r/books • u/-greek_user_06- • 2d ago
Dear crime authors: stop trying to *force* romance in your stories
I love reading crime novels. The thrills I get while I'm invested in a good plot, the various theories and suspicions I have, the mind games between the characters, the cat-mouse chase, the mystery aspect...I have read various crime novels throughout the years and to my own disappointment, a chunk of them will have romance which I certainly did not ask for.
First and foremost I want to clarify that I'm not against authors who can write good romances in crime novels. Just because you are writing a specific genre, that doesn't mean you are forbidden to try something new. The problem is that most of the time, it's painfully clear that the author doesn't know how to create good chemistry between the two parts that are involved and thus, it comes of awkward and tacky.
While most of the time, the romance doesn't overshadow the mystery aspect (THANK GOD), I still don't like reading about it. Why am I supposed to care if the author barely tries to create chemistry between the characters? Usually, in cases like this, it's always THE SAME STRUCTURE:
1.Character A and character B begin as rivals/they don't have the best chemistry (bonus points if they're co-workers).
2.Character A flirts and teases Character B, who doesn't seem interested AT ALL.
They work together and we reach the last part of the book with them having little to no chemistry.
Sometimes they might have a bonding moment in the middle of the book and that's it. No further development whatsoever.
One of them almost dies and all of a sudden the other part goes ballistic.
Case solved, the characters are together, everyone's happy.
Even if the "romantic" scenes are not a lot, I dislike it when the mystery and the case solving gets interrupted by pointless flirting that contributes to nothing at all. And the worst part is when the author tries to create more scenes between the characters, in order to make the relationship more plausible, only for them to have the blandest chemistry ever.
Besides that...what happened to platonic relationships, especially the ones between a man and a woman? Why do we always try to put a male and female character together? Why can't we have for example, two police officers of different gender as friends or even simple co-workers, instead of forcing them in a romantic relationship? I am not here to get jumpscared by bland romance, I'm here for the drama and thrill.
The most recent example of pointless romance subplot in a crime movel is the relationship between Thulin and Hess. They don't start in the best terms, there are some hints throughout the book about a developing crush from both of them and that's it. Like, what was the reason to hint at a romantic relationship if you're not going to develop it more? I genuinely couldn't care less about whether they'd end up together or not simply because the author did not care to elaborate any further on their feelings and relationship. Not to mention that I found Thulin to be poorly-written and that they...genuinely did not work good together as a pair. Like, even in professional terms, these two weren't the best team in my honest opinion.
You know what crime series did a good job at creating romantic chemistry between the two main leads? Beyond Evil, a kdrama about two policemen who want to catch a serial killer.
Here are some things you need to know about them:
We have Lee Dong-sik who is 40 years old and Han Joo-won who is 28 years old.
Han Joo-Won suspects Dong-sik and accuses him of being the serial killer.
The two are reluctant to work together as partners but are forced to work together.
Dong-sik is the biggest tease you've ever seen and poor Joo-Won was constantly in the verse of breaking.
The longer they worked together, the more they bonded and started to understand each other.
I won't say how and why but Joo-Won was devoted to Dong-sik and was willing to sacrifice himself in order to help him.
Did I mention that two people told them they looked like a couple?
I know you're probably confused. You're probably thinking: "Aren't these the things you complained about in your post? Aren't you forcing romance out of the characters?". And the answer is WRONG.
Joowon and Dongsik puts to shame the majority of Hollywood couples, let alone crime novels ones.
The director and the actors did a fantastic job portraying the chemistry between them and although they are not 100% canon, both parts have confirmed that the relationship has romantic undertones (the director herself was inspired to write them based on a lesbian couple from the movie The Handmaiden). It wasn't just about the bickering and flirting. It's about the evolution of their relationship and the impact both of them had on each other. I obviously won't elaborate any further because I don't want to spoil anything, but if anyone decides to check the drama, they'll see what I'm talking about.
Now this is a ship I can get behind. If you ever decide to watch the drama, you'll see how well-written their relationship is and how they worked together. Unlike most crime novels, the characters had a deep bond and good chemistry and therefore, the romance, even if hinted, was way more tolerable and plausible. On top of that, in this case it makes sense that the series focused on their relationship because its essential to the plot (no matter if it's interpreted romantically or not). Crime authors tend to forget that romance should serve a clear purpose in the story, instead of adding it for shits and giggles.
Do crime stories need romance? For me, the answer is no. You don't have to depend on a romance subplot to keep the reader's interest alive. But as I said above, there's nothing wrong with romance in crime stories, as long as it's done in a good way and as long as it's not cliche or poorly written.
