Isn’t It Romantic?
A Guide for Romance Lovers
The romance genre is one of the most popular types of fiction. This guide will acquaint you with some of the different types (or subgenres) of romance. It will help you to choose romance titles you’ll enjoy reading by exploring ways to find books similar to those you’ve already read and enjoyed (read-alikes). It will provide you with resources to find reviews of romance fiction, so you can find out what the critics and other romance lovers are saying about romance titles.
These resources will also help you keep on top of all the new titles being published. Then we’ll take a look at award winners, so you can find out what’s considered the best of the best in romance fiction. And finally, we will look at some useful sources for those of you writing romance. Please contact us in the Fiction Department for even more information on romance fiction.
Romance Subgenres
Romance as a genre encompasses so much fiction that it can be broken down further into subgenres, such as Historical Romance, Alternative Reality Romance, and Contemporary Romance. And those subgenres can be broken down also, for example Alternative Reality Romance can be broken down into Fantasy Romance and Time Travel Romance. To keep things as uncomplicated as possible, we are going to look at six popular subgenres and give you some virtual places to visit to learn more about each one.
Historical Romance
Historical Romances are simply love stories with historical settings. Any historical setting is possible, be it medieval, Victorian, or prehistoric. Of course, the most romantic time periods make the best romances.
Mary Balogh
The Web site of New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh includes series information, backlist titles, information on new releases, as well as a newsletter and fan list.
Jo Beverley
Jo Beverley has written more than twenty historical romances and is a member of the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame.
Historical Romance Club
The Historical Romance Club has all the latest news on the Historical Romance scene, including author interviews and book reviews.
Regency Romance
The Regency Romance is primarily set during 1811-1820. These romances focus on manners and social customs and the relationships of the characters in this structured society.
Jane Austen
This site has links to all things Jane Austen, including reader’s guides for some of her novels, genealogy charts for some of her characters, and chronologies for some of her novels, too.
Georgette Heyer
Georgette Heyer practically invented the Regency Romance. She was a highly prolific writer, and this site tells all about her, her novels, and how to join the Georgette Heyer listserv.
A Regency Repository: Regency Romances
This site has information on Regency Romances including links to author Web sites, organizations, and newsletters. Through this site you can also learn all about Regency England, including the fashions and the politics of the time.
Contemporary Romance
Contemporary Romance is basically a love story with a modern day setting. In these romances the main character is usually striving for success both in romance and in her career.
Contemporary Romance Writers
The Contemporary Romance Writers Web site lists many of the current writers in this romance subgenre. It includes author interviews and bibliographies.
Jennifer Crusie On the Web site of this New York Times best selling author you will find everything from her latest release, romantic trivia, and biography to works in progress and speaking schedule.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
You find a lot of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ favorite things on her Web site, like recipes, quotes, photos of her appearances, and, of course, her best selling novels.
Chick Lit
Chick Lit is a type of Contemporary Romance that gained in popularity after the success of
Bridget Jones’s Diary in the late 1990s. Chick Lit is usually set in an urban area with a young protagonist trying to find her way in the world.
The Big Books Issue 2003, Baltimore City Paper
When the Baltimore City Paper did its Big Books Issue in 2003, the focus was on Chick Lit. Check out this link to the online edition to find an extensive examination of Chick Lit.
Candy Covered Books: Your One-Stop Resource for Chick Lit Book Reviews and More
Informal reviews arranged by title, genre, date, rating, author, and favorites.
Marian Keyes
Marian Keyes is an Irish author who has written a number of novels about young women trying to figure it all out. She often contrasts women whose paths in life vary considerably, with some choosing motherhood and others devoting themselves to their career.
Jennifer Weiner
An American writer living in Philadelphia, Jennifer Weiner includes advice for writers on her Web site. She also has a nearly daily Weblog, where readers shared her joy when she gave birth to her first child and when she visited the set of the movie based on one of her novels.
Romantic Suspense
Romantic Suspense is filled with action, mystery, suspense, and romance. It is the feminine counterpart to the male adventure story.
Julie Garwood
This author writes “suspense that cuts straight to the heart” according to her Web site, where she has information on her books, gifts, and games to play.
