What do you think about romance novels?

Lay aside the stereotypes and the skepticism and tell me what you really, honestly think about romance novels. It can be stories by Jane Austen or Nora Roberts. A recent statistic showed that half of what is published today is from the romantic genre. We're not talking a here: just mainstream romance, the love stories--not the stories. What is your opinion of this genre and why do you think people are snapping them up left and right?