Romance novels are the industry heavy-hitter, but everywhere we turn, they get slagged on. What's up with that?
Why Doesn’t Publishing Love Romance Novels Back?
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The Dark Side of Purity Culture
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On the surface, a culture that promotes innocence seems pretty harmless. Underneath, purity culture is much more sinister.
The War on Sex Returns: Why Is Sex Work So Reviled?
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Sex work is considered pretty bad in our society, but not everyone has viewed it that way. Modern arguments against it tend not to hold water, and most of the problems don't originate in the profession itself, but with how society treats it.
Bodily Autonomy: Abortion in Mpreg
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Mpreg isn't always a genre that considers abortion. But we need to be cautious about the subtle messages we could be imparting in our works.
Why Consent Is Imperative in Romance Novels
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In the romance genre, the subject of consent is sometimes murky and often contentious. The power dynamics of relationships demand that writers explore it.
Negotiating Power Dynamics in Romance Novels
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Who has power in a relationship and how do they wield it? That's a question every romance reader should ask, especially as heterosexual romances usually fail to interrogate power dynamics, ultimately modelling abusive or toxic relationships.
The Toxic Messaging of the Alpha Male in Romance
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Almost every romance reader knows the alpha male hero, and every romance heroine seems to swoon for him. But this type of character is actually sending a toxic message to readers.
When Empowerment Becomes a Cudgel: The Life and Death of OwnVoices
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In the last decade, we saw more calls for diversity. Specifically after the riots in Ferguson, voices for racial justice were uplifted. These voices are everywhere on social media, and there are activists who touch on almost every aspect of society, from housing to policing to policies that keep Black children in the inner city from excelling in school. Reading is tied to education, and with it...
Exploring Polyamory in Lions Will Tame Leopards
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Lions Will Tame Leopards, Book 5 of the Zodiac series, features a polyamorous lion pride. Here's why that was fun to explore.
Resisting the Bi/Pansexuality Script
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Why are bi and pansexual people so misunderstood or told to "pick a side"? It has a lot to do with the balance of power in our society.
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