I’ve been asked, by friend who runs a few newspapers, to write a column about what are five romances that would change haters’ opinions about the genre. Whew. Tough gig.

One way I considered is to list five misapprehensions about romance–it’s not funny, it’s too frothy, you can’t learn anything from it, the plots are simplistic, the women just want to get married and have babies, for example. If I went with that approach, I’d consider Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material, Laura Kinsale’s Flowers from the Storm, Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, and  The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan for starters. I’m sure there are many more that would help knock out these stereotypes.

I could also go at it from the perspective of: If you think romance novels are trite, here are five that will blow you away.

How would you go at it? And what books would you suggest?

Thanks!