When I say “for men” isn’t intended to be sexist, exclusionary or inflammatory, it’s just the most expedient wording I could think of.
When I say it’s for men I mean written from the male perspective, by a writer who understands that men have different thought processes and priorities in a relationship or really any given situation.
For example a night out on a date, my priority is logistics (where to go, how to get there, what it costs) safety (where’s the exits, that dude looks like he’s on bath salts, don’t go that way) and making sure my partner has a great time. I don’t presume to know what a woman might think but I’m guessing it’s a little different.
I’d also expect a “male romance novel” to be more physical. I don’t mean smut or 50 shades of gray but if you’ve met a dude you know what I’m talking about.
I’ve seen excellent romance stories in other genres, inside other stories. Richard and Kahlan in Sword of Truth was great aside from a few…things. Temple of the Winds things.
I don’t know why it seems like this isn’t a thing though. I want to experience love too, read a little “will they, won’t they”, you know? What’s up with that?
by Coventus
10 Comments
Those priorities seem pretty standard, regardless of gender.
Most books are pretty universal from my experience.
We call that porn
>written from the male perspective, by a writer who understands that men have different thought processes and priorities in a relationship or really any given situation.
Lots of books start out that way, but then those different thought processes kick in and the writer decides to add a bunch of explosions and shit
We read real books not trash novellas
>I’d also expect a “male romance novel” to be more physical. I don’t mean smut
I think you’re giving away that you haven’t actually read much romance. A lot of women love their written smut.
Romance is generally the long build up to the smut (even if it’s off-page) and for smut men go for porn. ‘Slow burn’ is basically the standard request on any fanfic or romance novel site. There will be some men who want the slow burn, like you, but they’re clearly not a big enough market to sustain a genre. Like, several ‘porn with plots’ or ‘sensitive / feminist porn’ studios have been attempted and they just never get anywhere.
I’m fine where romance is a subplot, even an important subplot, but I’m just not interested in stories were romance is the *entire* plot.
You’ve touched upon it already. In “male-orientated” stories (for want of a better term). Romance is normally included as part of another story. War, Mystery, spy, adventure etc. Bond doesn’t always get the girl and gets his heart broken quite viciously at least twice in the books.
I’m guessing however you want a romance orientated towards the male experience exclusively? Nick Hornby and David Nicholls cover it quite well. But it’s normally masked as something else.
Have you tried many romance novels? Often both male and female perspectives are present in a novel. It’s probably one of the major draws for folks reading them, that is getting to see the relationship from two perspectives. It’s also what sets up the main drama and tension in a romance
There aren’t more written because publishers don’t think there’s a market for it. There is a historical stigma attached to reading romance so less little boys grew up wanting to be romance writers.
There are some of these books but the good ones are fewer and farther between.
If you want good fantasy recommendations, {his secret illuminations by Scarlett gale} is great, as are T Kingfisher’s paladins of steel series.
Beyond that, your best bet is going to be dual perspective romance books where you get both perspectives.