# Romance novels or thrillers? which rocks more and why?



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Some of my friends say that romance novels are engaging while thrillers are exciting...whats your take on that?


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## Eliza Baum (Jul 16, 2011)

It's apples and oranges. Sometimes I feel like reading one, and sometimes the other -- not because one rocks more than the other, but because my mood says so. *shrug*


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> Some of my friends say that romance novels are engaging while thrillers are exciting...whats your take on that?


My take is ... yes.

(Romance novels are engaging, and thrillers are exciting. God willing.)


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

i agree with you Eliza; when you let your mood guide you, you are more likely to enjoy the book better.

MichelleR, you are just as torn as i am, i am unable to tell out-rightly which is the best.


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## Guest (May 4, 2012)

I like both. That's why I jump back and forth between genres.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I'm a thriller guy.  Always have been, and if they are done right, their characters and stories are very engaging.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

yeah...but i think that one should judge a book by its contents ...not the genre that it is in.


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

Thrillers can be engaging too - what if they have a bit of romance in them?

And romance has to have a bit of excitement (and not just the erotic kind) in order to keep the reader hooked.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> yeah...but i think that one should judge a book by its contents ...not the genre that it is in.


Except, if it is in a genre that a reader usually avoids, they're probably never going to give it a try. I know I almost never pick up romances -- it's got to have some really great word of mouth by people I trust. I just find them to be all the same and usually kind of silly.  Plus, at least for romances, it seems to me there are some certain elements it Has To Have -- or else the regular readers of the genre will scream for your blood.

Thrillers can be 'samey' too, of course, but, for me, total predictability and silliness doesn't happen nearly as often. Though, again, I don't just buy _any_ thriller. I go with authors I've read before and enjoyed, and carefully vet new authors. If I try a new author and find the book to be predictable or silly, it's probably the last book I'll ever read by 'em. 

I guess the bottom line is, different things will speak to different readers . . . . what one needs to really relax might be exactly the thing that is most likely to upset another -- depends on the overall temperament of the reader but also what is happening in their life. For example, as a teenager I found 'dead baby' jokes morbidly funny. Once I matured and then had a baby, well, I found them just morbid and in poor taste. Not funny at all any more. So a person looking for a particular genre expects, more or less, a particular thing. If that's not what they get, you risk them being very much put off. . . . .


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

It's not even apples and oranges in my opinion, it's apples and cauliflower. It's like asking someone which is better, Andrea Bocelli or the Rolling Stones. I like romances and don't like thrillers.  Some people like thrillers and don't like romances.  Some people like both.  There's no why to it.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I read both, and it depends on the individual book. I'd rather read a great romance than a crummy thriller and vice versa. As to most books in any genre suffering from sameness - I read a lot fewer thrillers than I used to. I'm so sick of serial killers the very words make me ignore a book, and as for serial killers that die in each book in a series only to crop up again in the next.... Aaagghh!!


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## jwest (Nov 14, 2011)

I have read a few romances, however, I dig thrillers! 

I like the sense of tension and danger that makes me flip the pages until well past my bedtime.

I may look like I've been on an all night bender in the morning, but it's worth it


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## MadCityWriter (Dec 8, 2011)

How about an exciting, engaging romantic thriller?  Titles anyone?


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

@Madcitywriter; there are many titles you can find. there are writers who can do both perfectly. i have tried in the past and succeeded well.

@Jwest; i agree with you. suspense, tension and urge to  know what will happen next are spices to thrillers.

@ Ellenoc; that is the problem with some writers...they do not know how to connect series. you know, you can start an interesting series, but when you get to the end, you fail to connect the story or you lack the necessary creativity to end the story well. that normally leads to repetition.

@Leberc; taste and interests are the major determinants of what one reads.

@Ann; you are right, there are many things that readers look for in a book. the moment an author identifies what his/her readers are looking for, they will be in a better position to present them with what they need.

@Bennet; a good thriller will leave you wanting for more. you will want to know what happened next. on the other hand, a good romance will ensure will take you on a passion ride...and you will enjoy till the end.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> @Ann; you are right, there are many things that readers look for in a book. the moment an author identifies what his/her readers are looking for, they will be in a better position to present them with what they need.


So, are you asking the question as a writer. . . to try to figure out what to write?


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Not really. when I am doing my novels, i am guided by passion and what is on my mind. knowing what readers like helps an author package what they already have in a better way.


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## PAWilson (Jan 9, 2012)

It's an odd question. Yes romances are supposed to be engaging, and yes thrillers are supposed to be exciting, but a good book is more than one dimension. A romance that is only engaging might stall because there's little or no conflict. A thriller that is just a series of action scenes linked together, isn't going to be a good read. 

I think the more depth your novel has, while staying true to genre the better.


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## Darlene Jones (Nov 1, 2011)

I think a book can be both - great reads as thrillers and great reads as romance. Silver Linings by Jayne Ann Krentz comes to mind. A fun read on both counts.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

the idea applies in either way. if you want to be trilled, you should find a good thriller. if you want to be engaged, you should look for a good romance


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

And yet there are romantic thrillers... 

