Call It Morbid Curiosity, But What’s With Harlequin Pregnant Romance?
I wouldn’t classify myself as OCD. I’ve never been diagnosed or anything. But I do have a compulsion to, anywhere I go, check out the book and magazine racks. I don’t generally buy anything, I just look at how books are arranged. What are the bestsellers? What genres are adjacent to each other? I suppose it’s the wannabe writer in me doing market research. (Apparently, vampires are HOT right now…)
During my last perusal of a book department in a major retailer, I was quickly scanning the romance novels, trying to get to the meager science fiction section (sci-fi seems to always be meager in the mountains, despite many a great sci-fi tale being set here…), when a pattern quickly emerged. I can easily say that over half of the steamy romance covers featured some form of pregnancy, whether on the cover illustration or in the title.
What’s up with that?
I’ve always thought of romance novels as housewife porn that’s legal to be sold at the supermarket. Maybe because it’s prose?
But what’s the fascination with pregnancy being prominent to the story? Is this some kind of weird fetish thing? Or does it call on something deeper? Do women prefer to keep their escapism closer to their own lives? While men (and by men, I mean me) prefer their escapism to be about characters that have powers beyond those of mortal men and have adventures in alien and fantasy landscapes, do women prefer characters that they may have something in common with?
Just consider this one man’s futile attempt to pry open the unfathomable depths of the broad female psyche.
As for trying to figure out Harlequin‘s marketing strategies? I gave that up when I discovered Harlequin Nascar…
Incidentally, my wife can’t help with this. She’d rather read Lord of the Rings or something by Jane Austin. Which is one more reason why I love her…
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Tags: Arts, Fiction, Literature, Lord of the Rings, Market research, Romance, Romance novel, Science Fiction
I read a lot of Harlequin Romances when I started reading romances as a teenager. I read them for a long time. I like romance and happily ever after endings. There is a lot of different Harlequin lines, but the “pregnancy” romances weren’t one of them when I was reading them. I don’t know how to explain the popularity, and they must be otherwise Harlequin wouldn’t bother publishing them, of pregnancy romances or why pregnant women would be featured on the covers. Maybe the majority of their readers are in the age group of those women who are in their childbearing years?
I’ve always loved Jane Austen and have read her novels and some of the “sequels” written by writers today. I also love mysteries. I guess it’s all a matter of taste.
BTW, at least in my opinion, romance novels are NOT “housewife porn.” That’s kind of degrading, don’t you think? I think if you are reading for entertainment, to each his own.
SurprisedMom´s last blog ..Blue is my color
Sorry if I seemed degrading. I was just going for the ‘maybe I’ll get a cheap laugh from being ignorant’ thing. No offense intended!
It is all a matter of taste. There might be something to romance novels beyond the steamy cover illustration and sensational title. Sometimes I like a good crime noir novel with plenty of sex and violence. Does this make me a bad or even questionable person? I hope we’re not judged by our choices of entertainment, that would just be wrong!
I think, simply, romance novels provides the assuarnce of “Happily Ever After.” Something life often does not.
SurprisedMom´s last blog ..Reflections on the day
Twitter: CK_Lunchbox
says:
Oh, you didn’t know my pen name was Kim Lawrence? Yeah, I’m making a killing off these babies. =-) Okay, NASCAR? Really!? What is it, for romantic rednecks? That might qualify as a submission to FAIL Blog.
Clark Kent’s Lunchbox´s last blog ..Washeteria
Rednecks need love too. True story: one year when I was working as a photo tech in a wal-mart, my boss decided to put together ‘redneck valentines’. These consisted of a balloon filled with: lingerie, a six pack of beer, … and Polaroid film. We sold a ton until his boss found out!
It is amazing how much money an author can make writing these romance novels! Think Nora Roberts. She started out writing for Silhouette, the American counterpart of Harlequinn. I really should sit myself down and try to write a romance novel.
SurprisedMom´s last blog ..Reflections on the day
What!? BTW, My wife and yours would probably get along very well; she reads LOTR at least once a year. She loves all that fantasy/sci-fi stuff. Romance novels have never been seen in this house. But, seriously, I don’t know the fascination of pregnancy related romance. That seems very much like a fetish, and a weird one at that (well, maybe they’re all weird.)
Keith Wilcox´s last blog ..I Segregate my Dishes: I Must be a Racist Bastard!
Absolutely. My wife is actually who got me hooked on Star Trek and Doctor Who. How many fanboys can say that?
I don’t get the pregnancy romance thing either. I like to read books about family relationships. sometimes there may be a love interest, but I really am more interested in the happy ending happy family stories…I guess that’s why there are so many books for SO many interests…..
Twitter: thejackb
says:
Harlequin Nascar… didn’t see that coming.
Jack´s last blog ..Words on a Page
NASCAR romance novels!!!? I gotta get my aunt one of those…