ABOUT THIS EPISODE
🔥 MEN SHOULD READ MORE ROMANCE NOVELS. There. We said it. 📚
And before you come for us… hear us out. 😂
Sarah Blessing and her book-loving neighbor Ashley Ballard sat down for one of our favorite Project Next conversations yet—and this one went places.
Why might reading romance actually help men in their own relationships?
Because these books are filled with people trying to figure each other out. Communication. Attraction. Conflict. Vulnerability. Consent. Friendship. Trauma. Trust. What makes someone feel loved—and what makes them feel unheard.
And maybe there’s something we can all learn from that.
We also need to talk about the way our culture treats the things women enjoy.
Why is reading a romance novel a “guilty pleasure”? Why should someone hide the book they’re reading because another person might think it’s silly, trashy, unrealistic or too spicy?
Read the book. Enjoy the book. You don’t need to feel guilty.
And partners: your spouse reading a romance novel isn’t necessarily a critique of you or your relationship. Sometimes a dragon is just a dragon. 😂🐉
We get into fantasy romance, Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, Ali Hazelwood, the enormous variety within romance, the books we love—and why we love them.
But this conversation becomes about something much bigger than romance novels.
It’s about being less judgmental of one another.
Just because you don’t understand why someone loves something doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with it.
People are stressed. People are carrying trauma. Money is tight. Life can be exhausting.
And sometimes having a book waiting for you at the end of a hard day is exactly what you need.
Reading can be an escape. It can be entertainment. It can build empathy. It can expose us to people and experiences different from our own. And after thousands of books between us, Ashley and Sarah talk about how reading has helped them better understand people and communicate with the world around them.
So let’s stop calling books a guilty pleasure.
Let’s stop the stigma. Let’s stop the shame. And let’s start talking about what we’re actually reading.
📖 WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?
Show us your book in the comments. Seriously. Take a picture and post it.
And MEN—we especially want to hear from you.
Are there men out there reading romance novels? 👀
We KNOW some of you are.
Tell us what you’re reading. Tell us what you think. And if you’ve never picked up a romance novel before…
maybe it’s time. 😉📚
👇 Drop your current read below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com
