Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat. This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.
Today’s question is:
Do romance novels give women unrealistic expectations?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
Let’s chat!
No as far as I am concerned. We knot the books are fiction. Maybe mainstream books do but Christian Fictions which we are talking about I don’t believe they do. Most people reading don’t expect to meet the hero and with in weeks marry. I do however they give readers hope especially slightly older characters. It gives hope that there is still someone out there.
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Your turn.
I look forward to reading your comments here or at the FB group. Remember all comments go into the monthly drawer for a gift voucher.
I think it very much depends on the author. I would say that secular romance novels are very likely to give unrealistic expectations and even some of the Christian fiction. We readers need to be careful that we don’t forget it is ‘fiction’ that we’re reading.
I’ve recently discovered the lovely Australian Christian fiction author, Meredith Resce, and I really like the way she includes real-life scenarios in her books, having her characters deal with real issues and not always getting things right.
Thanks for commenting Susan. I go from the viewpoint we are talking Christian fiction or Christian books etc in these questions as its a Christian Writers/readers blog.
I think most readers are smart enough to know books are just that fiction. I find the ones who normally have an issue are people who have never read a Christian romance or read one 50 years ago and make assumptions.
Hi Jenny, This is a great question. There are readers who genuinely have issues with reading Christian romance for a range of reasons, and I’m glad there are other Christian fiction genres that can accommodate their reading preferences. There are also Christian readers who have a problem with reading any type of Christian fiction, but that’s a conversation for another day. I personally don’t think most Christian romance novels give women unrealistic expectations. Innamorata by Autumn Macarthur (A Tuscan Legacy, Book 10) was written because readers contacted Autumn and asked if Nonna could have her own romance and happily-ever-after like her grandchildren had in the earlier books in the series. 😊