I’d even go so far as to call reading (and writing) most romance a feminist act.

Cross-posted on Substack.

Whooooooo boy. I had one hell of a June. It was an absolute whirlwind from start to finish. That’s pretty typical for us as we try to cram in all of the fun summer things right away when school gets out, but throw in a book release, a tour schedule of Instagram lives, writing new material, turning forty, a college friend’s wedding… all culminating in my very first in-person signing (which was AMAZING, by the way), and I had one pretty hectic month. My husband and I left the kids at grandma and grandpa’s house and took a trip to our happy place last weekend. It was amazing. We just sat by the pool, drank some Wisconsin beer, and ate some delicious food without also having to feed tiny humans.

BUT, it’s a holiday week, so the kids have been home from camp, so that break was short-lived. I’ve been taking some much-needed time to hang out with them, but I am definitely looking forward to getting back into a routine (and writing!) next week when they go back to day camp.

That said, this week, I’ve been thinking about a question I got asked at my signing about how I incorporate body positivity, food and eating, consent, female friendships, and other tenets of feminism into my writing in a subtle way. It had me remembering something I had written for this newsletter waaaaaaay back (like, one of my first newsletters), so I figured I’d brush it off and give it a little 2024 refresh.

But first…

One of my favorite things about summer is drinking an iced coffee any time I want. Sleep matters less (because I can sleep in), so having an afternoon coffee feels like such a treat. I can’t do that when I’m at school, namely because there’s not really anywhere to get it from. I mean, yeah, I could go to Dunkin on a break if I wanted to (and I surely have done that when I’ve been all but falling asleep at my desk), but that stuff in high-octane, and I’ll never sleep. The ability to pour myself a cold brew and leisurely sip it at 1:00 pm is a summer joy that is unparalleled.

But, perhaps of note to some of you who are very interested in my water intake, I have turned over a new leaf this July. (It’s been 5 days, but I’m really committed.) More taking care of myself. More exercise. More mindful eating so I can feel better. I cut off about 6 inches of hair. MORE WATER. I know it seems silly, but I turned forty and, much like I realized I needed to get a start on writing books if I was going to do it, I realized I needed to make taking care of myself a priority, too. So I have hit my water intake goal (and yes, I count some of the iced coffee—it’s mostly water!!!) every day this month so far. I feel pretty good about it. I promise to check in for accountability.

And now on to your daily dose of feminism. Long before I ever fell in love with romance novels (pun intended), I was a feminist blogger and op-ed writer (under my real name… you won’t find any of that stuff if you search for Allie Samberts), so this is my wheelhouse, and something I feel passionately about.

*tips head back and forth and hops on her feet like a fighter getting ready to enter the ring* Here we go.

Romance gets a bad rap. If you read romance in any of its forms—contemporary romance, romantic dramas, romcoms, erotica, fantasy romance (or romantic fantasy, which I recently learned is a totally different genre), etc, etc, etc—you have probably heard someone at some point say that you’re reading trash.

WHY. ARE. WE. GATEKEEPING. BOOKS?

Seriously, why? I have multiple degrees in English literature and have taught English literature in a high school setting for *cough cough* years. (My career can vote, to give you a hint. AND IT WOULD IF IT COULD ACTUALLY DO SO. Please consider voting in this upcoming election.) At any rate, this is me establishing my credibility enough to tell you that I’m on team read-whatever-the-hell-you-want-in-your-free-time (and read it however you want because audiobooks are books, but that’s another post entirely). Do I think it’s beneficial for a well-rounded reader to have an understanding of the classics? Of course I do. Do I think someone has to have read the likes of Crime and Punishment to be considered a reader—or worse, to be considered intelligent? No, I absolutely do not, and my guess is you don’t either. (No shade to C&P—it’s one of my favorites.)

So why do we tell women that their romance books are mindless drivel, and they should be consuming “better” literature?

It’s the same reason people belittle PSLs and iced coffee and leggings. If women like it, or, maybe more specifically, if it makes any historically marginalized people happy, it must be less than. If a woman or marginalized person created it, even more so. In order for the patriarchy to maintain power, anyone who is not a cishet, white man must be convinced that this is true. Happy people—especially happy people with money and leisure time to consume these products—are dangerous to this patriarchal structure. We must be convinced that our leisure and pleasure are less important than those in power in order for them to stay in power. It’s no secret that people who are exhausted, beat down, and unhappy will be too tired to fight back, and—as a bonus in a capitalist system (that also mostly benefits men, by the way)—they will be primed to spend money on things that promise a better, less exhausting, happier life. So, as agents of the patriarchy, both knowingly and unknowingly, we try to convince people who enjoy these things that their interests are subpar.

I think this is especially true now because of the representation we are seeing in the romance genre. When we see characters who look like us, feel like us, think like us, whose brains and bodies work like ours do, it’s empowering. And when marginalized people feel empowered… well, see above.

Romance is not less than. Saying otherwise is just a tactic to keep women and other marginalized people in line with the patriarchy to make them less dangerous. Imagine a society of people who consume nothing but romance, who suddenly realize that their bodies and brains function exactly the way they’re supposed to, who have high standards for partners and consent and a life well lived. Imagine, also, a society in which marginalized people create these stories and economically benefit from them, who in turn have money and time and leisure to pursue their own pleasure. You’d have a society of very powerful people, indeed.

Writing and reading romance can be a feminist act, and I will die on that hill.

Personally, I’m going to keep drinking my iced PSLs, wearing my leggings, and reading (and writing) my romcoms and I’ll die happy thankyouverymuch.

I’m also going to keep including representation and consent and body positivity (and more!) in my books in explicit and implicit ways. It’s very important to me to write books that I would be okay with my own children reading (when they’re an appropriate age)—ones that teach them that consent is sexy, that all bodies, genders, sexualities… people can just exist without it being a giant statement all the time (but sometimes it will be, and that’s okay, too).

Most of all, I want my books to make people happy. Because happiness is radical when so much energy and power is funneled into beating people down and keeping them in “their place.”

I’m blissfully low on updates, and probably will be for he next month. But there are a few exciting things that are coming up!

My holiday novella is coming this November! The cover reveal and pre-orders will open July 25 (Christmas in July… get it?) I won’t be doing ARCs for this one because it’s so short, but if you’d like to help participate in the cover reveal, just send me an email, and I’ll add you to the list!

I’ll also be at Romance Con in Milwaukee on September 6-7, 2024. Come meet me and get your books signed! If you don’t have copies yet, you can preorder them here.

And, I have a limited number of signed copies of all of my paperbacks in stock on my online store! If you are trying to grab one for you or as a gift, get them now before they run out again.

I binged Funny Story by the pool on my weekend away, and I liked it! It was a sweet romcom, and just what I needed to reset my brain. (Book Lovers will always be the GOAT for me, though.)

Next time you’re out in your leggings, buying romance books and enjoying an iced PSL while feeling the sun on your face and an overall sense of joy, I hope you realize just how radical that is.

Until next time, happy reading!