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Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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Loved this post from Buzzfeed Books at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention this year on the 20 reasons to read romance.
Why do YOU read romance?
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 226
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For me, it's because I love the happily ever after. I always loved fairy tales, and as I grew up, that never changed. It's not just the love story, either. I detest Nicholas Sparks, not because they're not good love stories, but because they end. I don't want to know the ending. I want to believe they really DO live happily ever after (as in live forever, happily), as unrealistic as it may seem.  That's my fairy tale.
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I read romances for the tension--I'm most happy when reading a Romantic Suspense novel. I like seeing the two lovebirds get together despite the odds. I like seeing the hardships they go through, and the danger they face. When I'm not certain both will survive, and then they ultimately do, and come together as a couple, I'm satisfied.
Amber
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Joined: 2/14/2015
Posts: 16
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I'll admit I'm not a fan of traditional romance. What I do love are books that delve deep into the whys and wherefores of relationships. If a book will make me care whether or not two people who may seem unsuited for each other might make it work, that's something I want to finish (and will review). I do prefer realism in any book I read which eliminates a fair bit of today's more popular romance books. I also like to be surprised by something a character does or the way a plot turns, and some authors who write romance novels do that--but not many.
I totally get that for many it's an escape from life, work, kids, bills, drudgery, but I really far prefer a book that can make me fall into a story with characters who have some of these things, including realistic jobs that they do enjoy and work hard at, but also have relationships--sometimes sexy ones that evolve into emotional, sometimes even the reverse of that.
Relationships fascinate me, so I am ever seeking novels that will provide 3-dimensional characters, realistic story lines and, yes, happy endings ---that could become sad at times because that's just what life is or does sometimes.
It's not something that most romance readers want in a book and I know that (since I write what I want to read). But when I find them I definitely recommend them to others who have similar tastes as I do.
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Joined: 4/25/2013
Posts: 17
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Inside every romance novel lives the perfect man. 
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 226
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Maybe Facebook is rubbing off on me, but I want to "like" Jaycee's post a million times. 
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Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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One reason I sometimes turn to romance is that they all seem to take place in gorgeous apartments. I am reading ON DUBLIN STREET right now and I love hearing about what it would be like to live in a beautifully renovated flat in Edinburgh, Scotland. I thought the same thing about Eva and Gideon's NYC apartments in the Crossfire books. People make fun of me for this, but it's the same reason I love HGTV--real estate envy!
I will also admit that I love reading about what people wear.
Escapism takes many forms, I guess!
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Joined: 2/22/2015
Posts: 3
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Romance makes characters do interesting things. There are a variety of events that can cause a character to act abnormally or better themselves, but romance always seems to do this rather effectively. I like to see characters not only be changed by romantic relationships, but manage to become stronger and more themselves through them as well.
My favorite kind of romantic relationship, that I don't see as often as I would like, is the kind that doesn't begin at the end of a book. Finding love is one journey, but building that love is another. I like to see couples work through difficult times as a couple. There's something satisfying about reading a story that goes beyond "I do."
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Joined: 4/26/2011
Posts: 22
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Hi! Well I can honestly say I read and write romance because I love happy stories and the 'fairy tale' ideas that a lot of the historicals have. It's the lure of that first look, that first kiss, that first touch that makes you want to believe in true love and wonderfully ever after. In a hectic and busy world, sometimes the escape to another time or place between the pages of a book is just as relaxing as any vacation
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Joined: 5/10/2013
Posts: 1
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This is going to sound like a pretty lame reply but I love reading romance for all the lessons I could learn. Lame, I know.
But I think (for me as an author, I do this) there are certain things you can take from a romance novel and apply them to your life.
I'm not instantly saying the sex tips, but I think it's more you learn how communication, lies or secrets can really play an impact on a relationship. As well as confidence, like, "If 'heroine's name' can stick up for herself in a tormented relationship like mine, I can, too!"
I also love to read romance because I love being able to pin point the moments in the book. The moment they fall in love, or the guy/girl realise their in love. The moment it starts to fall apart and the moment it gets picked up and pieced back together again. It doesn't have to end in a Happily Ever After, it just has to end with a lot of meaning as to why because I went through their journey with them
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Joined: 3/4/2015
Posts: 9
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LizCrowe wrote:I'll admit I'm not a fan of traditional romance. What I do love are books that delve deep into the whys and wherefores of relationships. If a book will make me care whether or not two people who may seem unsuited for each other might make it work, that's something I want to finish (and will review). I do prefer realism in any book I read which eliminates a fair bit of today's more popular romance books. I also like to be surprised by something a character does or the way a plot turns, and some authors who write romance novels do that--but not many.
I totally get that for many it's an escape from life, work, kids, bills, drudgery, but I really far prefer a book that can make me fall into a story with characters who have some of these things, including realistic jobs that they do enjoy and work hard at, but also have relationships--sometimes sexy ones that evolve into emotional, sometimes even the reverse of that.
Relationships fascinate me, so I am ever seeking novels that will provide 3-dimensional characters, realistic story lines and, yes, happy endings ---that could become sad at times because that's just what life is or does sometimes.
It's not something that most romance readers want in a book and I know that (since I write what I want to read). But when I find them I definitely recommend them to others who have similar tastes as I do.
This is an interesting take on the genre. I confess that I don't read many romances, mainly because I don't read for escapism (though a location I love or would love to visit is an incentive, so I guess that's my part of the romance fantasy). I do like more realistic takes, in which people have real jobs and real conflicts and difficulties. Under-represented professions are always a draw for me, and I don't mean glamorous ones.
Of course, wanting something grounded in reality does not mean that it can't be a fantasy or paranormal or whatever. As long as the writer has established a groundwork and rules to their world, and then follows them, then deviation from the "real-world" can be amazing.
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