Romances are an often critiqued form of literature. Some contend that romances do not merit the title of "literature," as they have repetitive formulas that lack substance. However, the increasing popularity of romance novels has attracted the attention of scholars and critics who are both intrigued and concerned with this evolving genre and its impact on women. In this research, I move beyond the motivations women hold for reading romances and explore how women interpret and evaluate romance narratives, and how these narratives facilitate women's engagement with their real life circumstances. Drawing from in-depth interviews with nine women who regularly read romances, I analyze themes of "escapism" and "active versus passive reading," showing that romance reading serves as a crucial resistive practice for women. The critical practice of romance reading offers a private space where women release the tensions of everyday life and reflect and critically engage with their fears, fantasies, and daily life challenges. Countering the argument that romances negatively influence women readers, 1 show how engagement with texts impacts readers' life experiences.