Download or read book Reading the Romance written by Janice A. Radway and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2009-11-18 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1984, Reading the Romance challenges popular (and often demeaning) myths about why romantic fiction, one of publishing's most lucrative categories, captivates millions of women readers. Among those who have disparaged romance reading are feminists, literary critics, and theorists of mass culture. They claim that romances enforce the woman reader's dependence on men and acceptance of the repressive ideology purveyed by popular culture. Radway questions such claims, arguing that critical attention "must shift from the text itself, taken in isolation, to the complex social event of reading." She examines that event, from the complicated business of publishing and distribution to the individual reader's engagement with the text. Radway's provocative approach combines reader-response criticism with anthropology and feminist psychology. Asking readers themselves to explore their reading motives, habits, and rewards, she conducted interviews in a midwestern town with forty-two romance readers whom she met through Dorothy Evans, a chain bookstore employee who has earned a reputation as an expert on romantic fiction. Evans defends her customers' choice of entertainment; reading romances, she tells Radway, is no more harmful than watching sports on television. "We read books so we won't cry" is the poignant explanation one woman offers for her reading habit. Indeed, Radway found that while the women she studied devote themselves to nurturing their families, these wives and mothers receive insufficient devotion or nurturance in return. In romances the women find not only escape from the demanding and often tiresome routines of their lives but also a hero who supplies the tenderness and admiring attention that they have learned not to expect. The heroines admired by Radway's group defy the expected stereotypes; they are strong, independent, and intelligent. That such characters often find themselves to be victims of male aggression and almost always resign themselves to accepting conventional roles in life has less to do, Radway argues, with the women readers' fantasies and choices than with their need to deal with a fear of masculine dominance. These romance readers resent not only the limited choices in their own lives but the patronizing atitude that men especially express toward their reading tastes. In fact, women read romances both to protest and to escape temporarily the narrowly defined role prescribed for them by a patriarchal culture. Paradoxically, the books that they read make conventional roles for women seem desirable. It is this complex relationship between culture, text, and woman reader that Radway urges feminists to address. Romance readers, she argues, should be encouraged to deliver their protests in the arena of actual social relations rather than to act them out in the solitude of the imagination. In a new introduction, Janice Radway places the book within the context of current scholarship and offers both an explanation and critique of the study's limitations.

Download or read book The Romance Readers Book Club written by Julie Cannon and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CANNON/ROMANCE READERS BOOK CLUB

Download or read book The Romance Reader written by Pearl Abraham and published by Gardners Books. This book was released on 1997-04-01 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In one of the most exciting debuts in years, Pearl Abraham--who grew up in a Hasidic community herself--presents the story of Rachel, a girl caught between the strictly controlled world of ultra Orthodox Judaism and the sedictive yearnings of her own heart. Both a coming-of-age story and a brave, beautifully rendered expose of a hidden, insular world . . . heartrending.--Elle.

Download or read book Last Seen Alone written by Laura Griffin and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When they face the most baffling missing person's case of their careers, a fiercely ambitious lawyer and a homicide detective have no one to turn to for help except each other, from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin. Up-and-coming attorney Leigh Larson fights for victims of sexual extortion, harassment, and online abuse. She is not afraid to go after the sleaziest targets to get payback for her clients. Leigh is laser-focused on her career—to the exclusion of everything else—until a seemingly routine case and a determined cop turn her world upside down. Austin homicide detective Brandon Reynolds is no stranger to midnight callouts. But when he gets summoned to an abandoned car on a desolate road, he quickly realizes he's dealing with an unusual crime scene. A pool of blood in the nearby woods suggests a brutal homicide. But where is the victim? The vehicle is registered to twenty-six-year-old Vanessa Adams. Searching the car, all Brandon finds is a smear of blood and a business card for Leigh Larson, attorney-at-law. Vanessa had hired Leigh just before her disappearance, but Leigh has no leads on who could have wanted her dead. Faced with bewildering evidence and shocking twists, Leigh and Brandon must work against the clock to chase down a ruthless criminal who is out for vengeance.

Download or read book Much Ado About You written by Samantha Young and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-02-02 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young. At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling’s life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she’s passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Some time away to regain perspective might be just the thing. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. There’s no better dream vacation for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover. Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she’s drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. Evie is determined to keep him at bay because a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak, right? But Evie can’t deny their connection and longs to trust in her handsome farmer that their whirlwind romance could turn in to the forever kind of love.

