The Stigma Of Romance

Hey Guys? How has February been treating you? I’m back with another one of my kind of serious kind of not rambling discussions.. and today’s topic has to do with  one of my favorite genres.. Romance .. very a propos with this time of the month but sadly it’s not the light-hearted side of it that prompts this pseudo rant of mine… No, it has to do with the “evil” stigma that romance has ever since I can remember…

 

Not long ago, I read a post that talked about how romance was ruining books and even though I’m usually a pretty mellow person, my shackles rose at this statement, further more it wasn’t the first time I have read comments just like this one…

Seriously?? Is romance to blame for everything that’s wrong in the book world?? That’s quite a statement don’t you think??  I know that there’s been a flood of Romance in various different genres (Not only the traditional cookie cutter Romance Book) we have Romantic plots in fantasy, action adventure, sci/fi and so many others and I guess it has to do with how popular it has become from a sellers perspective due to YA. And I do admit that many of these books are godawful, with romantic storylines being shoved down everyone’s throat and taking away some other interstiung twist in the stories.. I’m not so blinded by my enjoyment of the genre not to see its flaws. But this isn’t enough to just dump everything in a sack and just call it a day… There are so many other things that contribute to the quality of a book .. worldbuilding, character development, interesting plotline, good writing, not just the romance (good or bad whatever the case may be).. that is just a part of the whole… There are just as many “bad” books without romantic subplots out there..

If you don’t like romance (hate it most likely) I still don’t quite get why pick up a book with a romantic plot or subplot from the get go?? I believe that this is where our real issue begins… The marketing of the books.. particularly YA fantasy, it seems that it is shameful to call a book a romance fantasy (my closest example here could be the ACOTAR series) This series is indeed a fantasy series but with a heavy Romance based Plot.. hence a Romance Fantasy but it is not marketed that way… Why? is it shameful? What the heck?? Romance is one of the top seller genres out there (face it whether you like it or not, it brings money to the industry)..

Instead it is still put down and criticized.. as if it’s not a worthy genre or a smart one even. And don’t even get me started on how the “Romance Readers” are judged for their choices of books… We are “silly, and without substance” because we enjoy all that fluff… It’s like we are kids being bullied which makes a lot of people hide or feel embarrased and then cover up what they read with jokes… I used to do that too and I still do at times ..the joking around and deflecting of the subject… (it’s hard to break year old habits) but I’m working on it and getting better at it I don’t want to hide how much I do enjoy reading romance books… I love them and I do know that some are bad.. too fluffy.. too angsty… just like any other genre Romance has its ups and downs but they make me feel happy… Knowing where the story is going to end (mostly happy endings) and taking my mind from the every day struggle of life for however matter of hours I’m reading them … Are they realistic?? No, of course not.. but they serve their purpose for me..

So, to sum  up all this mess of ideas I’m throwing at you what I’m trying to say it’s just let people enjoy whatever they want and don’t judge something rashly because it’s just not your cup of tea — You are entitled to dislike it, but alway be mindful that it is just your opinion and don’t trash something just for that… There are always better ways to criticize and get your message across..

What do you think about this topic guys?? Do you like or dislike Romance in your books?? Have you been a victim of this stigma?? Let me know in the comments below and we’ll discuss all about it..

As Always

Happy Reading