Category Archives: romance novels

Erotic Journeys and Bodice Rippers

Posted on July 31, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I’ve been thinking more on the reasons some books are categorized as erotica and some as romance when the number or frequency of sex scenes, and the “heat level” thereof, is very similar. I don’t believe the degree of explicit … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, genre, romance novels | 7 Comments

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Ultra-Brother!

Posted on July 27, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Why does the coolest brother in the romance series usually turn out to be such a dud? I began to make a list of all the series of historical novels featuring brothers as heroes, but then realized that would be … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels | 2 Comments

Why I Love the Marriage of Convenience Plot

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

The “marriage of convenience” plot in historical romance might focus on an arranged marriage, but more typically, shenanigans are involved; the couple marries to save the heroine from ruin at the hands of a dastardly plotter, or to ensure the … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, historical fiction, reading, romance novels | 3 Comments

Romancing the Beast

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Paranormal romance almost always features the hero as a paranormal being and the heroine as an ordinary human. How does this resonate with gender relations and power relationships in our society? Is it a way of expressing women seeing men … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, paranormal, romance novels | 8 Comments

Normative Heterosexuality and the Alpha Male Fantasy

Posted on June 29, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Normative(Adjective): of or establishing a norm or standard. Romance novels feature vast numbers of heroes who are so-called “alpha” males – usually taken to mean men who are better-looking and stronger than other men, with more dominant personalities, and usually … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels | 13 Comments

Andrea Barra Guest Post: Romance, Academia, and Me

Posted on June 12, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Please welcome my guest Andrea Barra, PhD candidate in Sociology. # Romance, Academia, and Me by Andrea Barra I would be lying if I said I went into graduate school with any sort of idea of what I wanted to … Continue reading →

Posted in guest, research, romance novels | 2 Comments

Reading and Writing Erotica as a Feminist Act

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Recently, I followed a link to a fascinating-sounding blog post on erotica only to find that I had already read the post almost a year ago, and had in fact commented on it. I still stand by my comment, and … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, reading, romance novels, writing | 4 Comments

Jeannie Lin Guest Post: Feminism in the Tang Dynasty

Posted on June 8, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Please welcome my guest Jeannie Lin, Golden Heart finalist for her historical romance novel Butterfly Swords, which has, as of 7/15/09, sold to Harlequin Mills and Boon! My muses — four extraordinary women of the Tang dynasty. The characters at … Continue reading →

Posted in guest, historical fiction, research, romance novels | 17 Comments

Pirate Romance For The Win!

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I think romances with pirates in them, or at least sea adventure, have some of the best backcover copy ever. These are best enjoyed if read with great expression and appropriate emphasis on any use of pirate/sea/sailing terminology. Bonus emphasis … Continue reading →

Posted in pirates, reading, romance novels | 4 Comments

Defining erotic romance, romance, erotica

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I’ve now read dozens of definitions and discussions of romance and of erotica and of erotic romance, and after all my reading, I’ve come to the following conclusions, none of which have anything to do with the quality of the … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, genre, romance novels | 6 Comments