Category Archives: Tropes on Trial

Tropes on Trial: the pretend boyfriend

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Pretend boyfriend?

The pretend boyfriend/girlfriend trope is rife in het romance, but you don’t see it very often in m/m. In fact, you’re far more likely to encounter the opposite, when closeted characters have to hide their relationship and get themselves a fake girlfriend instead. After reading a few great books featuring pretend boyfriend storylines, though, I thought it was time to highlight the trope and see what you all think about it. I’m hoping for recommendations!

When it works:

You have to have a convincing reason for why a character would need a pretend boyfriend, and the real world doesn’t offer all that many of them, so writers need to be creative. Most often this trope is used as a very minor part of a larger storyline, and played for laughs as the comic potential is huge. It’s also particularly delicious when one of the characters isn’t gay (or doesn’t think they are), so that the pretence is doubled.

When it doesn’t work:

I’m not fond of provoking the jealousy of the man our hero really fancies being used as the motivating force for them pretending to have a boyfriend. There are much, much better ways of attracting someone’s attention, and I don’t find the idea that a man would act in such a manipulative manner terribly convincing. At its worst, this trope can come across like a bad soap opera, complete with melodramatic characters doing bizarre and out of character things simply to advance the plot.

The verdict:

Because this trope turns the genre expectation on its head, I do enjoy it (done well). There’s something delicious about watching a relationship that began as a masquerade change into something deeper. It lends itself beautifully to situation comedy, but also to poignant scenarios when the heroes begin to fall for each other, but can’t tell whether the other one is pretending for appearance’s sake, or whether they feel the same way too.

Recommended reads:

Bad Company by K.A. Mitchell – In which minor reality TV star Kellan bamboozles his old friend Nate (who has a huge crush on him) into pretending to be his boyfriend so Kellan can publicly “come out” in order to upset his controlling father. Of course, Kellan discovers he isn’t as heterosexual as he previously imagined…

Bad Boyfriend by K.A. Mitchell – In this story Quinn needs a pretend boyfriend to get back at his closeted and soon to be married ex, and asks Eli to help him – the most flamboyant twink he can find. What begins as hot sex interspersed with awkward family events soon deepens into so much more. One of my all time favourite m/m romances!

Just for You by Jet Mykles – This is another “gay for you” type plot in which Kevin asks outrageous fashionista Justin to be his date so that he can attend an exclusive gay club and gain access to the CEO of the company he works for. Justin is head over heels with Kevin, but it takes Kevin a little longer to realise that he feels the same way.

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What do you all make of this trope? And does anyone have any recs for more books featuring it?

Tropes on Trial: The wet washcloth

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You just know where this is about to end up...

Okay, less of a trope, more of a cliché, but I just had to blog about this one because it’s almost ubiquitous in m/m romance sex scenes. They shoot their loads, and rather than fall asleep in each other’s arms, one guy will always go and grab a wet washcloth (or flannel as we call them over here) and tenderly clean his lover’s bits. Then they fall asleep in each other’s arms.

When it works:

This is meant to show a level of tenderness between the two participants. It can work well if that tenderness was perhaps missing from the preceding scene. Or if they forgot to put an old towel down first. Let’s face it, they always forget to put a towel down in m/m romance. Towels are clearly not romantic.

It could also work if the guy who fetches the cloth has been shown to be a bit OCD about cleanliness. Or if he fetches it, and throws it at the other guy’s head. Or maybe uses it as a loincloth and does a little dance. I don’t know, just something a bit different, please!

When it doesn’t work:

The wet washcloth annoys the hell out of me when its only purpose seems to be the author’s distaste with two guys going to sleep covered in spunk. Okay, maybe I’m just a dirty girl, but I prefer the idea of them getting stuck together with it in the night.

Also, if the sex has just been tender and meaningful, I really don’t need to see a bloody wet washcloth on top of that. Okay, not literally a bloody one – no one needs to see that – sorry, I can’t help being a Brit.

