So much for romance

Be warned, ladies: Admit you hate flowers, and your female friends will react like you just confessed to hurting babies. And hating Taylor Swift.

I love receiving flowers. It's one of the sure-fire ways to my heart.

But I can understand why other women don't like them.

Flowers can be a hassle to carry. You have to monitor the water. Then, of course, there are the disposal concerns when your roses die.

Which is why I simply nod in agreement when another woman tells me she doesn't want flowers from her boyfriend for Valentine's Day.

Others aren't as polite, accusing the flower hater of being anti-romance.

But as this Em & Lo contributor notes, traditionally romantic gestures are sometimes downright uncomfortable. And not as cool as they're cracked up to be.

She writes:

The truth is that I loathe stereotypical romantic gestures. They seem forced and sterile, full of awkward touching and unsure exploration of one another’s uncharted territories. In other words, my perception of romance puts it on par with my annual doctor’s appointment.

Now I might be a fan of flowers, but I'm anything but a hardcore romantic.

Cook me a candlelight dinner...but I will not let you spoon-feed me cheesecake. Also, I don't really enjoy holding hands.

Which stereotypical romantic gesture do you hate most?