Why I Read Romance

I discovered romance books after graduating from college.  I got married at a young age to a soldier and we found ourselves in Germany with nothing but CNN and the Cartoon Network in English.  Being in the military, my spouse was often out in the field and there would be weeks where I would essentially be alone, living in a tiny village surrounded by grape vines.  It was then that I started to discover the magic of a library.  I began with, as so many people of a certain age did, with Danielle Steele.  I would stay up all night just to see what would happen next.  I found myself reading more and more and it became clear that the two genres that speak to my heart the most are fantasy and romance.  I never really questioned my choices, I have always been a sucker for a good love story.  It wasn’t until I went to college and started studying English that my choices became a bit more clear to me.

Happily Ever After. 

Now I am not saying that every good story ends with the HEA.  There are many people in this world who find it too predictable and trite.  But there is nothing wrong with an ending where everyone ends up happy.  Starting a book and knowing that it will end well can be a comfort and can help reduce anxiety.  We live in an unpredictable world and some people live lives that can feel no less than chaotic.  Opening a book to escape into a world whether it is full of peril or comedy and knowing it is all going to work out in the end can help bring about peace and even hope.  And there is nothing wrong with hope.

Connections.  

If you are here, you have probably been on BookTok or Bookstagram.  You cannot tell me that romance books don’t bring people together.  Even in the old days when the internet was just a toddler, I got onto online bulletin boards and met some great people.  I cannot even begin to express what an impact the old Julie Garwood BB had on me.  I shared my writing there for the first time.  I met other people who liked to write romance.  It made me feel a part of something big.  Now, I can hear the skeptics saying, “Ok, but that isn’t just true for romance readers.”  And you are right!  Mystery readers, true crime fanatics… they all have their communities, but I have to admit my favorite are the romance junkies.

Healing. 

Seriously.  I believe that reading romance can help bring people a more healthy view of sex.  You can safely explore the taboo or even the tame.  You can find out exactly what makes you squirm in the good way and the bad way.  For people who have experienced assault or come from purity backgrounds reading romance can help make sex approachable and help ease the stigmas that they may be trying to overcome.

Women’s Voices.  

I know that not all romance novels are written by women.  But the majority are.  The romance genre is influenced, written, and promoted by mostly women.  More modern forms of the romance genre feature strong women who make choices for themselves.  And don’t even get me started on Romantasy.  That is so freaking empowering!  I have even been playing around with the idea of an older woman finally coming into her power.  Maybe this will be my next novel!

There will always be the people out there who will look down at people for loving a good romance.  They may even try to make sad excuses about people who do, but let’s be honest…  Romance is not just read by sad women with even sadder sex lives.  Romance novels are empowering literature that is a safe space for women to express themselves in a world that rarely feels safe.  It can heal and give hope, it can be a soapbox and a way to learn more about yourself.  And, my friends, that is freaking awesome.