And I don't think one is inherently superior to the other.  A good book is a good book.  I'll read almost any genre.  It's about the writing....

Betsy


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Betsy; you are right, the idea behind reading is not only to get information, but also, for enjoyment. genre has little if any effect on this.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

a good read is the one that leaves me puzzled and amused


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## Boatie (May 8, 2012)

I can always get engaged in a good thriller, but many romance novels leave me kind of chuckling.  I also find this in films though.  Do you find you prefer the same genre book as movie?


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## D.A. (Mar 29, 2012)

Boatie said:


> I can always get engaged in a good thriller, but many romance novels leave me kind of chuckling. I also find this in films though. Do you find you prefer the same genre book as movie?


The opposite for me with thrillers. I can read and enjoy most thriller novels, but I won't go see a thriller at the movies. When I'm in control of the graphic nature - my imagination - then I love it, but when a director is throwing gore up on the screen it can really disturb me. For romance, in books and film I feel the same: pure romance boring, unless it has an added element like it's historical (Pride & Prejudice) or it's really funny.


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## Julius St Clair (May 8, 2012)

Are there such things as Romantic Thrillers? Because then we can have the best of both worlds!


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I like thrillers with romance as a secondary plot. But if I had to choose just one over the other, thrillers rock way more.


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## goldie (May 9, 2012)

Next to the circus we have in DC, I prefer thrillers. 
Hard to beat the insanity of DC but certain historical novels are cool and somewhat reaffirming.


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## Boatie (May 8, 2012)

Thrillers -- without a doubt. Romance novels can be engaging, but they don't really draw me in like thrillers do. The continuous excitement and uncertainty can be totally captivating.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

romantic thrillers do exist. they are thrillers that have elements of romance in them.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Boatie said:


> Thrillers -- without a doubt. Romance novels can be engaging, but they don't really draw me in like thrillers do. The continuous excitement and uncertainty can be totally captivating.


i agree with you Boatie,they are very captivating. this is especially when they have been done right.

Goldie; historical books are more of informative than engaging. however, there are those that are very interesting.

@Dara; thrillers rocks.. the anticipation of what will happen next keeps people moving and hooked.

@julius; yes there are romantic thrillers. they are very interesting for those who love both genres.


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## D.A. (Mar 29, 2012)

balaspa said:


> I'm a thriller guy. Always have been, and if they are done right, their characters and stories are very engaging.


I'm with you on this. I so rarely find a romance novel that doesn't feel forced. I suppose that's why I look for another element in a romance novel: history, humor, broken stereotypes, something...


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I prefer modern authors over the classics.  However, there will always be a place for older books and authors of the past, I think.  And, I think that is how it should be.


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## Julius St Clair (May 8, 2012)

I didn't know there were romantic thrillers. Are there any good examples?


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## Brownskins (Nov 18, 2011)

Back to the original question -

Younger writers are inspired by older writers... I think the contemporary writing is really fascinating and continues to evolve - but it wouldn't have gotten to that point if not for the inspiration provided by the classics. So to answer, No, current writers have not superceded those of the past, but they can definitely sit alongside them in the ranks of "respected writers".


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Brownskins said:


> Back to the original question -
> 
> Younger writers are inspired by older writers... I think the contemporary writing is really fascinating and continues to evolve - but it wouldn't have gotten to that point if not for the inspiration provided by the classics. So to answer, No, current writers have not superceded those of the past, but they can definitely sit alongside them in the ranks of "respected writers".


Well, to clarify, that's not the _original_ original question. That's apparently a whole 'nother question asked later in the thread when the title changed.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

@Balaspa- modern authors have noted mistakes that were done in the past. they therefore have a more perfect work of art.

@ Julius - there are several. ill sens examples to you.

@Brownskins- i like younger writers too..they deal with modern fiction that we can relate to.

@ ann - the question was pasted by mistake. corrections have been done.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

thrillers or romance?


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

Julius St Clair said:


> I didn't know there were romantic thrillers. Are there any good examples?


Romantic thrillers can also be described as romantic suspense, but with romantic thrillers the emphasis is more on the thriller aspects than the romance.

Miriam Minger


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

yeah Minger, that's true


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I don't read romance - tried a few and didn't enjoy them. Love thrillers. I agree with all the comments it's about the writing, although I do know which genre I prefer no matter how good the writing.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Jenny; you should go by your choice of genre. So long as you are enjoying them, you are in the right place.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> Jenny; you should go by your choice of genre. So long as you are enjoying them, you are in the right place.


True, although I'm always up for trying something new. I enjoy the intrigue and the chase in thrillers.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Hilborne; you should also consider the new genre; the historical thrillers.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

i think thrillers have it.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Thrillers or romancers?


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

It looks like this conversation has run it's course, so I'm going to lock it .....

Thanks,
Geoffrey
Book Corner Moderator


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