Since the advent of Twilight, I’ve lost count of the many fans who have dedicated themselves to the controversial vampires vs. twilight debacle. Whether it be from raving adolescent girls or screeching moms, the book has been praised for bringing a more supernatural flair into modern day romance, complete with love triangles, hot guys, and the occasional life-or-death threat. 

Nonetheless, the book does have its detractors. It’s been mentioned many times over that, essentially, the heroine, Bella, is falling in love with her stalker. Even if she doesn’t return his feelings, there’s no way she could escape him. He himself even confirmed this when he remarked on how strange their entire relationship is. This doesn’t even include the actor who, amusingly enough, saw just how messed up the two are. In other words, “There’s definitely something wrong with her, and there’s very obviously something wrong with [him].”

But this lack of common sense isn’t just with Twilight; the paranormal romance genre is littered with heroes and heroines who choose to be whisked away to some dark, enchanting place, all while never even bothering to pay any attention to their gut instinct. Even in fiction, I doubt there’d be many women who would be throwing themselves at some guy who eats/murders/tortures innocents for the sake of their loved ones. Which is what leads me to see one of the main problems this genre has.

Unrealistic Expectations 

Every couple has their arguments once in a while, and that’s completely fine. What isn’t fine, though, is when one of those fights includes your lover literally screaming at you to run because they’re afraid of killing you, and you still stick around, hugging and kissing and telling them everything’s going to be fine. It just sounds like they’re both either really high, or really drunk. The age-old excuse of trying to change someone for the better is also incredibly tiring. “They’ll hold back for me; they won’t attack me; I can trust them, because they love me.” However disappointing it is, faith and love alone aren’t enough to change someone. Sure, they can be powerful factors when written correctly, but if your lover is some rabid werewolf waiting to rip your throat out, chains could also help. Silver chains. With silver bullets. In a machine gun.

Besides that, these people practically come with warning labels. Make you wish you were dead. The curse of living. Damnation. Any immortal can attest to the consequences of not being able to die. There are exceptions, of course, but when a woman begs for/is offered immortality, or literally flirts with Death, at the very least, she has to think TWICE. She needs to understand she will give up a whole life, the normalcy of her own life fading away. Family, friends, a future; even if she does find some kind of reason to turn, sooner or later she will have to face facts. Everything she did, she did for her lover. If her lover is gone, what happens then? The whole book was based on that one relationship. 

Remember, if you decide to write in the paranormal romance genre, just make sure that whatever your characters do, they actually use their heads. I’m not saying don’t have a happy ending, or not get together; the two could murder the world for all I care. I’m just saying that the relationship has to make sense. Laughing together, crying together, being idiots with one another; developing an actual relationship with each other before revealing their big secrets or doing the big deed is more emotionally satisfying than doing it with someone you just met. 

Lust is at first sight; love isn’t.