Lori Foster was on my auto buy list, but not any more. I did buy her last book but did not finish it.

DH's commentary about showers usually runs along the lines of, “Man, I need a fuckin' shower dude� often followed by a remark about the sweatiness of his balls.

OMG! Your DH and my significant other were separated at birth!

That’s my husband’s too. He’s sophisticated, the coolest guys I know, sensitive, and one might say “urbane” but on Saturday mornings: “Oh, dude, smell this. I fucking need a shower, dude. For real.”

OMG! Your DH and my significant other were separated at birth!

DH's commentary about showers usually runs along the lines of, “Man, I need a fuckin' shower dude� often followed by a remark about the sweatiness of his balls.

See, it’s comments like this that prove to me that drinking coffee while reading the posts here is a Very Bad Thing.

Jackie, wiping up coffee

One, none of the straight guys I know have ever used the word “Heavenly” in my presence unless they are asking where I picked up the spiral sliced ham. DH’s commentary about showers usually runs along the lines of, “Man, I need a fuckin’ shower dude” often followed by a remark about the sweatiness of his balls.

Two, why, oh why do so very many of the “light” contemps today have the H/H falling in love in a week or less? Even if an author is worried about word count, at least consider starting a chapter with “A few weeks later…” or leaving the relationship open at the end, sans proposal or declaration of undying love. The fifth day marriage proposal is one of those things that, unless the writer is unusually skilled, smacks of laziness to me. It’s as if the author can’t or won’t flesh out the relationship, and the belivability of a HEA goes to pot as far as I am concerned.

I suppose that the fifth day proposal happens in other romance niches besides light contemps, but it seems somehow that I see it more often there.

Would they truly be “alpha� then? I would consider them more metro, I think. Or something.

I don’t count them as alphas, but most readers seem to, in part, I think, because they’ve often got that hulking physique. But then again, most of what is called alpha in Romance doesn’t correspond to what I think of as alpha (like in the animal kingdom). I tend to see alphas as natural leaders, as those who command respect because of who they are, and who are only aggressive when the safety of the pack requires them to be. Sometimes I think there’s a confusion between controllers and leaders. IMO, being domineering, dominating, or controlling doesn’t equate to leadership. Frankly, I wish there were more natural leader types in Romance, because THAT’s sexy to me — men who garner respect and admiration through their ability to provide direction and protection and the wisdom to know how to apply it. Yummy.

To me, Foster’s Romance is very much fantasy fiction, and the kind of guy she writes is just not my fantasy — at least not in the handful of Foster books I’ve tried.

Not for me.

And, Wendy, ditto.

Unfortunately for both of us, I kind of got sucked in by the cool cover and the idea of a fight club hero.

Once again, this proves the importance of a good cover. Makes me want to submit to certain publishers just for the cover artists.

Unfortunately for both of us, I kind of got sucked in by the cool cover and the idea of a fight club hero.

Ha! You crack me up.

I’ve never been able to get into her, either. I think out of the 7 novels of hers I somehow managed to get sucked into reading, I like 1. This one isn’t going on my list.

her alpha heroes are physically male and emotionally female.

Would they truly be “alpha” then? I would consider them more metro, I think. Or something.

The bad boy fighting hero who isn't at all hurt by his girlfriend's cheating on him thinks showers are “heavenly� goes from not liking said tomboy to totally wanting to change her life by inviting her to live in his home, cook her dinner, treat with her heavenly tender care, inviting her to stay in his hometown all the space of a couple of days.

I think this is one of the reasons why Foster’s formula is so popular — her alpha heroes are physically male and emotionally female.