>Over on Vonda’s blog, she’s talking about the HEA and had a reader comment that romance gets dissed because it paints an unrealistic or too-rosy picture. So I decided to throw in my $.02.
I think romance probably has gotten the bad rap because of the Happily Ever After or rosy ending. Some folks are simply too jaded to believe in that HEA, and that’s okay. To my way of thinking, all that comes before the HEA is pretty darn realistic, but is disregarded because the ending is what they remember most.
We put our heroines and heroes through the proverbial wringer before they get their happy ending. They deal with deep-seated fears, family interferences and prejudices, death and taxes, kids, in-laws, jealosy, poverty–all manner of real-life crap.
Do we all believe that the couple will never encounter another obstacle in live or love? Well, no. Of course not. But just for a little while, some of us like to be reminded of that time when the first bloom of love was fresh in our lives, when the emotions were so strong they brought a tear to our eye and passion sometimes overpowered us.
It’s not realistic to expect that a relationship will stay that way. It too must grow and change, mature in the way all things do. But romance novels help us remember what brought us together in the first place. Is it so awful to look back, gain a little perspective, a little of that “rosy glow” in order to weather the bumps and hiccups along the way?
While my hubby doesn’t read romance novels, he has certainly benefitted from my reading them and writing them. Lord knows, when the most exciting thing in your day is that the cat missed the throw rug and barfed on the hardwoods instead, a little reminder of that rosy glow can make a big difference in how you greet your Prince Charming.
CAROL BURNSIDE / ANNIE RAYBURN 