Erotica romance characters with pained backgrounds

Please use this subforum to discuss romance or erotic books.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Tianarenee3
Posts: 96
Joined: 30 Apr 2014, 15:24
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tianarenee3.html

Erotica romance characters with pained backgrounds

Post by Tianarenee3 »

Hello! So as an avid contemporary reader, I of course had to read the hauntingly memorable "Fifty Shades of Grey" which as many of you know is a series of books regarding a girl who undergoes the inner battle of her dominant male significant. The love that grows out of if is what eventually pulled me in besides, obviously, all the captivating sex scenes.

From this series, I encountered the "bared to you" series by Sylvia day, and the "surrender your love" series by j c reed, both amazing series about characters that came from troubled backgrounds am eventually, through the tender love and passion from their significant other, find their way into being a better person, lover, and individual.

So.. My question is what you thought about the whole "pained past" experience and reoccurring theme we are seeing in contemporary romance series!? So you think it's too much, too over rated, or perhaps not enough? I'd love to hear opinions and any recommendations for other books regarding this topic too.

Thanks!
User avatar
Dark Angel74
Posts: 36
Joined: 29 Apr 2014, 13:53
Favorite Author: Amy Miles
Favorite Book: Defiance rising
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 5
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-dark-angel74.html
Latest Review: World, Incorporated by Tom Gariffo
fav_author_id: 15076

Post by Dark Angel74 »

Is about a vampire named Micah who is a agent for AKM (All the Kings Men). He's been dumped by his mate Jackson and feeling the Depression and loss of his mate, causes him to go into a down ward spiral by not calling in to his work and not wanting to eat food or to drink blood or sleep he wants to basically end his life because he feels hopeless and useless.
His coworkers don't like him, so they fail to report to the head boss his best friend who was on a medical leave of absence because his wife is having a baby. When Micah's boss returns he is pissed that no one has informed him that Micah was missing.

Micah decided to end his life but theirs only three ways to kill a vampire one with a wooden stake thru the heart, two walk into the sun, three get shape shifters named Drecks who love to painfully kill vampires, Micah decides the Drecks so he decides to get the leader of the Drecks to get a bunch of his gang to kill him in a ally way.

But little did he know that Samantha a Stripper will save him from death and give him hope, as she saves his life he falls in love with her at first sight. But now can he save her from being marked for death by the Drecks because they want revenge for her interference. Read to find out

I rate this book 2 stars because I feel there was to much description of having sex which made me lose interest for awhile since it was like right after each other without the story progressing into anything for awhile.
TJsmama
Posts: 34
Joined: 23 May 2014, 19:51
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tjsmama.html

Post by TJsmama »

Ooh I love a hero with a tragic past! But only if done right. The recurring theme I'm seeing in erotica with tortured heroes seem to be authors using hero's past as an excuse to treat the heroine like crap or for leaving her, which I find infuriating and quite frankly, boring.

I've never read Fifty Shades, but I've read CJ Roberts' Dark Duet series which touches on similar themes : BDSM relationship between a powerful man with a heartbreakingly tragic past and a naive young woman. DD was my foray into erotica and holy crap, I couldn't read anything "vanilla" for an entire year afterwards. The hero in DD is actually more of an anti-hero but he does redeem himself by the second book.
Acwoolet
Posts: 544
Joined: 07 May 2014, 21:57
Favorite Author: Karen Kingsbury
Favorite Book: Gone With the Wind
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 86
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-acwoolet.html
Latest Review: Touching Time by B. W. Haggart
fav_author_id: 6216

Post by Acwoolet »

I enjoy the pained background of the heros, it makes it so much more exciting when everything ends up working out for them! I haven't read many of these books, but as long as its done well the theme as a whole definitely works.
Danielle1990
Posts: 12
Joined: 03 Jun 2014, 16:06
Currently Reading: Fifty Shades Freed
Bookshelf Size: 4
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-danielle1990.html

Post by Danielle1990 »

Any character who has a crazy past is just so much more easy to become engaged with. No one has a perdect past, characters with those pained pasts make the books seem mucb more realistic.
User avatar
SharisseEM
Posts: 273
Joined: 30 Sep 2014, 04:32
Favorite Author: Mia Sheridan
Favorite Book: Stinger
Bookshelf Size: 34
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sharisseem.html
Latest Review: "The Bonding" by Imogen Keeper
fav_author_id: 3312

Post by SharisseEM »

