Footnote 20 This was the first romance novel to contain an explicit sex scene, which then launched a trend in romance that continues to this day. Modern romance is thought to have begun in 1972, with the publication of The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Romance publishers have kept up every step of the way, allowing them to maintain 23% of the USA book market. Footnote 18 Today, the romance audience is 82% female, with 92% reading print, 64% eBooks, and 35% audio books. Footnote 17 It was the first company to change with the romance genre selling romance novels was about convenience for women, which was a business plan that allowed them to become a powerhouse in a multi-billion-dollar industry. Footnote 16 Writers such as Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë published successful romance novels, but the genre did not take off as a mass market industry until the 1930s, with the founding of Harlequin. Footnote 15 Published in 1740, it was the first novel to be written solely from the female point of view, and to feature a love story with a “happily ever after”. The first novel considered a romance was Pamela or Virtue Rewarded, by Samuel Richardson. Footnote 13 Finally, “trash” implies that the novels are bad, when the entire point of romance is to examine human relationships. “Porn” implies that readers only read the novels for sexual reasons to categorize every romance novel as an outlet for sexual frustration diminishes the genre and women. Footnote 12 By calling a book an “easy-read”, it implies that the readers of the genre are not intelligent. Terms used to describe romance novels are often problematic and used to keep romance contained in a box. Footnote 10 Early romance novels saw heterosexual white women defying social norms, overcoming personal struggles, and finding happiness, a theme that has continued today with much more diversity. Today’s contemporary romance is focused on two things: bodily autonomy, and a push towards diversity. Footnote 9Īll romance novels that were once contemporary but now considered historical provide insight into the state of romance throughout its history. Footnote 8 Typically, contemporary romances include any romance set in the time period it is being written, within 50 years. Contemporary romance must meet the basic qualifications of romance, while also being a reflection of the time period it is written in. For the purpose of this study, contemporary romance will be the focus. Footnote 7 Within this genre, there are further subgenres: historical, erotica, etc. Footnote 6 In the US alone, romance is a billion dollar industry.
Romance is a subgenre in fiction that must contain two main components: a central love story, and an emotionally satisfying ending. By presenting the other side of the argument, new information can be added to the academic study of the fiction market. With only negative voices present, it cannot be conclusively said that romance has no value. There are very few academic studies that positively reflect romance. Perception of romance has been heavily skewed by a select few novels. Romance is a genre that is valuable and legitimate, and also not what most people believe it to be.
The cultural influence of misogyny in the UK and USA will be examined in relation to the romance genre to determine whether patriarchal values have any influence on the negative stigma.
The aims of this study are to discover how the negative perception of romance came about, and how it has changed throughout the history of the genre. Footnote 4 The struggle to implement feminism is not just a problem within the UK and USA, but it is also holding back the romance community from being acknowledged as a legitimate section of fiction readers. Romance is an intrinsically feminine genre, which creates a problem in misogynistic societies that are attempting to police women’s bodies and minds. Despite its reputation, it is a billion-dollar industry. Footnote 2 This creates small communities of romance readers that support each other while often hiding their love of the books. Footnote 1 This stigma shames romance readers and writers, because society sees romance fiction as “trashy”. Romance fiction is one of the most popular fiction genres in the United Kingdom and the United States, but there is a stigma surrounding it.