I feel like I struggle with this in all facets, especially as I love fantasy books and it tends to make me feel more down about my real, mundane life, but I feel like I notice the most impact when it comes to relationships.
This isn’t just my current one, but also great relationships I’ve had in the past that ended amicably. I’m in a great relationship now. He’s loving, caring, attentive, romantic, handsome, hard-working, etc etc. But I feel like every time I read a romance novel (especially one written by a woman), it makes me look at all of my relationships in a new light in my head. No one is freaking perfect and lord knows I’m far from it, but a lot of the male love interests I’ve read about in novels are portrayed to perfection with the perfect amount of emotional intelligence that just no real person has.
I don’t know. I love my current relationship and I’m very serious about it, but I don’t love how romance books always ignites this insanely unachievable hopelessly romantic side of me. Do I just have to stop reading completely lol? Is anyone else like this? What can I do?
You explain this well.
I’ve been trying to explain that same thing to a lot of people.
My boyfriend and I have been together for four years already.
The 1 month after getting together was one of the peaks or my life and I didn’t think life would get better. Things eventually settled and we’re happy and comfortable.
Admittedly, I feel the FOMO when I read books and talk to my friends about their love life but I’m pretty satisfied since I get to experience those same butterflies from fanfiction and books haha.