Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance

This is by and for romance authors. Though there is some repetition, it is nice to get a published author's take on why the romance genre is so popular. Recommended for anyone who wants to know the whys, rather than the hows of the genre.

I found this book very interesting reading. From each author, I gained new insight into why I like to read romance, and why it's written the way it is. Many of us readers do like the "alpha" hero, or even as in Anne Stuart's words--the vampire hero. Why the authors like them, write about them, and entertains us with these heroes, fascinates me. To read about the balance the adventurous heroine needs, entertains me. And, I love Laura Kinsale's place-holder heroine, her writing on point of view, as well as Jayne Krentz's defense of the genre, in general. Excellent book, worth reading and keeping.

This is a great collection of scholarly essays by well-known romance authors about the genre. Any serious romance fan will find this a fascinting read. I was continually impressed by the profound insights in this book. Not only is it a compelling response to the many unenlightened critics of the genre, but it is also a thoughtful consideration of how romance novels reflect the changing face of women's issues in this country. I particularly enjoyed the article by Susan Elizabeth Phillips called "The Romance and the Empowerment of Women." Also, Laura Kinsale's article about how readers respond to the point of view of the narrative was fascinating. This should be mandatory reading for all romance editors.

This book opened my eyes in many ways. As a writer, I recognized aspects of my writing that I'd never paid enough attention to in the past--and more importantly, I got to know my reader a little better. I'd imagine readers of romance would find this book affirming of their love of the genre. Wonderfully put together from a long list of smart, "adventurous" women.