This is a pretty important discussion to have. I don't like romance or romcom as a genre simply because it doesn't suit my tastes. And yeah, there are some really, really awful romances that -- like your list -- push a strong message, but it's a terrible message. So it's an easy solution to just join in with the general contempt for romance. If there's one thing I've realized as I get older, it's that easy solutions in life are rarely the good ones.
This is a pretty important discussion to have. I don't like romance or romcom as a genre simply because it doesn't suit my tastes. And yeah, there are some really, really awful romances that -- like your list -- push a strong message, but it's a terrible message. So it's an easy solution to just join in with the general contempt for romance. If there's one thing I've realized as I get older, it's that easy solutions in life are rarely the good ones.
There's a lot I love about this! Thank you for (unabashedly) advocating for romance novels and taking the time to write it all out. :)