ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the existing social scientific research on romance novels, readers, and authors. While content analyses of romance novels reveal conformity to traditional gender roles and sexual scripts, studies of romance readers show that these books serve important functions in women’s lives, that they are read critically, and that their take-away messages are both positive and progressive. Research with authors reveals how and why they became romance authors, how they experience the stigma of writing in a disparaged genre, and how they forge community with other authors.
