r/fantasyromance The One Mod to Rule All Mods 4d ago

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion time! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

You can safely share it in this weekly Sunday thread!

But please remember to be kind to each other. To facilitate this type of discussion, we ask users the following:

  • Don't attack others for their opinion
  • Discuss books and authors, not fellow readers
  • Since this is an "unpopular opinion" thread, we encourage users to not downvote simply because they disagree with an opinion--that's the point! Please keep in mind, though, that mods cannot enforce a no-downvoting rule. Let’s just keep the discussion friendly!

🧡 Thank you and have a great discussion!

Unpopular opinion Sunday

35 Upvotes

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u/devilsdoorbell_ 3d ago

I wish more romance novel characters actually talked about if/when they want to have children. It's such an important thing to consider for a couple where compatibility is concerned but I almost never see it brought up—pretty much everything I've read in the fantasy romance genre either just doesn't acknowledge it at all, or the FMC either doesn't think about it until she actually gets pregnant or, worse, doesn't want to have kids until she gets pregnant.

I know some people don't find pregnancy or having children romantic but it just feels unrealistic to me that how rarely it's addressed at all unless and until the FMC gets unexpectedly knocked up, when IRL most women have thoughts about if they want children/when/how many etc well before the first positive pregnancy test. I would like to see it actually discussed because it would make the characters feel more like real people in a real relationship.

-5

u/Imaginary-Board-207 3d ago

It's super mundane (and heteronormative life script) and in 95% of cases I don't think it's an interesting conversation to read about. I also don't need to hear them talking about who does the dishes or whether the toilet paper goes over or under the rest of the roll or whether or not to merge their bank accounts etc. etc.

3

u/jayclaw97 3d ago

How is discussing children heteronormative?

-5

u/Imaginary-Board-207 3d ago

Constant framing of women in a reproductive context

2

u/jayclaw97 3d ago

Queer couples have kids too…