Once upon a time, I wrote Christian romance novels for publication, and now I’m a literary agent living my happily-ever-after in representing many romance authors. Valentine’s Day is my favorite secular holiday.
Ignoring fond stories of St. Valentine himself, retailers encourage spending. Giving and receiving jewelry, flowers, cards, negligees, and candy are all great ways to say, “I love and treasure you.” Expressing love in tangible ways can be part of romance. Some would say those gestures should be a part of romance. Everyone agrees to share your candy with the one you love!
Gifts are pleasures for people of any religion or no religion. But how does Christian publishing portray true romance to readers?
- The Lord is central to the relationship. The hero and heroine in a Christian romance novel find love while considering their relationship with the Lord. The reader may not see the heroine pray, “Dear Lord, please tell me if Blaze is The One.” However, the story shows a faith walk and journey, meaning that the protagonists don’t ditch their prayer lives as soon as they pique the interest of someone with an excessive amount of money, beauty, and charm.
- A meeting of the minds is more urgent than physicality. Christian romance shows the courtship of two people who agree on the Lord’s role in their lives or will agree by the story’s end. They seek relationships with those who share those values. They communicate with each other in meaningful, caring ways.
- Physical attraction is not forgotten. Christian romance readers appreciate witnessing an attractive couple’s companionship. They see the couple discover inspired ways to express budding love. Christian romance novelists must be more creative than writing characters running to bedrooms, so the stories are exceptionally pleasing.
- The man and woman are considerate of one another. Old school bodice rippers sometimes told tales of teenage girls enchanted with their cruel rapists. The inexperienced and unwise heroine falls in love with a fantasy and with lust, so she casts aside doubt about her savage love interest. In contrast, while Christian heroes and heroines can and do have problems, the reader is convinced they have cultivated spiritual resources and emotional maturity to anticipate a successful relationship that will lead to marriage.
- Money is not a factor in Christian romance. I doubt we’ll see “The Christian Billionaire Finds Love in Montana” as a title. While Christians understand money is a tool to gain necessities and even some luxuries, Christian romance doesn’t encourage the illusion of living a billionaire’s lifestyle or the desire for excessive wealth. Books focusing on the person’s possessions as the prime descriptor objectify the character and make the character one-dimensional. In real life, Christians would be ill-advised to pursue a relationship based on any one aspect of a prospective spouse, including a profession of faith. I know many incredible Christian men who would not be suitable for me but would be ideal for someone else. Thankfully, I found my Christian husband years ago. We based our decision to marry on many considerations. Likewise, Christian romance novels support multi-faceted relationships with a firm foundation.
On this Valentine’s Day and every day, my prayer for you is to experience healthy, loving relationships within your household and with your friends and extended family.
God is love.