Leo by Mia Sheridan! Loved the book! The book is full of surprises and heart-wrenching. The Hero has a pretty sad past and the heroine was an orphan.
Latest Review: "The Bonding" by Imogen Keeper
NicholsC97
Posts: 146
Joined: 25 Mar 2019, 15:52
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 24
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-nicholsc97.html
Latest Review: We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko by Matthew Tysz

Post by NicholsC97 »

If you like those then I recommend the night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. It's got loads of those dark characters that you can't help but love.
User avatar
lisalynn
Posts: 240
Joined: 20 Feb 2019, 10:13
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 23
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lisalynn.html
Latest Review: Sex on every Paige by Graham Spaid

Post by lisalynn »

Beware. In real life, you can't change him. Or heal him. Or make him a better person. That's the fun stuff of fantasy.
User avatar
lucia_kizas
Posts: 199
Joined: 20 Mar 2018, 07:44
Favorite Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 55
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lucia-kizas.html
Latest Review: Business Basics BootCamp by Mitche Graf
fav_author_id: 2366

Post by lucia_kizas »

I am afraid that many authors start using "tragic past" as an excuse to portray a total psycho as a romantic hero... No, tragic past does not have to turn a man into a heartless piece of... who treats women like products with short expiration dates all his life and then suddenly meets HER (who is usually eighteen to twenty years old), and she changes him forever... It is actually scary that these type of romances are so popular. They give the wrong impression to young women, in my opinion.
User avatar
Dwoods
Posts: 6
Joined: 16 Dec 2019, 17:37
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Dwoods »

I feel that in a lot of romance and erotic novels, the males tend to have pained backgrounds.

In the ‘After’ series by Anna Todd, Hardin Scott is a teenage boy with a lot of rage and issues. He grew up with his drunken father and poor mother. His father angered a group of men, who turned up to his childhood home whilst his dad wasn’t there. The men proceeded to sexually assault and beat his mother right in front of his eyes. This traumatic experience contributes to his strained and misunderstood character.

Similarly, Christian Grey, from the Fifty shades of Grey trilogy, also experienced a traumatic childhood. He watched his mothers pimp beat her, and the pimp even stubbed out fags on a young Christian’s chest! He was also neglected and left with his mothers dead body for days before being found. These instances made him into an emotionally unavailable man who deals with his anger and repressed emotions through being a dominant, who whips and has sex with a submissive.
User avatar
Byn_reviews098
Posts: 1
Joined: 27 Dec 2019, 15:37
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Byn_reviews098 »

Yes but though also, does these plot not appeal? Let's say that they didn't have a "tragic past", then what would you believe of the story/ main character? The story needs a plot therefore most authors turn to the more depressing/cruel choice.
User avatar
Jani_oz
Posts: 4
Joined: 11 Jan 2020, 16:48
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Jani_oz »

Honestly, I’m a sucker for the pained past story. I’m protective of nature so when I read novels where the hero has been abused, mistreated or even ignored (Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan) I just want to take them all in my arms and give them a big hug. However, I do think authors overuse the excuse of a trauma way too much, because a pained past isn't a excuse to be a jackass and it surely isn’t a excuse for treating bad the heroine. What I mean is that normally, the hero messes up and tells his tragic past to the heroine and then all is forgiven.

Even though I would probably do the same, because I know they aren’t real and I still want to comfort them, I think is important to show that there isn’t a excuse to be an asshole.
User avatar
siusantos
Posts: 249
Joined: 05 May 2019, 06:43
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 182
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-siusantos.html
Latest Review: E M P Honeymoon by Dorothy May Mercer
Reading Device: B01FJT7N4W

Post by siusantos »

First off, thanks for the tip re JC Reed. I haven't read his/her books yet. Anyway, I think it's fine that the characters have pained backgrounds, it gives an extra omph to the story. But when you read one sets after the other, that's when it gets too much.
User avatar
Blackstorm1437
Posts: 4
Joined: 05 Mar 2020, 07:05
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Blackstorm1437 »

Edward Cullen from the twilight series he suffered from something and he was saved by becoming a vampire
User avatar
SarahTheReader
Posts: 40
Joined: 07 Jan 2020, 18:01
Currently Reading: Mansfield Park
Bookshelf Size: 41
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sarahthereader.html
Latest Review: The Mindset by Ace Bowers

Post by SarahTheReader »

If you like a books with the main male character having a tragic past and with some intense romance, I would highly recommend Driven by K. Bromberg.
Post Reply

Return to “Romance and Erotic Books”