At its core, my work asks: What happens when couples don’t just consume stories, but use them as a bridge to better understand themselves and each other?

My findings suggest that shared reading—whether through reading the same book, listening to audiobooks together, reading aloud, or even just discussing favorite scenes—can meaningfully support couples in communicating more openly about their thoughts, feelings, desires, and needs. Romance novels offer accessible, emotionally rich narratives that help people put language to experiences that can otherwise feel difficult to name.

But this isn’t just about books—it’s about what books make possible.

Romance stories often model vulnerability, consent, repair, desire, and emotional attunement. They give readers a low-stakes way to explore fantasies, challenge internalized scripts, and build curiosity about their own relational patterns. In therapy, I use these narratives as a form of bibliotherapy—helping individuals and couples connect more deeply with core relational needs like safety, closeness, autonomy, desire, and being truly seen.

The following chapter on Reading for Connection was published in Bridging Theory and Practice in Psychosexual Therapy: Cultural and Clinical Global Insights, edited by Caleb Jacobson, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2026.