Sidechat logo
Download TikTok Instagram X
Sidechat icon
Join communities on Sidechat Download
Book Club icon
Book Club 8w
I say this as a reader of all genres. Romance isn’t inherently bad. Just like every other genre it has sub-genres and nuance. You might really dislike one romance book and fall in love with another. More in comments
comment

11
upvote 59 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous 8w

Romance books used to be the only place women could learn about relationships (including friendships and familial dynamics) and they would have to grab them at grocery stores with the allowances that their husbands gave them to get groceries. I think all of the people boiling down a MASSIVE AND SUCCESSFUL genre need to reevaluate their opinions on it. Romance books aren’t just about romance. They contain so much more and stand for some much more culturally. You aren’t pretentious for only

upvote 11 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous 8w

All of this!!! Romance is also a safe place for people to explore their identities, kink, process trauma, etc. So many people have found themselves in romance. I learned about demisexuality from a romance book. And indie romance especially is a place for queer and BIPOC authors to share stories that involve their communities. That’s not exclusive to romance ofc, but romance as a whole has become wildly accepting and diverse.

upvote 11 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous 8w

agree with your post, unfortunately I will never fall in love with a romance book. I’m aroace and have tried enjoying romance for years (as ik other aro/ace people who love it), but it simply isn’t for me. I don’t relate to the romance plot entirely, and never have my entire life, and the stories aren’t compelling when I’m both experienced in dating & (now) completely uninterested in it

upvote 5 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous 8w

Also anyone who wants to argue the history I’ve talked about there are plenty of sources online about it. Documentaries too

upvote 4 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous 8w

I’ve been a romance reader for yearrrrrs and this is exactly my take. I think people who read any genre of books over others can have a superiority complex about it. I’ve seen it with classics readers, nonfiction readers, litfic readers, etc. Romance is just another genre and just because it often discusses sex pretty vividly doesn’t mean it’s less worthy of being read. Don’t get me wrong there’s bad romance books but there’s also good ones and putting down the entire genre because you think…

upvote 4 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous replying to -> OP 8w

Reading romance, you’re pretentious if you hate on others for something they enjoy

upvote 8 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous replying to -> #1 8w

I read more horror currently (which is also popping off as a genre right now, especially in indie spaces) but romance has so much to it. And you don’t have to like romance at all. But disrespecting it and its readers ain’t it. Lotta people out there with internalized misogyny who will put down romance but happily read dated fantasy and scifi that objectifies every woman character. It’s just sad when people could be discussing what they enjoy instead of having a superiority complex.

upvote 6 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous replying to -> #2 8w

It’s not real writing is kinda sad imo

upvote 5 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous replying to -> #3 8w

I bring this up since I’ve never enjoyed a romance book or (sub)plot, and, because of some history, I have a bad reaction to its depiction in media. now I refuse to read books with romance.

upvote 6 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous replying to -> #3 8w

the genre isnt inherently bad, but I’ve had a lot of romance readers disrespect that boundary or lie to me about the content of recced books. it’s likely happened so many times because 1. there’s just more romance readers, so pure exposure, 2. they may take my boundary as a personal attack on their interest (literally happened yesterday on here 💀) and 3. they may downplay the boundary (despite me saying how serious I am) since they want to connect through our shared interest of reading.

upvote -1 downvote
default user profile icon
Anonymous replying to -> #3 8w

and when romance is specifically and repeatedly targeted on this community (and in general), it makes sense that all criticism can eventually sound like hostility & bias. the genre gets “discussed” here so often & called “not real writing” and other shit. as someone who’s read many books of the genre, I’ve seen so many insanely good romance writers. unfortunately, I just can’t connect with the genre, and people take that dislike as invalidation. it’s common and frustrating and upsetting.

upvote 3 downvote