The Romance Novel

Are you a fan of romance novels? Do you find yourself longing for that hunk on page 69? Do you think romance novels imitate reality? Do you know why romance novels are so popular? If not, I think I have the answer.

Today the “All About Dating” Guru has been invaded with thoughts of the classic romance novel only to be left with an enormous feeling of emptiness. How can that be possible when romance novels are supposed to bring you sizzling sensations from head to toe?

As I gazed out the window on the number 6 train heading home from visiting my mother, I became fixated on the idea that romance novels are the reason why our modern day fairy tale is a thing of the past. Plus, is Fabio really the vision of the perfect mate? If so, I need to stop going to the library and to head to the gym fast!

Romance novels have become bestsellers because they prey on the hopeless romantic. Story lines complete with the perfect mate, the perfect situation, and the perfect romance leave many of us feeling like we’re stuck in a pool of quicksand. The more we try to escape the romanticism, the harder it is to get away.

Romance novels are popular because they have mastered the craft of creative adjective placement which can make any generic sentence pop off the page. A technique I believe is the blueprint for a successful New York Best-Selling romance novel.

When adjectives are cleverly placed you are easily whisked into a world of make-believe. You are also suddenly captivated and convinced that your current love life is not what it’s cracked up to be. Luckily you’re friends with the “All About Dating Guru” who is well versed in making life feel like you’re living the life of Scarlet O’Hara.

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” are classic romance novel lines that give us false hope. It’s the illusion of finding Prince Charming riding in on a white horse and carriage that we are fascinated by and not that fact that the modern day Prince Charming is riding in on a broken-down Volkswagen buggy.

Wow, another “aha” moment!

I get it now. All those turned up faces on the train are not because they are unhappy. It’s the direct result from romance novels, the overzealous fantasies we buy into.

The next time you find yourself reading a romance novel, stop and look around and see how sweet your life will be when you start creating your own romance novel.

Date Smart… Date for Success™