I have a confession to make: I don't understand the appeal of one of the world's most popular genres: romance. It's not that I feel disdain for love stories or think they can't be done well. For decades of my life, I couldn't explain why I never related to protagonists with crushes on the boy next door or falling for someone after a meet-cute. I now know that I am demisexual and my romance is so psychological that no one wants it on the cover of a bodice-ripper. This year, I am going to re-try my hand at reading romances, and here are the five things I'm looking for, with a book I know I've already read for each.
1. The slow burn
There will be a day when I don't refer everything back to something by J.R.R. Tolkien, but it's definitely not tonight. The Lord of the Rings has many subplots for its principal characters, but my favorite is that of Samwise Gamgee. He's a gardener who winds up playing a big part in saving the world. When hope is lost, he remembers the life that he is probably going to lose on his quest and thinks of the girl e never courted.
A few chapters later, he meets her at home and she reveals that she's been certain he'd come home ever since the spring, which happens to coincide with the moments of deadly peril when his thoughts turned to her. I want to read romances where love happens after a long-held affection.
2. The coming to one's senses
In addition to fantasy, I love Star Wars and one of my favorite books is Wraith Squadron by the late, great Aaron Allston. Kell Tainer, a good-looking fighter pilot, finds a girl who checks every box on his list. She's smart, cute, and shares his passion for fighting the evil Empire. She recognizes this and in a wonderfully honest conversation, she points out the superficiality of that checklist. Even better, Kell does a self-assessment and recognizes how right she is.
At the end of this book, he goes through the same checklist and tells her the ways in which his perspectives have changed. It's then that she admits she returned his feedings from the start,, but needed him to think hard about his reasons for loving her before it could be real for both of them. I would love to read books in which one or both sides learn about themselves before they can make a move.
3. The newcomer
Years ago, a friend heard of my appreciation for Jane Austen and asked me if I'd ever read something by Frances Burney. I had not and she immediately gave me some books to read. I discovered that Fanny Burney was 23 years older than the author behind Pride and Prejudice and her satirical novels about society functions had a major influence on Austen.
In Evelina, I found Georgian England through the eyes of a 17-year-old girl who didn't understand the culture she was thrust into. It explained the Regency romance behavior staples of feminine aspirations and masculine oppressions that we see everywhere from Emma to Bridgerton, while being witty and boundary-pushing. I would love to read old and new books that introduce me to a life unfamiliar to me that still drives me towards loving the person who captures the protagonist's heart.
4. The twist of fate
I love mythology and haven't read enough books that weave belief and romance together. One of the best ones, in my opinion, is from children's author Gail Carson Levine. Yes, the author of Ella Enchanted. She wrote a book called Ever about a god who falls in love with a young woman, only for her to be set apart as a sacrifice for another god. He then has to track down the god who controls her fate and persuade him to change his mind.
This book has a very Orpheus and Eurydice feel to it, but the cultures at play and the conflicts of interest are what makes it so fantastic. The love interest is promised to die for the other god because of an act of love she performed for her own family. We don't know anything about the competing pantheons or if this love story has a chance in a million. I want a romance with this kind of almost capricious uncertainty.
5. New face, old affection
One of the books I have read over and over is Jane Green's Jemima J. The titular character is a dumpy English woman who has really sweet (and attractive) friends who don't hold her body against her. They do know that she's unhappy with several things, such as the way she is underestimated by her boss and how she wants more out of her personal life. When she Photoshops herself onto an athletic body with a good hairstylist, Jemima attracts a funny gym owner in Los Angeles and decides to meet him in person. And then she sets to work, joining a gym, changing her diet, and getting new levels of self-confidence from how she has taken control of her happiness.
But when she's happy, she remembers the value of the friends she had back in the days of being the dumpy lady who gave cleaning tips in the local newspaper. And she honors the person she was back then by going for the love she hoped for. I want another book where everything changes, but one thing is a constant.