Bikers & Billionaires
If it isn’t a hot guy wearing leathers and riding a motorbike, its a sexy billionaire businessman with a few mummy issues, is anyone else bored of the same hero being recycled into a new book? It was bad enough reading Christian Grey the first time, I don’t really want to read about him again. He could almost be a genre on his own. We have already had New Adult inflicted on us, now I reckon we might be starting another one; Billionaire Banging.
Okay, I realize this has turned slightly into a rant about super rich heroes rather than writing fads! But apart from millionaire playboys we have had an overflow of rock stars, BDSM, sports super stars, bikers, chefs, zombies and dark erotica. All of which I have read a few books on and enjoyed, or been disturbed in the case of dark erotica!
I admit when I see a book about a biker, I am more likely to take a look at the blurb, so I am guilty of following a reading fad. And is following a reading fad any different then following an author? They tend to stick to the same genre, with the same types of characters, just like a fad. Even following a genre tends to lead to a lot of i-am-sure-i-have-read-that-before thoughts, like PNR, I wouldn’t call vampire or a werewolf a fad they are more like a stipulation of the genre, no fangs..no PNR.
So is it a good thing for authors to see a formula that works and write to it, giving us what we are currently enjoying, be it a biker, a Dom or a billionaire? Or is the sudden flood in the market just clogging up our bookshelves with essentially the same book?
- Black Dagger Legacy Series Guide - April 14, 2023
- A Beginners Guide to J.R. Ward Reading Order - April 12, 2023
- Black Dagger Brotherhood Series Guide - April 9, 2023
No I don’t like the new fad of BDSM, billionaire bikers. That’s not all that’s out there in the world and yes I read the blurb about all books. If its a BDSM book (don’t that I don’t like that) I put it down unless there is something that sounds different. I think the market is saturated with the genre. Bikers well I’ve not read that many but there is a lot out there. Lol
A fad is a fad and let’s hope this one fade a little.
No BDSM at all??? I agree that with the amount that’s been flooding the market it adds a lot of “not so great” BDSM though. I am happy with the biker trend because I enjoy them and we didn’t have many options before.
I think the fad thing isn’t a big deal because there are so many other things out there to choose from too.
With authors, I think it is parts following the bandwagon, being influenced to write their own after reading something like it or just having the irritating luck to come up with an idea at the same time.
As for myself, I tend to read through a loved author’s booklist before turning to someone similar. I can hop to something profoundly different, but I don’t usually.
Good discussion question, thanks!
Some authors I believe feel that they have to write a certain type of book to sell now, but also readers are influence with all the “cool” books they should be reading.
I used to also read an authors backlist as well, sadly now with so many review books on schedule it’s hard to keep up and also really immerse myself in an authors’ past work. NO TIME! LOL
The thing that I dislike that I have associated with the billionaire genre is the trend of drawing out the couple’s story into three parts.
Because don’t we all know that it takes 3 books to heal that billionaire? LOL
I’m with you on this Tina F. I hate that trilogy thing and also serials it’s annoying and comes off as greed on the author/publishers part.
Usually yes a publisher decision. I do like when serials are later on published in print, and then you can just buy that paperback at regular price. You can still get the story, you just have to wait a bit. They should ALL do that at some point.
“Billionaire Banging”. Oh, my God, I laughed out loud when I read that. I’m with you though. I have had it with billionaire heroes. If you’ve read about one, you’ve read about all. They all seem to come off the assembly line with the exact same mental health issues and the exact same kinks. It’s now a matter of principle: I will not read it.
Yeah, I’ve grown a bit tired of that theme. There are only a few I still read when written by a tried and trusted author, but even then I find myself looking for other things to read.
I was just saying this to a friend the other day. It’s absurd how many pseudo-50-shades is out there. Copycats of copycats. I don’t really like the New Adult either. A good part of them is 2 years older than YA. I’m sick of trilogy books. Most of it can be fit into one book only, but the new way of selling books it’s making it a 3-way story. I just hope authors stop going with the flow and start making good books that are their own, and not another copycat.
Yes Dyllan! The trilogies are killing me. Why drag out the story to 3 books?!?!? Just give me one really good one full of stuff I want to read.