RACINE - Racine has its own growing population of romance novel readers, according to a local used bookstore owner. And not all of them are women.

"Even the men are reading them now," said Vicki Spanske, the owner of Shared Dream Used Books, 3030 Lathrop Ave. "Nora Roberts. Janet Evanovich. I see it all the time."

Spanske said everyone's lives - men and women alike - are hectic right now. A bad economy, job loss and home foreclosures are a tough reality. She said romance novels can be used as an escape.

"It's relaxing," she said. "Things are tough right now. People are looking for someone to give them a different direction. That's a big part of it. They just want to escape."

Spanske has kept track of how many books her store has sold since she opened it six years ago. Her records also tell her the genre of sold books. Since January, she's sold 3,000 romance novels, compared to 2,200 suspense novels.

"I've definitely seen an increase in (romance novels sold)," she said. "A lot of women that use to read suspense are now switching to romance suspense. It's lighter and less violent."

Almost half the books she has sold since opening are romance novels. The most favored authors are Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber and James Patterson - who recently dropped from second to third most sold by Spanske.

Men and women both enjoy these authors, Spanske said. There are several other authors that appeal to both genders with romantic suspense, such as Lisa Jackson, she said.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits to using romance novels as a form of escape during tough economic times is the price - especially if you buy used.

Spanske said the average price for a romance novel at her store is $3.75, which is typically half of the list price. Regular customers who turn in books also get exchange credits and usually pay about $1.75 per novel.

Spanske said the bad economy has actually meant better business for her.