Tropes From Hell » Badass Book Reviews

Tropes from Hell: Love Me or I Die

Apr 262013

Welcome to our feature where we discuss common and overused themes (a.k.a tropes) that are making the rounds in the book world these days. Today, we discuss the “Love Me or I Die” trope, very popular in Paranormal Romance (PNR). Books with this trope: Primal Law by J.D. Tyler, Burning Alive by Shannon K. Butcher, several books in the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole and lots of others. Fated mates are a common PNR trope. This plot usually involves a man and a woman that are ‘made for each other’ and nobody else will do. Some mythical tie exists [ Read More of this Review ]

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Tropes From Hell: The Kinky Billionaire Businessman

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Feb 222013

Tropes From Hell: The Kinky Billionaire Businessman

Welcome to our new feature where we discuss common and overused themes (a.k.a tropes) that are making the rounds in the book world these days. For our very first post, we start with the extremely hot “Kinky Billionaire Businessman” trope that has been on fire recently. Here you’ll find the answer to several questions…Why are there so many billionaire CEOs in Romanceland? Just how many billionaires are out there, anyway? What do they really look like? Why are they so kinky in bed? Books with this trope: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (of course), Bared to You by [ Read More of this Review ]

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The Weekly Bitch {3} Love Squared ~ Dreaded Plot Devices

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Sep 232011

The Weekly Bitch {3} Love Squared ~ Dreaded Plot Devices

This week we are bitching about love issues. Love Triangles, Love Squares, Cheating and any other love type issues that creep up in novels. AH: I never really thought long and hard about love triangles in the books I’ve read. For the most part, they didn’t really bother me. If someone wanted to string along another person, OK, I hope it works for them. Lately though, I’ve been seeing love triangles, squares, pentagons, and other shapes appear and I can’t help but think that maybe it’s just a cop-out on the part of the author. Can’t decide on the love [ Read More of this Review ]

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Discussion: Indie/Self-Pub Authors ~ Help Me–Help You

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Sep 222011

Discussion: Indie/Self-Pub Authors ~ Help Me--Help You

When sending a book to me a reviewer please keep in mind the following: Please do not just email me your book with no information other than “Hey I’m author X here is my book for review”, and attach a copy. I am lazy, and will just hit delete. I don’t want to search for information about what book you are trying to get me to review. Delete, Delete, Delete. I like it laid out in front of me. :rubs hands: Please do NOT insult book review bloggers and then ask me for a review in the same [ Read More of this Review ]

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The Weekly Bitch {2} ~ Topic ~ Immortal High Schoolers

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Sep 162011

The Weekly Bitch {2} ~ Topic ~ Immortal High Schoolers

We’ve noticed a trend in many young adult books where the hunky immortal character goes back to high school. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to high school and if I were immortal, that certainly would not be the first place I would check into. So our question to you, dear reader is – If you were 17 and immortal - what would you do with your life? Would you return to high school again and again? PROs – High school girls are easily impressed Easy pickings – a walking buffet if you are a [ Read More of this Review ]

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The Weekly Bitch {1} Random Bitching

16 Responses »

Sep 092011

Lethal’s 5 Bitches: Protagonists with an extreme amount of self pity. I started Ripple by Mandy Hubbard thinking “Ooh! A Siren (kind of like a mermaid, only they sing men to their deaths) heroine! How unique!” Unfortunately, I DNF’d (did not finish) that book so quick I got whiplash. Why? Because of the heroine, Lexi. For the life of me I could not understand why she not only blamed herself for her friends treating her like utter shit after a devastating lost-when they should’ve been consoling her-but that still wanted to be friends with them. For 130+ [ Read More of this Review ]

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Discussion: Badass Heroines ~ Real Badass or Brawling Bitch?

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Aug 092011

Discussion: Badass Heroines ~ Real Badass or Brawling Bitch?

Sorry WoW peeps, I put the wrong link in: WoW is here The Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Futuristic, Sci-Fi = Totally awesome Badass Females What makes a heroine a genuine–bonafide– Badass vs just a Bitch or a teenybopper badass? Erika: She has to have attitude, like AH says, and she has to have a style. My fictional Badass Heroine has to have snark, be humorous, and be a hardass. She has to kick ass first, apologize later. She has to not let a man dictate her decisions, and she has to be her own person and follow her own code [ Read More of this Review ]

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Part Two: Sex ~ Words and Phrases that are NOT Sexy

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Aug 042011

Part Two: Sex ~ Words and Phrases that are NOT Sexy

Awesome Song to go along with the post: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part two of my Sex discussion involves words that are so un-sexy that it throws you out of the scene, and out of the mood. There are also phrases that are just so odd and funny that you can’t imagine what the author might have been thinking about. Certainly not sex. Like referring to a man’s balls as “Perfect spheres of pleasure” or referring to his penis as an “appendage”. Really? An Appendage? That makes me all hot and bothered. I much prefer to refer to a man’s junk as his [ Read More of this Review ]

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Part One: Let’s talk about Sex… {baby}

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Aug 022011

Part One: Let's talk about Sex... {baby}

Sorry, I had to post the video. We can’t be talking about sex without a little Salt N’ Pepa. You know you want to get up and dance. I wanted to bring up a topic that some readers enjoy, and other readers can’t stand. The taboo subject of Sex. This is spurred because I just finished the latest in Lorelei James’ Rough Riders series– Chasin’ Eights featuring hot cowboy and bull ridin’– Chase McKay. In the past Ten or Fifteen years, sex has become more prevalent in fiction. It used to be that you could only read about sex in [ Read More of this Review ]

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Up For Discussion: Dear Janet Evanovich ~ Smokin’ Seventeen ~ A plum terrible novel.

19 Responses »

Jun 292011

Up For Discussion: Dear Janet Evanovich ~ Smokin' Seventeen ~ A plum terrible novel.

You don’t know me. I’m a fan of your work, have been for years. I have gotten many friends and family hooked on Stephanie, Joe, Ranger and Lula. I had every one of your books. I love your work with Charlotte Hughes and the Full Series. I have laughed and teared up, I have giggled and gasped for years, but it’s time I stand up and shout. Your last three Stephanie Plum Novels have left me feeling cheated. With each new installment I hope for more. But I get the same old antics. I read a recent interview with you, [ Read More of this Review ]

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Up For Discussion: Are we killing Imagination?

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May 222011

Up For Discussion: Are we killing Imagination?

What makes a person have a vivid — writable — imagination? It seems to me that most authors are generally over thirty years old (Please, don’t send me emails with copies of your birth certificates, or call Donald Trump! If you are published and younger awesome for you! But this is a generalization for the intent of this discussion) Back when we were kids, we were sent outside to play, not told to “Go watch T.V and leave me alone” Or “here is the latest and greatest gadget, go play with it”. Now don’t get me wrong, technology is [ Read More of this Review ]

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