Why I Read Romance Molly O’Keefe and a giveaway
My family used to go on these epic sailing adventures with The Meyers family. Week long trips around the Great Lakes in one big sail boat. I was a voracious reader as a kid and one year, I went through my supply of books and Mrs. Meyers handed me one of hers. A Harlequin Desire about an estranged married couple – the hero was a race car driver who’d been in an accident, his wife couldn’t handle the fear of him getting hurt anymore.
By about page five of that book my little world was blown open. It wasn’t the sex ( I honestly don’t remember reading the sex scenes), it was the high octane emotion. The seeming life or death stakes of being in love. And as a new teenager, that fit my idea of romance. My world hinged on a look from a guy I liked. Heaven help me if we actually talked.
So, since that first Desire (and if anyone knows the name of that book – please let me know!) I’ve been hooked.
I feel like as I’ve grown up, so have romance novels. The heroines have gotten tougher, smarter more resilient. They aren’t waiting for a man to come and save them. They often head on out and save the man, which was hugely empowering when I was in my twenties and still is as I navigate the tricky life of a stay-at-home mom and writer with two kids and husband.
The plots have gotten more exciting, more dangerous, more intricate. The issues that romance novels touch on are important to me – family, love, war, death, sickness, loss, happiness, self-respect. Romance has truly come into its own and I’m hugely honored to be a part of that tradition.
I keep thinking about what a fifteen year old girl would think if she read one of my Crooked Creek books. And I hope the same things that effected me as a teenager would effect her – the emotion, the heady thrill of sexual excitement and real love.
But I also hope that there’s something in there about being a woman fighting for herself and her own happiness. That nothing else can replace self-respect and trying to do the right thing. And love never diminishes the people who feel it.
I don’t know of a lot of books outside of romance that come with that kind of lesson attached. I love romance novels because they are important.
Why do you love romance novels? What made you start to read them?
One lucky commenter will win a copy of Can’t Hurry Love!
August 17th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
The HEA of course!
I fell in live with romance thanks to a bag of books on my grandmother’s steps and Janet Faulty. My goal was to read all of her 50 states’ series in a summer!
August 17th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
And Barbara Cartland
August 17th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
I also read romance for the hea. My first romance was a harlequin romance and I have been hooked every since!
August 17th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
I have been reading romance since I was a very young Teen.. I reading Real Romance Magazine, were they stories were about young woman falling in love with their Prince Charming and living HEA and then it was on to Harlequin and then I found those boutice rippers… Yep they had HEA too.. But just a bit more spice to them… I would borrow my mom’s books until I started to buy the books I wanted to read… Then she was borrowing mine..
August 17th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Hi Molly
I love reading romance because it takes me to a better place. It makes me laugh, cry and sigh with delight at the HEA.
There is so much pain and suffering in the world that it’s nice to be able to escape to the perfect place with interesting people and let them take over my life for the afternoon or evening.
August 20th, 2012 at 2:35 am
I love reading romance because of the excitement and the happiness found in the stories.
August 20th, 2012 at 2:46 am
I’ve been reading romance novels since I was a teen. My mom and aunt both read them and shared books. I love reading romance because there’s always a happy ending and they are fun to read.
jbcweiss AT sbcglobal DOT net
August 20th, 2012 at 2:52 am
I love to read romance novels because they are a form of escape and I know in the end everyone should be happy.
August 20th, 2012 at 4:34 am
I love reading romance novel because the story is rarely happen in real life and happy ending story
August 20th, 2012 at 5:52 am
I’m not really sure why I read romances, but that’s all I read. I’m fascinated by relationships, and I need to know that the ending will always be happy. I don’t want or need too much angst in the books I read, and sad endings are a complete turn off. I used to read romances when I was younger, then quit for a while and came back to them when I was pregnant with my son.
~Lindy
aromagik at yahoo dot com
August 20th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Romance novels touch on so many things I care about. Family, love and trust are definitely some of them. I do think that love is something that can really brighten a life.
August 20th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
I really don’t remember why I started reading romance but I was a teeenager who didn’t know anything about life or a woman’s place in it. The books showed me how to love and live thru heartache. I have never found that one true love and don’t imagine at my age,63 this Friday, that I ever will but I can read and dream. Thanks for your great books. Look forward to reading more of them as they come out.
August 20th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
I like the happily ever after. Can’t remember why I started.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
August 21st, 2012 at 10:02 am
I read romance for the happily ever after!