Download or read book Hush a Bye Baby written by Deepanjana Pal and published by Juggernaut Books. This book was released on 2018 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr Nandita Rai is the gynaecologist for the stars. She is on TV and radio every other week talking about women 's issues. She is a South Mumbai feminist. Every woman wants her to be their doctor. Until the Mumbai Police raid her clinic when they get a complaint that she does sex selective abortions. Is the celebrity doctor aborting female fetuses? If she is, then the police need to build a watertight case. Dr Rai has friends in high places, her patients clam up and her paperwork is clean. The case seems to be going nowhere until Sub-inspector Reshma Gabuji begins to dig up Dr Rai 's secret online presence and uncovers a ruthless vigilante group.

Download or read book A Madness of Sunshine written by Nalini Singh and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-12-03 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh welcomes you to a remote town on the edge of the world where even the blinding brightness of the sun can’t mask the darkness that lies deep within a killer.… On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbors; the children, more than schoolmates. That is until one fateful summer—and several vanished bodies—shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement to not look back. But they can’t run from the past forever. Eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape. It’s not long before the dark past collides with the haunting present and deadly secrets come to light.

Download or read book Duchess by Design written by Maya Rodale and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2018-10-23 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Captivating . . . Sparkling characters, able plotting, and joie de vivre make the first in Rodale’s Gilded Age Girls Club an utterly enjoyable standout.” —Publishers Weekly In Gilded Age Manhattan, anything can happen . . . Seeking a wealthy American bride who can save his family’s estate, Brandon Fiennes, the duke of Kingston, is a rogue determined to do the right thing. But his search for an heiress goes deliciously awry when an enchanting seamstress tumbles into his arms instead. . . . and true love is always in fashion Miss Adeline Black aspires to be a fashionable dressmaker—not a duchess—and not even an impossibly seductive duke will distract her. But Kingston makes an offer she can’t refuse: join him at society events to display her gowns and advise him on which heiresses are duchess material. It’s the perfect plan—as long as they resist temptation, avoid a scandal, and above all do not lose their hearts. “Rodale’s Gilded Age-set series launch is a smart, bright love story that perfectly balances messages of female empowerment and social potential with romantic tensions created by class and gender dichotomies ripe for revolution.” —Kirkus Reviews “Overall, after a year of mediocre to decent to very occasionally brilliant romance, Duchess by Design stands out as unique and refreshing. It’s more than worth your time.” —All About Romance

Download or read book Well Matched written by Jen DeLuca and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-10-19 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pretend relationship gives two friends more than they bargained for in a Renaissance Faire rom com filled with flower crowns, kilts, corsets, and sword fights. Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she’s decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell. Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire—a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more “serious” career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what's real and what's been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship. As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch's family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch's girlfriend again...and it doesn't feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they’ve just been putting on an act. But when there’s the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans—and open her heart—for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.

Download or read book The Duke Is But a Dream written by Anna Bennett and published by St. Martin's Paperbacks. This book was released on 2019-07-30 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She’s a secret sensation. Miss Lily Hartley is the anonymous mastermind behind the ton’s latest obsession: The Debutante’s Revenge, a tell-all advice column for young ladies. To keep her identity hidden, Lily delivers her columns disguised as a boy—which is well and good, until she lands in the middle of tavern brawl. As luck would have it, a devastatingly handsome duke sweeps in to rescue her. He has no idea who she is. Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, discovers there’s a beautiful woman hiding beneath a lad’s cap, and, before long, he’s falling for the delightfully clever stranger recuperating in his house. He vows to help her find her home, even though he’s reluctant to part with her. There’s only one problem... Neither does she. Lily has no idea who she is. She could be a duchess or maid. Betrothed or married. There’s only one thing she does know—that her attraction to Nash is more than skin-deep, and it grows stronger every day. While Lily and Nash search to find her true identity, they just might lose their hearts to each other... “Fans of Regency romance authors Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, and Mary Jo Putney will go wild.” —Booklist "Deeply satisfying." - Publishers Weekly

