What’s a romance? You may think you know, but…
The standard definition of a
romance has been undergoing some change lately, but the definition of romance
has always been changing.
Right now, most of us see a
romance as a love story between a man and a woman that contains a happy ending,
with the heroine going off with Mr. Right. But that wasn’t always the case.
Centuries ago, people married
for reasons other than love. They married for money, status or property, and
love was something found outside marriage. Romeo
and Juliet is a pretty famous romance, but it doesn’t have a happy ending,
unless your idea of a good HEA is uniting in the afterlife.
Other forms of art reflected
the belief that love was found outside marriage. Medieval troubadours traveled
from castle to castle and sang about the joys of courtly love and romantic
love. Art often depicted the clash between marriage and love, such as
Tintoretto’s Venus and Mars Surprised by
Vulcan (1545).
When did romance change, and why?
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) by Samuel Richardson, is often mentioned as
the first romance novel. The main point, however, was not that the title
character had found love but that her persistent rejections of the so-called
hero’s attentions finally got her the prize: marriage.
A less moralistic novel, and
one that’s often cited as the best of the genre, is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813). Despite its
somewhat archaic style, it’s one of the most popular novels in English
Literature, and for very good reasons. It doesn’t preach the way Pamela does, but instead reflects the
real concerns young women had during the Regency: marrying well and marrying
for love, or at least respect. Although arranged marriages for the purpose of
uniting property or increasing wealth were still a custom in our culture, the
desirability of gaining a life with a partner founded on love rather than money
was taking hold, and is reflected in the literature of the time.
Each era has produced literature
that’s reflective of its time, and romance novels reflect their eras, too. As
the love ideal took hold, more romances were written that reflect the joy of
love rather than its discouraging end, and cautionary tales took back seat to
entertainment.
As time went on, and as mores
altered, romances became steadily more erotic. The Flame and the Flower (1972) by Kathleen Woodiwiss is viewed as
the first modern romance novel, even though it’s a sequel to Petals on the River. Both are quite racy
compared to, say, Austen, and reflect changed attitudes regarding sex before
marriage.
Our century
Perhaps the greatest changes
have occurred in the last few years. First came chick lit, in which the
heroine’s goal is not finding Mr. Right but hooking up with Mr. Right Now. Then
writers of digital romance broke the hetero barrier and started writing LGBT
romance, which doesn’t require the love story to be between a man and a woman.
I’m reliably informed that the biggest consumers of M/M romance aren’t gay guys
but hetero females. Go figure!
Rakes in Tartan
Set in 1816, my book reflects
the mores and customs of the Regency. Heirs to their clans’ lairdships, Andrew
MacReiver and Tor Kilburn must find suitable brides. As did many noblemen of
the time, they journeyed to London for the social season after attending
Oxford. They hoped to find love, but not a Nordic fairy, a dragon and a vampire
assassin.
But, being a book written in
the 21st century rather than the 19th, Rakes in Tartan ends happily.
Here’s what some reviewers
have said about the previous books in the Highland Vampires series--These are
customer reviews from Amazon.
5 stars... A new author to add to my list of favorite authors June 20, 2012
By jmaze
Temptation in Tartan is the first book I've read by Suz deMello.
It won't be the last. The book is well written, easy to follow and easy to
read… I would highly recommend the book and I hope that she plans another book
to follow in this one’s stead.
RE: Desire in Tartan:
Five stars..."Engrossing... I was grabbed from the start of the
book..."
--S.J. Foulkes (Amazon.com)
--S.J. Foulkes (Amazon.com)
Five stars... "Super Read!!!... I enjoyed it from the
beginning to the end. I couldn't put it down and read it in one day."
--Becca (Amazon.com)
--Becca (Amazon.com)
Five stars..."Such a wonderful read!!!... Such a wonderful book...
Love this series!"
--Kimberly Jaksina (Amazon.com)
--Kimberly Jaksina (Amazon.com)
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Setting: London 1816
The social season promises both sex and danger for Torquil
Kilburn and Andrew MacReiver, Highland
heirs arrived in London to seek brides. The Scotsmen must negotiate the
complicated morés of high society to woo and win an exquisite debutante and her
passionate, unconventional mother while keeping their vampire heritage a
secret.
But evil stalks the ballroom at Almack’s, the streets of Piccadilly,
the drawing rooms of the ton. Headless bodies have been found drained of their
blood, for another vampire haunts the streets of London, murdering noblemen. As
he draws ever closer, Tor and Andrew must fight not only for love, but for
their lives.
Buy it here:
About Suz deMello
Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello
has written seventeen novels, plus several short stories and non-fiction
articles. She writes in numerous genres including romance, mystery, paranormal,
historical, contemporary comedy and erotica. She’s a freelance editor who’s
worked for Total-E-Bound, Ai Press, Liquid Silver Books and Etopia Press. She
also takes on private clients.
Her books have been favorably reviewed in PW, Kirkus and Booklist, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several
bestseller lists.
A former trial attorney, she resides in
northern California. Her passion is world travel, and she’s left the US over a
dozen times, including stints working overseas for many months. Right now,
she's working on her next manuscript and planning her next trip.
Her blog is at http://www.fearlessfastpacedfiction.com. Find her reading picks @ReadThis4fun on Twitter, and befriend her on
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/SueSwift ). Her sites are at http://www.sue-swift.com and http://www.suzdemello.com.
Hi Suz,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your insights on romance with us. The historical perspective is really interesting. It's neat to learn that the genre goes back so far.