I definitely put myself in the I-don't-read-or-like-romance-novels category, but I read an article that has me thinking I've been wrong and that I should seek them out. Come discuss this with me — and share your recommendations!
I used to read romance novels a long time ago -1960’s & 70’s.
My mom read them and I read everything in the house.
Then I was raped.
In my healing and as I started my feminism radicalization I read Susan Brownmiller’s “Against our will”.
I could no longer stomach the rape fantasy that seemed to be at the core of those novels. So I don’t read them anymore.
I am an omnivore and read 4-5 books/week, mostly novels, many “trash”.
In the last 2 years (since Kavanaugh) I am trying to only read women authors because male authors have had entirely too much space and I am doing my little bit to deny them a voice.
I try to avoid authors men or women who use rape or violence against women as titillation.
Has the Romance genre changed in the last 40 years? (Fifty shades arguing no?)
I love romance novels. They are my happy place. I used to be snobby about them too, until I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 12 years ago. That got me hooked. There are so many good books in this genre, many really well-written. I'm a former publishing editor, have my masters in English Literature, and a doctorate degree - only sharing this to say that well-educated women read and enjoy romance too! The Bridgerton series was written by a very smart woman, Julia Quinn, who began Yale Medical School when her books took off. Diana Gabaldon has her Ph.D. Sherry Thomas, another fave, is also well-educated and taught herself English! You can learn a lot about history through romance novels, social and otherwise (The Bronze Horseman comes to mind). There are the old, classic romance novels - Georgette Heyer is fun and funny - and the novels recently written making a splash - Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore is one of those. And there is a lot of variety in romance so that you can find your niche and whatever makes you happy. Plus, romance novels break down the stereotype of woman as not interested in sex or that sex is somehow taboo, which to me is feminism. Anyway, clearly I love this genre. You should try it!
Definitely try it! I started reading romance novels during the pandemic and haven’t stopped. Some of my favorite authors are Talia Hibbert, Christina Lauren, Abby Jiminez, Julia Quinn, Jasmine Guillory, Jen Deluca, and Kate Clayborn. I haven’t branched out into the Fabio-type covers…but I probably will any day now!
I enjoy romance novels too - and since my son died six months ago I haven’t been able to read nonfiction or anything that isn't guaranteed a happy ending…Although any sex has to definitely be consensual. My favourite author is Mary Balogh, a fellow Canadian who writes Regency romances with intelligent heroines. And consensual sex!
I was in the "don't like romance" category for so long, but now I love reading romance! The women in the romances I've read (including those set in the past) are NOT helpless or oppressed - they are real people with real problems, who also find love. It saddens me that I spent so long turning my nose up at stories in which women have good sex and also navigated communication, consent, jobs, children, and all the regular parts of life. Why are classics featuring hundreds of pages of death and drudgery held up as "good reading" while stories in which women get happy endings are maligned and called frivolous and not worth our time?
And let's not forget that there are growing numbers of romance books featuring the relationships of LGBTQ+ individuals as well! It's not all heterosexual relationships out there.
I count myself among those readers who turned to romance a few years ago in attempt to both read more female writers and to guarantee a happy ending at the end of the story. I somehow stumbled across the podcast Fated Mates: https://fatedmates.net/, which discusses the romance genre from an almost academic perspective. The hosts are both fans, as well as industry professionals. They have some great episodes that explain how these books are tools against the patriarchy, which also address the problematic (rapey) history. They also have some really great episodes which are just recommendations by trope, if you are looking for a place to start.
NPRs Pop Culture Happy Hour does an annual review of romance novels and always includes lots of recs for “non-traditional” (cis white) books and authors. Romance still isn’t my jam but it’s a vast genre that definitely should get more respect.
I loved reading until I hit high school and then all of my reading was assigned. Once I graduated I read Remembrance by Jude Deveraux and I was hooked. It was such a complicated story and kept my attention. I liked it so much that I went out and got more of her books. I've been reading them for 20 years. She writes about several families and it is nice to see characters from previous books pop up in new storylines. I move a lot and when I need grounding I go to the library and get one of her books. They are comforting even if I haven't read it before.
