Hi dear friends,
Today in this month of Romance and Love Celebration I wanted to share something with you to kickstart this series of daily posts from authors and bloggers.
You all know that my main reading genre is romance and its infinite variations (YA, NA, Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary, Mystery, SciFi etc etc.) right?
No? Well you are on a romance books blog dude so if you did not realize it by now I must do something wrong!
Anyway, I digress.
I am a big romantic.
Like “Thor size” romantic. Give me roses and I smile. Give me HEA with the prince and the princess and I swoon. I spot a little boy holding hands with a little girl, being all cute together then I melt in a puddle of goo. An old couple sharing meaningful looks and tender smiles? I am a goner.
Yes I am that kind of romantic.
But what led me to that path?
My father was a big rational economist and he believed in hard work, numbers, sport and books. Preferably thrillers or crime.
Was it my mother then? Was she reading Harlequins under cover? Nope. And not under the covers either. I’ve never seen my mom read a book. Magazines about knitting and sewing yes, love books no.
So what went wrong *or right depending on how you choose to see it* along the way?
Well I blame Disney for my utter love of romance!
Ha!
You would never have guessed right?
This is the very serious conclusion I came to when trying to analyze my love for romance one night when sleep would not come. Don’t judge me you count sheeps I think about my romantic mind….
Let me explain here.
I was maybe five years old when my mom went to the theater with little Sophie *you imagine a small girl with blond hair and pigtails* to see her first Disney movie. It was Bambi!
And no Bambi is not romantic it’s just super cute and sweet. I loved it! I laughed, I cried I smiled, everything as I am easily sucked into a story.
Then it was Pinocchio and Dumbo. No harm done yet as these were not romances. I was even frightened by Pinocchio when you have that scene with the boys/donkeys being whipped!
My mom when I was around nine years old decided that I was old enough for the next level: the princesses!
You know these damzels in distress being saved by the prince? In the 70ies and 80ies we went to see these old fashion princesses.
And what happens in these movies?
-Cinderella leaves her poor house once the prince finds that the shoe fit;
-Snow White is saved and awaken by the prince’s kiss;
-Sleeping Beauty is awakened after prince Philip kisses her once he’s killed the big bad dragon;
-Ariel also gives her voice to be able to join prince Eric *what wouldn’t we do for love right?*.
Event the Lady and the Tramp is romantic! Remember that scene with the spaghetti? Hm? Romantic right?
And in the Aristocats you have the bad boy stealing the heart of the beautiful and posh Duchesse. See the trope “bad boy from the wrong side of the track vs golden girl” is a creation of Uncle Walt! Yes I tell you he inspired countless writers later as he used all the tropes in romance!
You want fantasy and magic? Try Aladdin.
You want wild nature? You have Tarzan! The protective man saving the lost maiden!
You love single parent? See Duchesse and all her kitties that she was raising alone!
You love the golden rich boy falling for the poor girl trope? Try Cinderella.
You love two heirs of kingdoms falling in Love? Sleeping beauty!
You love bridges and love is stronger than differences in races and culture? Go watch Pocahontas.
I could go on and on!
And I am asking you what does a young impressionable mind do? He imprints! He drinks it all and it shapes its psyche!
As an innocent little girl I fell in love with Disney’s princesses and love stories. And I never looked back. Ever.
I know that our modern princesses are no longer real damzels in distress! When you watch Rapunzel she escapes alone from her tower and has a deathly handling of the frying pan! Tia in the Princess and the Frog is the one looking to save the prince! Now we have strong female characters and sex equality. But the love story remains.
That’s why I fell in love with Prince Charming when he saved me from the mud (see last year’s story between Tinkerbell and Cocky Guy HERE ).
And that’s why I am still married to my savior more than twenty two years later.
That’s also why I can’t seem to let go of romances and happy endings.
That’s why you are today on this blog reading a “Nth” post about romance, love and everything romantic!
You know now where to send your claim:
Disney Studios
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA. 91506
π
Sophie@bewareofthereader’ bio
Sophie is a forty something Belgian working mom of two teenagers.
