There is security in the romance genre that is absent in every other part of life, let alone other books. A guaranteed happily ever after. It doesn’t matter how dark the story gets or how hopeless it may seem, it’s going to be okay. It’s a promise between the author and the reader and what separates the genre.
Think about it. There’s fantasy romance, thriller romance, paranormal, and dark romance. Small town and second chance romance. Nearly any other story could be altered to include a love interest and the arc of falling in love, and BOOM, it’s a romance. So long as that promise is kept and there’s a happily ever after. The storyline and message and plot can be kept intact…unless, of course, it’s a tragedy like Hamlet. In which case it could be made into a ghost romance. See how versatile us romance authors are? There is nothing that can stop us from getting to that blissful moment that glues every piece of a shattered heart back together.
In the last decade of my life, I have relied on romance novels, these last two years even more so. They don’t just offer escapism, they also allow us to cope and regain hope where other areas of life may struggle to provide that. That’s why I love writing romance: in the end, no matter what the story is, love always wins and it’s all going to be okay. Better even. It’ll be a happily ever after.
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