Romance Fiction: A Guide to the Genre

by Kristin Ramsdell

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 159158177X
• ISBN13: 9781591581772
• Release Date: March 2012
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Length: 744 Pages
• Weight: 3.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 7.1" x 9.9"

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!