The verdict:

I’m convinced the wet washcloth is really an oblique way for m/m authors to hint at the idea that actually, anal sex can be a messy business. It’s a way of acknowledging the aftereffects of using all that lube, which then combines with the spunk and that-which-must-never-be-mentioned-in-a-sex-scene (do you need me to spell it out for you? One syllable, rhymes with hit)

Honestly, this part of the proceedings doesn’t have to be lovingly detailed every time. You are allowed to elide things and pick and choose what to show. If there’s something that makes a character cleaning his lover particularly poignant, then by all means show it. Perhaps if they’ve just had a bout of really rough sex, or a hardcore scene, then it might be nice to show the top cleaning his partner tenderly to restore some balance.

Alternatively, if you really have to show them cleaning up, make them do it with something a little less conventional. A bit more, dare I say, blokeish. A grubby T-shirt off the floor? That’d work. How about a cat’s head? (where Dan’s handful of spunk ends up in Barging In) Surprise me, for God’s sake. I’m so sick of hearing about wet washcloths.

Recommended reads:

Honestly, this is a hard one for me to go back and remember – I can remember books that really annoyed me by including the wet washcloth in every single sex scene, but ones that didn’t haven’t made the same impact as they usually do so by simply ignoring that part of the scene. I seem to remember that Ethan Day’s Sno Ho had some fun messy scenes, and Jordan Castillo Price has Wild Bill and Michael using old T-shirts and the like in the Channelling Morpheus series.

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You can probably tell this is one of my pet peeves, but am I being too harsh? What do you all make of the strange ubiquity of the wet washcloth scene in m/m romance?

Tropes on Trial: The One That Got Away

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This is one of those classic romance tropes that refuses to go away itself, turning up again and again just like the guys in the story. It’s so versatile, though! Not only can the one that got away be an old flame, but he could be an old enemy. Or for an interesting variation, someone the hero fancied from afar but never got a chance with.

Not only that, but if you go for the old flame option, how and why did they part? Was there a much derided “Big Misunderstanding”, or were they just not ready for a committment at that point in their lives? Did they part nobly on good terms, or did they have a big old barny with punches thrown and vicious words uttered?

When it works:

You need to be able to believe that the two characters had enough in common back then to make a go of it, but you also want them to have learnt more over the years and be in a state of mind that will allow reconciliation… eventually. Ultimately, you have to be able to forgive the heroes for whatever it was that split them up in the past. If one left to fulfil a noble calling like saving orphans from flesh-eating zombies, that’s easy. If it was to run off with another man, then they’d better do some serious crawling!

The “one that got away trope” is great for novellas and short stories, as it allows for a huge amount of backstory and chemistry between the characters from the very outset. And the potential for conflict is enormous!

When it doesn’t work:

If the reason this perfectly matched couple split up in the first place was so ridiculous as to be beyond belief, then clearly we have a problem. It’s got to be plausible. One partner flying off the handle at something they’ve misunderstood and then refusing to see the other for years is not a recipe for reader contentment. After all, any hero that pig-headed probably deserves to be lonely.

The other thing that gets tiresome is a big old info-dump of backstory. This bores me pretty quickly as it’s all telling and no showing.

The Verdict:

This is a staple romance trope for many great reasons, but most important to me is the way it gives so much scope for both conflict and resolution. There are all those juicy emotions to be dealt with when seeing someone you used to adore after so many years. Anger, betrayal, hurt, curiosity, raging lust… yeah, the raging lust is a good’un.

It’s also great for the writer because you can leap straight in there with the strong emotions from the outset. Backstory can be revealed slowly, holding back significant things from the reader which gives more suspense and the opportunity for a surprise at the end. Yes, I’m definitely a fan of this trope!

