Why I Read Romance

My third ever blog post was about why we fall in love with the characters in books, and while reading Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade, I started to think about why I read romance novels in the first place. Coincidentally, this story was the perfect opportunity to work through my odd fascination with the genre.

April is a geologist with a secret life as a fan fic writer for her favourite book/tv series, "Gods of the Gates," which becomes a lot less secret when she posts a cosplay photo of herself, exposing herself to the hateful nature of the internet. Because April does not conform to society's ideal of beauty, as a wonderful, curvy, fat (is the term used in the book) woman. As the hate comments begin to dominate her Twitter feed, the star of the show, Marcus, attempts to combat the negative comments by asking April on a date, only to find out that they had been corresponding for years as anonymous fan fic writers.

Just me, as I am

Although I had some ups and downs while reading this book, there was an underlying message I feel is important to discuss, more so than rating this book out of five. As April expresses to her online friends, "I think I desperately needed to read and watch the story of how a woman most considered homely and downright hideous could earn respect, admiration, desire, and eventually fall in love" (156).

This one line perfectly encompasses why I read romance novels; because I have not always been considered (by myself and by others) to be conventionally beautiful. There were times when I was bullied about my size, because I have never been and probably never will be a size 2. I read romance novels because I want to know it's possible to be loved not in spite of who I am, but because of it. That is the brilliance of the written word! Without images, you are left with your imagination. You learn about the characters, everything that makes them wonderful along with their flaws, and you witness them experience love, while hoping that it is real and true.

So yes, I did have a bit of a rough time reading the first twentish pages, and the ending was a bit predictable, but I have to confess that it was all worth it. The story itself was beautiful, and I love witnessing two nerds falling in love. I will likely be reading more Olivia Dade novels in the future!

Sorry about the long rant, but thanks for sticking with me until the end! If you have any comments, questions or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

Comments

Kamila Knows Best

One of the biggest regrets I had during 2021 was that I let my blog slip through the cracks...which is a pity, because I like to blog. Therefore, I have decided to write once more (hopefully more than once), because I want to talk about Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron. You may recognize Heron's name from her previous works: The Chai Factor and Accidentally Engaged. Both of these novels were well written, humorous, and heartwarming, but I loved them all the more because they are set in Canada and written by a Canadian. Kamila Knows Best stays true to all of these points. Set in Toronto, this adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma was faithful to the original while adding twists and turns that are accurate for a modern retelling. Kamila is an accountant who loves her father, friends, dog and career deeply, but all of these things means she is too busy for a serious relationship -- or so she claims. Kamila also fancies herself a matchmaker, and takes pride in the fact th...

Arc of a Scythe

The end of a trilogy can either be a very frustrating event, or a very melancholy feeling. If the ending is not what you hoped, it can feel disappointing to have invested so much time. However, if the ending is satisfying, as was the case for The Toll by Neal Shusterman, then leaving a series behind can be a concoction of emotions. The Toll The Arc of a Scythe trilogy came to a dramatic, thrilling, wonderful close in the final installment, and while I can say that I enjoyed it, I find it interesting how my interests seemed to change from the story of Citra and Rowan, to Greyson's story. I loved how complex the world got, and the ending was perfectly written, even though I still wanted more. 4 stars from this Bookworm! The only reason it was not a five is because I loved the second one. Second books are great because there is still a build up of tension, fantastic characters, and an ending that does not conclude the whole series and make me wish I could start all over again... Oh w...

The Beauty and The Beast

I was raised on Disney movies. When I would wake in the middle of the night as an infant, my parents would play Sleeping Beauty until I fell asleep, and even after I had my dad would insist on finishing the movie as I slept in his arms. It was not until I started high school that I learned that not everyone likes Disney movies, which was a surprise at first but makes sense to me now. Everyone is raised differently; guided towards different movies, books and music genres by their parents. This is to be expected, considering how diverse the world is. Belle Falls in Love I have heard many criticisms of The Beauty and the Beast , and while I appreciate every individual's perspective, I cannot deny that I love the movie and the original book that was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. Everyone will interpret a story differently, based on their own personal perspectives, and that is ok! That is how the world should be! My interpretation of Belle's love for th...

The Literary Adventures of an Opinionated Bookworm

Search This Blog