Read on to learn what Jack thought about Suzanne Brockmann’s Into the Storm, a New York Times bestselling novel. Here’s Jack!

Some of you may recall that this past June I was interviewed by RU faculty member Tracey Devlyn to provide a “male” perspective on romance novels (A Male Perspective — 06/17/09). During the interview, I shared the fact that I had read two romantic suspense books without knowing they were in fact, romance books. I was then asked if I thought I would read another one. I believe that as a result of my wishy-washy answer RU faculty promptly challenged me to read and respond, from my male perspective, to another romantic suspense novel chosen by the results of a readers’ poll. I readily admit that I am totally unqualified to do so other than by virtue of my maleness. In hindsight, I should have given more thought to this request before agreeing to the challenge, because as I write this response I can’t help but feel that unless I say that I loved the book and have become a romance fan I will be worse than “Jack Russell Terrier crap” in the eyes of the RU faculty.  I really believe they want to convert me to a romance book enthusiast. I imagine their desire is similar to a woman who is convinced they can turn a gay man straight after they’ve have had sex with him.

The road to my current dilemma started in July after the reader poll identified Suzanne Brockmann as the author I would read. RU faculty recommended that I choose one of three books: Flashpoint, Over The Edge or Into The Storm. Ok, fine, now what? I was lost. Fortunately, my wife came to my rescue and suggested I look on Ms Brockmann’s website and read the book blurbs and choose the one that sounded interesting to me. After doing so, I keyed in on the book Into The Storm:

In a remote, frozen corner of New Hampshire, a Navy SEAL team and the elite security experts of Troubleshooters, Incorporated are going head-to-head as fierce but friendly rivals in a raid-and-rescue training exercise. Despite the frigid winter temperatures, tension smolders between veteran SEAL Petty Officer Mark “Jenk” Jenkins and former cop turned Troubleshooter Lindsey Fontaine … the Troubleshooters’ new receptionist (Tracy), vanishes while playing the role of hostage during a mock rescue operation.

Teaming up with the FBI to launch a manhunt in the treacherous wilderness … The trail is colder than the biting New England climate until a lucky break leads to a horrifying discovery—a brutally murdered young woman … Suddenly there is a chilling certainty that Tracy has fallen prey to a serial killer—one who knows the backwoods terrain and who doesn’t play by the rules of engagement.

In a race against time, a raging blizzard, and a cunning opponent, Jenk and Lindsey are put to the ultimate test. Risking everything, they must finally come together in a desperate attempt to save Tracy …

Navy Seals, elite special operations experts, former L.A. cop, serial killer, FBI, and treacherous wilderness. Yes, I decided, I can read this book. And, truth be told, the book cover didn’t look like a romance book and the other two books did. Off to the book store I went, but only after my wife agreed to go with me and search the romance section for the book in question. I mentioned in my interview that men don’t peruse the romance section of a book store unless they’re willing to give back their “man card.” I know there are exceptions to every “guy” rule, but I’m not willing to step out on this one. So, while I hid behind a copy of a Guns and Ammo magazine, my wife went in search of the book.

It didn’t take her long and she soon strolled over to the magazine stand and gave me a thumbs up sign.  She slipped it to me on the “down low” and I took a quick glance as I was adjusting the book in my hand to make sure that the cover side would be held against my hip — it wasn’t. Whoa there, and hold on one second! Unlike the book cover depicted on the website, the paperback in my hand had a background photo of a sultry woman lying on her back with a shirtless muscular man on top of her. Both the man and woman had their eyes closed and blissful contented looks on their faces. How nice for them. “Not fair,” I whispered. “This looks way too much like a romance book. I can’t take it to the cashier.” My wife’s eyes gleamed and the corner of her mouth turned upward in a nefarious grin. “Well, I suppose I could buy it for you,” she said. Isn’t she wonderful? I thought so until the moment we were in front of the cashier and she said in a loud voice, “Honey, is this the only romance book you wanted to buy today?” Knowing that in the wit department my wife can slice and dice me like a Ginsu knife I elected to not attempt a witty comeback, I turned and slowly walked away.  

