I’ve been trying to give romance more of a try in recent years. I do struggle with it, and I think it’s mostly because of three things – I have been spoiled by the depth and realism of literary fiction, I have a hard time suspending my disbelief, and I’m naturally a pretty cynical person who doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. I believe love ebbs and flows in long-term relationships and they take a lot of work. So my biggest issue with romance novels is when they are too sappy, too fairytale, too whitewashed of flaws or complexity. I particularly struggle if the couple involved develop a surface “love” that never develops, because I just can’t buy into it. So what I do like in romance is when it’s honest. When the characters have flaws, put in work to get to know one another, have issues to work through and problems that don’t just magically go away. I like when the characters are fleshed out and I can connect to them – when they feel real. So if you know of any great romance novels that would fit that, please recommend them!
What about you guys? Anyone out there who has similar difficulties to mine? Any die-hard romance fans who adore reading all kinds of romance regardless of whether it’s realistic? Which are your favourites and why?
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I sometimes struggle to suspend my disbelief, too, especially with romantic stories.
Yes. It’s a real challenge!