Open Thread for Readers for July 2020
Misc / Need A Rec!book-pimp / Open Thread / Promotion9 Comments
Got a book you want to talk about? Frustrated with a book or series? In love with a new one? Found a buried treasure? An issue that keeps popping up in the books you are reading? Just want to chat about stuff in general?
Why do so many unplanned pregnancies in romance novels happen while the heroine is taking birth control pills? I’m fine with an unplanned pregnancy romance, but I wish writers would stop making it seem that birth control pills are completely unreliable. At least if they’re going to use the “I got pregnant even though I’m on the pill” plot device, I wish they’d insert a reference to something that would make the pill ineffective—like inadvertently skipping a few days or being on antibiotics. How hard would it be for the heroine to say, “Oh, it must have happened when I was taking antibiotics for that sinus infection I had two months ago”?
/Dismounting soapbox now.
@DiscoDollyDeb: ::standing in front of you on the soapbox and saying “yes!”::
I’ve really gotten into a new romance mystery series from indie publisher Falstaff Crush. They’re the Stella Hart mysteries written by Lucy Blue. The first one is called Guinevere’s Revenge. They’re cute, fluffy, and full of 1920’s fun. Just what I needed right now.
@DiscoDollyDeb: Yes agreed. If they’re going to use birth control it makes more sense for it to be a condom malfunction.
I can think of three reasons why writers may use that got pregnant on the pill trope: (1) They don’t want the heroine to look irresponsible or stupid so they make sure she uses birth control, (2) they don’t want to insert a condom into a sex scene (some writers feel that it isn’t sexy and kills the mood), and (3) thoughtless regurgitation of a common trope.
It’s really irritating, though.
@Janine: Agree—especially about the “heroine not looking irresponsible” part. (OTOH, even if the heroine is on the pill, I’d still like the hero to “suit up” as it were, unless both partners know each other’s health status. But I suppose that’s another soapbox for another time, lol.)
@DiscoDollyDeb: In Sarina Bowen’s Coming in from the Cold, the heroine doesn’t get her prescription filled in time and thinks she’ll be okay. Ha, of course she isn’t! Other than that I can’t think of any book in which there’s a reasonable explanation for the heroine getting pregnant while on the pill.
My TBR pile is once again down to one book, which I’m saving for a rainy day.
Ooh, ooh. I have two gripes.
First, I know authors may not control this, but authors, please try to get on the Overdrive system. There’s been many a time that I tried to recommend a book at my local library system (one of the biggest in the country) and nothing shows up.
Second, authors, please consider giving your characters non-WASPy names. Characters can have diverse names even when their ethnic/racial heritage isn’t part of the plot!
@Amy Ravenel: Those do sound cute.
@Janine: They’re awesome! Definitely check them out!