Romance is a legitimate genre people!
I am not a “shy” person. But I’m also not overtly outgoing. Listen, I contain multitudes, sue me. I am a confirmed (come-through Meyers Briggs gang) introvert, and books (of all kinds) have been some of my closest friends over the years.
Over the last year, Romance Novels specifically have brought me moments of comfort and joy when I struggled to know where to find them.
As we approach season 3 of the pandemic (hashtag over it), I feel really REALLY grateful that I somehow stumbled back into my reading habit. AND that I found the Romance genre. What I did not expect to find, however is how fridge WEIRD folks get when you tell them you not only frequently read them, but REALLY LIKE THEM as books.
It definitely does not take a therapist to interrogate why romance is the genre helping millions of people (and me) through this global public health crisis. We’re guaranteed a HEA, and damn it, I just want to live in a world where I can feel secure in my heart that everything, will work out in the end. No one is doing to die. No one is going to be alone. There is happiness, and care-free experiences, and adventures and kissing! We love kissing.
Give me my swoon-y escapism and let me live my life!
It should be surprising to no one that romance, both in print and digital formats brings in roughly 1.4 Billion dollars a year (and growing) in revenues. I couldn’t believe my own reluctance to share when people ask me 1: what I’m reading and 2: the overwhelming desire to try and justify it as a “real” book.
First of all, don’t yuck someone’s yum am I right?!
Could you imagine, if the next time someone told you they were reading a thriller or science-fiction novel you went: “oh you’re serious” or “but have you tried reading something else?”.
What the actual frickety-f*ck is wrong with a book that focuses itself around love and romance? Spoiler alert there is nothing wrong with it. Are these books sometime silly? Yes. But are they also wonderful? Also yes. Are there a lot of billionaire CEOs under 30, who for some reason need a last minute wife? You betchya.
Look don’t take my word for it! Visit r/romancebooks or r/romancelandia on Reddit, get yourself onto BookTok or #Booktwt, and you’ll see. Because my sweet pals, there are SO many amazing folks out there that love this genre and will talk to you about it animatedly through emoji’s, gifs or simply all caps screaming about Rhys Winterbourne’s NOT FIVE FUCKING MINUTES, until we make it a little weird.
If you’re not sure where to start, just ask (slide into my DMs)! Throw out what type of romance you’re looking for and I ASSURE you you will have multiple titles to pick from.
Yours in happily ever afters,
Kels