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How Did You Get Into Reading Romances?
When I was ten years old I hated to read. It was boring! That summer was really boring and I grabbed a gothic romance from my mom's stash and opened it. It was one of those short ones so I figured I might be able to get through it. I fell in love.....
My friend sent me a box of books to read after I had surgery since I was stuck in bed for weeks afterwards. I didn't like the drama books she sent or the rather angsty ones but I saw one tiny torn spine yellow book in the random collection of books. It was the only romance but I liked it. Funny thing when I told this friend that I liked that book she sent me, she criticized me and said those are the type of books her mom and desperate women enjoyed. *eye roll*I still recall the book, it is "Something Wonderful" by Judith McNaught. I followed that book by reading all her other historical fictions and then graduating to Julia Quinn's books.
Haha, "desperate" women. Guilty as charged, I guess. It always amazes me how women can denigrate other women's choices. My mother was a great reader so my sister and I were at the library with her forever. She enjoyed mysteries and thrillers. For some reason I was drawn to romances especially historicals first off because I loved history. Now I can say I read any genre of romance as well as other fiction but I always gravitate back to my first love.
Well, for me, I had this best friend in middle school, and we both loved books and especially historical fiction. We read through the library's collection of Phillipa Gregory and all the other authors along those lines, would schedule our weekly library trips and book store trips to find new reads. I'd read a romance before, a little Harlequin contemporary that got sent to my mom in the mail and she didn't want. But my romance addiction well and truly started when the best friend turned up with these books of her mom's she had found, and I read The Sherbrooke Bride. I was hooked! Was going back and re-reading passages, completely and totally absorbed in Douglas and Alexandra's drama, and the side characters and the settings... It was love at first read for me. So our library trips turned into hunts for more Catherine Coulter books, and soon branched into other authors, my earliest loves were Julia Quinn, Teresa Medeiros, and Christina Dodd, along with Coulter. It was like I had to collect them all! Been in love with historical romance ever since. I have read a few contemporaries, and a couple PNRs, but they just don't have anything of the appeal as an HR for me :)
I've always been a reader but I grew up reading regular YA stuff and then as I got older fiction and horror. Not too many years ago a woman I worked with gave me a bunch of books and they were romantic suspense and I figured eh what the heck, they're free. Well after that I was hooked and then I started reading contemporary romance and that was that. I only read romance now :)
Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Haha, "desperate" women. Guilty as charged, I guess. It always amazes me how women can denigrate other women's choices. My mother was a great reader so my sister and I were at the library with he..."
I'm no longer friends with that girl since reading HR books, meant in her mind that I was lame. It's sad that women are so harsh with other women about their reading choices. Whatever anyone likes they should read it, don't judge. It's funny she didn't think anything of her bf being addicted to porn mags but reading romance is apparently a flaw in my character . :P
I agree, Nora. It seems, at least to me, that if you say you read horror, suspense, fantasy, even Dr. Seuss, you'd get a nod. But if you say "romance", you'd get a subtle, but funny look.Porn gets a big smile, but romance?
Well, I like to think some of the romances I read today are the thinking women's porn, LOL. I do wonder why again if women read erotica or erotic romance it is derogatorily labelled as "mommy porn" when men having been watching visual porn or reading Penthouse etc for years with nothing much more than a nudge and a wink. Seems like double standards to me.But I guess that's a subject for a different discussion.
Totally agree. My hubby labels my books as werewolf or vampire porn, not realising that I read now or at one time, everything.I started off reading Georgette Heyer, and a friend of my mothers had a subscription to Mills & Boon (Harlequin) so I read all those every month for many years, plus everything I could get my hands on at the local library. In my teens I actually read mysteries, spies, historical romance & romantic suspense.
Now I pretty much stick to romance usually pnr or uf or scifi rom, and J.D. Robb's In Death series.
I don't remember when or why I started reading romance. They were books, like mysteries or Sweet Valley High or Isaac Asimov.
I'll admit, when I was in Uni I used to swear that I would never read romance. I liked the classics, maybe the odd thriller. I was a genre snob.When 'real life' caught up with me, I was short on extra cash and needed something to read to take my mind off things. I tripped over a 3 book ebook set by Donna Kauffman that was on sale for $0.99. I've read that set about 3 dozen times since then, & romance is now my go-to genre.
Jonel wrote: "I'll admit, when I was in Uni I used to swear that I would never read romance. I liked the classics, maybe the odd thriller. I was a genre snob.When 'real life' caught up with me, I was short o..."
