My name is Kate. I am an avid romance novel reader and I have been since I was very young. It all started in junior high when I discovered that I had read every possible romantic book in my, not so extensive, library's young adult collection. At thirteen years old I had begun to feel romantic feelings and needed a way to feed my curiosity without having to converse with my mother about them.
I ventured out into the adult fiction section of our library. I, having never heard of romance novels, was concerned that all adult books were pretentious works, like the ones I was studying in my English class. Scanning the book shelves I looked for a book that might have, even the smallest bit, of romance in it. My gaze fell upon a book with a bright pink binding and I thought to myself, "If this book doesn't have romance in it, nothing will."
The book I had selected was Absolutely Positively, by Jayne Ann Krentz and it absolutely changed my world. At thirteen I was probably a little young to be reading torrid love scenes but my mother never once tried to stamp out the flame that was brewing inside of me. Within a couple weeks I had used my hard earned money to start the beginnings of my romance collection and purchased eight of Krentz's novels.
My freshman year of high school I would bring books to school to read during lunch or between classes. This most definitely proved to be a mistake because my friend Dan found it absolutely hilarious to snag my novels and read them aloud, in a pirate accent, to our entire lunch table. I refused to be shamed for my reading choices, and instead started bringing two books to school: one for Dan to read aloud, and one for me to read, undisturbed.
Now that I am twenty-four I am the proud owner of nearly six hundred romance novels, as well as other books (I do enjoy expanding my horizons from time to time). I am a nanny, which gives me the opportunity to read many a children's picture book (also, a love of mine), and I am, also, a part-time bookseller at a local, independent bookstore in my town.
Our bookstore has a decent romance collection, which greatly impressed me when I started my work there because I have been to many an independent bookstore looking for romance novels only to be given a look. If you read romance novels then you know this look. It's the look of someone who thinks your choice of reading is garbage. It's the look of someone who thinks they're above romance novels and their romanticized idea of relationships and sex. It's the look of someone who wants to laugh at you, but is refraining because society dictates they have to try to be polite.
It's the look.
Our bookstore respects every person's choice of book. We don't care what you're reading, only that you're reading. Still, the number of romance readers we get in our store is almost zero. In the six months I have been working there I have never, personally, sold a romance novel to anyone other than myself. I want to stand on the sidewalk and shout, "COME IN, YOU WON'T BE JUDGED HERE." I refrain, because that would be weird.
There's a quote, "Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." I think that quote is bullshit (pardon my french). I think you should read something that, should you die in the middle of it, you will only regret not being able to finish it.
My hope with this blog is that I might reduce the stigma of being a romance reader... even if it's only for one young woman with a fear of stepping into that aisle at the bookstore. My other hope is that I might be able to suffer through the drivel for you, so that you do not have to waste your time on poorly written books.
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