I recently read a blog post where the writer totally slammed romcoms as having a negative effect on society, and both men and women!
To be honest, my first reaction was shock that any sane human being could feel this way about romcoms. Which, I’ll be honest, are the only way I got through 2020 (that and copious amounts of wine!).
So I thought I’d write a post in defence of my favourite genre because for me, the world needs romcoms, and way more of them!
Believing in happy endings makes us happier
I know happy endings in a really good romcom can make us cry, but we all know that releasing those emotions feels good! Some psychologists believe that we cry at movies and books because we feel safe enough to do so and I truly think that believing in happy endings makes us happier. When the world is hard and our own happy endings elusive, believing that happiness exists makes life more bearable. Which brings me on to my next point…
Life sucks, but fiction doesn’t have to
The wonderful thing about fiction is you can go anywhere, at any time and be anything. You can go back in time, forwards, somewhere entirely new or exist in the here and now with good or bad people. We all know from the past year how difficult life can be and if every book we read was the same, we’d be pretty depressed. Fiction, and particularly feel-good, heart-warming romance reminds us of the light at the end of the tunnel.
As the amazing Milly Johnson said, ‘We are the glorious counterbalance to this climate of hate’.
Despite it being looked down on, this genre and its writers have worth. They inspire people to love, to forgive, to forget, to change, to grasp at life instead of letting it pass by. They allow people to escape from a world that can be, at the very least difficult, and at the worst absolutely heart-breaking. Romance is one of the highest selling genres and all this intellectual snobbery is completely unwarranted and Milly’s words perfectly capture why romance novels are needed.
I totally respect that other writer’s opinion though I don’t share it, because romance will forever endure. It’s a tale of human nature and as far as I’m concerned, however unrealistic the plot may be it can’t be anywhere near as bananas as 2020 turned out to be!
Are you still enjoying Christmas reads? Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay is available now!
Christmas and romance are in the air and Nell is obsessed! She can’t stop watching her favourite Christmas romcoms and dreaming of the day when she meets her own romantic hero. Nell’s best friend, Tom, has been in love with her ever since they met, but she’s never seen him that way. Can the magic of Christmas open Nell’s eyes to a love that was always there the whole time?
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