Romance novels: smart reading

FACT: 50% of romance readers are married.
FACT: 42% of romance readers hold a bachelor degree OR HIGHER.
FACT: The VAST majority of romance authors were previously lawyers, investigative newspaper reporters, college professors, marine biologists, or some other occupation that required a higher (sometimes very high) education. So they are not ignorant idiots. Huh! Go figure!
FACT: Many romance authors have made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists multiple times. Not bad for "drivel", huh?

A few years back, I read that when Martha Stewart was serving time in jail she was appalled that many of the inmates were reading romance novels. How dare they??? How could they read something like that in such a charming and happy environment? Um, Martha, did it occur to you to be happy to see them READING? Reading anything at all? Did it occur to her that maybe they needed to read about someone's happy ending when their own lives clearly missed that happily ever after mark? Frankly, I'm a little sick of romance novels getting the turned up nose. I don't turn my nose up at anyone's reading taste. I enjoy a good classic every so often. I don't scorn people who read sports bios, science theory, history, mystery, westerns, or Christian fiction. Ok, to be honest the only type of book I scorn are those grisly true crime books, but seriously, I question the mental health of those people. But I digress.

Why do people scorn the idea of reading about love? Who doesn't want to be loved and cherished and protected and cared for? Why is it not ok to read a story with a happily ever after? Is happily ever after only for children's fairy tails? Contrary to popular belief, all romance novels are not filled from cover to cover with heaving bosoms, creative names for anatomy and stupid characters. Are some? Sure. But every genre has it's dud authors. Many are filled with adventure, fantasy, life, and love. Many include actual history -- yes, it's true, romance authors do actual research and teach the reader a thing or two about big and small historic events. Many even travel to the destination (often out of the country) to get a feel for their location in the novel. I believe that even I would be surprised to find how much I learned about frontier, Regency, and medieval life from one of those "trashy novels".

Over the years I have read so very many books. Shakespeare, Mya Angelou, Austen, Bronte, Christian fiction of all kinds. I've read The Scarlet Letter, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Death of a Salesman, Wuthering Heights, Dickens (didn't care for any of his stuff though). I took English classes that I didn't need in college just for FUN. In other words, I didn't choose romance as my main source of reading for lack of experience reading anything else.

Turn on the news. Pick up a paper. How often do you read or hear a charming, funny, endearing, happy story in one of those places? For many people reading is an escape. A way to relax and take your mind off of things that might be worrying you. So tell me why I would want to read something that might make me feel worse, all in the name of being 'literary'? Not that only romances have happy endings, but in a romance it's generally a given! Is there sex in a romance novel? Usually. It's not always graphic though, and it's not all about that, though I enjoy a touch of spice in my novel..... A romance is a story about the journey towards the destination of love and happily ever after. And often reading about romance helps ME remember that before there were diapers to change, errands to run and laundry to do, I had a romance too. And I still do.

So next time you hear someone put down a romance writer or reader, please keep these facts in mind. There is nothing wrong with choosing to read something enjoyable and happy where good prevails and bad people get what's coming to them. I am not embarrassed to admit I read them, and I'm tired to being smirked at when I admit that I do. Romance readers and writers are more intelligent than they are often given credit for, and it's never a good idea to underestimate someone.