Many romance readers have probably heard the phrase at one point in time: “You know that’s not real, right?” It’s often spoken by people that don’t know how to keep unwarranted opinions to themselves. Rarely do comments like this permeate through other reading communities. And yes, I’m including those who read science fiction, fantasy, or horror. You don’t frequently hear, “Talking unicorns aren’t real, why do you like them so much?” While this can be a shared experience to many entrenched in different niche communities, it feels like people really like to tell romance readers (a women-dominated genre) about what to enjoy and why, as if we needed reminding?
More happily for us, this conversation manifested on Twitter recently as a new and delightful meme format. Many people took to sharing tales of the outrageous, silly, romantic, and over-the-top ways they really did fall in love.
anyone who thinks romance novel plots are unrealistic should know that my gf lived in the dorm directly above mine so we looked out at the same sky over the hudson river every night but didnt start dating till a year after college when i sent her an email professing my love https://t.co/h45669wg7J
— Jake Maia Arlow BUY MY BOOK ILL SEND U A POSTCARD (@jakewhosagirl) March 30, 2022
Anyone who thinks romance novels have unrealistic plots should know that I initially met my husband in an online argument about something stupid and he did the impossible—admitted I was right when I clearly was. https://t.co/2JP4GMVHjN
— Courtney Milan 🦖 (@courtneymilan) March 30, 2022
Anyone who thinks romance novels are unrealistic should know I once matched on Tinder with a dude who dressed raccoons in children’s pajamas
— Roseanne A. Pot O’ Gold Brown 🍯🌈 (@rosiesrambles) March 31, 2022
Anyone who thinks romance novels have unrealistic plots should know I met my wife while working in a retail and she was transferring from another store upstate we talked everyday over the phone for weeks and started dating in secret before I quit so we could date in the open https://t.co/nJXtywXIFw
— mike lasagna (@theLasagna) March 31, 2022
Universal problems
While I certainly didn’t catch all of them, some of the references came directly from popular books. For example, one of the most popular ones straight up wrote lines from Jane Austen‘s Pride and Prejudice.
Anyone who thinks romance novels have unrealistic plots should know that I’m 27 years old. I have no money and no prospects. I’m already a burden to my parents. And I’m frightened.
— seph (@pemberIeys) March 31, 2022
This moment is immortalized in the novel and many adaptations. That tweet, even if you didn’t know it came from Austen, sounds very relatable even 200 years later. (Part of Austen’s appeal is that her work remains accessible and applicable to every era.) For those that do want to marry (and not marrying is always an option!), staying at home until then isn’t necessarily a requirement in many families, but a financial necessity in this economy.
Wait a minute…
The more I read some of these tweets, the more I started to wonder … how many were actually real? We all know a person that got married or had a long-term relationship with someone under odd circumstances. One person’s “odd” is another person’s “that’s romaannnttic!” Also, there is the flip side of finding yourself after a disastrous relationship.
One of my guy friends got married. I told him to invite a bunch of single guys to his wedding. At a bar after wedding rehearsal he announces that I’m single and taking applications. Married to one of the applicants for almost 11 years now.
— Gwen (@autonomy_6) March 30, 2022
(Proof it happened 🥰❤️) pic.twitter.com/VOo0fhgDyo
— Christina Britton (@cbrittonauthor) March 30, 2022
the “anyone who thinks romance novels have unrealistic plots” tweets are so funny bc they still sound unrealistic!! but are in fact!! very real!!! the unbelievable quality at the basis of love is what makes it so magical
— Aamna Qureshi (@aamnaqureshi_) March 31, 2022
Everyone’s HEA (Happily Ever After) looks different and is completely (to a degree) possible. It’s all a matter of perspective. Do you have any stories of unexpected romance to share?
(via Twitter, image: Paramount Pictures)
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