Are romance novels only for girls?

I don't find all romance novels girlish but why are they "stereotyped" only for women? My male cousin is fascinated with romance novels because he is desperately looking for a girl to share romance with. Mind you, he's straight. Is this right? Why is that so? This same thing also goes to my sister who is addicted to science fiction which is rumored for 'boys only'. They're scared and I caught both of them reading them in private. Please help them out.|||It is for both, though girls mostly prefer to be in the world of dreams, fantasy and romance.|||Can there be romance unless persons from both the sex are involved.|||I believe that there is a genre known as 'dick lit', romance novels that are directed at guys. And Sci-fi is very much for both genders now (though they are usually geeks ;))|||No! Men can learn alot of romantic stuff from romance novels.|||I can relate. As a kid in elementary school, I was a huge fan of The Hardy Boys and snubbed Nancy Drew. My favorite authors in fifth grade were H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. I got hooked onto Ender's Game before any boy in my class heard about it. Yep, I was definitely not the stereotypical high-on-The-Babysitter's Club girl.





And you know what? I feel perfectly fine with it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with liking books aimed at a target audience you just happen to not be a part of. In fact, I think it shows an open mind and mature intellect. After all, many of the greatest minds were inspired by and wrote about love. Surely you can't discount the males who did so.





Bottom line - Individuality is a quality to be proud of. It's good to be different. Heck, it FEELS good to be different. I don't know about you, but I like to stand apart from the crowd and make up my own mind about the books I read and the clothes I wear.|||No, they're not just for girls. But, you're right, they are stereotypically. I used to read a lot of romance novels, but got tired of them, and stopped reading them for years.


Then, I found Nicholas Sparks' novels. They're not as sappy, but are still very sweet. Maybe you can recommend Sparks' novels to your cousin.|||Tell them they are normal. Well, they are readers and that is not considered normal in this day and age, but they are normal for readers.





One of the reasons ebooks are so popular with the business class of folk is they can read them on their laptops or handheld computers and there is no embarrassing cover to tell others what they are reading. Women executives, in particular, don't want to be caught reading a romance with a tacky cover. The stigma over a woman reading science fiction is pretty much non-existent, though.





You can also buy book covers that slip on to the books to hide the cover. Very useful. They adjust for any size paperback. These might be the perfect birthday gifts for your cousin and your sister.





By the way, the sex scenes in porn novels are not nearly as hot as the ones in romances. I think your cousin has good taste.|||No, that's just a stereotype, it's believe that men only knows lust when most men want love to. Everyone have different things that holds there attention, romance novels are a good read. I myself like thrillers. A book is similar to T.V. and I know a lot of guys who like lifetime, and soaps especially married ones. Some guys might say your cousin is gay just for reading a book instead of a car or fishing magazine. Don't worry it just means he's probably gonna make some girl a great husband some day.|||They shouldn't feel scared about what they enjoy reading. I am part of a couple different online reading groups and although the romance ones are mostly women, there are a few men who chime in and discuss romance novels as well. I also think that the majority of the people in the sci-fi/fantasy book groups I'm part of are also women. So, they certainly are not alone in their respective reading preferences.





I don't think anyone should be afraid to read whatever they want to read.|||I think these people will be OK. Are they young? Why suppress something that interests them? Wouldn't you just be injecting shame if you told them not too? Maybe your cousin will be a playwright or your sister an astronaut? You never know what you could ruin. Besides, why does it matter you mention his sexuality? If he were gay, so what?|||No book is strictly regulated for any one particular type of person. But you bring up a good point about stereotyping.





Genre novels tend to stereotype their readership to maximize sales:





Romance and fantasy--female


Western and sci fi--male





Only you can change the publishing industry's perception of its readership.





I prefer to boycott genre fiction, but you could also write letters to your favorite publishers letting them know that there is a rich fan-base in both genders.|||No! Most boy's don't like them though! And I'm not a fan of them even though I'm a girl!|||awww that sounds really cute!





I don't like the whole 'masculine' and 'feminine' stereotypes society has where you can't have one or the other. You read a book of poetry, is that boy gay? Not really but does it even matter? NO =)





It's good that people can be free to break from the norm and explore different aspects of their psyche. I will admit, most romance novels, if not almost all of them are geared towards women. So if he is reading that you may expect him to be an expert in women in no time :) providing he doesn't go all romeo on her!





and yeah, you can get the best of both worlds. Planetary Romance, Space Opera, Noble Savage. I might suggest Neil Gaiman for him, the Sandman is incredibly romanticised and explores the dark and mysterious aspects of human nature and I'd say its something both sexes it can be enjoyed.





Hell, my best friend is the most pink girly girly girl and she loves reading about Conan and she can identify with him (not in miss bodybuilder way!)|||Most guys have the need to see love of some kind. Many see in it the form of porn, but romance novels can be a better solution. At least, I think they are.





Also, Sci-Fi is for everyone, although the girls that read it are few, there are still some. Let them be who they are.|||I had an English professor that claimed you weren't a real man unless you had read a romance novel. He said you could look at it in one of two ways:


1) You should know what the enemy is reading


2) Being well-read means reading a little of everything





At any rate, he noted that romance books are major genre and a large part of the genre market. He argued that a lot of good literature stems from the plots pioneered in the romance literature genre (specifically love triangles and the "stallion vs. wimp" drama). I think he had a good point. There's nothing wrong with reading romantic literature if you're a guy or a girl. Heck, you might even learn something.|||yes the men have porn|||Boys are also romantic.|||I like Sci-Fi stuff, and I like romance stuff. Book covers are a good idea. Thats what I do. I don't like it when people ask what I'm reading, so I get a book cover and if they ask what I'm reading I say "a book" and they leave me alone. lol.





Sci-Fi stuff isnt just for guys, I know alot of girls that like Sci-Fi, me included.


And Romance stuff isnt just for girls, I don't personally know any guys that like Romance books (come to think of it, I don't know any guys that like any books at all) But I think it's fine for him to like it. He's gonna make someone a good BF. =D|||Why would your cousin and sister be afraid to read what interests them? Unless you, other family members or their friends criticize their choices, forcing them to read in private. If you want to help them, encourage them to continue reading what they enjoy reading regardless of what others may think.





Considering that over 65% of all books are purchased by women, it is easy to believe the stereotypes. Gender aside, any book written in a particular "genre" would be marketed to anyone reading that genre.