Loving History:
Readers' Love Affairs With the Past
By Elyssa Edwards
As she sat in the dark dungeon, all hope gone, she wept. A loud crash, the clash of metal up on metal and angry shouts drew her attention to the door. The shadows reflected by the flickering torch lights showed a struggle. The suddenly the sounds of the swords stopped. The wooden door to her cell was ripped from its hinges and cast aside. And there he was. Backlit by the corridor light, his tall form and sinfully proportioned body covered in battle armor he stood looking at her with dark eyes. Casting aside his shield and sword he sped toward her and grabbed her, crushing her to him. “My darling,” he moaned against her hair as he held her close. “The Dark Knight is dead. He can’t hurt you any more. You’re free.”
Romance stories, according to information provided by the Romance Writers of America’s website, have two fundamental components: the romance is the central feature of the story and there must be a happy-ever-after. Historical romances are no exception.
Romance readers all over the world regularly devour such tales of knights and their ladies fair. Of course there are also the millions who prefer other time periods with Lords and Ladies of the Regency, Tudor and Elizabethan periods. Or there are the fans of the stoic Scottish laird who saves the feisty young daughter of his enemy and vows to wed and love her despite the consequences. And we can’t forget the rugged cowboy who rides off with his gal into the sunset.
Romance readers all over the world regularly devour such tales of knights and their ladies fair. Of course there are also the millions who prefer other time periods with Lords and Ladies of the Regency, Tudor and Elizabethan periods. Or there are the fans of the stoic Scottish laird who saves the feisty young daughter of his enemy and vows to wed and love her despite the consequences. And we can’t forget the rugged cowboy who rides off with his gal into the sunset.
But the woman credited with starting the historical subgenre is Georgette Heyer. Her period romances not only set the standard for the earliest historic romances, they set the standards by which an entire subset of historical romances, the Regency --set during the Regency period of British history (so named because England was ruled by its Prince Regent until George III’s death)-- would be judged and evolve.
But why do we love historicals? Jan Scarbrough, the author of My Lord Raven from Resplendence Publishing, sites the appeal of escape. “Historicals take the reader away from every day, modern life. We’re able to wonder “what if?” What would we have done in that time? In some ways, historicals make more sense than modern life where the rules change almost over night. There’s something basic about a historical that I think the modern reader longs for.”
But why do we love historicals? Jan Scarbrough, the author of My Lord Raven from Resplendence Publishing, sites the appeal of escape. “Historicals take the reader away from every day, modern life. We’re able to wonder “what if?” What would we have done in that time? In some ways, historicals make more sense than modern life where the rules change almost over night. There’s something basic about a historical that I think the modern reader longs for.”
PreRegency Romances- These romances are set in Tudor England or during Elizabethan times. Again we often see the nobleman saving the young noblewoman from fates worse than death, or giving in to a marriage of convenience ordered by the monarch. And of course, the girls are always virgins who fall in love with their hero and the hero always falls in love with her. Statistics for this category are often combined with those of the Regency or Medieval.
Regency Romances- Set during Georgian England, this sub-sub genre has become so popular it is often set aside as a distinct form or romance apart from the historical. The Regency romance dominates the historical market and is generally. Books set in historical England were ranked as favored by 24% of readers.
But historical romances aren’t confined to European settings. The US’s past is a fruitful playing field for romances as well.
Colonial romance- These stories are traditionally set between 1630 and 1798. The hero may be a British soldier who falls in love with a young colonial girl or a revolutionary in the true sense of the word. This setting is considered favorable by 27% of romance readers.
The Western- Saddle up cowboys and head west because readers love the rugged trail riders. A quarter of readers stated they definitely love the wild, wild west as a setting for their romance. The author of Silverhills from Cerridwen Press, Sandra Cox, says cowboys have good reason for being popular. “I think we're all looking for heroes. We want men who aren't afraid to stand up for what they think is right. Die for it if necessary. Men who respect women and don't run from a fight.”
