Fava Beans and Light Bondage:

My Safe Word is Elephant Becky Flade

Some time ago, my cousin’s wife sent me a copy of an ad she saw on craigslist – a couple were looking to unload their handcrafted BDSM playroom. This confused me. Why would she be sending me this? And that’s what I asked her.

“I know you read the Fifty Shades books,” was her answer, to which I replied, “I also read the Hannibal Lecter books. Want to come over for dinner Saturday?”

She laughed. I laughed. And the awkward moment was over. But this interaction has lingered on the edges of my subconscious since. It begs the question: Why is there such a stigma on romantic fiction? zombies, would you think I’m a zombie? No? Didn’t think so. You’re smart. I’m smart. So be smart.

No one assumes I’m a cannibal because I read Thomas Harris’ books, or that I practice witchcraft since I’ve read the Harry Potters. I don’t abuse my children (I have every book by V.C. Andrews); or intend to kill all my neighbors in a televised fight to the death (Hunger Games).

I have an eclectic taste in books, as evidenced by my extensive collection (Stephen King novels? Got ‘em all), but because I read [and write] primarily romance – clearly, I’m a fetishist?

And she’s not alone in her assumption. Society on a whole denigrates the readers and writers of romantic fiction. Novelist William Giraldi makes us all out to be idiots. Thankfully, the Washington Post doesn’t agree with his opinion, but most people who don’t read romance fiction [and don’t think this is limited to men either. I read a scathing article by a female psychologist insisting romantic fiction is the lonely woman’s refuge] seem to share that opinion.

Stop vilifying romance novels, romance authors, and their fans.

WordsRated is a non-commercial research organization whose research team takes a data-based look at books, literature, and the publishing industry. Their studies show:

• Romance novels generate over $1.44 billion in revenue, making romance the highest-earning genre of fiction.

• Romance reached over 39 million printed units sold over the last 12 months, as of May 2023.

• Romance sales grew by 52% compared to the 12 months ending May 2022, and this has been the third consecutive year with positive growth in romance novel sales in printed format.

• Sales of romance novels more than doubled compared to 2021 figures (12 months, ending May 2021).

• Over 33% of books sold in massmarket paperback format were romance novels.

It’s beyond arrogant, and more than a little insulting, to paint fans of romantic fiction as stupid, lonely, repressed and/or deviant. These books are not a guilty pleasure. Romance novels explore the human experience, and span every possible genre, from Science fiction to thrillers, historical, fantasy, modern, futuristic, and so on. And they are exhaustively researched. Because they are written in large part by

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