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Book Club 16h
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
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Anonymous 16h

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

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Anonymous 16h

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.

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Anonymous 16h

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

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Anonymous replying to -> OP 16h

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

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Anonymous replying to -> #1 16h

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.

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