These days, readers no longer need to parade their Fabio-graced romance novels in front of all the other passengers on their train or bus. Instead, they can read them discreetly on their e-readers, but why the concern? I once saw a woman on a bus in Chicago, years ago, with a cannily embroidered book jacket cover that read “Dirty Novel” to anyone who cared to look. Most everyone is familiar with “bodice rippers” and likely associates them with the publisher Harlequin, but romances range from chaste kisses and courtship to, ahem, the more modern novels of today and remain one of the most popular forms of women’s literature.
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