Romance fiction - what do you think?

[Finn665]

Hello everyone,

I hope it's okay that I'm posting on here - I'm studying a part time MA in Professional Writing. As part of an industry analysis module I have decided to focus on reader interest around romance and erotic fiction. I need to include primary research, and I wondered if anyone would be happy to answer the following questions - this is just for my essay and won't be published anywhere. I'd love to know:

• Do you engage with romance fiction, either the sweeter Mills & Boon novels or more erotic novels such as 50 Shades of Grey? If you're an avid romance reader, why do you enjoy it? Have your tastes changed over the years, are you more liberal?

• Romance fiction, especially novels which lean into erotica, have been labelled as 'mum porn' or similar. What do you think about this? Do you like it, dislike it, or does it make you feel like your part of a community?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! x

It depends what you include in romance. I read Georgette Heyer, and a certain amount of fantasy romance (eg Mortal Instruments series, Parasol Protectorate). I wouldn't say I was an 'avid' romance reader, but I definitely enjoy them when I want something light and entertaining to read.

As a side note, I think there's an interesting discussion to be had around class and romance novels, and why some (eg Mills & Boon) are definitely socially unacceptable/looked down on, while others (Georgette Heyer being the prime example) are fine.

Just out of interest, have you also posted on Netmums? I'd be curious if so to know if you get different answers. (Also wondering if you might get more answers to your questions on MN if you posted in Chat rather than the books section!)

Romance is a broad category IMO. I personally like a story to go with it. Georgette Heyer works because of that factor, and so do most satisfactory romances. Look at/read some of the big names from the 60s/70s/80s before it was all about sex and shopping. Chick-lit is romance, but modernised.

Ooh yes, set up two identical surveys, link to one from MN and one from NM and tell us how the responses vary.