A recent article in The Scotsman points to the one thing that is going to flourish during times of economic instability…ROMANCE NOVELS!
It seems that as we fear our pension fund is nose-diving and we need a bridging loan to afford our weekly shop, the world of Italian stallion business tycoons, mysterious sheikhs and an endless supply of young virginal hotties for them to seduce, is truly irresistible.
The British romance publisher Mills and Boon, meanwhile, has reported this year as the most successful in its 100 year history. The publisher’s spokesman, Digby Halsby, says romances are “recession-proof, as people seek joyous relief from the gloomy news headlines”.
It is this guarantee of good surviving evil and love conquering all that has readers gathering their romance novels close and slipping beneath covers to escape from the peril of the latest economic report. But this isn’t just happening now. Historically, during times of economic upheaval, people would use romance and entertainment as a way of escaping reality.
“Remember that the time of the Great Depression in the 1930s was Hollywood’s Golden Age,” she says. “Films like the Busby Berkeley musicals took the world by storm, because people just desperately needed cheering up,” says romance novelist Sara Craven, who calls the romance genre, “Fairy tales for grown-ups.”
So if you are looking for a sweet treat to escape into, head to the romance section of your local bookstore. Because honestly, how can you be depressed when you have books like these waiting for you on your nightstand? Check out one of my favorites, Susan Mallery, for a sweet escape!
Sustain the nice work!