in support of the romance novel
tldr: I love love
As most of you likely know from my Instagram, I’m a big reader. But I’ll be honest, there is one genre I leave out from posting on my story, and that is romantic fiction. It’s not because I haven’t read many books that I like - a fair amount of my book diet is romantic fiction - it’s that I thought that I would be taken less…seriously if I opted to show that I was reading (and loving!) the Emily Henrys of the world. However, a recent podcast episode helped me reframe. Keep reading for more on why romantic fiction matters (imo) and my three favorite romance books. Andiamo!
I liken romantic fiction to dessert. It’s one part of my varied literary diet, along with the non-fiction (self help, memoirs, and business, usually) and other fictional books I read. I’ve come to accept that it’s okay to like light hearted things - not everything needs to be that serious! In many of the romantic fiction books I like, there are serious themes but you always know what happens - there’s a happy ending. That is what keeps bringing me back. And who doesn’t want to watch people fall in love? I’m honestly such a sap, so please don’t tell me if you disagree.
Romance books are often seen as fluffy and inconsequential - a “guilty pleasure” - but I really appreciated author Kennedy Ryan’s perspective on a recent episode of the Balance Black Girl podcast. The podcast’s host, Les, interviewed Ryan, a New York Times bestselling author who has written several romance series. In the episode, Ryan discusses how reading romantic fiction is an important part of the literary landscape. It’s a way to learn about healthy relationship practices, can help raise our standards, and be a form of self-care. I found myself nodding along throughout this part of the podcast, mainly because it called to mind so many feelings that I hadn’t been able to put into words:
[Romance] is a safe place to land…In my books, being loved outrageously is being spoiled, is being respected…and we don't have a lot of safe places in white supremacist culture. We are creating safe spaces to see ourselves loved and respected and celebrated…I always say that when I'm writing romance, it is an act of resistance. You are to be celebrated. You are to be respected. You deserve a happily ever after. And for me, that is an act of disruption and resistance.
When you think of romantic fiction, perhaps the pocket-sized romance novels sold at the grocery store with Fabio on the cover or the 50 Shades of Grey franchise come to mind. While both are part of the genre, there are so many more stories to explore, stories outside of the typical cis-gender, heterosexual relationship. And thanks to the endless recommendations on BookTok, recognition of these stories has also expanded. As Ryan points out, love stories can show you a world that you didn’t know existed, à la that “you can’t dream what you haven’t seen” quote. Especially in my early to mid-twenties, it was heartening to read about healthy, loving, supportive relationships because I wouldn’t necessarily use those words to describe my or my friends’ romantic endeavors at that time (happy to report that my boyfriend, while he has no idea what “written by a woman” means, he definitely is).
While I understand that fiction is, well, fiction, I think it can rub off in reality, whether it’s the standards we hold ourselves to or the energy we allow into our lives.
If you’re in the mood for some recommendations, here are three of my favorite romantic fiction picks:
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Alexa meets Drew in an elevator. Shocker - the elevator gets stuck. During their 20 minutes alone in the elevator, Drew asks Alexa to be his date to a wedding over the weekend. The story continues and the trope is a typical pretend relationship (a classic). I absolutely love this book. It was one of the first romantic fiction books that drew me in.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
I wrote about Yours Truly in the newsletter a few months ago, and it remains one of my favorites. We have two romance tropes at play: enemies-to-lovers AND a fake relationship, so that’s fun. Briana and Jacob meet at work (they’re both ER doctors). Jacob is new, Briana runs the place. They get off on the wrong foot (they both have a lot going on, ok!!), Jacob does something very kind for Briana (actually, a lot of things), she finds out even though he doesn’t want her to, she wants to help him, they start fake-dating- I think you can see where this goes.
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
Eligible is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The writing is so good and I love the stories that are woven together - it’s masterful. I picture the actors who play the Bennet sisters in the Price and Prejudice movie (Keira Knightley as Lizzie Bennet, obviously) as the characters in the book, but that might just be a me thing. Curtis Sittenfeld’s book, Romantic Comedy, is also great.
Honorable mentions: Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, and Book Lovers by Emily Henry
I always love romantic fiction recommendations, so pls send any along that you’ve enjoyed. <3
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be back next week!
xx NT