My Second-Chance Romance With Romantic Books

I've tried it all.

Well, I haven't. I haven't read every romance book out there, but when you go through one, then another, and another, and another, and every single one has the same "tropes", the same formula, the same personalities copied and pasted over and over again, you begin to think you've actually read them all.

And then, because I actually haven't, I tell myself, don't give up on the genre. It's your favorite one! So I keep going and pick up another one from "BookTok's Top Ten Recommendation of the Month," another "you have to read this book, it's the best fucking thing ever," another "swooning," "marvelous," "life-changing," "not like the others"—only to get to the end and discover that some book recommendations should stay on the bookshelf, that we don't have to read every hyped-up release, that there's no such thing as "the best fucking book ever," and that it isn't swooning, marvelous, or life-changing. It's, in fact, the same fucking formula you've been reading ever since BookTok became a thing and romance novels turned into the default currency of bookstores, Kobos, and Kindles

What do we do when everything is the same? When it drives you mad that every page you turn (or swipe of your finger to get to the next one) only reveals that you're reading an endless continuation of the very same love story, just with different settings?

Is every romance author writing about the same female character? The one who's obsessed with coffee, quirky beyond comprehension, awkward in a cute way, somehow never actually shy, and always ready to get absolutely ravaged by the designated hot, green flag, never-has-done-anything-wrong-in-his-entire-life male character?

Sleepless in Seattle, 1993

I have no answer to my own questions. At least no answer other than dropping the genre altogheter, coming back to it, trying again, giving up again, and repeating the cycle until you finally find something that feels worthy of more than four stars.

So what better place to document this journey I've gone through a couple dozen times in my life than here?

I've read some trashy romance novels. Trashy as in a Mother Superior pulls up a gun on the protagonist to stop her from leaving with the love interest. Trashy level I don't think this should be happening during sex, or I don't think this should be happening at all.

I've never been particularly selective. But after years of reading romance novels, fanfictions, and books from other genres (and maybe turning thirty might have also had something to do with it) something in my brain finally switched and screamed, ENOUGH! Put something substancial in here, please! 

Last time I decided to give the genre antoher go after burning out on it, BookTok was at its peak, and so I felt spoiled for choice, only to be disappointed over and over again. Every title that promised to be the best book I'd ever read turned out to be just... bad, bland, meh. 

It's not my intention to be mean. I can do a mea culpa and admit I have weird taste. I like candy and roses, candles and chocolates, but I need substance. I need stories to stop being quirky for a moment and actually make me feel something deep, something that pulls my insides and moves me.

I need tension. I can't deal with character falling in love at first sight, or with a male character who's willing to do absolutely everything for the protagonist from the very beginning. I need a bit of paddling through murky waters. I need humans who are not walking flags. 

After reading a handful of today's "most recommended romances," it almost seems imposible to find this, so I'll settle for searching something that warms my heart without making me want to throw up after another handful of trope-filled scenes and cookie-cutter characters.

My first victim: 

First Time Caller by B. K. Borison

https://bkborison.com/

Trying to go retrace the same path I'd followed before (to prove to myself that there are still good romance recommendations out there) I picked this one after seeing a TikTok claiming that if you loved old-school rom-coms such as Sleepless in Seattle (1993) (I think even the author mentions the movie in the synopsis), you should dive into this one.

I'm a huge fan of old rom-coms. In fact I believe me being a fan of them might be the reason I can't connect with contemporary romance novels. I look for a kind of romance today's society doesn't seem to connect with anymore, even though we keep going back to those movies, and Hollywood keeps insisting on remaking them? Interesting topic for another post.

Here's First Time Caller's premise:

A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle–inspired love story.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he’s fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, that’s a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life—or lack thereof—she begins to question if she’s as happy as she believed. Maybe a little more romance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending…even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final decision between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

Let the search for good romance novels begin!