Many of you
will notice that a lot of the books recommended in this month's
reading list are older titles. That doesn't mean that this once
super popular theme doesn't still charm its devoted readership. Many
authors still write stories in which the birth (or discovery) of a
child is the pivotal development in the plot. Romances that enter
the "playground" often offer a new dimension, a depth to the romance
that powerfully affects the reader. Romance's first secret baby
books explored this phenomenon but also had something extra special
to offer readers. Hence the enormous popularity!
Even the best
kept secrets are eventually revealed, and the secret best loved by
romance readers is that of the "secret" baby. Is it possible for a
romance heroine to actually keep a pregnancy or a child secret from
the man who made sparks fly long enough to produce the child? Or
even better, is it possible to keep a baby secret from its mother?
You'd be surprised how creative (and devious) romance's heroes and
heroines have been in their quest to protect the child they have
decided to care for out of love. Whatever the secret, these
heart-felt stories always offer a couple the opportunity to be
reunited through mutual love and their shared love for a child.
What's The Appeal?
In the seventies and early eighties
if a romance reader wanted to find sex in her books, she had to read
Historicals. Category romance always offered a happy ending and a
lot of sexual tension but very little sex–and certainly none up
front in a book. Secret Baby books were the very first category
romances that really pushed the envelope and challenged the
"guidelines" of acceptable sexuality in romance. Obviously, to
create a baby some sexual activity must occur (barring a few
test-tube babies). The result: a very popular storyline with an
established and healthy readership.
And to further rid the taboo
of "premature sex" in a romance, don't forget that once the child is
conceived or born there is no longer a moral issue for the parent
(or the reader), because that same wonderful child is now the
ultimate payment due for any immoral act. The heroine or hero is
free of the guilt of sexual desire–by paying a lifetime of
penance, loving the child produced by that "sin."
But sex isn't
the only reason romance readers adore the secret baby book–and
why they're still so popular even in this more liberated era of
romantic fiction. The storyline taps into deep emotions–for the
heroine, hero and the reader.
Once a child is involved in a
relationship, a new kind of love emerges, one that isn't necessarily
deeper but certainly transcends the simple relationship between the
man and woman.
The shock for the parent unaware that he has
fathered a child is enormous and often is the impetus that enables a
reconciliation between a couple once believed to be impossible.
The hero and heroine often have to face challenges and grow
emotionally once they've taken on the responsibility of parenthood
that allows them to be more mature and loving in their adult love
relationship.
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