Why Sweet Romances?

There's no doubt about it. Sex sells. You don't have to turn the TV on, look at a billboard ad or open an erotica to know that. And the tide is never going to truly change. But sweet and clean romances still have their place, and are gaining popularity. Why? Some say it's because they are like a breath of fresh air, a break from the panting and clawing found in a good majority of romances. Some say it's because the publishing world runs in cycles, and that's true. It does. But I also think it's because we all remember our first love, or the start of every relationship when it's careful, precious, new.

And you don't have to blush, hide the cover from your kids, or skim parts of the story that make you flinch.

But there is still the misconception that these kind of romances are unrealistic. Sex is a part of adult relationship, so why exclude it from the novel? There are just as many reasons: some people prefer not to read the blushing parts of a story, some feel it cheapens the story. And some just feel there's more to the love story than the physical.

Truly, sweet /clean romances are far from unrealistic. In fact, in some ways, maybe they are more realistic. They contain just as much as human connection, trials, and emotion as any story with the sex. They portray the deeper connection between two people we all long for. They portray the trials families face when a child is sick or the fight for a marriage that is barely holding on. The story line possibilities are endless, because heartfelt romances take place anywhere, especially when it's not limited to "what sells".

And perhaps that's why readers are looking for something more than what eroticas have to offer.

What are your thoughts? What makes you want to read clean stories? Don't be shy. I don't bite.