Recently, I blogged about Read a Romance Month, whose central focus is asking a wealth of romance novelists why romance matters. I’ve been reading with great interest what authors have to say on the subject there.

Susan Mallery argues that feminism and romance authorship are not mutually exclusive. She explains that romance novels empower readers in two ways: ‘teach women that we can do and be anything’ and ‘teach women how we deserve to be treated by the men in our lives’. Julia London points out what a major influence romance has been on world history. Joyce Lamb makes sensible points on the role of romance novels in teaching conflict resolution. Nina Rowan focuses on the role of discovery and courage in romance. Barbara Delinsky talks about the characters as people we like – in a world of fiction full of characters with whom it is hard to identify. Beth Kendrick says, ‘Every time I reads the last page of a great romance, I feel a subversive little thrill, because the author and I know the truth: love really IS the meaning of life. Elizabeth Hoyt explains beautifully:

I read romance because I believe there is more to humanity than eating and sleeping and work. There is the spirit and the imagination and they must be fed in order that they not wither and die. There is adventure and humor and love and when I read romance books I remember the best there is of life and people and I close the book with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.

Exploring the issue of ‘why romance matters’ is really an attempt to break down the stigma associated with reading (and writing) romance novels. As Mary Balogh says, ‘We all know that the romance genre occupies the lowest rung of respectability among all literary genres.’ Some authors report that their readers say their books are a ‘secret’ or ‘guilty’ pleasure, and that they read them secretly. Why? Because there’s a degree of shame associated with the genre. Indeed, a recent  USA Today article explored the subject of why people tell romance authors ‘When are you going to write a real book?’, and the authors failed to discover what exactly constitutes this mystical ‘real book’.

But the responses on the Read a Romance Month website indicate clearly that there is a place for romance in the literary arena, and it’s about time that those who write and read romance were given more respect. From fellow authors. From fellow readers. And especially from the literary elite and the publishing industry, for as a romance editor at a large publishing house told USA Today:

The fact of the matter is that romance is like 50% of the paperback market. Everybody who works in commercial publishing knows that. So among the people that I work with, we have nothing but respect for romance because we very much know that it’s keeping the lights on.

There are many, many more inspirational articles on the website, and if, like me, you believe that romance matters, I heartily recommend going through them. You’ll feel comforted, empowered and inspired by the discussions there, and will come away armed and ready to be a romantic and proud. And you’ll find lots of recommendations for new romance novels to try. What better way to spend a half hour?