Smart Readers, Trashy Books is a smart, self-aware, feminist, sex-positive, and LGBTQ+
positive website which I love for finding new recommendations. The trope of rape in romance novels is called old skool there, and it is very much out of fashion now - but that's the trope to avoid to stay away from those books. The recs in the article linked were really good, and I would also recommend Courtney Milan for very woman- positive historicals, as well as Tessa Dare, Sarah McLean, Julia Quinn, and Lisa Kleypas. Great women of color writers are Alyssa Cole, Courtney Milan, Alisha Rai, Talia Hibbert and lots more. Queer-positive romance is really big, in that you will find F/F, M/M, M/M/F etc etc etc books very easily (F=female, M= male) and bi, demi-sexual, asexual, trans and more protagonists. Also books ranging from no sex at all to erotica to intense SM/BD themes to.... anything you might be interested in. Plus, books with neuro-diverse heroes and heroines who are positively and realistically written, e.g. Talia Hibbert. Fyi, Romance Writers of America (RWA) went through a big scandal for being racist last year that they are (maybe) limping back from, so trigger warning for content related to that.
Also I have a PhD and I vividly remember a grad student party years ago, when many grad students excitedly recommended romance writers to each other... to challenge one of the stereotypes around romance readers and writers.
My sisters and I read the romance novels off my mom’s shelf when we were in our early teens. We all 3 still read them and enjoy them. We each have different tastes and often read them between reading other non romance books!
Regarding the definition of a romance novel, I know Romance Writers of America has a definition. The parts that I remember are that a romantic relationship(s) is at the center of the plot and there has to be a happy ending. I could very possibly be remembering wrong though. Mary Bly aka Eloisa James is another writer who is smart and eloquent on the topic of romance novels. I like her point about the importance of foregrounding women’s desire. I started reading romance novels in 2014 right after having my first child and have never looked back. (They helped me get excited about having sex again—ha ha! But also thank you, romance novels!) I started by working through npr’s 100 swoon-worthy romances list (which feels a little old now but is still a good reference point). I am very happy to see a more and more inclusive roster of authors and characters in the romance space. I also find there are many romance novelists who are thinking very carefully and writing persuasively about issues like consent in their novels which I appreciate. And they can be just so fun and delightful which I really need in my life. Some of my very favorite authors are Sherry Thomas and KJ Charles.
I just turned 40 and started reading romance novels accidentally in the 8th grade with a mystery-futuristic-police procedural by J.D. Robb. I learned that's the pseudonym for Nora Roberts, arguably the most prolific romance novelist ever. I have read all of her books and find them to be romance, yes, but also mysteries and dramas, and full of information about various things I never otherwise would have learned about such as horses and treasure hunting and glass blowing. She creates wonderful worlds and I recommend her novels to anyone who wants to be entertained, feel some romance, and also get a bit of drama or mystery.
I started reading Harlequin romances when I was in high school but then fizzled out on reading for fun after so much reading in college and grad school. I picked them up again in the my early thirties but was soon got tired of the old fashion tropes, outdated depictions of relationships, and misogynistic attitudes.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I quickly burned through several cozy mystery series which led me to a romance by one of the mystery writers. I started looking for more romances and quickly discovered how much they've changed over the past couple of decades! The old tropes might still be there (e.g., friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, fake relationships, marriage of convenience), but the storylines are modern, realistic, and fun. The female characters are strong and confident, there's a lot more diversity. Plus I've yet to come across anything that seemed the least bit rapey. (Although there have been a few situations that would violate HR policy!)
I highly recommend the following authors: Talia Hibbert, (Brown Sisters series), Alisha Rai (Modern Love series), Christina Lauren, Rachel Lynn Solomon (The Ex Talk), Mia Sosa (Love on Cue series), Emily Henry, Casey McQuiston, and Alexis Hall (Boyfriend Material).
I not only read them, I write them. There is so much diversity in what is offered in this genre and there truly is something for everyone. It's the number one selling genre in publishing for a reason - because it makes people happy. The shame around it and the condescension is really unfortunate. I've even had a very famous actor/comedian use my book cover for a cheap laugh but he, thankfully, realized the stereotype he was promoting and actually bothered to read one of my books and changed his opinion of romance, which was amazing. https://ew.com/books/2018/01/15/paul-scheer-hockey-romance-novel-victoria-denault-score/
I used to read romance novels a long time ago -1960’s & 70’s.
My mom read them and I read everything in the house.
Then I was raped.
