Mind Spill: A Romantic Note

A Romantic Note

Here’s the scenario: I was standing in the romance section of my local Chapters/Indigo store, pinning over all the sexy titles I want to read when two ladies walked by asking if I “read that stuff?” Holding up my copy of Nalini Singh’s  Play of Passion I said, “Yes, I read this stuff.” My response was obviously not what they were expecting because they responded with a scoff and a roll of their eyes. To which I answered with an unladylike gesture behind their backs.

Yes, that was rude of me but it’s also not very sporting to mock someone else’s taste in books. I AM A ROMANCE READER AND I’M PROUD OF IT! I shouldn’t be ashamed of the type of books I read. And I will not allow others to make prejudice remarks about them when they haven’t read a single book from the genre. It’s an unfair judgement.

What they don’t know is that romance novels are really just a celebration of the one thing that every person seeks out: Love. It’s a natural predisposition in humans. We seek out touch. We explore that little spark of interest when meet someone new. It’s what most songs are written about. It’s why couples get married and start a family. It’s what makes our lives full. So why the hate?

I can’t speak for others, but I read romance novels because there is always a happily ever after. True love prevails and there’s always that sense of contentment when you flip that last page. Some books are more emotional than others, hitting you in the most vulnerable places and settling in your heart. Others are suspenseful, keeping you on the edge of your seat until you can’t take any more. And there are many that are downright sexy and passionate, mimicking real life relationships! Whatever book or series you choose, romance novels are addictive and I knew the moment I picked up my first romance novel, I would be in trouble.

I’m not saying that the romance genre is better than another. I’m not saying that I only read romance novels either. I’m just hoping that non-romance readers understand that a romance novel isn’t just a bunch of fluffy love words put together with a bare-chested man stamped over it. It’s so much more. It’s still literature.

Let’s be open to new and different genres, or at least appreciate the hard work that goes into one of these little bound books. Romance may not be part of your reading preference, but it is to a lot of others.

Now on a much more romantic note, tell us why you read romance?