Is Your Man Book Cover Worthy?

I rewatched Romancing the Stone last weekend. It’s a great movie for a romance writer! (Although I liked the sequel, Jewel of the Nile, better). A few weeks ago I talked about the Sarah Brown problem, where you preplan what you think the ideal man will be like and can’t see a perfect match for you right in front of your face.

I think Joan Wilder has a slightly different, but related problem. She compares all the men in her life to the heroes of her books. They don’t measure up to her fantasy.

Do you find yourself doing this? Not necessarily with books you’ve written, but with books you read. Do you hope or expect men in real life to behave like men in your favorite books? Are books just pure fantasy to you or are they a goal to aim for? How does what you read inform your choices about whom you date?