In my healing and as I started my feminism radicalization I read Susan Brownmiller’s “Against our will”.
I could no longer stomach the rape fantasy that seemed to be at the core of those novels. So I don’t read them anymore.
I am an omnivore and read 4-5 books/week, mostly novels, many “trash”.
In the last 2 years (since Kavanaugh) I am trying to only read women authors because male authors have had entirely too much space and I am doing my little bit to deny them a voice.
I try to avoid authors men or women who use rape or violence against women as titillation.
Has the Romance genre changed in the last 40 years? (Fifty shades arguing no?)
Have we changed in the last 40 years?
I love romance novels. They are my happy place. I used to be snobby about them too, until I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 12 years ago. That got me hooked. There are so many good books in this genre, many really well-written. I'm a former publishing editor, have my masters in English Literature, and a doctorate degree - only sharing this to say that well-educated women read and enjoy romance too! The Bridgerton series was written by a very smart woman, Julia Quinn, who began Yale Medical School when her books took off. Diana Gabaldon has her Ph.D. Sherry Thomas, another fave, is also well-educated and taught herself English! You can learn a lot about history through romance novels, social and otherwise (The Bronze Horseman comes to mind). There are the old, classic romance novels - Georgette Heyer is fun and funny - and the novels recently written making a splash - Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore is one of those. And there is a lot of variety in romance so that you can find your niche and whatever makes you happy. Plus, romance novels break down the stereotype of woman as not interested in sex or that sex is somehow taboo, which to me is feminism. Anyway, clearly I love this genre. You should try it!
Definitely try it! I started reading romance novels during the pandemic and haven’t stopped. Some of my favorite authors are Talia Hibbert, Christina Lauren, Abby Jiminez, Julia Quinn, Jasmine Guillory, Jen Deluca, and Kate Clayborn. I haven’t branched out into the Fabio-type covers…but I probably will any day now!
I enjoy romance novels too - and since my son died six months ago I haven’t been able to read nonfiction or anything that isn't guaranteed a happy ending…Although any sex has to definitely be consensual. My favourite author is Mary Balogh, a fellow Canadian who writes Regency romances with intelligent heroines. And consensual sex!
I was in the "don't like romance" category for so long, but now I love reading romance! The women in the romances I've read (including those set in the past) are NOT helpless or oppressed - they are real people with real problems, who also find love. It saddens me that I spent so long turning my nose up at stories in which women have good sex and also navigated communication, consent, jobs, children, and all the regular parts of life. Why are classics featuring hundreds of pages of death and drudgery held up as "good reading" while stories in which women get happy endings are maligned and called frivolous and not worth our time?
And let's not forget that there are growing numbers of romance books featuring the relationships of LGBTQ+ individuals as well! It's not all heterosexual relationships out there.
The Romance Writers of America give a good definition of what counts as a romance book: https://www.rwa.org/Online/Romance_Genre/About_Romance_Genre.aspx
I count myself among those readers who turned to romance a few years ago in attempt to both read more female writers and to guarantee a happy ending at the end of the story. I somehow stumbled across the podcast Fated Mates: https://fatedmates.net/, which discusses the romance genre from an almost academic perspective. The hosts are both fans, as well as industry professionals. They have some great episodes that explain how these books are tools against the patriarchy, which also address the problematic (rapey) history. They also have some really great episodes which are just recommendations by trope, if you are looking for a place to start.
NPRs Pop Culture Happy Hour does an annual review of romance novels and always includes lots of recs for “non-traditional” (cis white) books and authors. Romance still isn’t my jam but it’s a vast genre that definitely should get more respect.
I loved reading until I hit high school and then all of my reading was assigned. Once I graduated I read Remembrance by Jude Deveraux and I was hooked. It was such a complicated story and kept my attention. I liked it so much that I went out and got more of her books. I've been reading them for 20 years. She writes about several families and it is nice to see characters from previous books pop up in new storylines. I move a lot and when I need grounding I go to the library and get one of her books. They are comforting even if I haven't read it before.