Why, at first, did you swear them off? I'm curious as to why people snub romances before they realize they're good reading.
Groovy wrote: "Jonel wrote: "I'll admit, when I was in Uni I used to swear that I would never read romance. I liked the classics, maybe the odd thriller. I was a genre snob.When 'real life' caught up with me,..."
Ahhh, I went to school with a bunch of Ivy League wannabies. It just wasn't the thing to read. In retrospect, there was no good reason. I'd simply never picked one up & the general consensus was that there were better things to do.
I always read mystery and horror. I'm a real fan of F.Paul Wilson and Doug Preston and Lincoln Child. I was a genre snob as well. Romance books were for people who had no real literary interest, just junk reading. My mother-in -law was a dedicated romance reader and she gave me, why I don't know , a shopping bag of romance paperbacks that she was done with. I was going to throw them away and then one caught my eye and I read it- I WAS HOOKED! I still read mystery and horror but now mostly romance and I'm now a romance author. I love a lot of the sub romance genres like paranormal,suspense and think I'll see if I like Steampunk??Anyway, I'm now a dedicated romancer.
From Jean
Carol, you brought back a memory when you said your aunt gave you a shopping bag full of romances. My housewife buddies used to exchange garbage bag loads of those books. And one friend tried to hide that huge plastic bag from her husband. Those were the days:)
I remember reading some of my mom's romance novels in my teens but I also read horror, mystery, sci fi and in my 20's read mostly popular fiction and literature with the occasional chick lit. After my 2nd child was born I could no longer read our horribly depressing book club choices (sorry not sorry!). I just gravitated to romance novels. That's not to say that tragic things don't happen to romance novel characters, because they certainly do and I've shed a few tears over these books. But, the underlying message of redeeming love really speaks to me, ya know?
I understand exactly, chocolatesoup. I love writing and reading about that rare love that comes only once in a lifetime and can overcome any obstacle that threatens it.
I read very widely, although I don't read anything sad or distressing. However, I have a particular taste for romance, which I think first started when I read Daphne du Maurier. Always prefer a happy ending.
Chocolatesoup, I'm right there with you. With romance, I know I'm going to get my happy ending.
It started with Harlequins. I got into them as a kid. My mother used to take me to the library every week. My local library used to sell discards and they always had tons of Harlequins that I used to be able to get for a nickel. Also, people in the neighborhood were always having garage sales and I would get some even cheaper than that.
I have always been a reader. I remember haunting my library every weekend. I had to coral my mother into driving me there. She always returned to pick me up too quickly LOL! I read all the Walter Farley Black Stallion books, moved on to Georgette Heyer, Daphne Du Maurier, Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney and then the genre exploded and the selections were so tantalizing! I still love my Harlequins (the oldies) and enjoy finding a new romance author.
Me, too, Melanie. But, too bad you can't leave your kids at the libraries alone today.My favorite time of middle school were our trips to the library. As soon as I hit that door it was over to the biography section to read about the presidents and inventors (which come in handy when playing Jeopardy:) Nothing made me more happier than reading a book, because it helped me escape the turmoil I had to live as a child.
The moment I was turned onto Harlequins, there was no turning back. I don't know why people used to be so embarrassed about reading them. It was HEA, true love; who doesn't want that!
I wish I could remember all of my old favorite authors. I do remember Janet Daily, oh man she was good. When I'm finished with the books I'm working on, I plan to go to a bookstore and just buy a lot of the old ones, sit back and let time pass over me. I absolutely love them. Most romances today just don't have that same feeling or style.
I write HEA's along the formulas of the old style all thanks to the romance authors before me, and I can't imagine doing anything else. I write suspense also, but there's just nothing like a good, soul-moving romance:)
When I was in middle school I loved those old biographies of the childhoods of various American heroes. The majority of the book was about their childhood and then a bit at the end about their contribution to history. It was a fun look into different time periods. Who knows how much was accurate and how much was fiction, but I loved reading them.One about Andrew Jackson still sticks in my mind!
Groovy wrote: "Me, too, Melanie. But, too bad you can't leave your kids at the libraries alone today.My favorite time of middle school were our trips to the library. As soon as I hit that door it was over to th..."
I agree that the HEA & real love is what draws so many of us to romances. I also think it adds to the disdain that others hold for the genre, with the assumption that 'it's not real.'
Melanie♥ wrote: "When I was in middle school I loved those old biographies of the childhoods of various American heroes. The majority of the book was about their childhood and then a bit at the end about their con..."I do believe we read the exact same books! I still remember the Eastman Kodak book.
