10 reasons women love romance novels

Even though some won't admit it, most women are "guilty" of loving a good romance novel. Somehow, along the way, romance novels have gotten a bad rep. They're seen as silly or smutty or just plain ridiculous, but there is a reason the romance genre rules the NYT best-seller lists and monopolizes the largest section at the book store. 10 of them actually....

1. Hello? They're romantic!

Romance novels are almost always over the top dramatic, and filled with angst, tons of feels and romance. What woman doesn't dream of meeting a man that will sweep her off her feet, make her toes curl in the bedroom and be desperate to prove he's her one true love? Every woman loves the idea of a man that loves her more than his own life. Even Jack wouldn't climb onto that giant door to keep his beloved Rose from drowning in a sea of ice ...

2. Women are fierce.

Who wants to read a book about a woman that serves no more purpose than a simple prop? Just like all of us, the women in romance novels come in all shapes and sizes. They are smart, outspoken and sometimes more hardheaded than their male counterparts. The time of women only being in the kitchen is long since past. Heroines today put their men through hell ... as it should be.

3. Men don't talk that way ...

Let's face it, if you have yourself a man that gets all warm and fuzzy when you want to talk about your feelings, he's a rare find and you better hold onto that boy tight. For most women, men are as much of a mystery to us as we are to them. They don't sit around with their buddies, drinking beer and talking about all their relationships. They don't stand outside our windows in the pouring down rain with a boombox over their heads, begging for us to love them. They don't say all the right things at the right time and they certainly don't often make big speeches about how much their women mean to them. And if you're an exception to this rule, and your man does these things ... know that we are all jealous.

4. We love love!

Let's face it, the main theme to every romance novel in the history of the world is love. We watch from under our favorite fuzzy blanket, or in the tub, or hidden in the bathroom stall at work when we should be actually working, as the characters we are so invested in go up against villains and other women, car accidents, stalkers etc, and they always come out on top in the end...usually. Romance almost always gives us a happy ending, and it soothes our tattered souls, just a little bit every time we read one.

5. The break our hearts

You know it's true. How many times have you been reading a romance novel and one of the characters says or does something so stupid, you wish you could just chuck that Kindle across the room, or reach into it and shake them? One of the main reasons women love romances is for the feels! We love the fact that in a few short hours, our hearts can be filled up, shattered and then put back together again. Romance novels break our hearts, but they always put them back together in the end.

 6. They're exciting!

Most of us are completely happy in our day to day lives, but there isn't a whole lot excitement going on there. Reading romance gives us the perfect opportunity to read about other people's passion and suffering ... and totally running an inner commentary on their relationship. Because after all, we know what's best for them ... right?

7.  The men ... 'nuff said.
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Let's face it, the men in the real world rarely look that way, and when they do, are they ever as perfect as they are in a romance novel? Heroes in our favorite love stories are usually gorgeous, ripped, and even though he's tortured, he loves his lady in spite of her imperfections, if not because of them. Um ... yes please!

8. SEX!

Have you actually read the love scenes in some of these books? Holy hell! Spreader bar, anyone?

9. They're just plain good writing.

Like the books they create, romance authors are often looked down on by the literary community. Like the entire genre is frivolous and less important than the others. But truth be told, romance authors write some pretty fierce books. They are often overflowing with emotion, wrapped up in humour, in-depth back stories and off the charts steam. That takes talent. Why wouldn't you want to read books with hot men, beautifully written bedroom scenes, and true love?

10. And last, but not least ... 'cause we damn well want to!

We need to be proud to read these epic books! How else are they going to lose the stigma of being less important than all the others if we ourselves are ashamed to show the cover of the book we're reading on the subway? Romance books are awesome.

So what about you? Why do you love romance novels?