Quote Of The Day By Rebecca Yarros: 'I Think Romance Is Pretty Radical...'

Authors have a way with words, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that their insights about life and even love can carry the weight of a manifesto. And who better to remind us of that than Rebecca Yarros? Yarros is a top romantasy writer, which is a genre we really wish Reese's Book Club would pick more often. The author's "The Empyrean" series dominated the NYT Best Sellers list in 2025 and has been optioned for a massive TV series adaptation. 

Born in Washington, D.C., to parents in the military, Yarros spent her childhood adjusting to being on the go as an "army brat." Later, she would also become a military spouse. In a 2025 interview with Elle, the author said books have always been her constant sanctuary. Since then, they have always been a major part of the bestselling author's life. Decades later, she would send her husband off to deployment and turn to writing to process the weight of life, and "Full Measures" would become her very first published novel in 2014. 

Despite being nominated that year for a Goodreads Choice Award as a favorite debut author, it would be nearly another decade before she received the recognition she truly deserved. The mother of six has been through it all. From preserving and never giving up on her passion to championing the power of women's stories, her earned wisdom makes Rebecca Yarros today's quote of the day. 

In December 2025, Rebecca Yarros sat down with "The Book Hook: Books as Resistance" for a candid conversation about the importance of disabled representation in fantasy and romance, navigating overnight stardom, and, of course, her literary works. During the interview, the author was asked what she thought of writing about heroines who fight fiercer than anyone, but also enjoy shameless romance. 

Yarros laid out her philosophy: "I think romance is pretty radical and feminist because it's women saying 'This is what we deserve. This is what we want. We can be everything or nothing, whatever we choose, but this is what we feel like we deserve.'"

That unapologetic female desire and strength is precisely why her work continues to resonate with so many readers worldwide. Yarros chooses to give the heroines of her stories both battle scars and love stories, reminding readers that strength and vulnerability never have to be mutually exclusive in women's stories. 

In the interview with "The Book Hook: Books as Resistance," Rebecca Yarros made it clear that it doesn't matter what you are doing as a woman as long as you're choosing to do so. Whether you're a homemaker, have a thriving career on Wall Street, or a dragon rider slaying monsters, the ultimate act of female empowerment and feminism is having the freedom to decide your own fate. 

The author wanted women to know she loves her successful writing career, but she also enjoys being a present mom and a wife to her husband. Those roles don't have to be in conflict and they are the very choices that make her life more fulfilling. In today's world, there are so many societal expectations and norms placed on women, and Yarros is right in that you don't have to check every single box to live an empowering life. 

Instead of living up to everyone else's expectations, you have to realize true autonomy is actually about claiming what feels right for you. As Yarros said in the interview, "Feminism is a choice. If you want to stay home, we're all for it. Just know that the choice is what's [yours]." 

• "You look all frail and breakable, but you're really a violent little thing, aren't you?"
• "Lies are comforting. Truth is painful." 
• "I am the sky and the power of every storm that has ever been. I am infinite."
• "The right way isn't the only way." 
• "Don't borrow tomorrow's trouble."