I’ll start off by stating some facts:
- I am a girl
- I am a teenager
So wouldn’t it make logical sense that I would read romance novels?
Well, I don’t. I don’t even really read novels with a separate main plot, but a strong romance plot. Now, I do enjoy a minor romance subplot though. I love fairy tales, and there are couple literary couples that I find adorable, Anne and Gilbert Blythe for instance. But I don’t read strong romances.
Why?
First off, I think a lot about what I am currently reading. It lurks in my subconscious (which can affect my writing and brainstorming in interesting ways). That being said, I don’t need to have thoughts about boy-meets-girl and falling in love filling my mind.
Second, romance novels can lead to inaccurate ideas about dating/courtship and the opposite gender. That could lead to problems and pain later.
Third, romance novels have a higher risk of having objectionable content in them. I mean, think about it. Sexual content is more likely to be in a book that focuses more on a relationship. Also, romance novels are usually contemporary, which, because it portrays real life, can also be filled with other things, like language.
Fourth, even though I am a teenage girl, I don’t enjoy just romance. I like action plots. So that’s another reason.
Now, if you read romance, please do not feel like I am attacking you or condemning romance in novels. That is not my intention at all. Like I said above, I enjoy a minor romance in books. I even watch Hallmark movies with my family.
But I personally feel that romance novels are not the best thing for me to personally read and that they require more discretion in picking what to read. Those are just my thoughts, and you are entitled to your own opinion.
You may have noticed that at the beginning of this post, I said that I read fairy tales. You might be thinking, “Aren’t fairy tales purely a romance story about the prince and the princess getting their happily ever after?”
And yes, that is true. The main plot in a fairy tale is typically will the boy get the girl? But I find that fairy tales don’t bother me, and I think that is because I know that it is a fairy tale. I know that this isn’t a real representation of what a relationship is like (partially because there is usually magic and a villain involved).
So tell me friends, what is one of your favorite literary couples? What are your own thoughts on romance novels?
Hailey Huntington 
What do you think about Jane Austin books? I agree with everything you said, but I also really enjoy these classic novels. Thanks, I am loving your blog so far!
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Hi Erin!
The only work of Jane Austin’s that I’ve read was Pride and Prejudice a few years ago for English class. So I’m a little rusty on my thoughts about it, but I’ll do my best.
Pride and Prejudice, in my opinion, is like a Hallmark movie in book form, so I have roughly the same feelings about it as Hallmark movies. I read it knowing that it is going to be about a boy getting a girl and all of the mishaps that can happen and that the portrayals in it may not be accurate.
However, Jane Austin’s works are old books. And that being said, due to the writing styles of that period and what was allowed in books at the time, the romance in Pride and Prejudice is portrayed differently than romance in modern novels. This change in writing actually makes older books with romance in them easier for me to read. While I’m not a huge fan of Jane Austin, I really like The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. The Scarlet Pimpernel has plenty of action in it (French Revolution and guillotines, anyone?), but it has a strong romance line in it about the main character and her husband basically falling back in love. Because of the way romance was written back then, I find that it doesn’t bother me and I actually find it really cute.
So I guess all of that boils down to this: I would say that romance in old books is more acceptable than romance in modern books and to make sure you have the right mindset when reading romance. Again, all of this and what I wrote in the post is my opinion and what I have found to be best for me.
I hope that answers your question!
-Hailey
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