What's with all the werewolf romance novels?

[lesbiassparrow]

While I was in Birmingham I happened to peruse the romance section in Waterstones. I will admit nothing, but I may have been looking for novels about pirates and the women who love them too much. And as far as the eye could see there were love stories featuring werewolves. Now, I don't mean to run down werewolves if they're your cup of tea but what about them shrieks romance? I mean, a vampire might suck your blood but at least you'd get eternally damned life in return; but with a werewolf what you'd get is being torn apart, shedding, and a boyfriend who you'd have to lock up every full moon. That sounds like kinky fun and games until you realise that it would involve beastiality and probable death for the girl if she tried anything at all.

So what is with the whole genre of werewolf romances? There were dozens of them, too, so it's not just some mad fetish thing. And when I checked Borders here, they were all over the shelves too, so it is a bona fide transatlantic trend. When did werewolves become the epitome of sexiness rather than the hairy, howling evil you will meet on the moor? And when did pirates fall out of favour?

Comments

[lovinlorne.livejournal.com]

Having lived with a Siberian Husky for the past 6 months, I can't see myself EVER falling for a werewolf. Far too much hair involved. And I'm not even going to mention the obvious flea issues. This is one woman who refuses to wear a flea collar.

[lovinlorne.livejournal.com]

Oh, and as for pirates, well pirates will never fall out of favor with me. Especially if they're looking like the one to the left over there.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Pirates I understand; they have style, ships, and the chance of getting huge quantities of wealth (albeit from killing and plundering but you can't have everything).
And they might look like Johnny Depp. But as you say with dogs/wolves there is the hair and the fleas and also the question of whether you might need to get him all washed and clipped at the parlour.