Romance:Then and now - A guest post by Shilpa Suraj

Source: Google Images

Do you remember the heroine who quivered at every smoldering look the brooding, impossibly rich hero leveled at her? The under-confident, sometimes mousy, heroine with a heart of gold? The hero who could never love or never be tamed until aforementioned lady with the heart of gold enters his life. They were the vibrant core of all the romance novels I devoured for years. Timeless, evocative and memorable, the stories exuded charm and innocence.

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Fast forward to present times andthe protagonists have undergone a sea change while the stories still retain their original core. The heroines are no longer shrinking violets. They’ve evolved from the secretaries, housekeepers and nannies of yore into businesswomen, lawyers, doctors, and a score of other professions. They speak their mind, aren’t afraid to stand up to the hero even when he glowers intimidatingly and have an identity that’s all their own. The heroes are more approachable, less inscrutable and aren’t afraid to let the heroine know how deeply they care. When he kisses the heroine, she doesn’t just surrender, she holds on tight and kisses him right back.

Which brings me to the other key change. A hard-to-miss one. Remember when the heroine ached and yearned and gasped and shivered but stayed chaste and untouched until after marriage? Now, the definition of love has expanded to include the physical expression of it. Making love, expressing it physically and emotionally, has become not just acceptable but a natural part of the evolving relationship. The protagonists don’t shy away from it and certainly don’t regret it. 

And through it all, then and now, there’s love. Stories drenched in love with strong and intensely relatable protagonists who tug at your heartstrings and make you cheer and root for their happily ever after with as much fervor as you’d cheer for your own. Love is at the heart of every story. All that’s changed is that the storytelling beats to a different rhythm now.

Source: Google Images

About the Author:

Shilpa was a year and a half when she was first introduced to the world of books. Her mother would park her with a picture book on the floor of the kitchen while she finished her cooking for the day. While it’s no longer the kitchen floor, you can still find her tucked away in a cozy nook somewhere with her nose buried in a book. While books in all genres interest her, it was romance that captured her heart. While racing through every romantic fiction book she could beg, borrow or buy, her over active imagination started to work overtime and weave its own stories.

Years in the corporate world followed by a stint of entrepreneurship crystallized her belief that all she really wanted to do was give life to the stories bubbling inside of her. She briefly managed to tear herself away from the world of fiction to find her own personal happily ever after and now spends her time happily focusing on the two loves of her life – family and writing romances.Know more about her HERE

  This guest post is a part of the Book Tour done by:

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