Romance Novels: The Cure-All for Reality

Romance novels are a panacea – the ultimate cure-all – for the harsh realities of everyday life.

Reality…that’s a heavy word in the English language. It’s a dirty word for most of us. Take our relationships, for example. Everyone is “all in” when it comes to the early stages of dating and falling in love. It’s the best-of-the-best of times and the world is a more blissful place. In fact, it’s just like the energized movies and TV shows that reflect everything that romance and relationships are supposed to be. It’s just like our imaginations want it to be.

However, most of us aren’t prepared for a few years into a relationship when a couple has become accustomed to having each other in their lives.

Successful couples find positive ways to overcome the natural and inevitable evolution in human relationships: a decline in the frequency of sex, the introduction of children into their lives, the resurgence of stressful pressures of everyday life (mortgages, job loss, health challenges, care for aging parents, etc.), and worst of all: the repetition of seeing that same person in your home, bed, and across the dining room table each and every day. Over time, the mystery of that special person in your life declines to the point that all of the questions have been answered, and now those one-time cute or colorful flaws in your partner begins to grate on your nerves until you wonder what you ever saw in that person.

Okay, so this is the point in the blog post where you wonder if there’s a Judd Apatow takeover of Jaz’s website.

Nope. It’s still me…Jaz. That being said, there’s a lot of truth and righteous revelation in the works and writing of Judd Apatow. (Anyone over the age of 40 who watched the 2012 film This is 40 knows exactly what I’m talking about.)

As I pause to consider all of this, I realize that I’ve rarely been happier being single. In fact, I feel very good about it right about now. But I digress…

Romance novels are ideal to vicariously relive those coveted feelings of falling in love, or merely the exhilarating newness of entering into a fresh relationship. At worst, reading a romance novel restores your psyche to its sane, manageable place so that you don’t either (1) choke your partner/spouse the next time they annoy you, or (2) give in to the temptation to seek out extra-relationship affairs. At best, reading a romance novel can help rekindle feelings of attraction or appreciation for your current partner. Sometimes that momentary fictional escape is precisely what the doctor – or marriage counselor – ordered. I enjoy reading romances, though primarily paranormal.

What do you like most about reading romance novels? What’s your favorite romance subgenre?

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out both my young adult paranormal romance, Gwen Reaper, and my Sunset Vampire series beginning with the first novel, Sunrise at Sunset: Revamped. Each is available for purchase in eBook format for the low, low price of only 99-cents. Purchase links are at CLICK HERE.

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.