Holding Space

Love and Life with Lisa 🌹 Holding Space A conversation about depression, love, boundaries, and the people who stay 🌿 Gentle Note Before We Begin This post contains a personal reflection on depression, grief, and emotional healing. There are no graphic details, but I speak honestly about pain, loss, and the journey back to myself. If today feels tender, please read gently, pause when needed, or come back when it feels right. You are always allowed to take care of your heart. Come, come — sit with me. Grab yourself a drink, and let’s talk about holding space . This is a conversation about depression, love, boundaries, and the people who stay. I’m going to tell you a story, and I want to be honest with you — it’s an emotional one for me. If my words feel heavy at times, or if you sense tears behind them, it’s because I got to t...
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Down Memory Lane With Romance

Come, come sit with me…

I actually had a whole different blog ready to go — something fun about the romance guys we secretly adore and why they make us weak in the knees. But my heart tugged me somewhere else today. My heart wanted to tell you another story.

It wanted to take you back… down memory lane, to the moment I first fell in love with romance.

I was 14 when I picked up my first Harlequin. And the only reason I even grabbed it? Because my mom used to read them.

Girl, she’d be sitting in her chair with that soft little smile on her face — you know the kind, the “I’m living in this book right now” smile. And I wanted to know what was making her smile like that.

Okay… truth? I had to sneak the book to read it. Little 14-year-old me creeping over to grab it the second she put it down. 😊

What did I even know at 14 about romance? Absolutely nothing. But I wanted to be like my mom.

And let me tell you… that little romance bug bit me good. Once it got me, it never let go. Romance has been part of my life ever since.

Growing up, romance books were everywhere in our house — kitchen table, living room, nightstands, and yes… even the bathroom. 😂

But as I got older, the romance grew with me.

I branched out from Harlequin and stepped into the deeper side of romance — the stories with more intensity, more emotion, more fire.

Is “intense” the right word? Or should I just be honest and say the books got a little more… smutty? 🤭

Because listen — I LOVE everything about romance:

  • the slow burns that tighten your chest
  • the tension that makes you flip pages like you’re running
  • the heat that sneaks up on you
  • and the hot-as-hell morally gray men who make you question your life choices

Here’s my truth:

Life was not always easy. But having romance books in my life made it easier — softer — something I could escape into when the real world felt a little too loud.

I loved that I could imagine the world I was reading. I could live inside it for a few hours. I could breathe in a different life, a different love, a different ending.

And listen… I had A LOT of book boyfriends growing up. They kept me entertained when I needed comfort, distraction, or just a little spark in my day. And even when I started dating? My real boyfriends knew one thing:

Books were never leaving my life.

To me, romance has always been the beautiful idea that two people — sometimes from totally different worlds — can meet, collide, and fall in love.

Is that love easy? No. Do other people get involved? Of course. Is there chaos, tension, heartbreak? Always.

But the magic of romance is this:

At the end of the book, you know there will be a happily ever after. You just don’t know how.

And I always wanted to know the how.

Not everyone is going to understand why I read romance. And honestly? That used to bother me a little.

But over time I realized something simple:

People judge what they don’t experience. And they comment on what they don’t feel.

Some people will never understand the comfort a romance book gives. They won’t understand how a story can calm your mind after a hard day… or how a fictional couple can teach you real things about loyalty, love, and connection.

And you know what? I’m at peace with that.

Romance is part of my life — my joy, my comfort, my escape, my little corner of happiness.

I don’t need approval for that. I don’t need permission. I don’t need anyone to “get it” before I enjoy it.

Romance found me when I needed it. And it stayed.

As I’ve gotten older, romance has become more than stories — it’s become a place to breathe.

A place where loyalty still matters. Where connection is deep. Where love is flawed but real. Where two people fight for each other instead of against each other.

Romance reminds me that love doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. It just has to be true.

And maybe that’s why I still read it — because in a world that can feel heavy, romance reminds me of who I am, what I deserve, and the softness I still believe in.

Whisper: “The stories we carry become the threads that stitch us back together.” 🌹

So my romance readers tell me —
which book boyfriend will you be curling up with tonight? 😉

🔥 Book Boyfriends You Might Want to Curl Up With Tonight

Since we’re talking about romance… here are a few of my favourite book boyfriends — the ones that made me blush, swoon, and stay up way too late flipping pages.

These are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Love and Life with Lisa.

I’d love to hear from you — email me and tell me which book boyfriend has your heart tonight.
loveandlifewithlisa@gmail.com

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