I spent the past week reading romance novels. Why? Well, I had a severe flu that just wouldn’t quit, and my husband has been out-of-town for work.

But last night as I was searching through my kindle library for a specific romance novel, I realized that all week I had been subconsciously reading and rereading romance novels this week for one reason: I wanted to absorb the feeling of being truly loved.

Not all romance novels do that – and I’m not just talking about Naughty Nooners. Many romance novels are very good at expressing the physical desire, rampaging emotions, and tug-of-war that occurs within all of us as we overcome internal and external obstacles and fall in love. I think that most novellas I read are like this; they do a great job of giving a snapshot of a romance.

But this week, I wasn’t looking for insta-love or fated mates or a hot alpha taking one look at the heroine before throwing her over his shoulder and taking her back to his lair.

I was  looking for more. I was looking for the romance novel where the hero or heroine had loved the other for some time – maybe even years. Where he would move heaven and earth to make her life complete. I was looking for the books that made me feel as good as Pride and Prejudice with Matthew Macfadyen and Kiera Knightly. A tall order.

And in looking for those books, I realized how relatively rare they are, at least for me. In the end, what I read is an interesting cross-section of different genres with one thing in common: they all give me the amazing feeling of being truly loved by someone who desires more than the body, more than the moment…someone who desires the other person till death do them part and then some.

So, after all that, what did I read?

• Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss – historical romance novel
• The Man Within by Lora Leigh – breeds romance novel
• Predatory Game by Christine Feehan – science fiction romance novel
• Wishful Thinking by Evangeline Anderson – paranormal romance novel
• Luring Lucy by Lori Foster – contemporary romance novella
• Second Hope Cowboy by Rhonda Lee Carver – western romance novel
• Private Practice by Samanthe Beck – contemporary romance novel
• Splintered Mirror by Morgan Hawke – fantasy erotica

Okay, so maybe the warm and fuzzy true love is a stretch with that last one. But Morgan had me on the hook with the female that had dressed as a boy valet for the prince for years – and the tension between them fairly crackled off the page.

What I love about making lists like this is realizing the diversity of stories that can create the same effect in the reader; and even better, I know every single reader will have a different list of books that create the same feeling within them.

Anyway, I am finally starting to feel somewhat better – an outcome directly attributable to my heavy reading schedule, I’m sure. Next week, I’ll probably be back to reading my standard fare of sci-fi romance novels for a different reason – for now I’ll just call it improving my imagination and ability to visualize.

But that brings me to you – why are you reading romance novels these days?