I feel like I struggle with this in all facets, especially as I love fantasy books and it tends to make me feel more down about my real, mundane life, but I feel like I notice the most impact when it comes to relationships.

This isn’t just my current one, but also great relationships I’ve had in the past that ended amicably. I’m in a great relationship now. He’s loving, caring, attentive, romantic, handsome, hard-working, etc etc. But I feel like every time I read a romance novel (especially one written by a woman), it makes me look at all of my relationships in a new light in my head. No one is freaking perfect and lord knows I’m far from it, but a lot of the male love interests I’ve read about in novels are portrayed to perfection with the perfect amount of emotional intelligence that just no real person has.

I don’t know. I love my current relationship and I’m very serious about it, but I don’t love how romance books always ignites this insanely unachievable hopelessly romantic side of me. Do I just have to stop reading completely lol? Is anyone else like this? What can I do?

  • angry-grapefruit@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I like my fictional men traumatized, hot, shitty at communication, and rich. Couldn’t deal with a dude like that in real life.

    I like my real life husband goofy, asks for help, and holds down a job. I’d like him to be rich but meh.

    • KiwiTheKitty@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Yeah lol not in a relationship currently, but what I like in fiction would be insufferable irl.