Smut. Fluff. Trashy.

You’ve heard romance books described in these terms. Maybe you’ve even used them yourself when you felt a little self-conscious or guilty about reading in this genre.

We need to stop this.

Romance is about love. It’s about hope and relationships and commitment, about two (or more) people finding meaning and a future with each other. Romance can be set in an infinite number of places and times. It can involve many genders and, in the worlds of spec fic I love so much, maybe even many species. I don’t believe that published romance is as diverse as it ought to be, but it can and should encompass the entire spectrum of humanity: all backgrounds and shades; all beliefs; all sizes, ages, abilities, orientations, and social classes.

Romance can be dark or angsty, or it can be sweet and funny. Despite the vast spectrum that romance encompasses, it has at its center the thing that all humans have in common: the need to connect to others.

And God, don’t we need that right now?

Sure, there’s poorly written romance, just as there’s poorly written fiction of all genres. But there are also many beautifully wrought works, along with some that are absolutely serviceable in what they’re meant to do: help the reader feel something hopeful.

There are people who believe that once a book is slapped with that label—romance—it automatically becomes something of low value. A lot of people have explained much better than I could why this is so (hint: misogyny plays a starring role).

I read in a lot of genres, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. But if ever a time called for romance, it’s now. We need to be reminded of the power of love, and we need our happily ever afters. Even if all a romance book does is make us feel happy while we’re curled up on the couch under a fluffy blanket, eating chocolate and ignoring the news, that’s important too.

Read your romance guilt-free. Recommend it to others. Write it yourself if the spirit takes you. Celebrate its core values. Let’s find a good future together, shall we?

***

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her family and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

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A complete list of Kim’s books: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/books/