The Unreality of Fiction

"That would never happen in real life."

That comment (or one similar) has shown up in numerous reviews and I just don't get it. Isn't that the point of fiction - to take us out of our real lives and transport us to a different reality for a couple of hours?

For example: in The Collector by Nora Roberts the main characters meet in a police station where she is the witness to a crime and he is a suspect. Granted, the police would keep them apart in the real world but it's the best way for them to meet for the storyline.

Let me put it this way: do you go to the movies expecting to see reality? I would say "no" unless you're watching a documentary. Take the Die Hard movies for example. In what world would any of that happen (other than terrorists taking over an office building)? So what is so different about a book? As an author I try to keep my stories grounded in reality but, ultimately, it's all about the story - it's my story and it will be told my way.

I'm not saying they're wrong, I'm just saying that it doesn't make any sense to me.

Here is my question for the week: Do the books you read have to be "real"?