Recommended reads:

I’ve read a fair few recently, particularly in the Carina Press Men Under the Mistletoe anthology:

My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March – this historical has two young almost-lovers, but Thomas gets the fear before finally consummating their relationship and flees the country. Four years later, Alexander is bitter and still angry, but Thomas is determined to win him back.

The Christmas Proposition by K.A. Mitchell – not necessarily her best title, but still a lovely story showing how to use this trope well. Top points for pairing together a Christmas tree grower and an oil tycoon too. K.A. has handled this trope before too – check out Bad Company and Chasing Smoke.

Lone Star by Josh Lanyon – This one features an ambitious ballet dancer who left his little Texas town to make it big, now returning twelve years later only to run in with his ex – now a Texas Ranger. As always with Josh, it’s superbly written. He used this trope in his 2010 Christmas story too: Icecapade.

Simple Gifts by L.B. Gregg – Loved this story about a lonely, rather bitter orphan meeting the first and only love of his life ten years later – now a damaged war veteran. They’d parted on bad terms and the years had been difficult for them both, but with time and healing they find a way.

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As you can see, this trope seems to lend itself particularly well to Christmas stories. Perhaps we’re more inclined to read about forgiveness and reconciliation at this time of year? Anyway, over to you now. What do you make of this trope? Got any favourite examples to share?

Tropes on Trial: the May – December romance

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Better late than never, here’s last week’s blog post!

Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy

Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy

Also known as the twink and the sugar daddy, May-December pairings in m/m romance are gloriously taboo. Is that cute young man merely after someone older and richer to sponge off? And does the silver fox really want what’s in that young guy’s head and heart, or is he just lusting after the smooth skin and short refractory period of youth?

A May-December romance is pretty loosely defined as any pairing with an age gap large enough to be socially unacceptable. This varies across cultures and eras, but in the Western World, anything larger than 10-15 years seems to be enough to cause comment. Basically, if you saw the two heroes out shopping and assumed they were father and son until you noticed some rather inappropriate touching going on, then you’ve stumbled across a May-December relationship.

When it works:

There are all sorts of wonderful reasons why characters with a big age gap make a great pairing. Just think of the juicy conflict as the rest of the world disapproves! This is thrown in particularly sharp relief if they are student and teacher. You also have the potential for conflict between the characters: their attitudes coming from different generations, and their difference in stamina (yes, my mind’s gone straight to the smut again), their vast disparity in background and income.

But it’s not all conflict. Young men in our society are often drifting along, needing a good role model. An older lover can fill this role perfectly, not only tutoring them in the bedroom, but inspiring them in all facets of life and helping them on the path to maturity. On the flip side, a youthful lover can be the shot of energy and inspiration a jaded older man needs to get him enthused again.

When it doesn’t work:

Basically, there needs to be enough common ground between those two characters to help readers get over that instinctive feeling that they won’t be able to make it work. Otherwise it’s all too easy for readers to think the characters are only attracted to the age gap as a temporary kink, and it will wear off when the older guy realises his lover is a vacuous twink with no life experience, or the younger guy gets bored of being hooked up with someone too old for wild parties.

It’s also important that the power balance between the two isn’t skewed too far in favour of the older man. Since they will usually be the one with the more stable career and the money behind them, it’s important that the younger man has some agency and power in the relationship too. This is especially important in a D/s relationship, if you don’t want readers to be squicked by the idea that the younger man is being taken advantage of.

Also, writers beware: Daddy/boy relationships might be hot to you, but some readers will run screaming if the term Daddy is used in a sex scene. I’m just sayin’…

The verdict:

May-December relationships between gay men have a long and venerable history. The ancient Greeks enshrined them as a part of their society, with older, successful men taking on younger lovers and tutoring them in the ways of man loving. In more recent times, writer Christopher Isherwood and artist Don Bachardy (pictured above) were a gay couple with a huge age gap who had a long and apparently happy loving relationship – for more discussion of their relationship and some film recs see Lou Harper’s post.

