Romance – Not The Same Ol’ Bodice-Rippers

I’ve been reading romances for a very long time now. Started out with the sweet, traditional Harlequin/Silhouette books (Betty Neels, Diana Palmer) where the hero was older, experienced and, especially with Diana Palmer’s books, sometimes downright mean to the heroine, who was young and naïve and inexperienced. (I still haven’t figured out how those heroines ended up falling in love with those heroes when they were so mean, but they did. I still have a few of those on my keeper shelves.) I moved on to Linda Howard, Iris Johannson, Dara Joy, Catherine Coulter, JD Robb, and many others.

Now I’m reading (and writing) erotic romance—stories where the love scenes are explicit and hot. I read lots of paranormal and most of what I write ends up with a paranormal element to it, even if I haven’t exactly planned it. (But, as I’ve said before, I tend to be a pantster, and not a plotter.) I’m reading Jaid Black, Angela Knight, Mary Janice Davidson, Jan Springer, and Lora Leigh, to name a few.

Whether it’s sweet and traditional, or spicy and not-so-traditional, romance is about fantasy. A way to escape from the every day drudge that our lives can turn into. According to HealthPlace.com, the top female sexual fantasy is the “rape fantasy”. Or as romance writers call it, the forced seduction.

The article does state "The reason fantasies are so cherished is because the majority of them will never be realized." This means that while women might fantasize a forced seduction, they don’t WANT a forced seduction. I might fantasize that a tall, dark and handsome vampire sweeps me off my feet to be his eternal love, but if it ever really happened I’d probably pee my pants. Or do something else in my pants. (It’s like Bill Cosby says. If you’re in an accident, it doesn’t matter if you have on clean underwear, ’cause there’s gonna be an accident.)

This idea of a fantasy, the “never be realized”… is this why paranormal stories sell so well? Because while supernatural powers can seem sexy, I'd say that most of us don't really want to meet up with a sexy, immortal bloodsucker. We might fantasize about a wild man who will call us HIS and want to 'mate for life', but what would you really do if some guy got all snarly and growly when another man looked at you? (My heroines might be kickass. I am not. Like I said, there’s gonna be an accident.)

It’s pretty much the same with the old historical romances with pirates and outlaw cowboys. And maybe why so many of the newer erotic stories feature dominant/submissive role-playing. A strong, handsome man will take control and we don’t have to worry about anything anymore. No more bills, no more work, no more anything.

What is it about romances that brings readers back for more? For me, it's two-fold. When I read a romance, I fully expect the happily ever after or at least the promise of one. But it's also the fantasy aspect of it all. The whole escape into someone else’s life or world while I read.

What about you? Why do you read romances?

Have a great New Year’s! Be safe. Be happy. And go ahead and wear clean underwear. Just in case.