Customer Reviews

Everything I Know about Love I Learned from Romance Novels

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4 star:		(2)
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I've randomly picked up a romance here or there but don't qualify as a strong romance reader, but have read fiction all my life. However, having said that, I LOVED this book, it's witty and on the money on why we love to escape in fiction. The "rules" that Sarah lays out resonated and even being unfamiliar with many of the titles she cites, I could instantly see what she was trying to share. And now I'm buying some of the books she mentioned, she certainly has opened my eyes a bit.

I loved it, it gave me a whole new appreciation for the genre.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels (henceforth known as EIKAL), since I'm not a large nonfiction reader. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

EIKAL is filled with short, amusing topics that are light-hearted, insightful and take a look at how romance books have affected readers. Topics such as: We Know More Than a Few Good Men, We Know What Not to Want, We Know Good Sex and We Know How to Ask for What we Want share reader's and author's real life experiences about each of the topics. These stories are wonderful and it was nice to hear from some of my favorite authors.

The lesson that resonated the most with me, was the one that direct communication and problem solving is essential for a solid relationship foundation. So often in romance novels we watch events unfold where the hero and heroine could have sorted the whole disastrous situation out if that had stopped to communicate with the other person. Another favorite was that romance novels give us a safe place to explore how we want to want to approach life: what kind of relationships we want, what we want out of sex, and how to go about asking for those things.

Overall, if you are a romance fanatic, then this is a book you should add to your reading list. It is very short, much shorter than the 222 pages listed, mainly due to the reiteration of text quotes in block quote boxes. that was probably my only issue with the book and it lost a star for the overuse of them.

I loved it! I just recently got into reading romance so some of the books Sarah mentions in this book are unknown to me. But all in all, it reaffirms my view that a good romance book is not trash, but treasure. Reading about love teaches people about relationships the same way, for instance, reading about novels in other countries helps acquaint the reader about that country. So yes, this book offers a lot to someone who feels like they should be ashamed of reading 'drivel', but in fact don't because it teaches you to see the value of what you're doing: exercising your imagination while helping you explore the value of love without having to personally get hurt.

I have been reading Sarah Wendell's blog, Smart Bitches Trashy Books, for several years. When I'm not reading, I'm writing. After all, romance novels are easy to write, according to those who malign them. Interestingly enough, producing a memorable, publishable, and re-readable manuscript is not a simple undertaking. EIKAL addresses the fact romance is the only fiction genre written by women, for women. Our books reflect our lives, whether they are set in medieval Scotland, or the neighborhood Starbucks, fifteen minutes ago. Our subject is the never-ending thrill of falling in love.

Sarah demonstrates throughout EIKAL that while some plots may be a bit far-fetched (shooting the object of one's affections, for instance, won't get you a Saturday night date,) the authors in question continue to bring real-life sensibilities into their work. We don't want the guy on the front cover, despite his six-pack and lush, flowing hair. We want the guy who sits in an oncologist's waiting room, holding his wife's purse while she undergoes chemo. We want to know that, at the end of the story, he'll still be holding her hand. We muse on our own relationship issues through the obstacles thrown in the path of the couple the author writes about. Plus, we're entertained. All this, and a happy ending, too.

Sarah uses some great real-life examples to illustrate her points. Mostly, EIKAL is a celebration of those of us who read and write romance. It's funny, it's thoughtful, and it might make the mockers and naysayers think twice. (While you're thinking twice, might I suggest picking up a copy of Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me? You'll thank me later.)

And, yes, Loretta Chase does know everything.

Congratulations, Sarah, on another great book.