For the Love of Reading and Romance

Photo by Annabella Mireles

To the average reader, romance novels appear as stories exclusively with happy endings and weddings. As the genre has risen in popularity amongst young women, romance has been reduced to its most basic form. Although happy endings are what many people look for in these novels, romance explores the many nuances of relationships and ways they impact our perspectives.

One of my favorite books, “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry, serves as an example of the complex themes found in romance novels. In “Book Lovers,” Henry writes a classic enemies to lovers, small town romance following literary agent Nora Stephens and her sister Libby Stephens on an unexpected trip with an even more unexpected nemesis, Charlie Lastra. Beyond its tropes, “Book Lovers” is an exploration of grief and familial connections. Throughout the book,the Stephens sisters, come to terms with their mother’s death and its impacts on their relationship. 

“Book Lovers” is one of the few examples of how romance novels are far deeper than one might expect. Even common tropes in these books reflect real life issues that exist within relationships. One common trope is miscommunication, where one character misunderstands the other, possibly jeopardizing the relationship the characters have. This trope is something that almost everyone has experienced in a relationship, romantic or otherwise. The combination of tropes and explorations into deeper topics allows the audience to connect on a deeper level with the characters. Romance novels offer this connection in a way that other genres may not be able to achieve. 

The stigma around romance novels and their superficial themes can be seen as a reflection of their audience. Romance is a genre that predominantly appeals to women. Being a genre directly tied to women, the similarities in societal views of women and the romance genre are striking. Women’s interests are seemingly devalued simply due to their association with women. As a result, romance novels are not seen as worthy enough to read by wider audiences solely because women enjoy them. The idea that such books are lesser detracts others from reading them, causing unnecessary conflicts in book related communities. 

The pattern of devaluing the things that women enjoy is unfortunately common in the media. Books are no exception to this rule. As book related communities continue to grow, so does the exclusion of women in these spaces. Rather than encouraging reading in all genres, certain communities see romance as unworthy of reading and criticize those who continue to read the genre. Reading, regardless of genre, should be uplifted by all communities. 

As popular as romance is, the genre is still scrutinized because of its content and those who enjoy it. Reading is not a hobby to be valued by what others think of it, rather it is an uniquely individual experience. I have read many genres throughout my life and at one point I was apprehensive of reading romance because of the stigma surrounding the novels. Breaking down the common misconceptions of romance has allowed myself and many other readers the joy of reading romance and finding a new form of love.

About Me

Kate Sierra is a contributor at Women In Media and may be reached at ksierra1@miners.utep.edu