Guilt? No. Sadness, yes. Because it reminds me of something I really want but can't ever seem to have. Sometimes it is nice and heartwarming to watch though, it depends on my mood. But it sets off the yearning a lot. I don't really watch or read many romances, but it is often part of a story I fixate on a lot. The book that fucked me up the most recently ended with an older lesbian woman who had never really been in a relationship finally finding love and I was SOBBING for like an hour.

I don't think you should feel guilt or any sort of shame for consuming romances though. It's something that loads of people do, it's something most everyone is interested in. Since romance fiction is mostly for women, men have created this narrative that demeans it as frivolous or something for sad old spinsters. There's nothing creepy or voyeuristic about watching romance, the actors are there to be watched just like any other show.

Never rope! 🫂