Working in circulation services for a public library, much of my professional life involves books.
Lots of books.
Fulfilling book requests for patrons (aka holds). Checking books out (and back in again). Making book recommendations, based on patrons' interests (one of my favorite parts of my job).
Books also provide the foundation for conversation. While helping patrons find the books they need, I learn about their lives—and about life.
People who borrow stacks of books to read during their upcoming chemo treatments.
Adult learners preparing for their GED tests with study guides.
Kids in search of experiment inspiration for their upcoming school science fair—small business owners checking out "QuickBooks Online for Dummies"—my pearly-haired patrons wondering if we have the large-print version of C.J. Box's newest mystery yet.
So many examples, so many (true) stories.
My personal life overflows with books too. I've written about the many bookcases in my home. I'm a regular at I Love Books, the local bookstore, even though I work in a library. And I do love books.
Except...romance books.
For the first 40 years of my life, I was a snob about romance novels. I'm not proud of this snobbery, friends. But it's true: For 40 years, I thought romance novels were "less than."
Nonserious. Kind of ridiculous. Fluff.
Then my neighbors recommended a Netflix TV show to me: "Bridgerton."
For the first 40 years of my life, I was a snob about romance novels.
Three years after its release, I finally watched "Bridgerton."
Loved it.
Eventually, I found out "Bridgerton" was based on a series of historical-fiction romance novels by an author named Julia Quinn.
I found the first Bridgerton book, "The Duke and I," at my library. It was shelved on one of the spinner display racks in the Adult Fiction section, labeled as Paperback Romance with a rose sticker on the spine.
The rose, apparently, symbolized romance.
For the first time in my life, I checked out a romance novel. Then...I read "The Duke and I" in one sitting.
"The Duke and I" was...fun. A really fun—and funny—read.
For those who may not know, the Bridgerton stories center on eight siblings, and their love interests. As the oldest of four siblings myself, I especially loved the siblings' scenes and interactions with one another—from their bickering to their there-for-you moments. "The Duke and I" was as much a family story as it was a love story.
I began devouring the rest of Quinn's Bridgerton series.
And I realized something, friends, after reading "The Duke and I"..."The Viscount Who Loved Me"..."An Offer From a Gentleman," etc., etc....
I realized that I had been missing out.
Due to my literary snobbery, I had been missing out big time.
News articles about the popularity of romance novels abound. "Romance books are on the rise, even as overall book sales are declining," NPR reported in June 2023. And according to WordsRated, romance is the "highest-earning genre of fiction," generating more than $1.4 billion.
A recent Quora conversation discussed "why trashy romance novels are so consistently popular." The reason everyone seemed to agree on: fun escapism.
"Fun escapism" certainly rings true to me.
I'm still a romance-novel newbie. I don't know all the Avon bestsellers, or Harlequin classics.
So I did a little amour-related research. Specifically, I Googled which romance novels would be good for someone who loved "Bridgerton."
One author kept getting recommended: Mary Balogh. One of her series, in particular, popped up too: the Bedwyn saga.
In the past few days, I happily read my way through "Slightly Married" and "Slightly Wicked," the first two books in the Bedwyn saga, which—similar to "Bridgerton"—follow the lives and loves of six Regency-era siblings.
They're good stories, OK? I do have my standards, after all.
Although...OK, yes, I also recently checked out a rose-labeled paperback entitled "Heiress Gone Wild," and...the title pretty much sums it up.
"Heiress Gone Wild." Yeah, if you happen to be at a public library anytime soon, friends, I recommend you use the self-checkout machine for that one.
😉
The truth is...no judgment, really. As one of my colleagues likes to say, it's good just to read. Read anything.
Although...if I had to say...I do think romance-novel readers probably have more fun.
At least a little more fun, anyway, than the folks paging through "QuickBooks Online for Dummies."
❤
Photo credit: Netflix/Amazon, via Good Housekeeping
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Like what you just read? Then check out Melissa Leddy's e-books on Amazon.com. Short fiction and creative nonfiction writing that's engaging, witty and from the heart.
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