The Joy of Reading Romance Novels

Two months ago, the beloved Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast featured an episode entitled The Romance Novel Special.  Featuring host Linda Holmes, and guest panelists Petra Mayer, Barry Hardymon, and Sarah Wendell of the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blog, this was a rather illuminating show about the current state of romance literature and why it is such a popular genre. One of the recommended books was A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev, and I decided to try it out. And hence began a romance binge read that has yet to stop.

I adored A Bollywood Affair, and after finishing it, I found Sarah Wendell on Twitter and begged her for recommendations. If you are a romance novice like I am, this might be the most important thing you could ever do to get started. Tweet at Sarah (her Twitter handle is @SmartBitches) and detail the kind of books you like. Not romance novels, just any literature that takes your fancy. And with that simple information, she will instantly suggest a slew of romance books and authors for you that will hone in on your pleasure centers with frightening accuracy. To me, she suggested Something About You by Julie James (and the rest of the books in that series), as well as The Unexpected Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell. Both recommendations proved to be revelatory and I have so far devoured two books by Mansell, three by James, and have no intention of stopping. 

Before I left for vacation, NPR Books came out with an incredibly well-timed article featuring 100 romance recommendations. I had yet to enter the world of regency romances, but considering I have several friends who enjoy them, and one of the most established authors of the genre, Lisa Kleypas, is a fellow Wellesley alumna, I decided to try out some of the regency romances on NPR's list. Before I knew it, I had gotten through A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant, The Lady's Tutor by Robin Schone, and Secrets of a Summer Night and Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas. And the beauty of the romance genre is that these books are all part of a series, so I still have a long list of books I can wade through before I need to seek Sarah out again for more recommendations.

Romance readers get a lot of questionable glances when they make their preferences known, and I certainly was a complete literary snob. However, listening to the PCHH podcast made me realize that just as I watch superhero movies for escapism, reading romance can serve the same purpose. And there's a huge difference between poorly written romance and genuinely well-crafted novels. The novels I've mentioned in this post are far from being your stereotypical bodice-ripping tale featuring heroines with no agency and rakish men with no morals. They are all well-plotted stories, sometimes funny, sometimes bittersweet, that feature intelligent, multi-faceted characters. And at the end of the day, you're guaranteed a happy ending, which is something that matters a great deal when you're looking to get away from the stresses of daily life. 

So if you're a snobby reader, broaden your horizons and give romance a try. You can get recommendations from NPR, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, or a recommendation from Sarah Wendell herself that is tailored to your exacting specifications. Romance features every genre under the sun so you are bound to find something that's in your wheelhouse. And once you start, you just won't be able to stop.