Romance readers (in large part on BookTok) agreed on something, which is honestly more shocking than the actual controversy. We hear arguments constantly about... spice vs. no spice, dog-earing pages, first person vs. third, and on and on.
But when someone trademarked "Hot Girls Read." Romance readers collectively said, "...absolutely not."
It reminded me why this community, however imperfect it can be, is so special. Within this community, we do more than love books. We recommend our favorites, obsess over tropes, celebrate indie authors, and somehow manage to turn complete strangers into friends over fictional characters. Maybe that's why this one hit such a nerve. That phrase wasn't something to capitalize on. It belonged to all of us.
Turns out the hottest thing about romance readers isn't what we read. It's how fiercely we protect our community. |