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What Do Readers Get Out of a Romance? (Prizes are included!) by Deb Werksman



At a meeting last week of the entire Sourcebooks Romance team, including editorial, sales, marketing, PR, we got into a discussion of what readers get out of romance fiction. We discovered (no surprise) how much we LOVE romance fiction!

Here’s what we came up with—how about  you? What do YOU get out of reading romance?

Post your answers here on the blog—one lucky post-er will get a package of Sourcebooks romances hand-picked by me!
  • ·         Delight
  • ·         Joy
  • ·         Entertainment
  • ·         Escape, sometimes just from daily life, sometimes from really tough circumstances
  • ·         Community—it’s so much fun to share books with friends, sisters, colleagues, etc.
  • ·         Validation of female desire
  • ·         Empowerment—we see ourselves taking charge of our lives
  • ·         Dreams come true
  • ·         Hope that love really does conquer all
  • ·         Reaffirms our love for love
  • ·         Reminds us of the good parts of our relationships
  • ·         Allows us to dream of the ideal relationship
  • ·         Shows that the path to true love doesn’t run smooth, but there’s a happy ending just around the bend
  • ·         Affirms people’s ability to change and to step up to difficult situations
  • ·         Creativity—so much imagination goes into romance stories

At this holiday season, we at Sourcebooks are so thankful for our authors, and their wonderful, enlightening, empowering, re-affirming and fantastically fun romances!

Blessings to everyone for a great Thanksgiving! Shouts out to Mary Altman, our new editor in the New York office, and to our editor Cat Clyne, who’s been working with romance and kids’ books and is now fully focused on romance!

Remember to pitch us your stories!


Comments

  1. I get a lot out of romances...I get entertainment, I get happiness reading about HEAs, I'm hopeful that there is still so much good that can happen in life and I get a chance to escape to a place where there are no worries. Those are some of the best things in life.

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  2. Believe it or not, I get an education. I've face situations in books and learned suggestions for responding (including when to RUN!). I've also learned things about history that made me want to fact check and do my own research.

    And, yes, sometimes a good romance is just a perfectly good reason to get comfortable and ignore the insanity.

    vlettel@cox.net

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  3. a good story and HEA

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  4. When I switch my author hat for a reader hat, I find I count on the guaranteed HEA in a romance. Sometimes the books I read for my bookclub are "literary," which more often than not means "depressing." Give me a well-deserved HEA and I'll give you a satisfied sigh!

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  5. I read romance because after reading depressing and sad books for over 20 years, I finally said "enough!" Now I only want to read love and laughter, and romance books give me that every single time.

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  6. I get to escape for a while, maybe to a time in the past, or to a place where mythical creatures really exist. The most important thing is the happy ending, and the joy of falling in love.

    bonnieblue at wowway dot com

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  7. I read romance to get away from the stress in life. When reading about love and romance is good entertainment and a good stress reliever. :)
    Campbellamyd at gmail dot com

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  8. I get so many things out of reading romance and a lot of them have been mentioned. Reading is a wonderful escape from my daily life of raising four boys. I have also learned a lot from reading, whether it has been new words, a little history and my favorite, I learn more about humanity and how different we all are and yet how we still want and need the same basic things in life and that Love truly is one of the greatest things in this world whether it's romantic love or other types of love.

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  9. I forgot to include my email which is: ericswifey@aol.com

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  10. Entertainment. And sometimes even a good chuckle. Also it is a good escape.

    patoct@yahoo.com

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  11. All the things you mentioned lol. It really takes me away to times and places I could never go myself. I love learning new things too and what a better way to do it than within a romance (although I do read a bit of everthing lol).

    catslady5(a5)aol.com

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  12. Pure enjoyment - what is better than a hea.

    gmapeony@yahoo.com

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  13. Reading is an enjoyable pastime and with romance you always know up front that you will have a good ending.

    pattyb43coral@gmail.com

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  14. I married my first boyfriend. That was 20 years ago. He is the only man I could imagine being my husband. Meant in a good way. However, I loved falling in love. Romance books allow me to revisit that feeling, albeit vicariously.

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  15. When I read in general, I do it for entertainment, education and escapism. When I read romance specifically, I love the HEA--that guaranteed happiness in the story. I also adore the creativity authors show in bringing us unforgettable characters and worlds. Thanks for the post and giveaway. Happy Thanksgiving, all.

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  16. I loved the list and can't think of anything to add. The most important though, is that HEA, it gives me hope that true love and happiness is obtainable.

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  17. Yes to all of those! Completely spot on :-)

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  18. All on the list, but particularly the hea and to forget about problems for awhile.

    lovesthemets@yahoo.com

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  19. Everything that you mentioned in the post. Generally romances just make me happy!! Loved them for 40 yrs!!


    mlawson17 at Hotmail dot com

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  20. I agree with everything on that list. For me, I started reading romances to be able immerse myself in a world of HEAs and to see the good people get what they deserve. Just makes me happy!


    thebigbluewall77(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. I love reading love stories. Some are funny. Some are very deep and dark. And everything in between. Its escapism. Pure entertainment. Always with a happily ever after.

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  22. the interaction of the characters in the storyline gets very personal with me...Thomas writes about people's lives and you get to think they are your friends too!!! Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

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  23. I get to enter another world outside of the one that exists in reality. My imaginations are fed and I have a wider perception of things, and ideas that I can apply to real life.

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  24. And the winner of the giveaway is Sara R. Congrats!

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