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THIS ARTICLE is so funny. I just have to copy/paste the quotes on here in case the link to the original article ever gets pulled.

Who knew reading romance novels could be so dangerous? Does this mean I'm finally an addict with something? If so... Goody-goody! Now I can say I finally fit in with the whole of society. Forget smoking coffin nails and salivating like an English Bulldog each time I see a Budweiser commercial on tv. Cigarettes and beer are for sissy's. I have an entire garrison of... wait for it... ROMANCE NOVELS in my very own closet! And get this, there are these places called BOOKSTORES which can feed this clinical addiction of mine.

Oh, Happy Day!!!

Reading Rainbow and those Saturday morning cartoon commercial spots must have been right: Reading IS Power! It's power can destroy marriages and make women unbalanced.

And here King Henry VIII blamed witchcraft for his failed marriage. (Saw that on 'The Tudors' the other day. Lol!)

Anyway, here are some quotes from the article:

- "Women can become as dangerously unbalanced by these books, entrancing but distorted messages as men can be by the distorted messages of pornography."

I wouldn't say romance and porn are the same thing.

And "distorted messages?" Already, this person just sounds like a pessimist and man hater to me. I mean, distorted messages? There ARE happy marriages and relationships out there.

I also can't help but wonder what these "dangerously unbalanced" individuals even do. On a scale of 1 to 10, just how dangerous do they mean? Are we talking about climbing-a-tower-with-a-machine-gun dangerous, or crushing-pansies-and-love bugs-beneath-your-stiletto-heels dangerous?

- Slattery says that "she is seeing more and more women who are clinically addicted to romantic books", according to the article, and "for many women these novels really do promote dissatisfaction with their real relationships."

Reading is called an escape for a reason. On the whole, daily life is either stressful, mundane or b-o-r-i-n-g. And let's face it: Men are simple creatures and women are not. (Venus and Mars, anyone?) We turn to fiction because most times it's only these fictional men with their chivalry, sense of humor, and yes.... breath-stealing good looks... whom understand us. Need further proof? How about the fact that probably over 90% of the authors of these books are women, not men.

And "promotes dissatisfaction with their real relationship?" Only if the relationship is broken to begin with. If you're a stay at home Mom with 3.4 kids and getting out of the marriage isn't an option financially, what's wrong with a little escape within the pages of a book? Should she just suffer day in and day out, only distracting herself via crossword puzzles between changing diapers and driving to the supermarket for that 'Buy-1-get-1-free' sale on Skippy's chunky peanut butter spread?

Erhm, I sincerely hope not. Lol!

- "If you are not in a real relationship, you may want to focus on finding one. Are you spending time reading instead of getting out there making new friends and meeting people?"

What of people like myself that don't particulary WANT to be in a relationship? Some people thrive on having their privacy and not being tied down. Still, this doesn't mean people such as myself are emotionally dead. I still love romance and can appreciate the beauty in it. And just because I watch chick flicks and read romance novels, that doesn't mean I don't ever want to find my 'Prince Charming' in the real world.

If anything, reading about heroes like Jamie Fraser or The MacKeltar Twins sets my standards even higher; something which I consider a good thing. I like to think that we're ALL deserving of setting these higher standards for ourselves. We don't have to settle for Mr. Just Okay.

And while I realize that finding the equivalent of one James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser in the real world is never going to happen - See? I'm not 'unbalanced' just yet - I see nothing wrong with dreaming/reading about it every now and then. Heck, this is what authors of these wonderful books do almost every single day! Without these people sharing their talents and appreciation for the beauty of romance, the world would be colorless indeed.

And did it ever enter this person's mind that some of these authors ARE in happy relationships, and their experiences with their soul mate is what inspired them to write romance in the first place? That they want to share their own personal experiences with the world?

It's ridiculous - *~ (cough...cough unbalanced) ~ * - to assume that romance readers and writers alike are "unbalanced" and "clinically addicted" to a specific genre. No, we really aren't touched in the head or in dire need of some intervention program. We're not ill. We have a brain, we have imagination, and we have a heart. Romance novels simply nourish these attributes.

- "If you love to read, just choose a different type of book. There are many interesting choices that do not include arousing scenes."

Yeah, I guess there's always Dr. Seuss and The Complete Idiot's Guides to Feng Shui, Dog Training and Private Investigating.




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Mmphhm. One hell of a sexy Scot, Gerry Butler... the stuff of romance novels. Scots and alpha males that whisper "MINE!" in the heroines ear definitely rule my world.

And did you know that Gerry has inspired many a romance novelist? The first one off the top of my head is "MacGowan's Ghost" by Cindy Miles. Read about it HERE.