Are you a Closet Romance Reader?

After my last post I thought I should say something about why I think of myself as a Secret Romance Reader.

Im not sure how it is in America, but I think in England, Romance Novels are seen as a bit trashy, seedy and just plain poor literature. I (obviously) disagree.

I am no writer (as this blog will probably show), but for anyone to be able to write a couple of hundred pages of an interesting and well thought out story with three dimensional characters.... hats off to them!!! It doesnt matter what the subject or genre is, but if you have managed to get through to the stage where you have a hard copy of your work bound in your hand, I think you should be proud of yourself.

I don't think I could ever even come close to something that could be a novel. I think of those times in Primary school where you had to write a page on what you did at the weekend.

I woke up and had some breakfast, then I went out and played with my friend Emma....

But that only got you two lines down and you start panicking about how you are going to fill the rest of the page and so you start to make things up.

Me and Emma went on a boat which took us down a river and on that river there where dolphins, who came up and swam in front of the boat and then we met and old lady who was a witch and she told us of a magic quest where we would find a dragon....

Come to think of it, if I was an Author I would be like the Little Britain Character Dame Sally Markham. I suppose it is something to think about as an alternative career.

But after all that is said and done people hate to admit that they love a lusty, bodice ripping read. I think one thing that doesnt help are the covers. Im afraid to say that they do often look a bit trashy and cheap, although on the other hand, if I see one of the covers I instantly know that it is a romance, so I suppose that is good marketing. When you take said book to the counter to check out or buy you will sometimes get a quick judgemental look. Even though I bet they have read them too and Im glad I prefer to read about tumbles in the Haybales then how masses of people where murdered(crime genre really does nothing for me). Its like going to Chemist and buying hair removal, you feel embarrassed to admit that yes you have hairy legs but SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE!

It just means that I enjoy the Romantic suspense. The Romance novel is all about the build up to the kiss, otherwise the kiss is meaningless. You are emotionally invested with the character and identify with their desires and understand the love between the characters. The only different between a Romance and a General Fiction Novel is that the relationship between the two main characters is paramount.

And when all is said and done. I would rather read a romance novel than watch a  as Chick Flick (I hate that phrase, I think it sounds condescending). There will a always be exceptions to the rule, but I don't see why all the historical dramas have to be based on classics or true events. Why not make one about a Rake going around ripping bodices off? I think that would make some of you come out of the Romance closet.