The comforting scent of book pages and a safe spot to cuddle up in a blanket, magically sending you to a different place after opening the cover. Romance, love, safety, and passion are all things that can be felt through a romantic book. As many different styles of fiction novels have become popular, some specific categories stand out to the younger audience. From enemies to lovers, all the way to fake dating or opposites attract, there are so many different tropes that one can immerse themselves in. One extremely favored character type in these books is the popular jocks, centering on them and their sport, making the whole book see that activity in a different light.
As many young girls read about the amazing football captain of the state-winning team or the soccer goalie who has a hard life off the field, but rises above it all, it causes some to start romanticizing the athletes in person. This is not a bad thing; it brings many new fans together, lets them see what they’ve only read about in person, or gives them more passion to watch and pay closer attention to what is going on. But it is a little concerning, as not everyone is like a character from a novel; a lot of the time, books don’t give one a full view of what someone else’s life would look like if they were real.
Some people believe that romance will always be better in books. Alex Light, an author and influencer, had much to say about rom-com fiction. She has a podcast and a very large following, whom she tries to teach to love the truest version of themselves. She’s an avid book enthusiast and believes that it can help calm the world around the listener. Light said, “Love was destructive, dangerous. It was safer on pages, and these books were enough of an experience for me.”
Sometimes it looks like a person is invincible, but truly, no one is. In novels, a lot of the time, the main character looks like a knight in shining armor, but they only look that way because they are doing just what the author wants them to do. In real life, no one can read minds. Everybody has their flaws, and just because the starting pitcher in the book can ask a girl he has a crush on to go to Prom with big flowers and a sign doesn’t mean the same will happen on a random Wednesday.
Many sports have become increasingly more popular, for example, hockey. Over the past few years, many women have become aware of this sport because of books like Icebreaker or Collide. Another extremely popular Book to Netflix series is Heated Rivalry. This franchise has become hot as TikTok started to advertise the show, targeting this show towards a younger audience. There have been no true problems with this, but it is very interesting. Many teams have seen massive increases in their fan base, with most of the new fans being women. Many notice the multiple similarities and differences, but they are still drawn to the activity, just because it’s not the dream they thought they had, it’s still something new and exciting, giving people a chance to branch out and enjoy something they never would have done without those novels.
Love isn’t as simple as it may seem; someone has to experience it to truly know what it feels like. This is not the kind of love one has for their family or their friends; this is something deep inside of someone that only shows itself so often. People aren’t just born knowing what this exact feeling is; it takes time and patience, but most believe it’s worth it in the end. Author Dee Henderson said, “A romance book is designed to tell you something about love–its ability to endure, forgive, go the extra mile, care about someone, put someone else first.” Most of these books should help show one that life isn’t always easy, and not everything can simply be handed away. Many need to work hard to get what they want. Never give up on love just because it is not as simple as one thought. Try harder and trust that all is possible.
