Even though I'm a romantic at heart, and falling in love is key to my characters's developments, I don't read a ton of romance books. Why not? Because I don't find many of them to be that romantic. So many authors confuse lust for love, and I get quickly bored of that.
Love does not come from a nice ass. Spectacular eyes or a superb kiss do not make for a soulmate. Physical attraction is a knee-jerk reaction, and doesn't make a good basis for a romantic relationship.
When you really fall in love, it works the other way around. Love makes the other person perfect, no matter what.
Yet, that's not what happens in books. Physical features are always what draws the characters together. "He's so sexy?" "She's so hot." Nothing about personalities, and rarely about any emotions beyond lust.
Take a kiss, for instance. Kisses are wonderful emotional, tasty things. In books, kisses tend to only address the physical. A great kisser is always appealing, but the warmth of love makes any mediocre kiss into a fireworks display of awesomeness.
I'm really looking for romance to become romantic. Giving a girl a stunning orgasm just isn't as heart warming as cutting her steak because her hand is wounded and she won't ask for help. Less shagging, more cuddles, please.
