Update: Results of the Romance Family Feud Survey!

Zoe Archer was kind enough to write up the survey results from the Romance Family Feud game at Romantic Times. I'd posted a link to the survey a few weeks ago, and the answers during the game itself were so funny, I asked if they'd be willing to share. Thank you!! 

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A big thanks to everyone who participated in the Romance Reader Family Feud survey we posted a few weeks ago.  We had over 575 responses!  The Family Feud game at RT turned out to be more fun than is possibly legal in several states, and we have you to thank (or blame) for it.  The hosts of the game were Tessa Dare, Vivian Arend, Nico Rosso, Louisa Edwards, and myself.  We laughed, we screamed, we made my husband Nico blush.  Pretty damn awesome.    

I promised that I’d post the results, especially for those who weren’t able to make it to RT.  So, without further ado, here are the findings.  Because y’all were very, very creative, I’m only able to post the top five answers for each question, so if you notice that something’s missing, that doesn’t mean it didn’t show up on the survey, it just didn’t rank as high as the other answers.

 

 

Name the Sexiest Profession for a Romance Hero:

1.       Military (including SEAL, Spec Ops, Special Forces, &c.)
2.       Fireman
3.       Nobleman (can you be a professional duke?)
4.       Law Enforcement
5.       Cowboy/Rancher

Name the Best Place to Read a Romance Novel:

1.       Bed
2.       Couch
3.       Beach
4.       Bathtub
5.       Anywhere

Name a Person You Don’t Want to Catch You Reading a Romance Novel:

1.       Boss
2.       Mom
3.       No One (romance readers are proud of their reading!)
4.       Dad
5.       Children
Special bonus: three people answered “Rick Santorum.”

Name a Feature on a Romance Novel Cover that First Catches Your Eye:

1.       Chest/Mantitty
2.       The Color
3.       Author Name
4.       Abs
5.       Clothes (mostly the ladies’ gowns that can’t seem to stay on their shoulders)
It’s a special kind of joy to hear Tessa Dare say “mantitty.”

Name Another Word for Climax:

1.       Orgasm
2.       Peak
3.       Come (thank God no one spelled this as “cum”)
4.       Release
5.       Explode

Name an Article of Clothing that is Difficult to Remove:

1.       Corset
2.       Bra
3.       Jeans
4.       Boots
5.       Pantyhose
Spanx was also a popular answer, but not quite enough to make it into the Top 5. Oh, control garments, how we love and hate you!

Name a Term of Endearment a Romance Hero would Call His Beloved:

1.       Sweetheart
2.       Darling
3.       Babe/Baby (many in the audience rolled their eyes at this one)
4.       Love
5.       Honey

When You’re Finished Reading a Romance Novel, What do You do With the Book:

1.       Keep
2.       Give Away/Pass On
3.       Return to Library
4.       Reread
5.       Delete from e-reader

Name a Food That Goes Perfectly With Reading Romance:

1.       Chocolate (by a huge margin)
2.       Strawberries
3.       Ice Cream
4.       Chips
5.       Popcorn
Or you could write about food and romance, like Louisa Edwards, and have the best of all worlds.  Have you seen the abs of the chef heroes on the covers of her books?  Maybe this will mean Curtis Stone will start showing up without a shirt.  One can only hope…

Name Something You’d Find Next to a Hero’s Bed:

1.       Condoms
2.       Book
3.       Gun
4.       Cellphone
5.       Lube
Special prize goes to whomever gave this answer: “a picture of his adopted child that he rescued from a fire.”

Name the Sexiest Shoes a Romance Hero Can Wear:

1.       Cowboy Boots
2.       Hessian Boots
3.       Motorcycle/Shitkicker Boots
4.       Combat Boots
5.       Barefoot
The overwhelming preference for boots makes me love every last one of you.

Name an Adjective Often Used to Describe a Heroine:

1.       Feisty
2.       Beautiful
3.       Spunky
4.       Willowy
5.       Curvy
Everyone at the game proposed that “strong” and “intelligent” become the go-to words for heroines from now on.

Name the Most Common Job for a Romance Heroine:

1.       Secretary/Administrative Assist.
2.       Author
3.       Teacher
4.       Journalist
5.       Aristocrat

Name Something You’d Find in a Romance Heroine’s Reticule or Purse:

1.       Handkerchief
2.       Lipstick
3.       Gun
4.       Condoms
5.       Money

Name Something that Gets You in the Mood For Romance:

1.       Alcohol
2.       Book
3.       Music
4.       Candles
5.       Chocolate
Another popular answers: no kids, which may explain the Adorable But Conspicuously Absent Moppet Syndrome so frequent in romance novels.

Name a Synonym For the Hero’s Manly Bits:

1.       Cock
2.       Manhood
3.       Rod
4.       Shaft
5.       Member
Vivian Arend turned bright red when she had to write “cock” on the whiteboard.  I’ll always treasure that memory.

Fill in the Blank: The First Kiss is on the Lips, the Next Kiss is on the…

1.       Neck
2.       Breast
3.       Jaw
4.       Throat
5.       Ear

Name the Most Romantic Romance Novel Couple:

1.       Eve/Roarke (In Death series by J.D. Robb)
2.       Lizzie/Darcy (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
3.       Dain/Jessica (Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase)
4.       Claire/Jamie (Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon)
5.       Sam/Alyssia (Troubleshooters series by Suzanne Brockmann)
We didn’t get to ask this question at the game, and I’m actually glad.  I get the feeling a brawl would’ve broken out.

Name the Most Romantic Setting for a Romance Novel:

1.       England
2.       Beach
3.       Island
4.       Cabin
5.       Scotland

Name the Sexiest Part of a Man’s Body:

1.       Eyes
2.       Chest
3.       Shoulders
4.       Arms
5.       Hands
The “Adonis belt” a.k.a. “that v-muscle on his hips” nearly made it into the top five.  You lusty ladies!

Name an Animal You’d Love to See as a Shifter:

1.       Wolf
2.       Panther
3.       Tiger
4.       Lion
5.       Horse
I also call this question: Doing Vivian Arend’s research for her.  *wink*  Also, Honey Badger was a popular answer, so I’m hoping that we get werebadgers soon.  The hero can keep saying, “I don’t give a shit.  I take what I want.”

Name the Most Ticklish Part of the Human Body:

1.       Bottom of Foot
2.       Ribs
3.       Belly
4.       Armpit
5.       Neck

Name Something That Can Be Used to Tie Up a Hero/Heroine:

1.       Tie
2.       Scarf
3.       Cravat
4.       Pantyhose/Stockings
5.       Rope
Nico Rosso was taking notes during this question.  I wonder why…

Name the Least Sexy Occupation for a Hero:

1.       Garbage Man
2.       Accountant
3.       Plumber
4.       Lawyer
5.       Sewage Worker
If you suddenly see a glut of garbage man or accountant heroes in books, you know why.  Never present a challenge like that to a writer.

Name the Person You Trust to Recommend a Book:

1. Friend
2. Smart Bitch Sarah (woot!) (SB Sarah: Thank you!)
3. Sister
4. Mom
5. Librarian

You know who’s missing from this list?  Bookseller.  Make of that what you will.

And there you have it!  The results of the first ever, highly unscientific Romance Reader Poll!  Were there any answers that surprised you?  Anything that made you go, “Well, duh!”  Share your thoughts here!