Take a dashing hero with a heart of gold and a mullet of awesome. Add a heroine with a bustle and the will to kick major butt. Then include enough contrivances to keep them fighting while getting them alone and possibly without key pieces of clothing, and what do you have? A romance novel. What else? Enough lessons about life, love, and everything in between to help you with your own happily-ever-after.
Lessons like...
β’Romance means believing you are worthy of a happy ending
β’Learning to tell the prince from the frog
β’Real-life romance is still alive and kicking
β’No matter how bad it is, at least you haven't been kidnapped by a Scottish duke (probably)
Sarah Wendell is cofounder of one of the top romance blogs, SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com.
Review
If you read it through and still come away in any doubt as to how amazing both Romance Novels and the people of the Romance Community truly are, then I do believe your heart and soul and possibly brain may be made of stone. And, if that is the case, then you are in most desperate need of reading one of the books Sarah uses as examples throughout the book.
Winning, entertaining and highly persuasive... Fans of the romance genre are likely to come away feeling vindicated; newcomers may be inspired to pick up a few new paperbacks with racy covers
A joyous celebration of those novels we all love to read, romances.
If you ever had anyone sneer at you when you say you read romance novels, this is a book you should whip out and start quoting from.
As a reader and a writer, I think this is a must read...
A pleasure to read... It promote[s] the positive elements of romance books.
This little book packs a wallop of laughs, spews smart sarcastic rhetoric with sound advise - add to that creative longings to make us dream, and mullets for years to come.
Ra-ra-romance!
There's a strong argument here that the genre helps readers identify and articulate needs and feelings they already have, as they notice what kinds of books and heroes they gravitate toward.
A humorous yet poignant guide to romance, both the highs and lows... a whole lot of fun that ended way too quickly.
Wendell's book is an irreverent celebration of the romance genre and the women who write it and read it.
A smart, fun exploration of romance novels ... if you know anyone who is dismissive of romance and needs to be convinced of its awesomeness, give him or her this book. I think it could change some minds.
Wendell will make you laugh while reprimanding you and shock the socks right off your feet, all with a smile and a no-nonsense manner.
[Wendell] opens your eyes by connecting romance with everyday life.
Don't you love it when a book reinforces what you already believe?
A delightful read... humorous and entertaining.
I realized how much romance novels have played and continue to play an important role in helping me and my husband with our relationship... funny and thoughtful.
A fun and insightful look at why romance novels are so popular and have been for decades and how readers can benefit from reading them.
A great tribute to romance readers and the genre...
Witty, funny, and utterly entertaining...
Filled with short, amusing topics that are lighthearted, insightful and take a look at how romance books have affected readers.
[Wendell] talks at length about applying the lessons of romance to that real life and enriching it β not to mention, entertaining yourself in the bargain.
Romance novels have come a long way from the "bodice rippers" people scorn when they think of romances. There just might be valuable lessons for everyone in Sarah Wendell's Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels.
Make that person who's been harping at you about your romance novels read this book. Maybe they'll get something out of it and start reading them too!
More than just a passionate defense of romance novels, EIKAL is also a witty, racy, humorous read that does not hesitate to make fun of the stereotypes in the romance genre...
A fast paced and enjoyable read. It was nice to see a book that builds woman up not tear them down because of what they read
An entertaining book...
About the Author
Sarah Wendell's day job involves a cloak, and possibly a dagger, but by night she's the cofounder of the influential romance blog SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with her husband and two children.