Gothic Journal
The Gothic Journal site is filled with recommendations for the Romantic Suspense fan. It features reviews and lists new releases for each month.
Nora Roberts
This Maryland author has written so many books that it’s hard to keep track of all of them unless you look at her Web site. She also writes a series of futuristic romantic suspense books using the pseudonym J. D. Robb.
Alternative Reality Romance
Alternative Reality Romances are linked by the element of fantasy or “unreality.” This subgenre includes Fantasy, Futuristic, Paranormal, and Time Travel romances, which means they can include anything from humorous vampire tales to sensual stories of time-traveling ghosts.
Diana Gabaldon
This author has written a very popular series of Time Travel Romances called the Outlander series. The series features an 18th century Scotsman who has a relationship with a woman who lives in the 20th century.
http://www.paranormalromance.org/
This site features reviews, author interviews, forthcoming books, and the P.E.A.R.L. (Paranormal Excellence Award in Romantic Literature) Awards, which are reader's choice awards given annually to books in several categories of paranormal romance.
Speculative Romance Online
This site provides information on speculative romance, which is the blending of romance and the science fiction/fantasy genres.
Finding Romance Read-Alikes
So you’ve got a favorite romance author, but you’ve read everything by that author. Or maybe you love romantic suspense but you can’t find another title that fits your reading taste. Well, these sources can help you find a romance that you will love.
Web Resources for Romance Read-Alikes
All About Romance: If You Like.....(by setting or genre)
This group of read-alikes from the All About Romance Web site is grouped by time periods like Medieval and Victorian. It also lists subgenres like Romantic Suspense and Contemporary Romance.
All About Romance: If You Like...(by style)
This group of read-alikes also from the All About Romance Web site lists some popular authors like Jennifer Crusie and Diana Gabaldon and then gives a list of authors whose works are similar to the main author.
Booklists from the Fiction Department
Take a look at the booklist section of the Pratt Fiction Department’s Web site for ideas on romances with common themes. Some booklist titles of interest to romance readers are “Chick Lit” and “At Long Last Love: Novels about Love Later in Life.”
Books and Authors
Books and Authors is an electronic database that the Pratt Library subscribes to, and is available from the Pratt Databases Web page. It is a comprehensive database covering fiction and is a lot of fun to explore; all you need is a favorite title, author, or fiction genre to search for similar titles. You can access Books and Authors at any Pratt Library Branch or from any computer using your Pratt Library card. If you do not live in the Baltimore area, check your local library to see if they subscribe.
Print Resources for Romance Read-Alikes
The following titles can be found in the Fiction Department of the State Library Resource Center.
Barron, Neil and others. What Do I Read Next? A Reader’s Guide to Current Genre Fiction, Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 1991-. XZ1003.W53Q
What Do I Read Next? covers a number of different genres including Romance and is published each year. The chapter on Romance includes the most noteworthy titles published during the year and lists other works similar to title in the main entry.
Herald, Diana Tixier. Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2006. XPS374.P63R67 2006Q
In Genreflecting you will find the romance genre broken down by themes and types with many examples of authors who write a particular type of romance.
Ramsdell, Kristin. Romance Fiction: A Guide to the Genre. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1999. XPN3448.L67A1 1999Q
This reference work has an extensive amount of information on the romance genre. In fact, a great deal of the material found in this guide was gleaned from this book. It’s a great source for read-alikes because it lists each subgenre and gives numerous examples of authors writing in that subgenre.
Romance Today: an A-to-Z Guide to Contemporary American Romance Writers. edited by John Charles and Shelley Mosley. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Publishers, 2007. XPS374 .L6R66 2007Q
Provides biographical and bibliographical information on more than 100 contemporary American authors of romance fiction. Those profiled include such writers as Cherry Adair, Lory Foster, Tess Gerritsen, and Amanda McCabe.
Romance Fiction Review Sources
Okay, your mom or your best friend or your neighbor gave you the title of a romance she is sure you will enjoy, but you’d like to find out more about the book before you go to the trouble of getting your hands on a copy. Using the following sources you will be able to find reviews of romance fiction and find out what the romance experts think. These sources are also a great way to keep on top of all the new releases.
