More on Series

Bev left a truly interesting response in comments section for Bitch Kitty Rant: Seried Out, so I'm moving it up to here:

For the most part I tend to like connected books in romance but I also say that knowing full well that the romance genre (and therefore its authors) seems to having problems nowadays deciding what types of connected books they're doing. Or they attempt to do something that really doesn't work for the story or stories they're telling then wonder why readers start rebelling. Logically, there are basically three ways to connect books: 1) story arcs - these can but not always involve the same characters, HAVE to be sequential and are mainstays of science fiction & fantasy 2) episodic series - these almost always use the same primary character or character, don't have to be sequential and are the mainstay of mystery and suspense 3) universe spin-offs - these involve creating or using an existing "world" wherein multiple stories can happen that aren't necessarily sequential but can be in certain circumstances If there's another way, I haven't figured it out yet but it is important to remember these three approaches and not lump all connected groups into the same basket. Thing is that romance used to do universe spin-offs almost exclusively, whether we're talking about single titles or category books. And it worked because spin-offs within the same universe and different couples featured in each book go hand-in-hand. I still have absolutely no problem reading an infinite number of these because the stories don't have to be read in any order. Besides that, the author, and therefore the reader, can leave and come back to the universe created, whether it's historical, contemporary, futuristic or even alternate reality, any time they want. The problem nowadays seems to be that authors want to connect a lot of their books in one or both of the other ways, too, and yet expect readers to buy that the individual books can still stand completely alone. That's just ridiculous. The only time multiple book story arcs have worked for me in romances is when the "series" is limited to a specific number of books AND the overall arc is IMPORTANT to the stories being told rather than just there to tie things together. Marginalizing the overall arc only emphasizes how much the readers are being strung along when we're talking about a lot of books. Trilogies work exceptionally well, but I can stretch my patience to five or six IF the universe is also an interesting place to be. Same thing with episodics, more or less. I love mysteries so using the same characters can also work for me but, again the problem is that romance authors seem to want to layer in an overall story arc instead of sticking to a true episodic type story. So, keeping things to a limited number of installments applies even more. After about three books about the same romantic couple trying to reach their happily ever after, I really lose patience. The point is to ask yourself what it really is that you got tired of in any particular connected romance series. I'd be willing to bet it isn't the universe or even the individual stories but waiting and waiting AND waiting for that blasted overall story arc to play out one way or another. Okay, I think I'll shut up now and go curl up with a book. (G)

I hadn't realised, until I read Bev's response, exactly why I'm tired of series in romance genre. I think she pointpointed one issue for me: lack of a long arc in a series. I always feel that a book series has to have a purpose, so I'd buy each book in a series to read them in order and when I find that there isn't a real purpose, I get pissed off. That's just one issue among many. Anyhow, thanks, Bev, for making time to write your response. Be good, be bad & be safe.