Managing two teams at work and a crazy bunch at home furry ball included was not enough for her ADHD tendencies. She began blogging on a dare and does it like everything else with utter enthusiasm. She has lived her former life as a cat and is always landing on her feet even when her blog is crashing down. Wait , no! Thatβs her IT hubs mojo operating after sheβs bribed him with her infamous β¦chocolate cake.
When she is not busy reading, writing reviews interviewing/stalking authors or clumsily following her feed you can find her on the treadmill, in the woods or in the kitchen baking for her posse.
I can see how Disney started you off. I started reading – like fun reading in High School under the advice of a therapist. I started with Dean Koontz (still my favorite). Horror is my favorite I think because of that. I tend to lean towards YA thrillers/horrors the most tho. If I could read any genre that would be my first pick then romance. There was a summer back in 2003 that every day I read a new harlequin romance. I subscribed to a ton of their series like Blaze, Historical, Presents, etc. So everyday you could find me by the pool reading a book. That year I must have read over 200 books (I wasn’t working at the time). Ah the good old days!
Mary
I’ve always love romance in books but I think that Twilight was where my love of romance really came from even though I loved the disney princesses like you. But I couldn’t care less about the princesses love story. I was all about the dresses and beautiful hair and music instead when watching them π
This made me smile, and I will admit, there are a few tears in my eyes reading about your own HEA.
My job here is done Sam!
Yes The Little Mermaid was my first introduction to romance. I am a romantic at heart. And I love Disney movies especially the classics. I like the modern ones too but I think there is strength in the damsels in distress too its just not as obvious. My favorites are when the hero and heroine work together to bring the villain down.
Collaboration! That’s how it should work in a marriage anyway π
Love this! I think Disney is the perfect “culprit” to blame for the love of romance. Who knew Walt was the originator of all those tropes?! LOL
Well Tanya I only realized it when I wrote the post LOL
Ah, you know me, I don’t consider myself a romantic, but I want to be kind of person when i’m old who shares those looks with someone π
I think Bambie was the first Disney movie i saw as well. Or possibly the mermaid one. In any case, Bambi destroyed me. I was all over the place for days!
Oh yes when he lost his mom! I was crestfallen!!!
SOPHIE!!!! You’re the best. xx
Thank you Meeghan!!!
I love this Sophie, what a great start to a fun bunch of posts about romance!!! Squeee! Should I call you PRINCESS SOPHIE?!?!
Thank you and yes please LOL!
Oh, I just love your post. I remember the wonder as I watched all of these as a little girl. Lady and the Tramp is still one of my favorites. Yes, I do love romance. It’s just that I sometimes have to dig deep to find it in all of the horror and thriller books I read. LOL Thanks for making me all girlie and smiley right now:)
You are most welcome Laura!
Wonderful post, Sophie! I am a big Disney fan and a romantic as well!
Thank you Kayla!!! I still go watch the movies LOL
Clearly is to blame for all our romantic fantasies. And then of course you have our modern day normal to royal “princess”, Meghan Markle. π
Oh yes! Meghan! You are so right Angela!!!
I love this!! <3
Thanks Angy!!
Love this post, Sophie! I’m also pretty much sucker for DISNEY fairytales. I still enjoy watching them! π
Thank you Raven! And I still watch them (at nearing 50 LOL)
There are worse things in life than being a romantic. π
Hahaha yes Jacquie! You should know all about it π
LOL Wow are we alike!!!! We are close in age and both love Disney to distraction. I was, “wait for it”….married at Disneyworld in Florida nearly 20 years ago. I totally agree…Disney was a total romantic and ruined me. And I too love the woods. I’m a wildlife photographer and spent a lot of hours in them enjoying the peace and tranquility….and the animals π
I have discovered that you are a wildlife photographer Tracey! I love your pictures!!!
You big Disney softy, Sophie. Why am I not surprised you fell in love with love? Ha! Ha! And why not. Romance fuels the world and without it we truly would be living a dystopian life. So here’s a BIG cheer to a little (or a lot) of romance in our lives, one way or another. π
Bwahahaha yes I am a big Disney softy Alexandra and I love it!