For a long time, I used to hide the fact that I read romance. My parents were always complaining that reading romance was going to be bad for my future, that I would have too high of an expectation. In the beginning, I believed them, but now, I freely and openly read romance. And they’re just going to have to get used to it. Romance is not taboo. We watch rom-coms and parents are okay with it but reading romance is bad?

When I was younger, my parents always pushed me to read classics, nonfiction, and on occasions, fiction. They weren’t against letting me read fiction, especially since I was getting into Percy Jackson and more Middle Grade fantasy, but, once I started to enter high school, romance piqued my interest. That’s when I felt that my parents were starting to shake their heads and say no. So, to continue reading romance, I had to read it on my phone. Although I didn’t feel guilty about reading romance, I felt guilty that I had to hide it from my parents. It was hard telling them so many times I was just reading a fantasy novel or series.

But, now that I’ve had many years to really know what I like and how my reading taste is, I’m not ashamed that I read romance. I’m an unapologetic romance reader and I’m now not afraid to hide that I read romance.

Don’t be afraid to read a genre that you think no one will approve, because who cares what they think? I used to be afraid of reading romance, something that took me to another world, but now, I freely read romance because it’s something that makes me happy.

Here is my Goodreads shelf for romance recommendations. Check it out if you’re looking for romance reads! It updates every time I finish a romance book and is viewed by most recently read.

I hope you guys have a great day, please like and comment down below on your thoughts about romance and also if you yourself have had to hide the fact that you read romance!

Loves,
Veronica Chen