This is why they still do love triangles though; because once in a blue moon they *do* work and every author thinks they can make it work too. My other suspicion is that their editors are under the deluded misconception that a love triangle will add some spicy tension; I think they dream of "Angel vs. Spike" or "Edward vs Jacob" juggernauts ramping up their middle-age demographic. Or "Ranger vs. Morelli", which is one of the only triangles that doesn't bother me. (I think she should just keep on having both of 'em - hell, why not? Nothing else in the series is remotely plausible so she might as well get her cake and eat it too.)
In cozies, love triangles have only been obnoxiously common in the last decade or so, along with the recent trend of hobby lobby cozy themes. Which leads me to my next baseless suspicion: that most of the cozies out now are written to spec and formula and are not wholly the natural product of the writer's imagination. Sure the plot and characterisations are theirs, but I think a lot of them are told to write (as Julie Hyzy said she was for her White House Chef series) a certain setting with their MCs in certain careers and oh, while you're at it, let's mix up the MC's love life a little shall we? Let's make it soap opera exciting with some emotional cliffhangers!
This is what goes through my head anyway, when I'm trying to figure out why, Why, WHY? there are so many love triangles when everyone so categorically hates them. (In my head I'm quite a chatty Cathy.) :P
A couple of cozy authors I met through Yahoo groups back in the day did the spec writing for Berkley Prime Crime. They were given a basic outline/script (themed occupation, specific setting) and then fleshed out the series with their own ideas. Jennie Bentley/Do It Yourself Mysteries shared a few details with me, and Diana Killian/Mantra for Murder Mysteries also blogged some about it. That was about a decade ago, which is when I started noticing the proliferation of hobby themed cozies too.
Triangle = Stephanie-Joe-Ranger. It's the first one that popped into my head even though I stopped reading the series somewhere around book 13. Both guys are still in the running at book 23, so it's working for fans of Evanovich. I don't hate 'em or love 'em. Like death and taxes, they seem to be inescapable, so I just except them. :)
I've read both the series you mentioned, and I can totally see it: Diana Killian's first series Poetical Death (I think?) and Jennie Bentley's ultimately self published real estate series have a very different tone from their Bentley Prime Crime series'.
Yes, Diane, in particular, wasn't really into the Yoga series and eventually chose to write m/m romance over mainstream cozy. She's wildly popular as Josh Lanyon. I liked her Poetic Death series for the setting and theme, but only read the first two books in her Yoga series. Bente's (Jennie/Jenna) self-pubbed Savannah Martin books seem to be more popular then her DIY series. I've read five of the DIY books but only the first Savannah; the real estate series isn't really my cuppa. She originally suggested a pair of women renovators for the Berkley DIYs with single word titles (Hammered, Nailed, Floored) but they weren't on board with it. lol Too bad 'cause they sounded like more fun than what Berkley came up with.
Can't upset all those uptight women out there with innuendo, I guess - but I agree those titles sound much better.
I didn't expect to like the Savannah Martin series myself (your memory is much better than mine for names, or you're sitting closer to your shelves, lol) but I did; it was much edgier than a 'typical' cozy and I liked where she took the MC and Rafe (?). I haven't read the last couple though.
Berkley used to put out some of the best cozy series' but the last several years their quality has gone way down; I think they're just churning out too many now, and their authors are writing to marketing data specs. Even their editing for some series is almost non-existent (the first Lighthouse Library story was beyond badly edited; I'm pretty sure it was never proofread). Maybe the merger with RH will clean things up a bit.
My memory is terrible! I try to double check things so I don't embarrass myself all the time. Yes, Rafe is the love interest in the Savannah Martin series. There were things that felt outdated in the story to me, IIRC. And Savannah was one of those MCs I didn't really connect with. The mystery was solid, and Rafe had potential, though.
Henery Press is putting out some of the best cozies now, right? I need to spend some time looking over their releases.
I definitely think so, yes. I haven't read some of the more frivolous sounding themes they have on offer yet, but the Deadline in High Heels and Lowcountry series are some of the best I've read in years, and the last two "firsts" I've read have been very promising too. (Semester of Our Discontent and Muddied Murder.)
In cozies, love triangles have only been obnoxiously common in the last decade or so, along with the recent trend of hobby lobby cozy themes. Which leads me to my next baseless suspicion: that most of the cozies out now are written to spec and formula and are not wholly the natural product of the writer's imagination. Sure the plot and characterisations are theirs, but I think a lot of them are told to write (as Julie Hyzy said she was for her White House Chef series) a certain setting with their MCs in certain careers and oh, while you're at it, let's mix up the MC's love life a little shall we? Let's make it soap opera exciting with some emotional cliffhangers!
This is what goes through my head anyway, when I'm trying to figure out why, Why, WHY? there are so many love triangles when everyone so categorically hates them. (In my head I'm quite a chatty Cathy.) :P
Triangle = Stephanie-Joe-Ranger. It's the first one that popped into my head even though I stopped reading the series somewhere around book 13. Both guys are still in the running at book 23, so it's working for fans of Evanovich. I don't hate 'em or love 'em. Like death and taxes, they seem to be inescapable, so I just except them. :)
I didn't expect to like the Savannah Martin series myself (your memory is much better than mine for names, or you're sitting closer to your shelves, lol) but I did; it was much edgier than a 'typical' cozy and I liked where she took the MC and Rafe (?). I haven't read the last couple though.
Berkley used to put out some of the best cozy series' but the last several years their quality has gone way down; I think they're just churning out too many now, and their authors are writing to marketing data specs. Even their editing for some series is almost non-existent (the first Lighthouse Library story was beyond badly edited; I'm pretty sure it was never proofread). Maybe the merger with RH will clean things up a bit.
Henery Press is putting out some of the best cozies now, right? I need to spend some time looking over their releases.