To the Wonderful Readers of AAR, a Request
This post is now closed. Keira will be contacting those of you who have said they’d like to participate. Thanks!
Through more than twenty years of All About Romance’s reviews, AAR’s readers have visited, read our posts, and commented on the reviews, blogs, and message boards. And over the years, as AAR staff, we have gotten to know some of you. However, we would love to get to know all of you better.
There’s been some discussion lately, that as younger readers join the Romance genre or scholars arrive who are new to the field, they are unaware of the genre’s history and the early books. Some Romance genre experts say that modern romance began with Kathleen Woodiwiss’ work and those of her contemporaries. I would take issue with them and say that Mary Burchell [1904-1986] was writing years before that and those were very much romances. As were Georgette Heyer’s books [1902-1974]. Long-time readers will always have such historical points to argue about that they find fascinating and will be of interest for newer readers to discover.
I had a conversation with Romance Scholar Laura Vivanco which discussed the early beginnings of romance (Jean Plaidy [1906-1993] and others), and she sent me this goldmine of discussions about early books from AAR’s own past posts At The Back Fence.Ā (Note, there are a couple of broken links.) As you can see, every reader analyzes our genre differently. There is rarely agreement over which books they think are important, what aspects of romance are interesting, which tropes are relevant and how they have evolved, and so on.
Academics and reviewers analyze the books, and bloggers review the books and interview the authors. But where are the readers’ voices? Who interviews the readers? We need to preserve the long history of our beloved genre, and that means, we need to talk to readers, because they’re the ones who’ve taken the genre to their heart and stayed with it through thick and thin, in times of joy and calamity, weathering praise and criticism. Who best would know more about the genre than them?
So AAR’s Readers, I would like to conduct a short email interview with you so we can know more about you, your thoughts on your reading, your feelings about the genre, how you discovered Romance, what would you consider iconic romances, and other questions. This is not only so we can all get to know each other better, but also so we can share our personal history with the genre and have a collective AAR history of the genre.
If you are interested, please comment below, and I will get in touch with you over email. If you would prefer a different email address, please mention it below. Alternately, you can contact me directly on email at keira (at) keirasoleore (dot) com. If you would like to remain anonymous, please indicate that in your email as well. I will put together all your responses into a blog or two.
Deadline for responses:Ā September 1st, 2019.
I so look forward to hearing from you all.
Keira
I’m late to the party, but I would be happy to take part.
I would be happy to participate. Started with Jane Austen, then like Renee, Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt. Not sure how I discovered Georgette Heyer who was next. Nowadays I read many genres
I would be happy to participate. My interest in romance fiction began with Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart and Georgette Heyer and has evolved into JD Robb and more contemporary romance fiction offerings.
I would be honored to participate.
I would like to participate
Iād love to participate!
Great, Heather. Iāll be in touch.
I can participate.
Thanks, Abby. Iāll be in touch.
Sounds interesting. I’ve been reading romance only about 3 years, but I’d love to participate.
Itād be great to hear from all readers. Iāll be in touch.
I would be pleased to help.
Great, Ladyās Wesley. Iāll be in touch.
I’d be happy to chime in…… Kathleen Woodiwis was my first romance author back in the day, and I’ve been a steady consumer ever since.
Good to know, Dorothy. Iāll be in touch.
Iād love to participate!
Thanks, Kaia. Iāll be in touch.
I started reading romance at about age 12 with the publication of a Nora Roberts book. It had a horse on the cover and cost $0.99! :) I liked the happy endings and relationships, so searched out teen authors (SE Hinton, Judy Blume, etc) and also loved to find complex books (Heyer) and big, impressive books (MM Kaye anyone?) to seal my image as a geeky, awkward book worm. I found this site back in the mid-90s and for a long time visited it on a frequent basis. Nowadays I get here about once per month.
Amy, glad to see you still visit. Iāll be in touch!
Hello..and wishing you a wonderful Labor Day Weekend.
I too would like to share in your study. My romance reading goes back to Georgette Heyer, Victoria Holt, LaVyrie Spencer, Jude Deveraux. In the 1980’s I was part of a group of friends who shared books we purchased.
Good Luck with your project!
Such good memories, Anita. Wish you a very happy labor Day weekend as well. Iāll be in touch.
Would love to take part!
Thank you! Iāll be in touch!
I can participate as well.
Great, Kass. I will be in touch.
Iām interested!
Thanks, Mara. I will be in touch.
Hi Keira–hope I’m not too late.
I have been reading romance since about 2015 and especially love historical and Regency romance. I would love to converse with you. I love AAR and have purchased several books based upon AAR reviews. Favorite authors are Laura Kinsale, Sherry Thomas, Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, and a few more.
I hope to hear from you.
