Signs That You’re the Main Character in a Gothic Romance

Gothic fiction is one of my all-time favorite genres, as are many of their variants — namely, gothic romance. What isn’t there to love about a genre of creepy manors, repressed passions, and mysterious yet potentially deadly secrets? Nothing, that’s what. Brooding love interests and borderline, if not full-on, dysfunctional love stories? I’m in. I’m so in. I’m far from the only person who thinks so. Gothic romance has enjoyed an enduring popularity since Ann Radcliffe published A Sicilian Romance in 1790. Suddenly, gothic novels began to star innocent young women who had to deal with unspeakable terrors in order to be with their true love. Think of Jane Eyre and Rebecca, stories where a mysterious ancestral house sets the stage for danger, tension, secrets, and love. Now, is gothic romance something that only happens in fiction? Certainly not. Think of all the haunted houses out there. All the family secrets that could lead to a patriarch’s ruin. All the mad wives in attics worldwide. The reality is that, at any given time, you could find yourself the main character of a gothic romance. In order to survive, you need to play your cards right. But how can you do that if you don’t rea...