Romance Novels Are Good for you Despite their Bad Rap

It’s no secret romance novels are often poorly regarded in the literary world. Despite this genre generating more money than any other genre, producing a whopping $1.44 billion per year, romance novels are considered by many to be unsophisticated. Critics complain these books lack substance, and disdain the predictability of the inevitable happily ever after (HEA) ending. Is this criticism simply an issue of taste, or is this an issue of gender bias? Most likely, it’s a combination of the two.

Romance novels are predominately written by women and for women. The women’s lives take center stage, taking up a lot of space, something our society isn’t accustomed to. The subject matter typically revolves around desire, sexuality, relationships, loss, caregiving, power dynamics, family responsibilities, and career - through the lens of a woman’s perspective.

A study conducted by sociologist Dana Weinberg and mathematician Adam Kopelner, studied over two million books between 2002 and 2012. Their findings revealed that books written by women authors were priced 45% less than those written by men. They also found publishers paid women 9% less if their names revealed their gender.

A Brief History of Women Writers

There’s a long history of female writers concealing their gender using their initials or pen names. From the Bronte sisters, who initially used male pen names, to J.K. Rowlings, these authors understood the marketplace was often more favorable toward men. J.K. Rowling's first publishers suggested she use her initials, believing most of her readers would be boys. They figured young boys would notice a female writer’s name (Joanne Kathleen Rowling) and have trouble believing she could accurately portray a boy’s worldview or voice.

Where the Writing Industry Is Today

Historically, books written by male writers tend to sell better, at a higher price, and are often more marketable to publishers. For the first time in history, the tides have turned. Joel Waldfogel, an economist at the University of Minnesota, has noticed a trend. Women are now publishing more books than men. While this might not equate to more money lining women’s pockets, acquiring an agent, or having their work respected, it is a sign the industry is changing.

What Does the Romance Genre Landscape Look Like Today?

The romance genre has expanded in recent decades to include several subgenres. Erotica, historical romance, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, suspenseful romance, LGBTQ+, and contemporary romance are a few of those subgenres. While male romance writers certainly exist, they make up a small percentage of romance writers.

Who are the romance readers? According to the Romance Writers of America, a 2017 survey of 2,000 romance readers revealed that 82% of romance readers are women, while 18% are male. Seventy-three percent are Caucasian, 12% are Black/African American, 7% are Latino/Hispanic, and 4% are Asian/Asian American. The average age of a romance reader is 35-39.

Though romance novels have begun to include people from traditionally marginalized backgrounds, such as people of color, people living with disabilities, people practicing non-Christian religions, those in non-monogamous relationships, and relationships spanning the LGBTQ+ community, the genre still has a long way to go before it’s considered “inclusive.”

What Are the Benefits of Reading Romance Novels? An Argument for Romance

According to a study by Katrina Fong, about how reading fiction can enhance one’s sensitivity to others, reading romance novels is associated with improving the empathetic skills required to understand and respond effectively to people.

“It may be that the emotional experiences evoked by romance novels lead to rumination on past relationship experiences, perhaps encouraging readers to puzzle out the complexities of their own past romantic relationships. This thoughtful introspection might then be usefully applied to new social situations.”

Psychologist David Kidd adds, “Research shows that people who read fiction (not exclusive to romance) show a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.”

Reading about romance allows the reader to essentially “live” through the protagonist and try out different scenarios related to love and relationships. The reader may feel inspired to adapt some of these qualities in real life. For example, a reader might be inspired by a strong female character to be more vocal in her own relationship. Or perhaps a reader sees her own insecurities played out and recognizes there is some internal work she would like to tackle.

Neuroscience studies reveal the reader’s brain is activated in a similar way, as it would be activated in real life, if the same activities were occurring. This means the brain activity of those reading about falling in love, is stimulated as though they were falling in love in real life. How magical is that?

Though there have been limited studies regarding writers' brain stimulation activity, one study by Dr. Lotze found the hippocampus and the visual processing center of the brain were highly activated as writers brainstormed. One could hypothesize that writers might experience an even more heightened stimulation from the engagement required of creating a love story versus simply reading one. Many writers report crying along with their characters. Presumably, they could also experience feelings of love along side their characters too.

Why Readers Enjoy Romance Novels

I was recently coaching a writing client who had finished the second draft of her romance novel. She admitted part of her hesitation to send it out into the world was, she feared her colleagues would think less of her for writing a romance.

This writer worked in human services and dealt with difficult clients and challenging situations. At the end of the day, to help her debrief, she turned to comedy, romance, and light-hearted reading. After all, she didn’t need to read about trauma or loss, for she was experiencing those through her clients on a daily basis.

This was an “aha” moment for her. She realized her romance book could contribute positively to people just like her. People who needed to read about love and happy endings. People who already saw the world as scary, dark, and unforgiving. Romance could be a gift, a break from all of the pain.

Quotes From Readers Who Love Romance

Eldo9596 – “Frankly, I find that I’m way more in the mood to have sex with my husband when I’m reading romance novels.”

Samataheard – “The world is such a dark and angering place right now. Even if a book takes some dark turns, I know I’m in for a HEA (Happily Ever After), it makes me feel hopeful.”

Allaboutcats91 – “I think that there’s this idea that romance novels give people unrealistic expectations of their partners, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. Most romance novels actually seem to highlight small acts of love and intimacy, and they make it easier to recognize those things in my life rather than taking them for granted or not reciprocating as often as I’d like.”

Anonymous – “When I was going through chemo treatment, romance books saved me. They were light hearted and hopeful. I didn’t have to worry about upsetting material. I was transported, and that was exactly what I needed.”

Conclusion

In today’s fast paced modern world where we are tethered to our phones, email, social media, and the internet, any chance we get to read is “food for the soul and mind.” One study by Denise Rizzolo found people receive the same stress relief from reading for 30 minutes, as they do from participating in 30 minutes of yoga.

I encourage my kids to read whatever they can get their hands on, absent a Playboy magazine. If they prefer reading comic books, go ahead. If they want to read about vampires, more power to them. So too, if they want to learn about relationships, intimacy and one day - sex, I have a library of romance books they can read.

In the end, romance books don’t deserve the bad reputation it sometimes garners. With all the benefits of reading and specifically, reading about love and relationships, it deserves more accolades than it has received. There is a romance novel for every type of reader, some of which are held in higher esteem than others, such as Nora Ephron romances. So, don’t knock it before you try it. You just might surprise yourself.