Can reading romance novels affect your view of relationships?

In my opinion, it depends on the age and the type of the reader. When the reader is young, like a teenager or a young adult who has not yet really matured in her lovelife; she would tend to become idealistic because of the happy endings and the idea of the 'tall, dark and handsome'. Whereas when the reader has gone through life's trials especially pertaining to lovelife, reading romance novels would just be a hobby and not to be taken seriously. I think that since you're already married and reading romances is for the fun of it, I guess you should explain to your husband how you came about to love reading and hopefully he'd understand.

Just keep on reading those romance novels if they make you have a happier outlook in life. Your husband remarked that way because, he doesn't share this interest of yours hence, he doesn't see the joy you get from reading them. I used to read romance novels for some years and I can say that it has not altered my views in life. I liked reading them because they were easy to read, and treats life at its lightest side. It gives us some breather from this very intricate world, especially, in coping with family life. I don't see any reason why you should deny yourself any of these simple things in life, which help you unload that inexplainable feeling of heaviness which you will be experiencing from time to time.

It depends upon the person, there are persons that are easily influenced by the book they read but there are people like you that just reads for enjoyment. I guess you should try to talk with your husband that your doing it just for the fun of it and nothing more.

I haven't read a romance novel in years (I'm more into crime, mystery, etc. now) but what I do remember of them, it seems that the story is always more about the chase - the book always ends just as the guy gets the girl, then they live happily ever after and the book doesn't go into the late nights, the money problems, the kids, the in-laws, the job stress etc. Real life romance doesn't end when the chase is over. Life just isn't like that. Well, I guess in some aspects it is, in that so much hype is put into a couple's "wedding day" when the focus should really be on the marriage itself.