The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein

!: What Is A Romance Novel

When most of us think of a romance novel, we think of the racy covers, the buffed out hero and the half dressed woman on the front, looking like she's just been rescued by a handsome cowboy, a randy pirate or a handsome doctor. But weren't you ever taught not to judge a book by its cover? A romance novel, with the pen of a gifted writer, can be so much more than that.

A good romance novel has, at its base, a conflict or challenge that must be overcome by either hero or heroine, and it's getting there that's half the fun.
Most popular romance writers know how to craft a novel that incorporates action, character building, suspense, mystery, and yes, even a little sex or a lot, but that depends on personal taste.

A romance novel can be filled with hot and steamy scenes or gentle persuasions that cause readers to fall in love with heroes while the heroine stumbles around, blind as a bat, to all his good qualities. On the other hand, many a novel heroine waits impatiently for the hero to get it through his thick, stubborn head that she loves him.

The romance novel has been around since the first books were printed and they go through various fads as the decades go by. Most popular novels today are either historical or mystery and suspense.

The characters found between the pages can be heroes or Regular Joe's, wearing business suits or leather chaps. Pirates seem to be favorites of many readers, as are cowboys and medical personnel. If written correctly it has the ability to transport readers into a different place and time, away from the worries and concerns of our daily, humdrum lives.

These novels, or at least a majority of them, are so much more than sex and innuendo. A true romance novel will capture the reader in the thick of the plot and entice the reader to care about the characters and not just what happens between the sheets.

When looking for a good novel, forget the cover art and go directly to the synopsis written on the back of the book. An exciting plotline, a challenge and a hero or heroine that can connect with the reader will provide hours of enjoyable reading entertainment for fans of this genre.

The romance novel genre has gone through ups and downs in the past thirty years, but is still going strong today. The heroes on the covers are just as buff as they were thirty years ago, and the women are still beautiful, if a little more toned and tanned.

Women don't typically play weak roles, but often offer the main male lead more than they can handle. Oftentimes, it is nothing more than a battle of wits between male and female leads who are desperately fighting their attraction to one another.

Sound familiar? Fact is supposed to be stranger than fiction, but in a romance novel, you never know what's going to happen... well, most of the time.