RR#1 ~WHAT IS HEA?

It’s the fairy tale happy ending that all little girls and boys want.

It’s why I started reading romance books at such a young age. I would get carried away into a fictional world of Sheikhs, Billionaires, and Oil Barrens. The small town girl who goes to the big city and gets swept away. All the men a hard, silent, and strong men and the women, while not weak, are a little on the meekish side. At the end of the book the man would declare his love and devotion, marriage (if not already done to help seal a deal or gain a family fortune), and kids (if a secret baby is not the plot line) would soon follow.

Then there were your home town romances. Men who worked the land or protected the town. Widowers who need help with their little children and fell in love with the new girl in town looking for a change and some purpose. At the end, again marriage, 2.5 kids and of course there’s Scruffy the dog who is every man’s best friend. It’s the perfect ending…. or is it?

Nowadays, romance books have more genres and sub-genres than ever before. Romantic Suspense, Paranormal, Contemporary, and so much more . There is still the traditional romance, because who doesn’t love a good rags to riches story every once in a while? Women are no longer the silent side kick. Men express their feelings, insecurities, and are no longer content to just be strong and silent. So does everyone need to get married at the end? Does every romance have to end with a proposal? Sometimes the characters don’t need or are not ready for that type of situation.

As a reader, I don’t always need the ring. I don’t always need the grand proposal. Sometimes, the characters just don’t fit that mold and trying to make them fit, taints the story. The end goal is not insta-family. The end goal is for the characters to live their best life. For me, as the reader, to have a story line that I’m engaged in and characters I care about. If at THE END they decide to be in a committed relationship, whatever that may look like, then I fine with it. To me, that is the definition of Happily Ever After.