The secret lives of men who read romance books: ‘My life is full of love, so I’m drawn to them’
LifestyleThe Guardian

The secret lives of men who read romance books: ‘My life is full of love, so I’m drawn to them’

A growing number of straight men quietly love reading romance novels, finding emotional connection and self-acceptance in a genre largely seen as off-limits to them.

It’s often assumed straight men are not interested in romantic fiction – but many are sharing their passion in forums online After a tiring day as a school maintenance worker, 28-year-old Paul loves nothing more than unwinding with a good romance novel – ideally one with a fantasy or horror element

The Long Sip
What happened

Straight men who read romance fiction are largely invisible and often stigmatised, but many are quietly sharing their passion in online forums.

The detail

Men make up only 4 per cent of Mills and Boon sales, and less than 2 per cent of the UK Romantic Novelists Association is male.

What it means

For the men involved, romance reading offers a sense of liberation, letting them feel deeply and accept parts of themselves conventional masculinity rarely allows.

Full story at The Guardian

What readers are saying

Megaroo
It is heartening to see people finding comfort in stories that let them feel wanted without all the rigid expectations. For anyone with low vision looking for these titles, using a Kindle to adjust font sizes is a simple way to keep reading accessible.
ange70
it is interesting that the blokes mentioned are looking for stories where the women are the aggressors because it is the opposite of the usual tropes. men only making up 4% of mills and boon sales shows how much that specific brand is still geared towards one side of the fence.
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