Romance Fiction: A Guide to the Genre

By Kristin Ramsdell

A comprehensive guide that defines the literature and the outlines the best-selling genre of all time: romance fiction.

More than 2,000 romances are published annually, making it difficult for fans and the librarians who advise them to keep pace with new titles, emerging authors, and constant evolution of this dynamic genre. Fortunately, romance expert and librarian Kristin Ramsdell provides a definitive guide to this fiction genre that serves as an indispensible resource for those interested in it--including fans searching for reading material--as well as for library staff, scholars, and romance writers themselves.

This title updates the last edition of Romance Fiction: A Guide to the Genre, published in 1999.While the emphasis is on newer titles, many of the important older classics are retained, keeping the focus of the book on the entire genre, instead of only those titles published during the last decade. Specific changes include new chapters on linked and continuing romances, a new section on "Chick Lit" in the Contemporary Romance chapter, an expansion of coverage on the alternative reality subset. This is THE romance genre guide to have.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 159158177X
• ISBN13: 9781591581772
• Release Date: March 2012
• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Length: 744 Pages
• Weight: 3.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 7.1" x 9.9"
• Age Range: 7 to 17 years

Customer Reviews

Great for Romance Readers!

This book is a great guide for your average romance reader! There are a few chapters devoted specifically to librarians...but the rest of the book is a treasure trove of information on the history of your favorite type of romance (regency, historical, western, etc.) and information about what authors have written and when. You find out lots of interesting tidbits like who wrote the first "bodice ripper" and why those 1950's nurse stories lost their appeal. Anyone who reads romance should take a look at it!

Terrific resource for romance readers

While this title is primarily being marketed to libraries, romance readers may also want to consider adding this title to their collections. There are wonderful lists of romance authors/titles by subgenre so that if you have read everything by Joan Wolf and are looking for some new authors to try, you will find them. Interesting details about the history of romance fiction are also included as well as information on the definition and appeal of each romance subgenre (regency, romantic suspense, inspiration, etc.) to a reader. A remarkable work of scholarship!