You know them as bodice rippers. The kind of books where a damsel in distress waits around for a hero to come rescue her and then they live happily ever after. But during the last 10 or so years, that perception has started to shift, thanks to the nuanced, fiercely feminist, and yes, sexy stories that have emerged.
"Often people hear romance novel and have a very specific picture in their minds: maybe a historical novel, perhaps with a specific cover model, and lots of fuchsia and teal and flowing hair," says Sarah Wendell, founder of the website Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and co-author of Beyond Heaving Bosoms. "They may also think of recent blockbuster erotic novels, or variations of the same. And much as there are more space movies than Star Wars, there are so many different, wonderful novels that could be classified as romance fiction."
