I write “fluffy” young adult books. Romantic comedies, with lots of butterflies and tropes and kissing and comedic relief. They’re classic “beach reads,” that are “feel-good” and “escapist.”
Does that make you think less of them?
Do you wish I wrote about pain and trauma? Darkness? That I had a more speculative or literary lens? Are my pop culture references too bubblegum pop? Maybe you’d think more highly of me if there was more grit—if the setting wasn’t an idyllic beach town or New York City and Paris only on the sunniest days. What would make my book artsy and innovative enough to be spared from preconceived notions about the quality of a romantic comedy?
I sold my first two books to HarperCollins at the age of 25, and now—about to turn 30—my fourth novel is coming out in September, and I’ve just turned in a new manuscript to my agent. People are typically impressed, which I’ll admit feels nice, but there’s also always been a quiet understanding that my books aren’t necessarily anything to be taken too seriously.
Except they are.
Because I actually think there’s something very important about providing those feel-good, optimistic reads to young queer people. Especially as the world becomes scarier for them.
I’ve found that there are those who think if I’m writing these bright summer reads, I must be lacking some version of substance they find from other creatives. I must be shallow, vapid, and focused only on having a beach-ready body like the characters in my books. Showing teens going to parties or engaging in celebrity gossip, shopping, and laying out by the pool, I must not have much going on upstairs. Because none of these things can exist alongside depth, right?
But upon reading my books, they might realize there’s actually a layered exploration of insecurities and coming of age and belonging. Self-awareness doesn’t happen overnight, but my characters are on journeys, finding themselves and figuring out where and how they fit in.
The protagonists in my books are complex and nuanced, going through an emotional arc throughout the course of the book. They learn to trust themselves, determine their own self-worth, and how to balance their dreams and goals.
My books are fun and light-hearted for the most part. They’re quick reads—books I hope become comfort reads full of nostalgia, as my own favorite novels have—but within their pages, there is depth. There is something to be learned and taken away. And even if there weren’t, guess what? They give queer teens a sense of hope that they can find love. That there are all kinds of romances out there and that they deserve a happy ending just as much as anybody.
I’ve gotten messages from readers who have told me how my books changed their lives. I’m telling you that with humility—truly, ask my boyfriend, because when I get these messages, my first instinct is to be like wait, are they for real? They mean MY book?? But it’s true. Some that stick out: older readers who wish they had these books when they were young, a reader who ended a toxic long-term relationship, another who joined a sports team after reading I Like Me Better, or the reader who was inspired to pursue a new major/career.
My books do deserve to be taken seriously, it turns out.
I’m going to make a real effort to stop talking about my books the way society conditions us to treat rom-coms. I hope you’ll also stop and think about the words and tone you use when talking about romance books or movies or TV shows. They don’t have to be ‘guilty pleasures.’ You can just enjoy them. You can take what you need from them and leave the rest. If you want to create them, you can do so without feeling like it needs some kind of disclaimer about your intelligence.
My books are fluffy, beach reads, and I’m immensely proud of them.
EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, my next book, is out in September, and I am excited to shout about how much I love it.
Signed & Personalized Copies are available from my local independent bookstore, The BookMark. They’re the best—please support them if you can. (This bookstore also loosely inspired the shop in If You Change Your Mind!)
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Thank you for reading!
xx Robby
Just discovered your Instagram and now this substack! I am very glad the algo brought me to your page. I’m working on a first novel, have no clue what I’m doing but love the journey and you’re very inspiring
Yes to this!! Joy and rom-coms and love are important!! I’m a firm believer there is no such thing as guilty pleasures, just pleasures!!