In an interview with Bustle, she said: “Ever since I was little, I’d been watching others and struggling to emulate them because I didn’t think I was acceptable the way I was. Hoang, like her heroine Stella, has Asperger’s - but she wasn’t diagnosed until she was an adult. If this hasn’t convinced you to read the book yet, here’s why you absolutely should (no seriously like go buy it immediately, Amazon has it on prime one-day you have no excuse): So what’s a girl to do? Hire an escort, of course. She also has Asperger’s - another layer to our complex leading lady. She decides she needs romance lessons of a sort. In case you haven’t heard anything about the buzzy novel yet, here’s a real quick overview: Our heroine, Stella, doesn’t have a lot of experience with romance - french kissing freaks her out and she’s much more comfortable with equations than with people. ANYWAYS *steps off soapbox and dusts shoulders dramatically* all this to say that I am truly over the moon with joy that Helen Hoang’s blissful, refreshing, sexy as hell new novel is getting the attention and praise it deserves. Let me assure you that they are not and should not be.
It’s rare for romance novels to command attention - there is a notable episode of Younger in which basically every character is like “romance authors are in hiding,” which is BULLSHIT WHY SHOULD THEY HIDE, but really illustrates this idea that romance writers should be embarrassed by the work they produce and thus wouldn’t seek the spotlight. Think about this question and answer it HONESTLY to yourself: Do I view content made by women as being FOR women at first glance? Does it pervade my view? Do I view content made by men as “universal” and the go-to, expert experience? There’s a pervasive notion in pop culture that a certain kind of content is better than another that a movie created by a room full of men and filmed in a dark, sepia-like finish (the grainier the better) is automatically more worthy of praise, attention, and respect. But, that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable or worthy of discussion. You’re probably thinking of the paperbacks with lurid covers and titles like The Billionaire’s Secret Love Child Revenge - and yes those qualify – but there are also SO MANY wonderful, beautifully written rom-novs (lol can we make this a thing) that yes, okay, have pretty lurid covers and silly titles too. SIDEBAR REAL QUICK LIKE: Let’s talk about romance novels for a second.
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