part)
book 1 royal street is good river road book 2 has a littel more humour in it and could be read first if needed but starting book 3 Elysian field teh urvban fantasy takes a bigger part with a lot of suspense and teh romance put a little aside but in each you have emotions, action suspense and humour
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omega force is teh series title is Storm Force ( forgot to add that detail^^;;)
miki recently posted…Treasures and Finds+ January recap
Ooh I read the series by Suzanne Johnson, didn’t realize she had an alternate pen name identity hehe. I’ll have to add the other books to my list. Thanks for the suggestions 🙂 I read the first Psy/Changeling book and really didn’t like it, so I don’t know if I’d like others in the series.
the first spi changeling isn’t her best but i could only advice you to give a try to book 2 and see if once you go deeper into the world you enjoy it more ( or you can get a novella too in the magical christmas cat anthology too)
the guild hunter series is more urban so perhaps better for you
and yes suzanne johnson is susannah sandlin^^ ( soo the release of pirate ‘s alley^^ the good news of april)
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