Once home, I opened the book and flipped through the pages. “Holy crap” the paperback was 500 pages and there wasn’t a lot of white space. This was going to be a longer than normal read. The book then sat patiently on the bedside table waiting for me to resign myself to the task. I didn’t lose interest in the “assignment” or the storyline, but come on this was a romance book. How many words does it take to lay out a passionate interest, which leads to sex that turns into a fight that awakens a romantic spark and ultimately love? Throw in some suspense and a happily ever after ending and you have a romance novel, right?

As it happens, Suzanne Brockman wrote a story that, for me, would have otherwise languished had it not been for the interesting and appealing characters she created. A few of them were quirky to say the least and others burdened with emotional scars, which seems to be an element of romance books. The emotional baggage was a little too complicated, in my opinion, in regard to the main female character (Lindsey). My “guy” reaction to Lindsey was that she was irrevocably emotionally damaged and Mark, the love interest, should have cut his losses and ran.

But the storyline is intricately woven around several characters and they all play off of each other’s personalities very well. I also liked the way Suzanne Brockmann presented the underlining suspense of the serial killer who is holding a woman captive for use in his private and deadly “chicks only” fight club. As I read the story, I felt certain that at some point this subplot would collide with the main storyline and my assumption kept me very interested in reading the final outcome. As a side note, the serial killer is seriously disturbed and reading about him will cause women to look twice over their shoulder when walking alone at night.

My biggest surprise was that parts of the book were really funny. There were several one-liners and a lot of dialog between characters that caused me to laugh to myself and on a few occasions I actually chuckled out loud. I’ve read so many books over the years that it’s not often I come across fresh humor. It was a pleasant surprise.

Having said all this, is it time to share my “guy” response? I think by inference you can tell that I believe Suzanne Brockmann wrote a very interesting story. The out of the ordinary and appealing characters and the humorous dialog made it a good book. The romantic relationship between Mark and Lindsey, however, detracted slightly from my overall enjoyment. Remember this is my “guy” response and personal opinion. The development of their relationship and Lindsey’s conflicting emotions became a little too much for me. It got to the point were I thought Lindsey should schedule an appointment with Dr. Phil and get back in touch with Mark after a couple of years in therapy. I know what you think I’m thinking and your right, I think as far as their relationship was concerned, the guy had it together and the girl was the “head case.” Nevertheless, I knew they would eventually work things out, realize that they loved each other and would overlook her (oops, I mean their) emotional deficiencies. As a result, I lost interest in the romance part of the storyline. Outside of the romance, I really enjoyed the book.

Have I become a romance novel fan? In truth, no. BUT, I enjoyed the three romantic suspense books that I’ve read, but not because of the romance. I liked the suspense built into the stories. Will I read more romantic suspense in the future? Maybe. I am pretty certain, however, that you won’t see me perusing the aisles of the romance section at the bookstore. And I’m absolutely certain I won’t take a book to the cashier that has a picture, drawing, photo or other visual illustration of a woman and man embracing or any depiction that seems to be customary for romance books. Sorry, it’s a guy thing.

I would, however, like to repeat a thought I shared during my past interview with Tracey. I think it’s important to weigh my belief against any negative comments you may feel that I’ve made about romance books. I believe that romance novels merit an equal status in the literary world. I don’t consider them to be fictional stories less deserving of readers and fans. I believe good books touch something within us, stir emotions and evoke response and internal debate. Therefore, by virtue of their popularity, I would say that romance books are doing what good books do. I think a lot of romantic suspense fans would certainly place Suzanne Brockmann’s book, Into The Storm, in this category.

So there you have it. A male’s perspective on romance. Again. This time with his eyes wide open. Do we have any females out there who have read Into the Storm? Do you share any of Jack’s opinions, or do you think he’s full of dog poo?

