Welcome back to part two of this series, where I’ll trace my evolution as a romance reader. Last week, I talked about YA, fanfic, and romances that I didn’t realize were romances but this week we’ll get to the part of my reading life where I actively started reading and seeking out romance.
I first picked up a historical romance because of Goodreads. My best friend had convinced me to get an account and I promptly started following a truly random assortment of people, mostly for their alternately snarky and gushing YA reviews. And alongside those reviews, there were historical romances. In the grand tradition of bookish girls since time immemorial, I adored Jane Austen and had a major soft spot for any kind of costume drama, even something as unconcerned with historical accuracy as the CW’s Reign. But I thought of historical romance as a little trashy and as the kind of thing that I shouldn’t be reading if I wanted to be taken seriously. The first time I read a historical romance, When the Duke Was Wicked by Lorraine Heath, I didn’t even log it on Goodreads because I couldn’t have a public record of me reading (gasp!) a romance. Yet I kept on reading them, first whatever I could find at the public library and then whatever recommendations I could glean from the wilds of Goodreads. From that pile of mass market paperbacks, two authors emerged as lifetime favorites: Lisa Kleypas and Tessa Dare.
The first Kleypas I read was Mine till Midnight, the first installment in her Hathaways series, and it was love at first line. I fell headfirst for the wonderfully eccentric Hathaway family, for the intensity of its love story, for the thoughtful way it discussed grief, and for Kleypas’ romantic, sweeping prose. It feels a little silly to write this now, but I hadn’t thought of romance as a well-written genre. Lisa Kleypas changed that for me. Before writing this post, I went back to some of my old Goodreads reviews and the giddy enthusiasm I felt after reading my first Kleypas radiates from every sentence. I spent the rest of that summer reading through a huge chunk of her backlist and then anxiously awaiting her next release. That love is a little more complicated now, as there’s certainly elements of her books that haven’t aged well and I don’t know if I would recommend her older titles to modern-day readers, but I still cherish the reading experience that helped me fall in love with romance. (The closest I’ve come to that feeling recently is Forever Your Rogue by Erin Langston, which I would ardently recommend and feels like a fresh take on the classic redeemed-rake trope that Kleypas does so well.)
The other guiding light of my adventures in historical romance was Tessa Dare. I was enchanted by her delightful sense of humor, spirited and smart heroines, and joyous use of tropes, from Regency road trips to imaginary Scottish captains that turn out to be very real. Her books are hilarious but also tender, with a real affection and compassion for their main characters, and I found them at the exact right time. I was still reading a lot of contemporary YA when I started reading adult romance but I remember finding it harder to find YA that really resonated with me and wanting love stories that felt a little more grown-up. There was a swoon-shaped gap in my reading life and Tessa Dare was there to fill it. Dare’s books are one of the main reasons that I came to see romance, and especially historical romance, as a source of joy in my reading life. They made me happy—and still do—when I needed it most. When I had Covid a year and a half ago, and was coughing miserably on my couch, the first book I reached for was a Tessa Dare. I continue to think her books are a perfect gateway into historical romance and to fruitlessly search for read-alikes while I not-so-patiently wait for The Bride Bet to be released. (Recommendations welcome!)
By the time I was in grad school, I was reading a lot of historical romance but not any contemporary. Fairly or not, I thought of contemporary as the land of small towns, cutesy professions, and stories I simply couldn’t relate to. Then I discovered Christina Lauren. I’m not entirely sure how I stumbled upon them but I suspect it was through a review on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, the long-running romance website, that led me to pick up a copy of Dating You / Hating You at Trident Books in Boston. This was what I’d been waiting for. I loved Evie, the smart, savvy Hollywood agent who excels at what she does in spite of her slimy boss. I loved the crackling chemistry between her and Carter and the hilariously petty pranks they play on each other. And I loved CLo’s effortlessly addictive writing style and the strong narrative voices they craft for their protagonists. In 2018, I read seven Christina Lauren books and I’ve read everything that they’ve published since. I even wrote a guide to their work last year. 2018 also happens to be the year when romance went mainstream. I started noticing romance novels being prominently displayed in independent bookstores, began talking about it more with my friends, and slowly got more comfortable with the idea of myself as a romance reader.
Next week, I’ll go all in.
Currently reading: Come and Get It by Kiley Reid. So smart, so funny, and so specific. I think the way she writes about social dynamics is brilliant.
What’s bringing me joy lately:
From The Traitors, I went to watching old seasons of Survivor. I’m about halfway through season seven, which Google told me was a good place to start, and a little surprised at how I’m enjoying it? I’m fascinated by the role that group dynamics assume in it and seeing how certain players are able to turn that to their advantage.
A delicious dinner at a new-to-me spot on the Upper East Side. I love feeling like there’s still a lot to discover and explore about my neighborhood.
The February Romance Collection from Chelsey at The Eclectic Reader! Chelsey’s put together an impeccably curated list of titles that I know I’ll be basing my next few months of library holds, pre-orders, and trips to The Ripped Bodice around.
As a displaced Bostonian, I miss Trident so much! I have yet to find anywhere else with that caliber of French toast and book selection under one roof.
We have a very similar romance reading journey! It was so fun to read about your entry points. 💕📚