An Overview of Three Different Romance Novels
A Mystery Book, a Christian Story, and a Shallow Modern Example
Romance novels literally are a dime a dozen at garage sales. They are books purchased to get through a boring plane ride or tucked into a hospital-bound "get well" basket, and only read once before donated or passed along with a laugh. Some books are experimenting with increasing the quality of the genre, and a comparison of the books reveals that while some things change, some things stay annoyingly the same.
Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch
B.J. Daniels creates a true page-turning mystery, but keeps the elements that are characteristic of the romance novel genre. Dana Cardwell is selling her family ranch and recovering from her broken heart after her fiance, Hud, betrayed her with her sister. The initial plot-line tells you that the publisher must be Harlequin.
The book is an excellent example of something beyond traditional romance. It is from the Harlequin Intrigue series, and the opening pages sound far more like a James Ellroy classic than a $5 paperback from an airport bookstore. As early as page 3, a mystery has developed. "As she looked up to the opening high above her, she felt something wet and sticky run into her eye. Blood."
Although Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch is hardly L.A. Confidential, the compelling mystery, witty dialogue, and well-created conflict that builds among the supporting characters makes the classic superficial moments more endurable for someone more accustomed to Oscar Wilde.
Homespun Bride
One of the growing sub-groups of the genre is Christian romance novels, also called Inspirational Romances. Jillian Hart's Homespun Bride is a beautiful romance about a blind Montana woman who reunites with the man who courted her and left town. The characters are vivid, though stereotypical, and they seems realistically painted. Noelle is a devout Christian, and her faith has only grown stronger as she walks the path God has designed for her, which she accepts to be childless spinster teaching piano lessons.
When her former boyfriend Thad returns to Montana to help his family, the romance progresses predictably, complete with a disapproving aunt who is won over by Thad's good heart. There are horses, moments when the blind Noelle can "see" Thad for who he really is, and multiple opportunities for Thad to be heroic.
The characters are firmly connected to Godly thinking. "Whatever you're struggling with," Noelle warns halfway through the book, "you should never let anything come between you and God." For Christian women, this is a warm, Godly love story with a happy ending, and a quick and easy read.
Homespun Bride does not feel like a classic Harlequin romance, which appears to be Harlequin's intention. It is published by Steeple Hill's Love Inspired collection, which is only revealed to be connected to Harlequin in very fine print.
Price of Passion
Susan Napier has all the elements of a romance novel, and very few elements of anything Jane Austen fans would consider literature. The book is exactly what one would expect from a series entitled, "Harlequin Presents: Pregnant Mistresses". The two main characters are regularly overcome with desire, including two such moments in the car while they are returning from the vet. Of course, having a three-legged dog in the car with them does not hinder their passion, and one would hope this is not typical of New Zealanders. The book is filled with wealth, glamor, and unexpected (but not insurmountable) odds for beautiful people - a dyslexic, best-selling author, a beautiful researcher who is able to have unlimited vacation time from work, and a plumbing problem that forces them to live in close quarters.
Romance novels hardly qualify as literary fiction, because they are designed to be easy reads for women. There are simplistic, predictable plot lines, few characters, and one never needs a dictionary to tackle the vocabulary, but books like Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch and Homespun Bride are redeeming the genre. Books like Price of Passion are keeping the genre fun, playfully mockable, and garage-sale book bins full of good deals.
Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels (ISBN: 037322897X) was published by Harlequin Intrigue in February 2006. It is available as an Amazon Kindle E-book, which was the reviewed version.
Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart (ISBN:0373827822) was published by Steeple Hill in February, 2008. It is available as an Amazon Kindle E-book, which was the reviewed version.
Price of Passion by Susan Napier (ISBN: 0373820615) was published by Harlequin in January, 2008. It is available as an Amazon Kindle E-book, which was the reviewed version.
Romance Novels Make Great Beach Reading
|
Women Line Up for a Harlequin Author Signing
|
What do you think about this article?
Comments
More in Reading & Literature
Latest Articles