Secret romance readers?

**Natalie's Nesters** · 08-30-2010, 06:21 PM

Is anyone else a secret romance reader? The covers make it worse, I live in a house of all males and they make fun of me! What is some of your favorite books? P.S. I won't tell anyone else!

**Momto5RN** · 08-30-2010, 07:34 PM

i read the romances for light reading when i have too much on my mind and usually when i am de-stressing in a hot bath .

TBH the basic story line is always the same - different ages- etc areas or world - jobs - family situations etc - so i really dont remember them once i have read them because the idea for me is relaxing i dont have to think reading LOL

i get my books for free usually at a book swap shelf at my one job i go to one weekend a month .

**Darlene** · 08-30-2010, 07:46 PM

I love a good romance novel, the more

the better,lol.

**Missy** · 08-30-2010, 07:47 PM

Virginia Henley and Julie Garwood are my favorites, Amanda Quick and Joan Johnson are becomming regulars in my stack too. I read to destress too. I like the historical romances best

**zakity** · 08-30-2010, 08:15 PM

I am not a closet reader of them, but I definately down play it if someone asks what I am reading. I use it as a break. Usually, I am reading books on frugality, child rearing books, cookbooks, or "how to" books. My poor little brain gets overloaded on info sometimes. So, I break out a romance novel or two.

Actually, right now, I am reading through my accumulation of them and putting them in one of two boxes (keep and donate) as I finish them. I think I have like 300 of them. I don't like half of them.

**NikoSan999** · 08-30-2010, 08:58 PM

I used to call them popcorn books...fix a bowl of popcorn, lay on the couch and read. I haven't read one for years.

Does Daniella Steele count? Books of that nature, maybe, once in awhile...not to often anymore. I like cookbooks...geesh..that's sad...and country living ( not decorating ) mags

**prudent lass** · 08-30-2010, 10:21 PM

Oh man, romances are my guilty secret. And I don't just read regular romances, I read Harlequin Presents romances, the trashiest of trashy. Even the titles are embarrassing. ("What am I reading? Oh, it's called The Multi-Millionaire's Virgin Mistress. I'm thinking of suggesting it for book club.")

I dunno, I've read them on and off since I was ten and they're like a comfort item to me. I usually don't even bother reading the entire thing. I read the end and then work backwards to the dramatic parts. And there had better be some drama. I love authors like Lynne Graham and Michelle Reid because they always have heroes who are autocratic control freaks who cause lots of trauma-drama. These guys would drive me crazy in real-life, but for some reason they're my favourite Harlequin archetype.

I was pleased to see that Harlequin has starting publishing electronic versions of their books. I'd rather have the titles discreetly stored on a hard-drive than sitting out on my bookshelves. E-books = less clutter too, so that's another plus in my book. (Har!)

**prudent lass** · 08-30-2010, 10:34 PM

Was just thinking some more about Harlequin archetypes and how it's interesting to see how they've changed over the years. Romances, unlike other kinds of fiction, reflect idealized personas and therefore can be a mirror for the times they were written in. So it's really fascinating to read old romances and to infer what was considered appropriate/ideal back in the day.

I recently read some Harlequins from the seventies and eighties and I was struck by the huge age differences between the heroes and heroines. Apparently it wasn't a big deal back then to have eighteen year old girls and middle-aged men hooking up.

The casual violence was also bizarre. The heroes would slap the heroines in the face and the heroines would just take it in stride. One infamous Sally Wentworth romance had the hero HOLDING THE HEROINE'S HEAD UNDERWATER just to show her that she should be scared of him. Her crime? Not being a virgin. (She actually was, of course. Harlequin of yesteryear wasn't going to have some non-virgin skank starring as their heroine, nosirree!)

It'll be interesting to see what people think of today's contemporary romances in another decade or so.

**Natalie's Nesters** · 08-31-2010, 07:05 AM

I agree that alot of the books stink! I do not like the way women are treated or that they will suffer for "love". I enjoy the light heart reads. Like many others have said, great to de stress!

**pat in east texas** · 08-31-2010, 08:24 AM

I love the ones about strong women and the men who deserve them.

**jenloveschip2001** · 08-31-2010, 08:55 AM

I love romance novels and I don't keep it a secrect. My mom use to never read when I was growing up and now she reads all the time. To me Romance Novels keeps the spark in my marriage kind of. Through the everyday stuff sometimes the romance takes a backseat in life but when I read these romance novels it reminds me of things that my husband has done or said sometime or another. I love Robyn Carr's Virgin River books. Of coarse I loved twilight to. I also like Sherryl Wood and and Linda Lael Miller.

**Libby** · 08-31-2010, 09:45 AM

Hehehe - I like reading them schleppy romance novels too. For the most part - thats the stereotypical type of romance vs what we get in reality. But thats why we're reading LOL Escapism can be wonderful!

I have received several Harelquins for free - some were meh but they are a quick read.

BTW: I'm not a fan of those men beating on women type of scenarios. I'm sorry but if you have to beat your woman to feel that type of 'romance' - I'm not your girl b/c I beat back.