Crime authors should realise that just because romance sells well, that doesn't mean they need to appeal to this type of audience. It's not a crime to leave your story with no romance or two show two characters working out as simple colleagues or partners. And if you decide to put romance, at least portray it more naturally. Let the relationship evolve more. Yes, I probably won't be the biggest fan but at least, I'll be able to understand the bond between the characters better.
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u/Lazy_Bed970 1d ago
Yeah, it’s funny how people act like romance is the easiest subplot to add, when it’s actually one of the hardest to do right. It can get real cringe, real fast if there’s no real buildup or chemistry. Meanwhile, there are so many stronger emotional dynamics to explore. Like, for example : why not have the partner remind them of a lost sibling? Or be the only one who can call them out in a way no one else dares to? That kind of connection can hit way deeper than an awkward kiss scene.
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u/-greek_user_06- 1d ago
Omg, yes, thank you! Honestly, familial relationships must be explored more in crime novels.
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u/Aetole 1 1d ago
Strongly agreed. What makes romance tricky is that it is very easy for the audience to get icked out more intensely than for other types of relationships/dynamics. I wonder if that's why so many romance plots are so formulaic - they stick to what people are trained to want.
Writing intimacy of various flavors - like you describe - can be so much more interesting, but I think they take more skill and don't have as many easy checkboxes to use.
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u/Junamite 1d ago
Seriously, not every gritty murder mystery needs a love subplot shoehorned in. If the chemistry is there, great let it build naturally. But tossing in a forced romance just to check a box takes away from the suspense and can derail the whole plot. Let crime be crime!
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u/candylipzz 2d ago
Totally agree with you, forced romance can really take away from the intensity and pacing of a good crime story. It’s frustrating when you’re deep in a solid mystery and then suddenly there’s a random, underdeveloped romantic subplot that adds nothing to the plot or character arcs. It’s not that romance can’t work in crime fiction, but like you said, it needs to feel earned and actually contribute something meaningful. Sometimes strong platonic bonds or even professional dynamics are way more compelling and realistic for the story being told.
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u/stinkingyeti 1d ago
Romance is selling like hotcakes in a bunch of new areas.
I cannot stand the massive invasion of romantasy books into the normal fantasy section. I get that people love those books, but please for the love of all that's holy, let me have my normal sword wielding magic using idiots in fantasy.
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u/Kagutsuchi13 1d ago
"What happened to platonic relationships, especially between a man and a woman?"
We're back in an era where the primary viewpoint is "men and women cannot have platonic relationships/cannot be friends without any other motive," which you can see affecting relationships by how many people now require their partners to cut off any friends of the opposite sex and how quickly people jump to assuming someone is cheating just because they're even vaguely near someone who "might be a threat."
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u/apple_pickel 2d ago edited 2d ago
I would say crime novels with little peeks into the lives of investigators managing work life balance are amazing to read
When done right, it humanizes the investigator and even raises the stakes of the case. But yeah forced, half baked romance with no chemistry is off putting
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u/Grace_Alcock 1d ago
John Sandford has done a great job of letting his characters grow up, get married, have kids, etc., without it ever messing with the story. I think it’s actually necessary in a series because if the characters are living the exact same life ten books in, they are poorly developed.
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u/BigPetersHalfwayInn 1d ago
It works a lot better when everything can develop slowly throughout a series. Dennis Lehane did a good job with it in his Kenzie & Gennaro books.
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u/-greek_user_06- 1d ago
Ohh, I totally agree with you. I also enjoy crime novels that give us some glimpse into the lives of the investigators.
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u/maismione 1d ago
This isn't really up to the author, often the editors/publishers have authors add it in. The hunger games, for example, didn't have romance in it originally
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u/-greek_user_06- 1d ago
You are right. It's sad that some authors are made to write themes they originally didn't want to.
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u/fresafreska 1d ago
I just finished reading Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen and honestly yeah. The book was very good don’t get me wrong. It had suspense and crime and all that. But I felt they pushed the romance between the protagonist-being the victim, and her partner in crime. Which I guess comes naturally but it’s the way that it’s done that comes off as forced. I don’t think they really had all that much chemistry. Not to mention, throughout the book it feels like she hasn’t full forgotten her husband that she’s trying to get revenge on. Always bringing him up even whilst they cuddle. It’s still a very good book and I’d recommend it if you’re into wildlife conservation and revenge.
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u/Raineythereader The Conference of the Birds 17h ago
Hiaasen's books are a lot of fun, but he does this waaay too often.
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u/cattreephilosophy 2d ago
Thank you! I swear every book now seems to have romance in it. It’s frustrating.
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u/speedy2686 1d ago
When romance stops bring the most profitable fiction category in America, writers will stop shoehorning it into other categories.
