Maria Rodale: Why We Write Romance Novels

Sometimes we all need a little escape from real life and the 24-hour news cycle, especially when the tragic updates are just relentless. Even daily stressors can take their toll. We need a break from the stress, the fear, the hopelessness (and the dishes, the laundry, and traffic, etc, etc.). So—like millions of other readers around the world—I turn to romance novels.

Call them silly, smutty, trashy, escapist, or frivolous—sometimes that’s exactly what a girl (or guy!) needs. For a few hours, I can become so absorbed in a story that I forget everything else.