WANTED: HAPPY ENDINGS

I was browsing in the bookstore today, and chanced to pick up a new release from one of my favourite romance novelist. I started flipping through the pages to get a gist of the story, when I got caught at one of the pages….with a mounting sense of horror…..

I re-read those few pages several times, trying to convince myself that I got it all wrong, but no one heard my frantic prayers. The bad news was confirmed – she killed off the hero of another of her novels in those pages! Sacrilege!

These books belong to a series of loosely connected novels. The novels themselves are stand-alone but all do share a general loose storyline and certain common characters. As is usual with such novels, protagonists of one novel can appear as cameos, or sometimes even relatively important characters in others.

Back to the sacrilegious affair, in an earlier book in this particular series, this couple, Tess and Nash, got their happily-ever-after. In subsequent novels, I managed to visit with perky Tess and handsome Nash occasionally, and was well assured of their continued happiness. But in this most recent release, the novelist killed Nash off!

Some people may appreciate unexpected endings in their novels. Some people say that’s life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for me. Hey, the reason why I enjoy romance stories is because I’m an obvious romantic at heart. I want the happy-ever-afters. I want the “Aww…so sweet..” feeling that the stories engender. Hell, if I wanted sad endings, I could just read the damn papers. If I wanted real life, I would have read non-fiction.

To add insult to injury, she didn’t even kill him off in his own book. She gave them their happily ever after, then took it away! A gift, followed by a slap. I came home from the bookstore and contemplated Tess and Nash’s book, which was sitting on my shelf. There was no way I was ever going to re-read the book, since all I would be able to think of would be the fact that their happiness would not last past the next two novels. No happy-ever-after in the long run. No sweet, achy feelings in the region of my heart.

I do not believe I am alone in my quest for happy endings. Some time ago, I finished this beautiful romance story that had a somewhat sad ending. The heroine lost her memory and forgot the hero at the end of the story. Apparently, fans of the novelist protested so violently that she had to write up an alternative happy ending and publish it with a subsequent novel to appease them.

Anyway, I put that new release back on the shelf and left the bookstore empty handed. And Tess and Nash’s book would probably find its way back into the resale market. Sad endings, even belated ones, shall not mar my pristine bookshelves.

EDIT:

I just checked out the author's webpage, and it seems I might just have been a tad hasty in mouthing off without finishing the whole book. Nash didn't get killed off after all. I still have my happy ending.