Abby Jimenez | Shelf Love
Star baker Abby Jimenez can whip up romances as easily as she does cakes. Winner of the baking reality show Cupcake Wars, and founder of Nadia Cakes, Jimenez’s foray into young adult and romance came when she wanted to write the stories she wanted to read.
But not all students in public schools across America have access to read romances that they want to read. PEN America’s recent reports found that romance novels are increasingly censored for including sexual content. Popular romance fiction can be a great resource for teenagers to learn about love and desire, and spark productive, and often pivotal, conversations about boundaries and consent. With Shelf Love, an interview series with romance authors, PEN America, in collaboration with Authors Against Book Bans, of which Allen is a national leader, is celebrating the love for writing and reading about love.
For the eighth installment, we spoke to Jimenez, now a bestselling author of Life’s Too Short, Just For The Summer! and the just-released, Say You’ll Remember Me, about the value and resurgence of romance as a genre.
What was the first romance novel you ever read? What is the last romance novel you read?
I can’t remember the name, but my first romance novel was a 1990’s bodice ripper. I loved them, I’d blow through several a month. The last one I read was Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady. Such a cute modern day version of You’ve Got Mail!
Why do you write romance novels? Who do you write them for?
I started writing romance for me. I wanted to write the kind of romance I wanted to read. Now I write them for the readers I share them with.
Why do romance novels matter?
Escapism, distraction, the depiction of healthy relationships—-romance novels teach empathy, they show us lives that are different from ours with the one thing that is universal for all of us. Love. It’s an emotional safe space that always comes with a happy ending.
Why do you think the romance genre has seen such a resurgence in pop culture?
I think we’ve needed romance more than ever these last couple of years. Something to deliver us from the realities of the current state of the world and give us a happy resolution that we can rely on.
What value does romance bring to literature writ large?
For many, romance is the gateway to reading. They pick up an easily digestible romance novel and move into other genres as their passion for reading ignites.
What has been the most rewarding part of being a romance writer?
I love delivering important topics within my romance novels. Readers know they’ll get a happy ever after or a happy for now, while also delving into serious issues that people face within the love story.
Abby Jimenez is a Food Network winner, #1 New York Times best selling author, and recipient of the 2022 Minnesota Book Award for her novel Life’s Too Short. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and, like her books, has amassed an international following. Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.