Groovy, What about Francis Marion, Swamp Fox? I know I read that one more than twice!We must be book twins!
Melanie, my twin! I can't believe someone else took as much pleasure in those little paperbacks as I did in another land far away:)I mostly kept to the presidents and inventors, but Swamp Fox is ringing a bell; Thomas Edison comes to mind, too.
I wanted to share these little gems with my daughter, but I could never find them. Instead she read the Dear America series of books https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...and loved all that she read.
I think that series went the way of the LP's--forever extinct. But the Dear America series are in the same style, so your daughter has something almost like we had. Dear America is nice, but they can never take the place of those little books:)
I read romance during my teenage years but not the actual books. I wouldn't have dreamt of bringing them into the house or being seen with them. I would have been so embarrassed. But I spent all night on the computer reading self-published romances by authors releasing them on community websites just for the love of writing. I'd read a new one every night (at least one.)I became quite sick at the end of high school, and my attention span was shot. I'd try and read and would get through 100 pages in a night but couldn't bring myself to pick up a book once I put it down. It was a really distressing realisation for me. I was so happy when I'd find a few months of peace and would be able to get through all the books I wanted to read.
At the beginning of this year I was hospitalised, I became really ill. I had to leave my college course (retraining from the marketing industry to an area where I felt I could better the world.) Leaving the course destroyed me. I'd spend the morning in hospital and I had to fill the rest of my time doing something or I'd go crazy. For the first month I took thousands of photographs, then I wrote poetry, and for the past few months I've been reading and writing romance, my teenage love. It's really helped me through this tough time.
What's amazing is the connection I've made with people, on GoodReads in the past few weeks and in my day to day life. I told an older man, he's quite rugged and into manly-man things that I was writing romance short stories, and he didn't sneer or laugh. He told me he loved to write poetry and we chatted for hours about writing. It's amazing what you learn about the most surprising people. And after thinking it would be so embarrassing if my mother found out I read romance I talk to her about it all the time now. She doesn't read it but she's happy for me. I thought she'd roll her eyes when I told her I was writing it but what she actually said was, "I always knew you'd be a writer." The support I've received has been amazing. And the joy I've found in books is like nothing else.
Natalie, I do hope you're getting better. And I'm so sorry for this hardship you're facing. I agree with you: The joy you find in books is priceless. I had a tough childhood--a rough life altogether, and the love of reading helped me get through it. Romance was my first real love in reading, too. Now I'm a writer of romance and suspense, but I'm not stopping there. I'm not a bestseller, but I can pay some bills. And even if I didn't make one cent, I would still write.There are so many wonderful people in these forums who are so eager to help and support you. I hope to see your books on Amazon and in bookstores one day. I know your mom will be so proud.
It's so weird how romance can be a cause of embarrassment if someone ever found out you read it, but on the other hand it brings so much joy to people when they read them--makes you want to go--HMMMM!
Melanie♥ wrote: "Groovy, What about Francis Marion, Swamp Fox? I know I read that one more than twice!We must be book twins!"
Melanie, I just remembered the 'Swamp Fox'. Wasn't that book about a war general? Am I right?
Groovy wrote: "Natalie, I do hope you're getting better. And I'm so sorry for this hardship you're facing. I agree with you: The joy you find in books is priceless. I had a tough childhood--a rough life altogethe..."Thanks Groovy. :)
I've published two shorts already, Dive Bar Heat and Torment's End. The reviews I've had for Dive Bar Heat have been really encouraging.
Dive Bar Heat is about a woman in Grant's Bar who's happy to sit at the bar with the barflies, and joke and laugh. She meets the owner of the bar who pours her a glass of wine, and things take off from there.
Torment's End was really difficult to write. It's a very personal story with a woman coping with the hardship of illness, then she's charmed by Aaron a fun and caring man. It's about her learning to love while dealing with her health. I think it's a very sweet book about a woman who really deserves good things to happen for her.
I know some of what I write will be a challenge. Dive Bar Heat is a straight up romance, but Torment's End deals with a very serious subject that many people won't want to go into. Writing for me isn't about targeting markets and pumping out books that will sell by the cartload. It's personal, and I want good things for my characters; real love and sometimes sweet romance. It makes me happy to write about them, and I think people will find happiness in them.
Groovy wrote: "Melanie♥ wrote: "Groovy, What about Francis Marion, Swamp Fox? I know I read that one more than twice!We must be book twins!"
Melanie, I just remembered the 'Swamp Fox'. Wasn't that book about ..."
