Why historical romance?

Hi. My name is Paige, and I love reading and writing historical romance.

(Hi, Paige!)

Welcome to my support group. All are welcome.

If you are a millennial like me, you might have also been raised on the same "romance-lite" books, starting somewhere around when The Baby-Sitter's Club published Logan Likes Mary Ann, and then graduating to reading the classics in high school (I'm looking at you, Jane Austen!). I took a detour down an "Early American West Christian Romance" sub-genre in early high school, and I have memories of checking out a couple harlequin romance novels from the library.

The foundation for loving romance novels was laid in my formative years, but as I grew older, I became more and more aware of the stigma around reading romance. Because of that, I spent many years not reading at all, and when I did, I read "what everyone else was reading" and finding little joy in it.

I was told that romances didn't have depth. And I, unfortunately, took that to heart.

It wasn't until I discovered the world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction, that I finally gave myself permission to not care what anyone else might think about my reading choices. JAFF brought me out of a decade-long reading slump by letting me engross myself into characters that felt like home. And once I was there, I didn't want to leave.

While I read more widely these days, the common factor continues to be romance.

So why read and write historical romance if it carries so much stigma?

For me, it's because the sub-genre makes me feel big emotions that others don't. In addition, the stakes are naturally high in historical romances. There are so many natural social and physical barriers to finding love that make for great storytelling.

And while the literary community might snub its nose and call it formulaic and lacking depth, I would argue that good tropes exist because readers love them. And depth is subjective.

And as a person now in their 40s... I read what I want to—unapologetically.

I would encourage you to think of what fills your cup when it comes to reading.

Read what makes you feel something—what makes your heart break and what mends it. Read a book that makes you feel "kick your legs" giddy. Read books that you would give anything to read again for the first time. And then find more like it. And then read more of that.

Happy reading!