Smart Readers, Trashy Books is a smart, self-aware, feminist, sex-positive, and LGBTQ+
positive website which I love for finding new recommendations. The trope of rape in romance novels is called old skool there, and it is very much out of fashion now - but that's the trope to avoid to stay away from those books. The recs in the article linked were really good, and I would also recommend Courtney Milan for very woman- positive historicals, as well as Tessa Dare, Sarah McLean, Julia Quinn, and Lisa Kleypas. Great women of color writers are Alyssa Cole, Courtney Milan, Alisha Rai, Talia Hibbert and lots more. Queer-positive romance is really big, in that you will find F/F, M/M, M/M/F etc etc etc books very easily (F=female, M= male) and bi, demi-sexual, asexual, trans and more protagonists. Also books ranging from no sex at all to erotica to intense SM/BD themes to.... anything you might be interested in. Plus, books with neuro-diverse heroes and heroines who are positively and realistically written, e.g. Talia Hibbert. Fyi, Romance Writers of America (RWA) went through a big scandal for being racist last year that they are (maybe) limping back from, so trigger warning for content related to that.
Also I have a PhD and I vividly remember a grad student party years ago, when many grad students excitedly recommended romance writers to each other... to challenge one of the stereotypes around romance readers and writers.
My sisters and I read the romance novels off my mom’s shelf when we were in our early teens. We all 3 still read them and enjoy them. We each have different tastes and often read them between reading other non romance books!
Regarding the definition of a romance novel, I know Romance Writers of America has a definition. The parts that I remember are that a romantic relationship(s) is at the center of the plot and there has to be a happy ending. I could very possibly be remembering wrong though. Mary Bly aka Eloisa James is another writer who is smart and eloquent on the topic of romance novels. I like her point about the importance of foregrounding women’s desire. I started reading romance novels in 2014 right after having my first child and have never looked back. (They helped me get excited about having sex again—ha ha! But also thank you, romance novels!) I started by working through npr’s 100 swoon-worthy romances list (which feels a little old now but is still a good reference point). I am very happy to see a more and more inclusive roster of authors and characters in the romance space. I also find there are many romance novelists who are thinking very carefully and writing persuasively about issues like consent in their novels which I appreciate. And they can be just so fun and delightful which I really need in my life. Some of my very favorite authors are Sherry Thomas and KJ Charles.
I just turned 40 and started reading romance novels accidentally in the 8th grade with a mystery-futuristic-police procedural by J.D. Robb. I learned that's the pseudonym for Nora Roberts, arguably the most prolific romance novelist ever. I have read all of her books and find them to be romance, yes, but also mysteries and dramas, and full of information about various things I never otherwise would have learned about such as horses and treasure hunting and glass blowing. She creates wonderful worlds and I recommend her novels to anyone who wants to be entertained, feel some romance, and also get a bit of drama or mystery.
I started reading Harlequin romances when I was in high school but then fizzled out on reading for fun after so much reading in college and grad school. I picked them up again in the my early thirties but was soon got tired of the old fashion tropes, outdated depictions of relationships, and misogynistic attitudes.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I quickly burned through several cozy mystery series which led me to a romance by one of the mystery writers. I started looking for more romances and quickly discovered how much they've changed over the past couple of decades! The old tropes might still be there (e.g., friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, fake relationships, marriage of convenience), but the storylines are modern, realistic, and fun. The female characters are strong and confident, there's a lot more diversity. Plus I've yet to come across anything that seemed the least bit rapey. (Although there have been a few situations that would violate HR policy!)
I highly recommend the following authors: Talia Hibbert, (Brown Sisters series), Alisha Rai (Modern Love series), Christina Lauren, Rachel Lynn Solomon (The Ex Talk), Mia Sosa (Love on Cue series), Emily Henry, Casey McQuiston, and Alexis Hall (Boyfriend Material).
Sara Donati’s Wilderness series is very good (historical fiction and romance) with feminist sensibilities/vibes.
Yes! You should read the outlander books! Written by Diana Gabeldon and it’s a network series now. Wonderfully written and a strong female lead
I not only read them, I write them. There is so much diversity in what is offered in this genre and there truly is something for everyone. It's the number one selling genre in publishing for a reason - because it makes people happy. The shame around it and the condescension is really unfortunate. I've even had a very famous actor/comedian use my book cover for a cheap laugh but he, thankfully, realized the stereotype he was promoting and actually bothered to read one of my books and changed his opinion of romance, which was amazing. https://ew.com/books/2018/01/15/paul-scheer-hockey-romance-novel-victoria-denault-score/