The Romance Novel

I admit it: I thought that romance novels had nothing to offer me. It wasn't so much the content. Yes, I am quite familiar with the genre stereotypes and tropes dealing with the content of romance novels, and I can hear the mental snickers of some of you as you read this. But honestly, it wasn't about the content. It was more that I didn't think I would find any good stories within the pages of a romance novel. To me, romance had been synonymous with "brainless fluff." This is a comparison that I know now is not uniformly deserved. My foray into this genre has been a journey, one that has been helped by friends and family including the very strong recommendations of my sister. It's not just about bodice-rippers or trite plots, although there are books of both types (sometimes both in the same book!) in the genre. It's about exploration and discovery, not in a sensual sense, but in an emotional I-know/wonder-what-that-feels-like sense.

Which brings me to another question: what makes a book a romance? I've read more books than I can count, and many of them have elements of romance in them without being romance novels. That includes many YA novels that I've read. To me, a romance book is one that centers around the human emotional experience: how we search for love (or lust) and what happens when we find it. Because no two people are exactly the same, there are countless ways in which this can manifest--and it's not all rainbows and unicorns (as Scooter would say). Love is a complicated emotion, so the stories that are inspired by it and in turn inspire us can be just a complicated. That's not to say that the novels with trite plot lines are bad. Sometimes I want to read a story that's like a really long fairy tale in the non-Grimm, Disney-esque sense: simple to follow, funny and light, with bad stuff that's not really bad and a guaranteed happy ending. And sometimes I want to read a story about the struggle behind love, about the not-so-perfect stuff and the bittersweet ending that's not the happily-ever-after you imagined (and even wistfully want just that little bit) but is just right anyway.

Right now, my experience is limited to only a few authors (although I plan to incorporate more works by more authors as I exhaust my sister's resources). My sister has introduced me to most of the authors in this genre that I've read--most recently Nora Roberts--but one was introduced to me by my old boss who passed on a recommendation from his wife, Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand. I enjoyed it so much, I bought my own copy and invested in some of the other titles she wrote. Reading romance novels is almost like watching chick flicks, a movie genre I like a lot (much to Scooter's chagrin). Not sure why I held romance novels at arm's length when I watch and enjoy so many chick flicks, and the two share so many themes. I don't have to over-analyze these books--I get to simply sit back and enjoy them. To feel them. Which yields a truly satisfying reading experience.

Here are some that I highly recommend for the curious:
Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand
Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand
In the Garden Trilogy by Nora Roberts
Three Sisters Island Trilogy by Nora Roberts
The Donovan Legacy Series by Nora Roberts
Arranged by Catherine McKenzie

I'll add more to the list as I think of them.