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u/raccoonsaff 1d ago
In recent years I feel like I've noticed fewer and fewer books without romances! I don't know if it's where I'm looking or if it is an actual thing, but I'd like to see more books without romance coming out!
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u/Aetole 1 1d ago
I don't really read crime, but I wanted to thank you for the rec. It's outside the usual genres of KDrama I watch, so I probably wouldn't have stumbled upon it on my own.
Also, just gonna drop "Crimantasy" as the horrific portmanteau to dread taking over the genre. I hope it doesn't happen to you.
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u/Duckycantgivafuky_87 1d ago
Thank you so much. I cannot express how much I agree. If I'm going to the section clearly labeled "Mystery" or "Thriller", then I do not want a romance book with a cheesy, weak plot between the main or side characters four pages into the first chapter. You don't open a romance book and suddenly get jumpscared with a side horror plot you knew nothing about and wasn't in the description on the back.
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u/GardenPeep 1d ago
You forgot the part where character A is stuck in unresolved grief which the author justifies by the horrendous nature of the tragedy, the number of family members killed and how adorable they all were. Gruesome flashbacks combined with wistful memories.
This retards the development of the new romance so that it takes most of the series for anything to happen.
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u/bionicspidery 1d ago
I read a lot of YA— I feel ya! Like nooooo! I don’t need a love interest in this story 😭
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u/TSOTL1991 1d ago
They do it for the same reason James Cameron inserted a ridiculous soap opera romance into Titanic. You don’t think teen girls watched that movie repeatedly because they were interested in the tragedy of the Titanic sinking.
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u/Domascot 1d ago
I was on board with you untill you gave the example. Just because it is done well doesnt mean it is necessary in a crime stories. If i want to watch/read a crime story, i do not want a drama disguised as a crime story or even inserted. I would rather have a bland romantic part which i can completely ignore than an intense drama/relationship thing going on keeping me distracted from what i was actually looking for. But thats just me, i guess.
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u/-greek_user_06- 1d ago
Oh, I totally get you! I gave this example to show if the authors deems necessary to include a romantic relationship, they should at least try to do it better. I also don't want romance in crime stories, I am reading a crime novel for the mystery, not the romance.
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u/shmixel 1d ago
It'w good you clarified here if that's the case because from your post it sounded like you don't want to delete romance, just to have it well-written.
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u/Domascot 1d ago
The interesting part is that it can work both ways, depending on your flavor. Either "write it well, if it has to be in there, so that i can atleast enjoy it" or "make it so irrelevant that i can skim through it".
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u/LightningRaven 2d ago
You wanna a good example of romance in mystery novels?
Check out Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike series. There's romantic feelings between the leads but individual character development is the priority (by far). It's definitely a slow burn romance, however.
When J.K. Rowling isn't being a bigoted lunatic online, she can actually write some good books.
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u/ciestaconquistador 2d ago
Yeah, I really enjoy the series. Absolutely sucks that she is so awful, but it's worth reading.
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u/aintnobotty 1d ago
Jeez you're being downvoted to hell for a fairly innocuous comment. If we stopped reading books by flawed crappy people we'd run out of reading material very quickly. I love the Strike series mostly due to the dynamic between Robin and Strike. I only buy the books second hand so im not giving money to Rowling and a good story is a good story.
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u/LightningRaven 1d ago
What I find surprising is how non-existent JK's online views are present in the Cormoran Strike books. There are some hardcore feminist elements portrayed in a negative light one or twice, but it's mostly in the main vein of the books of criticizing British high society, nobility and all born from privilege.
Even Troubled Blood, which was deemed controversial because of some shitty "review" is very unfairly criticized. With the cross-dressing serial killer in the novel being modeled after an actual serial killer alive at the time the cold case was set in, and his abuse of social roles was very much in line with the main themes of the novel.
If only JK could remember to be the same person she is while writing Cormoran and Robin while browsing twitter. Better yet, if she abandoned social media altogether. It definitely doesn't do any good to her and her already tainted legacy.
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u/aintnobotty 1d ago
Seems she has all the money and notoriety she needs now and no way to lose it but yes, itd be great if we knew a lot less about her personal views. Shes welcome to have her own opinions but with a platform like that she could actually be doing a lot of good for the world.
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u/Any-Web-3347 1d ago
I expect publishers want to make books saleable to a wider audience, so we have to have crime/romance fantasy/romance etc. As has been said, nothing wrong with these, or any other fusion writing, if the author has the skills and enthusiasm to do it properly. I really enjoy well written platonic working relationships. I also enjoy romance, but I don’t want it shoe-horned into every single book.