Download or read book Women and Romance written by Susan Ostrov Weisser and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2001-07 with total page 493 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Weisser (English, Adelphi U.) writes that her anthology is "for anyone who is interested in understanding the conflicted but powerful female urge to experience the pleasure and endure the pain of romantic love." In particular, she explores the collision of pervasive media images of romance with feminist values of independence and self-assertion. Several dozen historic and contemporary works of criticism, personal essays, and letters, by feminist and anti-feminist thinkers, consider changing images of romantic love and whether romance, fundamentally, weakens or empowers women. Contributors include Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Charlotte Bronte, Karen Horney, Simone de Beauvoir, Rita Mae Brown, bell hooks, Vivian Gornick, and Carolyn Heilbrun. c. Book News Inc.

Download or read book All the Feels written by Olivia Dade and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2021-11-16 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade returns with another utterly charming romantic comedy about a devil-may-care actor—who actually cares more than anyone knows—and the no-nonsense woman hired to keep him in line. "An absolutely witty, swoon worthy behind the scenes romp! Delightful from beginning to end!"--Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin' Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, Gods of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he's dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling. Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit. When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.

Download or read book Romancing the Beat written by Gwen Hayes and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What makes a romance novel a romance? How do you write a kissing book?Writing a well-structured romance isn't the same as writing any other genre-something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don't address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc-not the other way around.Told in conversational (and often irreverent) prose, Romancing the Beat can be read like you are sitting down to coffee with romance editor and author Gwen Hayes while she explains story structure. The way she does with her clients. Some of whom are regular inhabitants of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.Romancing the Beat is a recipe, not a rigid system. The beats don't care if you plot or outline before you write, or if you pants your way through the drafts and do a "beat check" when you're revising. Pantsers and plotters are both welcome. So sit down, grab a cuppa, and let's talk about kissing books.

Download or read book Dangerous Books for Girls written by Maya Rodale and published by . This book was released on 2023-01-14 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long before clinch covers and bodice rippers, romance novels had a bad reputation as the lowbrow lit of desperate housewives and hopeless spinsters. But why were these books-the escape and entertainment of choice for millions of women-singled out for scorn and shame? Dangerous Books for Girls examines the secret history of the genre's bad reputation-from the "damned mob of scribbling women" in the nineteenth century to the sexy mass-market paperbacks of the twentieth century-and shows how romance novels have inspired and empowered generations of women to dream big, refuse to settle, and believe they're worth it. For every woman who has ever hidden the cover of a romance-and every woman who has been curious about those "Fabio books"-Dangerous Books For Girls shows why there's no room for guilt when reading for pleasure.

Download or read book Rancher s Christmas Storm Mills Boon Desire Gold Valley Vineyards Book 4 written by Maisey Yates and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2021-09-02 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All he wants for Christmas is the one woman he can’t touch...

Download or read book A Romance Reader Short Stories From New Voices written by J. R. Kruze and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018-09-03 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Being able to escape into the wonderful world of romance is always a pleasure. This set of six short stories are an amusing way to find yourself into new worlds, with new lovers working out their difficulties and eventually end up with their happily-ever-after result. Some are ghosts, some introspective writers, some CIA-government types, a couple of futurists, some socially disadvantaged, and a young couple with hidden abilities. All in contemporary settings (for the most part) and perhaps something you can relate to (well, we can always want the superpowers, anyway.) Lose yourself in these worlds and become young at heart again with these short reads to fit into any schedule... Get Your Copy Now.

Download or read book The Romance Reader s Guide to Life written by Sharon Pywell and published by Duckworth Overlook. This book was released on 2017-07 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most entertaining and chilling novel you will read this year, by the acclaimed author Sharon Pywell. Growing up in the shadow of the Second World War, twin sisters Lilly and Neave could not be more different: Lilly is a beauty who runs through men like water, but Neave is a bookworm who would rather read about life than live it. While Lilly is breaking hearts, Neave loses herself in the illicit romance novel The Pirate Lover. As grown women they are expected to settle down and marry, but instead they set their sights on creating their own cosmetics business - that is, until Lilly suddenly disappears... Desperate to find her sister, Neave receives help from the most unlikely of places, proving that the bond between sisters can overcome anything in life - and beyond. A haunting, darkly funny and thrilling tale of sisterhood, showing us that sometimes the guiltiest of pleasures can be our salvation.