Looking for A Happy Ending? Pick Up A Romance Novel

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2022

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It seems that everyone wants a happy ending, and nothing delivers that better than a romance novel. The Harlequin romance bodice rippers of old have evolved. Today’s romance novels feature diverse protagonists – including men. They offer more real-to-life scenarios, and often mash into other genres like science fiction. In the last five years, booksellers have seen a 740% increase in the sales of LGBTQ romance novels, with 850,000 books sold last year. We’ll talk about the rise of the romance novel and hear from you…what’s your favorite? Guests: Jasmine Guillory, novelist and writer, "Drunk on Love" — Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Bon Appetit, and Time. Mia Sosa, novelist, "The Wedding Crasher" and "The Worst Best Man" Olivia Waite, novelist, "The Hellion's Waltz" and "The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows;" romance novel reviewer, the New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for Forum comes from Rancho La Puerta, boated the number one wellness resort and spa by readers of travel and leisure magazine in 2024.
0:09.7	In August, three or four people sharing a cassita enjoy special vacation packages that include hiking, mindfulness, and fitness classes, in a garden setting on 4,000 verdant acres of nature preserve.
0:22.4	Check in to summer at Rancho LaPorta.
0:25.1	Rancho LaPorta.com.
0:26.8	Greetings boomtown.
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0:43.2	From KQED.
0:48.2	From KQED.
0:48.2	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
0:58.9	You're undoubtedly familiar with the old school romance novel, a beef cake on the cover, perhaps
1:05.3	a heterosexual couple.
1:06.6	Harlequin has sold billions of these books since they took off in the 1970s.
1:11.5	But the bodice Ripper is evolving.
1:14.1	Today's romance novels feature diverse protagonists, even including men.
1:18.2	They offer more real-to-life scenarios and often mash in other genres like science fiction.
1:23.8	In the last five years, booksellers have seen a 740% increase in the sales of LGBTQ romance novels.
	...

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