Managing Editor Theresa Stevens returns on Friday to discuss passive voice and how to avoid it.

Today, on Anatomy of the Male Mind, we have “Jack Russell” visiting, who’s going to give us his perspective on a romance novel. “Jack” will pop in throughout the day to answer any burning questions you might have for him.

Meet Jack:

Age: 55

Region: Midwest

Education: Bachelor’s degree

Status: Married

Reading Preference: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Suspense/Action, Fiction

Tracey: Have you ever read a romance novel? If yes, what type (romantic suspense, romantic comedy, historical)?

Jack: I’ve only read two romance novels and they were categorized as romantic suspense. So it’s fair to say that my book choices don’t really lean toward the romance genre. I did enjoy both books, however.

Tracey: When you purchased the book, did you know it was a romance? If not, what drew you to the book (cover, back cover blurb, author’s name)?

Jack: No, I didn’t realize it was a romance. I was definitely drawn to the book by the cover, which is typical for me unless I’m in a store looking for a specific title or author. One of the romance novels was in a stack of my wife’s books. She is a huge fan of historical romance and it’s not unusual to find books in every corner and flat surface of our home. The cover didn’t look like her usual covers, which may be why I picked it up to take a closer look. The author’s name (female) and the title of the book filled the cover changing from black to red as the letters moved toward the bottom of the page. The last word of the title rested upon yellow and red flames. It caught my attention enough to read the back cover. The story-line seemed interesting. Homicide investigator teams up with an arson investigator to track down a serial arsonist murderer who ends up stalking the investigators — I couldn’t resist.

The other book I actually took off a carousel display of new paperbacks at a bookstore, not realizing it was a romance. Similar to the other book, the cover contained the author’s name (female) and the title of the book. The title was written in white letters behind a shattered opaque window on a background of pale blue/grey. The letters were very clear where the glass was missing and slightly blurry where the glass remained. The story-line on the back cover described a suspense plot that involved a female criminal prosecutor, an ex-police officer neighbor with a secret background and an unknown assailant who was attempting to kill the prosecutor. These are the types of stories that interest me when I’m in the mood for a suspense novel.

Tracey: What did you think of the male character in the book? Did the character act like a man would?

Jack: The male characters in these books were believable for the most part. They were portrayed as intelligent, determined men who also had a calm, softer side. However, I think they were more introspective about the developing relationship with the main female character than I think most men would be given the circumstances described in these stories. They certainly weren’t wimpy men, but I’m not sure a man who is focused on protecting and surviving would be in the right frame of mind to analyze a developing relationship. I believe this type of analysis is difficult enough for most men and normally happens after the relationship has matured. In other words, after sex moves a little further down the guy’s priority list. The two male characters in these books were in their mid-thirties. It did seem unlikely that they would have been able to intellectualize their emotions in the manner and detail described by the author. At the time I was reading the book, however, these thoughts were not a distraction for me.

Tracey: Rate your level of enjoyment (1-10, 10 highest).

Jack: I think a rating of 7 would reflect my enjoyment level.

Tracey: Tell us what you liked about the story and what you didn’t.

Jack: I liked the intrigue and suspense created by not knowing who the “bad-guy” was and what his motives were. I also enjoyed the action and pace of the story. The action was physical. In both books, the characters moved from one location to another in pursuit of, or being pursued by, the arsonist and assailant. The stories weren’t violent by most standards, but they did included physical confrontations and some gun-play.

In regard to my dislikes, you may expect me to say the parts of the stories that described the developing romantic relationships, but that wasn’t the case. Many of the fictional books I read include the development of a relationship between the main character and the opposite sex. However, sometimes these relationships never move beyond satisfying physical desires and sometimes the characters decide they’re not ready for, or they’re incapable, of entering into a committed relationship. The relationships don’t always end with “happily ever after.” For me, this unknown adds to the intrigue of a story.

Back to your question regarding my dislikes; I really don’t recall disliking any aspect of the books.

