The older I get, the more I’m against the concept of ‘guilty’ pleasures. You
want that cupcake, go for it! You want to put off the laundry and binge-watch
every season of a television show, have at it! You want to crank that pop song
and sing loud and proud in traffic, you belt that song, baby! Even in the
bedroom, as long as it’s between two consenting adults, and hurts no one, why
feel guilty about something? Unabashedly love and own the things that make you
feel good! Whether it’s tattoos, or dancing to a certain type of music (hey,
reggae! I love you!), there’s something out there for everyone that makes their
smile a little brighter.
And that is especially true when it comes to publishing. Search for nearly
anything and you’ll find it—sometimes thanks to the inimitable Chuck Tingle.
Like I said, I’m not about judging you for the things you like. But there’s one
trend in romance that was definitely not my cup of tea.
The taboo romance involving stepsiblings, in particular, the stepbrother romance
trope.
Stepbrother romances lit the literary world on fire in the past year or so. It
seems a release date didn’t go by that there wasn’t a stepbrother titillating a
main character, turning her on because it was forbidden. Stepbrother
billionaires, stepbrother cage fighters, stepbrother were-shifters were suddenly
everywhere and people were snatching them up and devouring them. But in my case,
this is one trend that doesn’t do a thing for me for a very specific reason.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s ONE instance of this that breaks the barrier
and I like it very much, and that is Cher and Josh from the movie
Clueless. Maybe because it was Paul Rudd and he’s infinitely dreamy in
that funny, approachable way. Maybe it was Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd’s
chemistry or maybe it was because I saw this movie when I was fairly young, but
there’s something glorious about these two on screen that is the exception—and
they do say there’s an exception to every rule.
But for the most part, it’s not my bag. Don’t get me wrong, I would never shame
you for the things you love. Your mileage may vary, and your yuck is someone
else’s yum, everything is subjective.
But from the time I was eleven years old, my family has been a little different.
I’ve had about 35 little foster brothers and sisters in my life. My biological
parents took in foster kids, many of them with high needs. Opening your heart
and home to strangers redefined what family means to me, and makes those taboo
romances very unappealing to me because of it.
Once I see you as family, the sexual appeal wears off. I get protective, but
it’s in more of a parental way. And whenever I see the romances with a sexy
brother coming back from his school across the country, or back from finding
himself in Europe, all I can think of are my little brothers and sisters who
came into my life, sometimes with terrible baggage, and that doesn’t bring out
the lover in me, it brings out the lioness ready to protect her cubs. And I know
that’s on me, not the books themselves, because I’m sure they’re well-written
and engaging. It’s just that I read about them and see my little siblings and
can’t separate my reality from the fantasy the author is trying to paint.
And that means it’s not my cup of tea.
What about you? Are you a fan of the taboo trope or, like me, does it leave
something to be desired for you?
Tamara Mataya is a New York Times and USA
Today bestselling author, a librarian, and a musician with synesthesia.
Armed with a name tag and a thin veneer of credibility, she takes great delight
in recommending books and shushing people. She puts the 'she' in TWSS and the B
in LGBTQIA+.
Missed Connection: I saw you standing there, and I was struck by your
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sensitive stranger who bares his soul online, her heart and body are soon in two
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