Why Romance is the Genre Everyone Needs Right Now

I think we can all agree this has just been a pretty shit year.  I don’t think I need to go into detail.  I have relied on books more than ever as a form of escapism, and particularly the romance genre.  Romance as a genre gets a lot of judgment, but it is also a great genre to read when you want to escape the reality that is 2020.  Here are just a few reasons why romance is the genre everyone needs right now.   

It’s the Ultimate Fantasy

No, not like that, well maybe a little like that.  What I mean is a lot of the romance genre is grounded in just enough reality to feel like you’re reading a book that could actually happen, but many of life’s realities are stripped away.  Characters in romance books, usually, aren’t arguing about who is going to do the dishes or take out the trash.  It is all of the good parts of a relationship, the falling in love, without the petty arguments.  And yes, often there is some serious and unrealistic drama but, that’s what makes it fun.   I’m probably never going to have to help some hot detective find a killer, or have a meet-cute at a coffee shop, etc.  But I can read a book about it and pretend just for a little bit.

I had a conversation with a friend of mine who was reading a reverse harem book. She just didn’t believe all these guys could date one girl and wouldn’t get jealous.  And you know what she’s right, it isn’t believable.  But this is fiction! If you can believe that Harry Potter is a wizard you can believe that three men can be in a relationship with one girl. Not to say that there aren’t more realistic romance. You can certainly find books that are about average people falling in love. But let’s face it I can argue with my own husband about taking out the trash I don’t want to read about it too, I read books to escape reality.

There is something for everyone

Do you like fantasy books?  There’s a romance for that. Suspense thrillers? There’s one for that too.  Romance has 87,903 subgenres. I completely made up that number, but suffice it to say, there are a ton of sub-genres in the overall romance genre. Everything from dark mafia romance to Amish romance. I read a lot of different types of romance, from cute and sweet to dark and steamy, and everything in between.  Personally, I like my romance smutty (for the most part) but that isn’t for everyone. There are many great books out there that barely get beyond a first kiss.  Yes, most romances do have some particular themes they follow (see my next point). But no matter what you’re into the romance genre has something for you to read.  And don’t worry I plan to have a lot of future posts with some really great recommendations! 

You Know How it Ends

Okay for those of you who don’t want to be spoiled for every romance you will ever read, look away now, cause I am about to drop a spoiler…

The characters end up together.  Well, 99% of the time they will. I’ve read books where the hero literally killed a member of the heroine’s family and they still ended up together.  While that would probably be a deal-breaker for me, against crazy ridiculous odds at the end of the story, the characters are together.  If you aren’t an avid romance reader, you might be a little annoyed because it’s “so predictable” that the characters end up together.  But that is the point!  Now more than ever I want to read a book where two (or more) people in love find a way to be happy(ish) together at the end. 

I read to take my mind off my own problems, and romance is great for that. In 2020, with so much hate and devastation going on, what is better than reading about people finding love?

If you’d like some recs be sure to check out my Romance Review Page. And if you are looking for something specific drop a comment.