Romance fans around the world love historicals, or books set prior to World War II. This subgenre accounts for 16% of the romance novels published each year in the US and that number may be higher due to the increasing trend of cross-genre writing where books could be included in more than one category like Kinley MacGregor’s Lords of Avalon series which blends the magic of Arthurian lore with the elements of historical fiction. In face, paranormal romance and fantasy romance subgenres are especially inclined to cross with historical fiction. The data would then be affected by how the publisher chose to categorize the novel.
But readers gobble up the offerings of the historical romance market and have for years. The books of one of the Queens of Historical romance is Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. The Wolf and The Dove is often considered the ultimate romance novel., Woodiwiss’ books have been shared by generations of women; the love of them often passing from mother to daughter. “My mom even read her to me as a child on long car trips; highly, highly edited of course.” said Match Made by Moonlight author, Elaine Lowe. Woodiwiss was one of the very first authors to keep the bedroom door open, so to speak. “I always wondered what all those pages skipping was for!” added Lowe.
But readers gobble up the offerings of the historical romance market and have for years. The books of one of the Queens of Historical romance is Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. The Wolf and The Dove is often considered the ultimate romance novel., Woodiwiss’ books have been shared by generations of women; the love of them often passing from mother to daughter. “My mom even read her to me as a child on long car trips; highly, highly edited of course.” said Match Made by Moonlight author, Elaine Lowe. Woodiwiss was one of the very first authors to keep the bedroom door open, so to speak. “I always wondered what all those pages skipping was for!” added Lowe.
Sub-
Most agree that historical romance novels can be split into basic sub-
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Writer Kelly Kirch, the author of the Marriage series from Resplendence thinks it has more to do with the aesthetics of historical romance. “I think the beauty of a period's culture. Perhaps the art of language used or the finery in every detail of dress or manner. It's so very foreign to us now and modern man takes short cuts. Sometimes remembering the beauty, like a faraway dream, is a valuable gift for a reader.”
Or maybe it has to do with the fact that historical romances, in contrast to the early contemporary romances, were among the first “feminist” romances to be published. The female characters in historical romances have from the beginning defied the traditional female role. The heroines in these novels are often much more educated and informed than those of their time period. They often exercise more control of their surroundings and more power than would have typically been available or even possible for the average woman. While still swooning over the handsome alpha male, historical heroines have traditionally defied the norms of society or at least bent the rules.
Medieval Romances- These are stories set between 938 and 1485 AD. The heroes are most often knights and the heroines are usually those who have an uncommon amount of control for an unmarried girl who is always, by the way, a virgin. Twenty-one percent of readers favor this time period.
Highland Romances- The brave Scottish laird or warrior is often either forced by circumstance or political pressure into a hand-fast marriage with a young woman of unusual talent or birth. In many ways, these heroes are the alpha males of alpha males and the heroines always manage to hold their own against them. This setting is favored by 21% of readers.
Highland Romances-
By the Numbers
Thinking that those percentages don’t seem all that big? Most romance readers have multiple favorite settings, while some are unquestioningly loyal. But even then, we’re talking about some hefty figures. According the RWA, 64.4 million Americans say they have read at least one romance book in the last year. Or at least that’s how many are admitting to it. Let’s face it; romance novels get a bad rap in our society. Many people are embarrassed to admit they read them. Snickering comments about bodice rippers and bored housewives keep many from being honest about their reading habits. But let’s look at some statistics. Who’s reading these book? Well, twenty-two percent of romance readers are men and a growing number of romance writers are men. Forty-nine percent are single. Forty-one percent are between the ages of 25 and 44. Forty-two percent are college graduates. And 31% have read 6-20 books in the last year. Getting a different picture now?
Embracing the Guilty Pleasure
Guilty pleasure or not, readers all over the world have embraced the romance novel and particularly the historical romance. So whether you are waiting to be swept off your feet by a knight errant and his mighty…steed, a highlander with his big…kilt, a rakish young Lord with an enormous…estate or a dashing pirate promising you an unforgettable ride on his large…ship; step forward and proudly proclaim your allegiance to the time tested heroes of the historical romance. But don’t forget, these guys like ‘em feisty and independent.