Staff Picks Blog
Harvard graduate and Yale Medical School dropout Julia Quinn has written seventeen Historical Fiction Romance novels. Quinn has been tagged as one of the “Ivy League Romance Writers” and she’s in good company. The Romance genre has gained a lot of popularity recently and books are diverse, ranging from stereotypical bodice-rippers to Chick-Lit humor to innocent girl-meets-boy and they live happily ever-after themes. A July 7, 2009 USA Today article discusses the $1.4 billion Romance market and recent acceptance into mainstream markets, as evidenced by the recent Princeton University scholarly conference, “Love as the Practice of Freedom? Romance Fiction and American Culture.”
I recently read three of Quinn’s books and enjoyed them. They remind me of my favorite Chick-Lit books with humor, strong female protagonists, a hint of romance, and a happy ending. What Happens in London is filled with humor as Lady Olivia Bevelstoke and Sir Harry Valentine both begin spying on a foreign prince who may be plotting against England. Regency Historical Romance titles Mr. Cavendish, I Presume (a Romance Writers of Amerca 2009 Rita Award finalist) and The Lost Duke of Wyndham are companion novels – the same story is told but from different points of view.
Books in the Romance genre, and its many sub-genres, are very popular at Iowa City Public Library. Staff at the Fiction Desk are always willing to help you find a good book. ~Enjoy~
