Caught In a Raunchy Romance: Why I Love Romance Novels

By Liz Thompson

My romance novel addiction started in high school with Harlequin paperbacks, but got a major upgrade in 2007, when my oldest daughter insisted a vampire love story would be a great fit for her 7^th grade summer reading list. I read the book first, to make sure that it was really, you know, appropriate for teen readers and… WHAM… it was love at first bite — yep, I became a “Twilight Mom” and rooted for Team Edward. I’ve seen every Twilight movie (more than once) and still stand by my initial opinion that the books were way better.

A few years later, my daughter turned me onto the steamy world of historical romances. Turns out we both love dark, brooding, and very muscular protagonists. My Goodreads virtual bookshelves quickly began filling up with titillating titles — Seduce Me At Sunrise, Love in the Afternoon, Tempt Me At Twilight, Mine Till Midnight, and Married By Morning are some of my favorites from Lisa Kleypas. (I highly recommend The Hathaways, The Wallflowers, and Bow Street Runners series).

And then there’s Julia Quinn. I’ve read (and re-read) every book in her now infamous Bridgerton collection of eight juicy novels. Yes, I fell in lust with Simon Basset long before Shonda Rhimes brilliantly cast Regé-Jean Page as the Duke of Hastings in her adaptation for Netflix. Well played, Shonda! As a romance novel enthusiast, I plan on binge-watching Season 2 of Bridgerton in January. I’m bummed Regé-Jean won’t be returning, but at least I have well-worn written versions on my nightstand buried somewhere among titles depicting kilt-wearing Scottish rakes and among other things… ahem.

Originally Published September 14, 2021.