Chicago Tribune

Where are romance novels headed given the current state of women's issues?

Romance is a genre about women, by women and pored over by women - 84 percent of readers are female, according to Romance Writers of America.

It's a $1 billion industry, and 35 percent of romance book buyers have been reading them for 20 years or more, according to RWA.

So after a year when persisting and resisting were the norm - what does this world of fiction look like? Have romance novels evolved given the current social/political climate? The answer to that is yes, but not in a "big boom" kind of way, said Joanne Grant, editorial director of the Harlequin Series.

"I think this is something that will continue to shape romance

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