Journals
The Literary Times
The Literary Times is a quarterly publication that serves the needs of readers and writers of romantic fiction. Both in print and online this magazine is an excellent source of reviews for romance fiction.
Romantic Times
The Romantic Times BOOKclub Magazine is published monthly, and with approximately 150 new books reviewed each issue, you will never run out of new romances to read.
Romance Lovers’ Web Sites
The Romance Reader
This is a Web site produced by and for romance lovers. It has been online for four years and offers thousands of reviews for your romance reading pleasure.
All About Romance
All About Romance strives to have a “back-fence atmosphere,” so there is a friendly community environment as romances are reviewed with an A-F grade along with a sensuality rating.
Romance in Color
This site provides a wealth of information about romance novels by African American authors.
Online Bookstores
Online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes and Noble provide an excellent source for book reviews. Most titles have a selection of reviews from professional critics and reviews from customers. You can even add your own review to the sites.
It's A Black Thang
Suggested titles for purchase with useful summaries.
Romance Award Winners
What are the top honors a romance novel can get? Is your favorite author an award winner? Take a look at these Web sites for romance award winners and find out.
Romance Writers of America - RITA Awards
The RITA award is the highest award of excellence in the genre of romance fiction. The golden statuette, named after RWA’s first president, Rita Clay Estrada, is a symbol for the very best that romance fiction has to offer each year.
Romantic Times Awards
The Romantic Times awards are given in numerous categories like career achievement and reviewers’ choice, selected by more than 35 reviews representing the readers’ voice in the romance industry.
Romantic Novelists - Association Awards This British romance novelists’ association gives awards in three main categories: the FosterGrant Reading Glasses Romantic Novel of the Year Award, the Joan Hessayon New Writers' Award and the RNA Romance Award.
Resources for Romance Writers
You’re a big fan of romance, and after reading so many of them you start to think you can write one yourself. These resources can help you with the writing, like how to describe your hunky hero. And you’ll find advice on how to proceed once you’ve written your romance, such as how to compose a query letter and how to pick the right agent.
A Potpourri of Web Resources for Romance Writers
Charlotte Dillon's Resources for Romance Writers
This Web site has a tremendous amount of resources of interest to the romance writer. It includes sections on manuscript preparation, building fiction characters, and writing a query letter. This site has won numerous awards and has been selected by Writers Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers.
The Passionate Pen - Romance Publishers The Passionate Pen Web site lists romance publishers and their submission guidelines. It includes a number of categories including major publishers, small presses, Christian presses, and e-publishing.
The Romantic Times - Agent List
The Romantic Times provides a long list of agents and agencies from New York to California, many with Web site and e-mail information.
Sources Available at The State Library Resource Center for Romance Writers
The following sources can be found in the Humanities Department.
- Michaels, Leigh. On Writing Romance: How To Craft A Novel That Sells. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books, c2007. PN3377.5 .L68M52 2007
Award-winning romance novelist Leigh Michaels walks the read through each stage of the writing and publishing process.
- Myynowski, Sarah. See Jane Write: a Girl's Guide to Writing Chick Lit. Philadelphia: Quirk Books, c2006. PN3377.5 .L68M57 2006
An author and chick lit editor and scores of established writers offer advice and humorous tips for those with stories to tell.
- Vinyard, Rebecca. The Romance Writer's Handbook. Waukesha, Wis.: The Writer Books, c2004. PN3377.5 .L68V56 2004
Takes aspiring writers through a quick course in writing romantic fiction for today's markets.
- The Writer's Market. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books, 1939-. PN161.W75 (Available in the Humanities Department Office.)
This work is the definitive guide on how to sell your manuscript. Check the “Book Publishers Subject Index” in the back of the book under “Romance” to find the listing for the publishers that specialize in romance.
The following source can be found in the Sights & Sounds Department.
- The Perfect Hero. Montreal, Quebec: NFB/ONF, 1999. VIDEOTAPE
Filmed during a conference on board a cruise ship, this film presents an insider’s look at the business of romance fiction. It includes interviews with authors, fans, cover models, and publishers.
Contact Us
If you would like to know more about romance fiction, e-mail us through our Ask-A-Librarian service, call us at (410) 396-5484, or mail your questions to:
Fiction Department
Enoch Pratt Free Library
State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