Yes, during the Revolutionary War =)
Melanie, it's wonderful how our computer, known as the brain, works. Whenever you want to remember something, you just think about it and your computer goes to work retrieving the information. It took my brain a few days, but it found what I wanted from my deep recesses of what the 'Swamp Fox' was about after all these years (Just something I wanted to mention:)Natalie, that's exactly why I write. I want to make sure my characters are happy, find real love, sweet romance; and that's what my books are about. I couldn't think of doing anything else. And it's humbling, but people love my books, and that's just an added blessing. I'm so glad to be able to help people escape from reality for just a little bit. Isn't that part of what it's all about:)
I'm glad people find joy in your books, too. Keep up the good work. I know your mom read them and is very proud of you.
http://www.groovylee.com
The first romance I ever read was "The Other Side of Midnight." My boyfriend's mother actually told me to read it--I was 17 and very religious and while I liked it, my religious hang ups didn't let me get hooked on romance, thinking it wrong. Here I am decades later, still very spiritual, but not so religious anymore, writing my own romance novels. Life is a curious road. 
Life is a curious road, indeed, S. Jackson. Your boyfriend's mother gave you that? It must have been a clean romance. I'm so glad you're still spiritual and see nothing wrong in writing about something beautiful and natural.I, too, am a very spiritual person who writes romance. I absolutely loooove writing in this genre. Reading Harlequins and Silhouette got me hooked on this. Keep up the good work.
http://www.groovylee.com/
Groovy wrote: "Life is a curious road, indeed, S. Jackson. Your boyfriend's mother gave you that? It must have been a clean romance. I'm so glad you're still spiritual and see nothing wrong in writing about somet..."It was far from clean, at least for that time period. To this day, I'm still not sure why she thought I should read it. ??? Maybe she was trying to scare me off--didn't want her son converting. ha ha
When I was a kid I read anything my brother passed to me, so it began with Enid Blyton books, on to The Hardy Boys and moved to Lord of the Rings. Then one day, while babysitting, I read a racy romance owned by the lady of the house. My reading life has never been the same. ;) Though my writing life is still heavily influence by those early mysteries and fantasies.
I got suspended from school when I was 14. I was grounded to my room for two weeks, and all I was allowed to do was read, so I started reading my moms romance book collection. By the time I was ungrounded, I was hooked.
lol. such a punishment! NOT!
Haha. Stephanie, I have a feeling that grounding took a very unexpected twist for your parents.
Something good came out of that suspension.
My mom had so many books when I was growing up, and I remember that she didn't let me read them... I have been always attracted to historical romance, to the way that they used to dress... I love it so much that every Hispanic novella the comes out of tha period of time i watched it... I also try to remember all the book covers that my mommy had so I can read them now!!!! ☺☻
While I read copiously, I wouldn't have touched a romance - second rate drivel, you know. I was housebound with a new baby and in the middle of a snowstorm. In desperation, I read The Wolf and the Dove, which my neighbor had loaned me (and I had no intention of reading). That was it. Like an injection of a powerful drug, I became an overnight addict! Now I write them!
I've always loved to read, probably since the day I learned to. Loved the princesses growing up and any fairy tale cartoon that had that happily ever after....romantic movies as well that weren't cartoony. It wasn't too difficult for me to pick up a romance novel to indulge my heart that way. I love mystery as well and cop shows. So mix the two together and I'm set:)
When I was a child my mother will give me books from the garage sale near the Church, then she started bringing me to Book Sale. I found a lot of reading materials that varies from horror to romance. But I started sticking to romance when I was 18-19 years old.
I got into reading Romances because they make me happy. I like seeing people get their happily-ever-afters, and that's what the vast majority of Romances are. It's nice to read about love conquering all. The covers are intriguing too, especially for the Historicals. I love the look of long gowns on women, and fitted clothes on the men.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Silver Angel (other topics)The Other Side of Midnight (other topics)
Wet: Part One (other topics)
Wet: Part Two (other topics)
Wet: Part Three (other topics)
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What got you on the journey to reading romances?
For me, as a younger woman, I saw an ad in a newspaper from Harlequins. The book covers caught my attention, it was clean reading, I love romance, and I read everything anyway, so I subscribed.
I discovered some very good, talented romance authors back then, (I wish I could remember a lot of their names) that inspired me to become a writer. But, I loved their writing style so much, I couldn't wait for the mail to come so I could read the new stories.
I don't have as much time now, but when I get things more organized, I'm going to an old book store and buy the old ones; boy, will those memories come back.