The Fantasy of Romance Novels
The best selling literary genre around the world is the romance novel. The ending of each these books provide “perfect triangular satisfaction: ‘fatherly protection, motherly care and passionate adult love.’’(p. 145) A women who has faced loss or a difficult situation, meets a man who can and does care for and nurture her. This is a role that women normally play for men and for their families and the reciprocation of this role is what makes the male hero so desirable. It is not about equality, but rather about role reversal. The romance novel becomes a substitute for the nurture that women lack in their everyday existence and particularly in their marital and romantic relationships. For the reader, the void can be at least temporarily filled by the heroine of the romantic novel. This type of literature can also serve to reduce stress and to transport the reader to exotic locations.

Storey John. Cultural theory and popular culture: An Introduction. 6th ed. Athens: university of Georgia press, 1998.print.