Romance novels get a lot of flak. Sometimes, there are good reasons—a lot of them are run-of-the-mill or even bad smut. I’ve seen books with cardboard characters and even flimsier plots. Does a rose by any other name truly smell as sweet? (Dario Fernandez Ruz / Pexels.com) Some of the criticisms levied against romance novels stem from other, less magnanimous areas. Romance novels as a whole are...
These candy hearts, oddly enough, include both “romantic” messages and platonic ones (Jill Wellington / Pexels.com) It’s February once more, which means the subject of love and romance is on everyone’s minds. One big topic that’s come up in more recent years is the debate about platonic vs romantic relationships. What’s the difference between them? Can you actually tell them apart...
A lot of romance novels don't seem to realize when they're veering into horror territory. What's the line between horror and romance?
Does an HEA always have to mean marriage and kids? Probably not, which is just one of the reasons the level-up romance is a problem.
Romance novels are the industry heavy-hitter, but everywhere we turn, they get slagged on. What's up with that?
In the romance genre, the subject of consent is sometimes murky and often contentious. The power dynamics of relationships demand that writers explore it.
Someone said romance doesn't belong in science fiction. But sci-fi and romance are more tangled up than most would like to admit.
Ever wondered why we use the term "clean romance"? It looks innocent on the surface, but it's actually packing quite the patriarchal punch.
It's almost Valentine's Day, which means we'll see non-romance readers crawl out of the woodwork to tell us all about great romances. But what counts as romance? Even some of the "great love stories" we point to aren't ... actually ... all that romantic.
Coming January 28! Get set for more intergalactic hijinks when a monk inherits a HOST CLUB ON THE PLEASURE PLANET!