 Definition of "romance" according to Dictionary.com No wonder readers -- people in general ... MEN -- get confused. Marvelous deeds? Imaginary setting? Tales? Fantastic or supernatural events? Baseless? Made-up story? Full of exaggeration? Fanciful? Come on!!! That's not what romance is! I'd like to think that I'm living a romance because my husband does romantic things. When he surprises me with a mini-vacation, sends me cute little text messages, gives me sweet gifts, cleans the house before I get home, kisses me sweetly when I don't expect it... That's romantic, so doesn't it make sense that we're living in a romance story. Let's take a look at the words that define love: Profoundly tender Passionate affection Personal attachment Deep affection Sexual passion Desire Ahh... That's better! So why do we define books as contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, romantic comedy, romantic mystery, and romantic thriller. For the record, I wish there were another word other than 'romantic' to describe what I write. Funny that they don't have a genre called "Love-Suspense Novel," since according to the definition, it would work better. Even though when I think of a "love story," the first thing that comes to my mind is the movie Love Story or Romeo and Juliet, and I certainly don't write that. :) The fact of the matter is ... I don't write romances either. I don't write about fanciful events leading up to the characters falling in love. I write about a love that went wrong. Love that started on the rocks, went through tragedies ... that are surrounded by a life-threatening event, a murder mystery, secret pasts, on the run, mistakes... But sadly, some readers don't know that because they see the tag "romance," and they immediately think of a shirtless Fabio sweeping a half-dressed woman off her feet, so I'm not surprised when I read reviews like this one: 5.0 out of 5 stars Never thought I would be reading a romance novel. By Joey Yagin Format:Kindle Edition Never thought I would enjoy reading a romance novel. I hate them. I gave this series a chance only because I was curious about who existed, what is a creatus? Once I read the first of the series, I was hooked. Could not stop reading. Normally, I would stop in between the series and read another book before starting the next book of a series. With this book, I could not stop. I had to find out what's coming next. It was well written, and I did enjoy the characters. I even enjoyed the antagonist of the book. For me, what made it a good read is the combination of the super heroism, supernatural, mystery and suspense ( oh yeah, the romance). All in one series. If you do decide to read it, just buy the set. You will not be disappointed. 5.0 out of 5 stars A Romance Novel for People Who Don't Like Romance Novels By C. M. Lance Format:Kindle Edition I read "She Belongs To Me" and found it to be quite a good mystery/thriller without the overt physical descriptions that overflow from other Romance novels I've ventured into. The Romance is more of a caring, loving sort. I have many reviews like the two I posted above -- many of them by men, some of them by women -- who shy away from any genre with "romantic" in the title, for fear that it'll be the mushy tales of old that were described as the romance definition at the top of the page. When in fact, just about every book or movie ever written includes a background love story or romance. Even war movies usually show a man trying to get home to the woman he loves, ready to buy the house with the white-picket fence. Heck, even thrillers and horror stories usually have a man dying to protect his woman. That's a pretty darn "romantic" gesture if you ask me. So ... what do you think? Do you read novels with a romance tag? What do you immediately think of when you see the word "romantic" as part of the genre description. Please let me know your thoughts. And in case you're interested, here are some more in-depth "genres" than what websites and bookstores allow on my books. :) A romantic suspense with a whodunit mystery... She Belongs to Me - FREE Everywhere! A journey of two souls through tragedies with a romantic-suspense whodunit... Land of the Noonday Sun A romantic suspense with heartbreaking pasts, life-changing events, and evil intentions... Entangled Dreams A romantic suspense with a supernatural edge... Creatus Series A romantic mystery with a ghostly edge The Library (Where Life Checks Out)
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