Romance is defined as individual beliefs, expectations, and emotional perceptions regarding romantic relationships. Fiction readers are those who engage with imaginative romantic narratives, while non-fiction readers prefer self-help literature focused on relationships and personal growth. The present study aims to explore the idea of romance among young adult readers by comparing fiction and non-fiction (self-help) reading preferences. 30 participants aged 18–25 from Delhi were interviewed, with 15 from each reader group. A self-constructed semi-structured interview schedule was used for data collection. Snowball sampling technique was employed to recruit participants. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify emerging patterns. Findings revealed that fiction readers understood their idea of romance through themes like encouraging empathy and openness in relationships, commitment: the foundation of lasting romance, fostering escapism and high standards, broadening the perspective and values in romantic relationships, and many more, while among the non-fiction readers the observed themes addressed such as analysing modern romance through a critical lens, encouraging authenticity and practicality in relationships, factual knowledge strengthening understanding of real world issues and etc. Both genres invite readers to reflect on universal questions about humanity and the world around them. Fiction readers often idealized romantic experiences, whereas non-fiction readers expressed more pragmatic and self-reflective views. The study highlights how genre-specific reading influences young adults’s romantic ideologies. This paper helps us to understand that those who read fiction tend to develop more idealised perception about romantic relationships, which is exposed by the themes, which tell that they have more imaginative narratives. Whereas, the people who read non fiction have more practical and self-reflective perception about romantic relationships, since they believe in more practicality and authenticity. Overall, this research highlights that the genre of books young adults read plays a significant role in shaping their idea of romance and also their expectations.

Keywords: Idea of Romance, Readers, Thematic Analysis, Fiction, Non-Fiction