I’m a big fan of the May-December romance, but then again, I’m probably biased. I grew up in a family with two great aunts who were in long, stable relationships with guys 20 and 30 years younger than them. I’ve also always had a yen for the wisdom of age, grey hair, balding temples and laughter lines, so I can totally understand why a younger guy would be into them. I have to admit, I find it harder to understand why someone older would fall for someone so much younger, but a good writer can always find ways to convince me.

Recommended reads:

Winter Warmers – Lou Harper and JL Merrow both wrote May-December relationships for their stories, and I loved the way they made the attraction so real and palpable in a relatively short word count.

Bad Boyfriend by K.A. Mitchell – Eli has a delicious Daddy kink, and Quinn knows just how to make the most of it. I just adored this book – Mitchell makes the age dynamic work perfectly.

precious_boy by K.Z. Snow – this touches on all the potentially squicky territory of the older guy knowing the younger one as he was growing up, but I thought it worked beautifully. Also, since the younger one has become a rent boy, he’s by far the most experienced of the two of them… sexually, anyway.

Hard Fall and Spin Out by James Buchanan – the pairing of young ex-con Kabe and Deputy Joe is seriously sizzling. What’s best of all, though, is seeing the way they affect each other’s lives for the better.

And okay, I’ll admit I’m even more biased because I have my very own May-December romance coming out with Samhain in May: Handle with Care.

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What about the rest of you? Does this trope appeal or do you avoid it like the plague? And if so, why? Read any more m/m romances where you think it works? I’d love some more recs!

Tropes on Trial: the happy ever after epilogue

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You’re reading an m/m romance and your two heroes have just ended up together, and all the main plot threads are tied up. Surely there’s nothing more to say? But wait, the author has included an epilogue.

Rejoice as we take a journey into the future to watch our two heroes do something ridiculously domestic together. Laugh at those little in jokes the author has so thoughtfully included. Melt as our heroes either, according to relevent subgenre:

  • declare their undying love in a wedding/civil partnership ceremony
  • set up a detective business together
  • adopt that baby/poodle/bear cub
  • or set up that home dungeon they’ve always talked about.

Epilogues that give us more of the HEA after the happy ending are a longstanding romance cliché, and readers and reviewers seem to have very mixed feelings about them. I’m no exception – I’ve read ones that have annoyed me, but I’ve also read epilogues that left me with a feeling of immense satisfaction and warmth. So what is it that determines the success of a happy ever after epilogue?

When epilogues go bad

The “unexpected baby” epilogue is a much maligned het romance trope, but are there any similar instances in m/m romance? I would suggest not, as most tropes fail or succeed according to the skill of the author. However, if there’s one epilogue I usually find redundant, it’s the “white picket fence” kind. This is one that seems to exist purely to show the happy couple doing something cute and domestic, to give the ending an “aww!” factor. It’s not so much that there’s something wrong with this (and many readers love these kinds of epilogues), but it can rather dull the impact of an otherwise strong ending.

One other type of epilogue I find intensely frustrating, is the kind that seems there purely to set up another story, leaving you with a big “huh?” that may not be satisfied for years (depending on how fast the author writes) This is where the authors adds new information right at the last minute, introducing an element of dissatisfaction as you’re left wondering what on earth will happen next. It can work well, ensuring you buy the next in the series, but it can also be incredibly annoying if it leaves the story feeling unfinished.

When epilogues work

For an epilogue to truly succeed, I think it needs to tie up a loose end or two in the plot. Perhaps a subplot that wasn’t able to be resolved within the main story time-frame, such as what happens when a character finishes his college course? Or did the villain get away with it all in court?

Another useful function of a happy ever after epilogue is to give a gentle landing after a rocky ride. If you’ve had a madcap daredevil adventure plot, then sometimes a scene showing the two lovers doing something ordinary is just the sort of sign off readers need. After all, would a bond forged under such a stressful situation really survive the mundanities of everyday life? This is where the author assures the reader that “yes, it does, and look, I’ll show you.”

