This week’s prompt in the #MFRWauthor 52-Week #Blog Challenge is “My biggest pet peeve in a book” to which I can only reply, “Where do I start?”

Like a lot of readers, I don’t care for the “too-stupid-to-live” heroine. I lose patience with characters like that pretty quickly.

As a historical writer/reader, I often find myself put off by historical inaccuracies. Even if I’m still enjoying the book, I find myself mumbling to myself about incorrect use of titles/forms or address, or historical details I know are wrong. I recently quit reading a Medieval romance because the characters kept saying “Okay.” Okay is American dating from some point in the 19th c. though there are differing theories as to where it came from. But it’s definitely American.

I also don’t like books (or movies) where there is no character I can relate to or root for. I know flawed characters are great for conflict, but do they all have to be unlikable?

My newest pet peeve has to do with love scenes in carriages.

Last year, I visited Prague with a writer friend, and everywhere we went in Old Town, we had to walk on cobblestones. I understand why. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which means property owners and city managers are restricted in what they can do. In the old section of Bratislava we saw workmen repairing a sidewalk with, you guessed it, new cobblestones. While they make for a picturesque setting, cobblestones are hard on the feet and knees.

Prague cobblestones, not as smooth to walk on as they look in the picture.

One evening Rebecca and I decided to take a carriage ride around Old Town Prague, though our carriage wasn’t as spiffy as this one.

Horse-drawn carriage in Prague Old Town Square

As we rode along, we found ourselves being bounced up and down and side to side, laughing all the way. The experience reminded me of the Star Tours ride at Disneyland, though not quite that bad. At least I didn’t need to find a chiropractor the next day.

At the time I said to Rebecca that I’d never be able to read a love scene in a carriage without laughing my head off! And sure enough, the first such scene I read brought back memories of the Prague carriage ride, and I laughed all the way through the scene. Not my usual reaction to a love scene, I can assure you. At least this is one pet peeve I can laugh about.

What are your pet peeves? Leave your answer in the comments section.

Linda

Use the linky list to find more pet peeves from #MFRWAuthors in the 52-Week #Blog Challenge