Always the Romantic - Kristin Rae

I think I've always read books with that need for a bit of romance in them. I've blogged here before about my obsession with the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard, but I was also obsessed with Mandie's relationship with a boy named Jonathan. I was intrigued that a girl could be best friends with a boy--at that time in my young life, my close friends were all girls. Throughout the series, the author barely hinted at the characters' crushes on each other. But my crush on Jonathan was big enough for all of us. I'd get all tingly thinking This could be the book where he finally kisses her! Total sap. I still am. And what's sad is I don't even remember what became of their friendship. Maybe one day I'll reread those books.

But the biggest character impression came in high school when my best friend made me read Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember. Holy moly. I don't even know how many times I read that book. And I probably wouldn't even like it now, but back then I was a blubbering mess of romancy feels. That was the first book I fell head over heels in love with the characters, and more importantly, with THE BOY. Why weren't real boys like Landon Carter?

Still as I read today, no matter the sub genre (I mostly read YA), I'm disappointed if there's not some kind of romance thing worked in. I'm not one of those that complains about the latest fantasy or dystopian and how the girl shouldn't be worrying about which boy she likes more because her brother is missing or she has to save the world from evil. I can handle them all wrapped together. You'd never guess I write YA romance, would you?