Tracey: You might not be familiar with romance subgenre lingo, but what do you think the difference is between a regular romance novel, erotic and porn? Is there a difference?

Jack: Great question. I should preface my response, though, by admitting that I know very little about romance novels. I believe my wife told me that romance novels require a happily ever after ending. If that’s the case, I would guess erotic and porn do not. In general, however, these terms have very different meanings to me. I believe romance is the means by which we express our love or significant interest in another person. It serves to draw two people together and creates and nurtures an emotional bond. Erotic, is the steamy physical expression of love or intense attraction, which culminates or nearly concludes with sex. For me, it implies the build-up of sexual tension created by the intense desire for physical contact. Erotic has an edge and heat with one or both partners focused on drawing out and intensifying the pleasure being given. Porn on the other hand, seems to only depict the visual or written rendition of sex with very little, if any, need for romance, intimacy or the build up of sexual tension. I think pornography is one of those things that is hard to describe, but you know it when you see it.

Tracey: Would you purchase another romance? Why? Please be specific.

Jack: I would read another romantic suspense novel with a similar plot to the two I’ve read. I didn’t feel as though those two stories focused more on the romance than the suspense and action of the plot. But your question was, “would I purchase another romance?” You turned up the heat with this question. The straightforward answer is, probably not. In my “guy mind,” “real men” don’t read romance novels. “Real” men don’t even linger in the aisles of the romance section unless they’re standing with their wife or girlfriend. I know that’s a huge stereotyping and sexist opinion, but the litmus test for most men in determining acceptable male actions or reactions is–would I tell my “guy” friends? How would they react to knowing? Would they say, hey that’s cool so do I? Or, would they beat me up with it every time we get together until the day I’m buried? I have no doubts over my “guy” friends’ responses.

Tracey: Have you ever set a book back down when you realized it was a romance?

Jack: Answering this question may also get me in trouble. I related earlier that the two romance books I read I only picked up because they didn’t look like romance books and because of the story pitch on the back cover. Other than those two books, I’ve not picked up any others because the cover or title usually makes them very recognizable as a romance book. In truth, if I had noticed the words “Romantic Suspense” written on the spine of the one romantic suspense book that I did purchase, I probably would have set it back down for two reasons. One, I would have second guessed my original belief, based on the storyline on the back cover, that I would like the book. Two, I would have felt awkward taking the book to the counter believing that the cashier would find it amusing, to say the least, that a man was buying a romance book.

I understand that my response to these last two questions may place me in poor light with your readers. I actually consider myself to be a progressive modern day male fully comfortable with the broad range and intersections of the male and female genders. And, in no way am I a “macho guy” but I have adopted the belief that romance books are written by women for other women with the intention of eliciting a woman’s emotional reaction to the romantic side of the story. Therefore, even though I enjoyed the two romance books I’ve read, my “guy” mind focused on the action and suspense of the story, not the nuances of the romantic relationship.

Tracey: In general, what do you think of romance novels? Why do you think romance novels hold the largest share of the consumer book market?

Jack: Actually, I’m very surprised by the statement implied by your second question. I didn’t know that romance novels held that title. They obviously have a broader worldwide appeal than I realized. In response to your first question; “In general, what do I think of romance novels?” I certainly think they merit an equal status in the literary world. I don’t consider them to be fictional stories less deserving of readers and fans. I believe good books touch something within us, stir emotions and evoke response and internal debate. Therefore, by virtue of their popularity, I would say that romance books are doing what good books do. Romance books, however, probably won’t be my first or second choice when I’m looking for a book to dive into, because my reading preferences lean toward different genres. I’m not going to say never though. I may, some day, pick up that one book or read that certain author that hooks me.

Thank you, Jack, for stopping by today! Okay, readers, it’s your turn to delve deeper into Jack’s male mind. Have fun!

Please join Kelsey on Friday to hear what Agent Lois Winston has to say about balancing the Writer and the Internal Editor.