Thank you,
Suzanne
Great to hear this, Suzanne. Youāre not late at all. Iāll be in touch.
I’d also like to participate – have been reading since the 90s. :)
Great, Maura. Iāll be in touch.
I’ve just returned from 3 weeks holiday and read this post. I’ve been following and posting on AAR since 1999 so I’d love to participate! Hope I’m not too late.
Elaine, good to hear from you. I’ll be in touch.
Happy to take part if you want to contact me.
Great, Sara. Iāll be in touch.
I would love to take part. The impact AAR has had on my life is huge.
Thatās fabulous, Kristie. Iāll be in touch.
I am a 70-year-old former secretary who’s been reading romance since I retired 13 years ago. If a viewpoint from that perspective is helpful, I would be delighted to participate.
I would love to talk to you, Linda. Iāll be in touch.
In exchange for the great reviews, I’d be happy to participate! :)
Heh! Iāll be in touch, Rae Anne.
I would love to participate! My romantic roots go all the way back to Mary Stewart & Phyllis Whitney as well as Georgette Heyer. Iād be interested in reading your findings as well.
Barb, itās great seeing so many folks interested in participating. Iāll be in touch.
If it helps you in any way, count on me. I will gladly answer your questions.
Nona, glad you can join. Iāll be in touch.
If you’re still looking, would love to participate. I, also, have been around since Laurie Loves Books.
I am absolutely looking for more people to participate. Iāll be in touch, Peg.
Fascinating project. Happy to participate as well.
Great to hear that, nblibgirl. I’ll be in touch.
I would like to participate and look forward to your report.
Great, Lee. I’ll be in touch soon!
Glad to participate.
Great, Maria. Iāll be in touch soon.
I’d love to be a part of this! I started reading adult romance in the 80s when my best friend growing up and I discovered by mom’s Harlequin Present’s and the first one read (secretly of course) was Wade Dynsasty by Carole Mortimer! I have a copy to this day just to remind myself why I fell in love with Romance. I read all the YA romance’s of the time as well.
My email is sarah31733″gmail.com
I am looking forward to reading your story, Sarah. Iāll be in touch soon!
If you are still looking, I would be happy to participate.
I absolutely am! Thanks, Kathleen. Iāll be in touch soon!
nice idea, oh, nice memories…
Started with romance on Harlequins in about 1977 (at 12 :-), Georgette Heyer, then “Shanna” serialized in magazine “Stern” in German … wonder when that was??… much later, remember loving the “Back Fence” …
Count me in, if you want!
This is fabulous, Lieselotte. Iāll be in touch soon!
I love this idea. I so look forward to hearing some of our stories too.
Thanks, Norma. Iāll be in touch soon!
nice post
Jason, are you interested in participating?
Iāve been reading romance since my first Harlequin presents in 1975. Would love to be part of this.
What a long history with the genre! Thanks, Kris. Iāll be in touch soon!
Happy to share my thoughts – past and present – on romance. novels.
Fabulous, Judith. Iāll be in touch soon!
I started with the bodice rippers back in the 80’s, and would be glad to participate if you are still searching for people.
Absolutely, JulieB. Iāll be in touch soon!
I would love to participate.
Great, Betty. Iāll be in touch soon!
Happy to participate
Thanks, Jennifer. I’ll be in touch soon!
Definitely interested in giving feedback
[email protected] is the best for me
Lauren, thank you. Iāll be in touch soon!
I’d love to participate!
Betsy, wonderful. Iāll be in touch soon!
I’d love to be a part of this as well!
Great! I’ll be in touch soon. Betsy!
Happy to participate! Sounds very interesting.
Excellent! I’ll be in touch soon, WollstonecraftHomeGirl.
Hi Keira, I am probably also one of your older readers. I have been reading romance for about 35 years and have regularly visited this website (and the previous version Laurie Likes Books) since the late 1990s, when I had to connect to the Internet via modem! Your survey sounds fun and I would like to participate. Thanks!
Fabulous, Manjiri. I look forward to your stories. I’ll be in touch soon!
This sounds like fun. I’d love to participate.
Thank you, Lil. I’ll be in touch!
Count me in!
Excellent, Sandra. I’ll be in touch!
I’d be happy to participate.
Great, Michelle. I’ll be in touch!
I have been reading romance for decades and always feel I have been out of the mainstream of trends. I have been connecting to AAR since it was Laurie Likes Books. I would love to participate in your interviews.
Thank you for your dedication to AAR. I’ll be in touch!
Iād also be happy to participate. My email address is [email protected]
Wonderful, Sue. I’ll be in touch!
As probably one of your older readers, I started reading romance as a genre in the early 2000ās. I would be delighted to take part in your survey.
I’d love to hear your stories. I’ll be in touch!