While not all my books qualify as Romances, all so far have contained an element of romance within the story. Perhaps a psychologist would suggest I am looking for a relationship to fill some void in my life, and that might be true. Certainly, to paraphrase the old adage, we are not islands. Even introverts need a certain amount of human contact and sense of belonging. And why not? We are, after all, a social species. If we weren’t, social media would have died an early death, and cell phones would lie collecting dust in warehouses instead of in pockets and purses of most people.

Some would say, not without cause, that the genre is escapism and, moreover, promotes an unrealistic view of love. I grant they have a point on both counts, but I find that most Romances I have read are fables providing life lessons about relationships and interactions, self-respect and self-trust, and often highlight social ills, to boot.

I have read somewhere that Romance novels represent a huge percentage of the book market, despite the derisive attitudes of many authors and publishers. Even men read them, though they may not admit to such a pastime. And love stories and love songs still fill theatres and music charts.

So, I offer a list of Romances I have enjoyed: https://shepherd.com/best-books/romance-in-any-style-and-era. And for a more general browse of the genre, see https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/romantic-love. I hope you’ll check them out.

[Photo courtesy of Shepherd.com.]