The verdict

Epilogues can be a really positive addition to a romance novel, and those giving a sweet happy ever after ending can be used to great effect if they build on or resolve unfinished business in the plot. However, if they don’t, I’d prefer it if authors used them as free extras on their websites.

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What do you all think? Are you fans of the epilogue, or would you prefer it authors wrapped everything up in the main body of the novel? Do you like to know how things work out for your heroes, or would you prefer to imagine your own version? And can you think of any m/m romance novels that have used epilogues to great effect? It’s on my mind at the moment, because I’ve just written one for Boats!

Tropes on Trial: The Amnesiac Lover

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Guy Pearce in Memento

Guy Pearce in Memento (okay, any excuse to post a half-naked picture of Guy!)

Amnesia is one of those psychological phenomenons that seems like a real gift to writers, and it’s been hugely popular as a trope in film, television and novels for many years now. But does it work in a romance?

There two main types of amnesiac lover we should consider here:

“Honey, I forgot who you are”
Oh, the humanity! Pity the poor lover who is now relegated to mere bystander. The best they can hope for is to be remembered as a friend/colleague/enemy/favourite rent boy (whatever it was they were before they hooked up), but they might not be remembered at all! This makes for some seriously tragic hospital bedside scenes.

Just to create some extra angst, there will be a doctor on hand to warn that they’d better let the amnesiac get their memory back at their own pace. For some reason jogging it would not be a good idea because [insert pseudo-scientific explanation of choice]

“Honey, I forgot who I am”
This one works both for established couples and for new romances. Imagine falling for someone who can’t remember their past! Why, they could be anything – and the chances are for maximum narrative conflict, they’re something awful like a hitman. Of course, with their mind like a clean slate, they will be just as distressed to realise that they seem to know their way around a variety of lethal weapons (the kind of memory we use for tasks being very different to that where we lay down personal memories, and often unaffected by amnesia)

Will the lovers still want to be together when the lost memories are recovered? Will the amnesiac turn out to already have a wife and family somewhere? The potential for angsty conflict is endless!

Curing the amnesiac
In a romance, hot steamy sex seems to do a great job of effecting a cure… Not so sure if it’s something the doctor would recommend, though!

In reality, most amnesia is short term and is only confined to a short period on either side of the incident. I can vouch for this, having once fainted and knocked my head, losing a mere thirty seconds or so from before the bump. However, I’ve seen writers cheerfully admitting that their research into real amnesia revealed that it was generally either too short term to be useful in their plot, or if longer term was a result of permanent brain damage (the memories are never recovered) – so they used a form of “literary amnesia” that bears very little relation to medical fact.

The verdict
I’ve enjoyed a variety of films using the amnesia trope, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Total Recall and Memento (a much rarer form of amnesia resulting in the inability to lay down new memories), but I’ve not read many books using it. However, it’s on my mind at the moment having just critiqued a couple of sci-fi amnesia shorts for JL Merrow, and reading the latest in Josh Lanyon’s Dangerous Ground series, Dead Run.

I think this is a trope that needs to be used very carefully or it can quickly become a huge cliche with little basis in the realities of how the human mind fuctions. However, the opportunities for narrative conflict and tension are huge, so I can see why it remains popular.

Does anyone out there have any recommendations for m/m romances using this trope? I’d like to give something else a try. And while we’re at it, what do you think of this trope? Contrived nonsense or an intriguing detour into the mysteries of the human mind?

Tropes on Trial: the Feisty Submissive

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Bear and sub

So, you thought all m/m romance submissives were doormats, fawning over their big, bad Doms, boot licking and generally erasing all independent thought in a rather creepy manner? Think again. The feisty sub is here to give you a piece of his mind. He might be hog-tied and blindfolded, but he reserves the right to struggle, shout, hurl insults and dish out a huge amount of lip – that’s when his mouth isn’t otherwise occupied, of course.

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