Creative Writing MFA programs are numerous, but tracks for popular fiction, let alone romance, are few. The Romance MFA student will read a broad cross section of popular romance. Having read the books on the Romance MFA’s Romance Reading List, the prospective litterateur should begin to understand the history of the romance novel, be able to trace the development of major genre tropes, and have a sense of comps in their intended genre.
Meeting & Discussion
MFA students are invited to follow the Romance MFA blog and discuss readings from this syllabus, or other related topics in the comments, or on social media. Join the discussion on Twitter with #RomMFA or tag @RomMFA, or follow the Romance MFA on Facebook.
Romance Reading List
Precursors and Early Romances
- Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740), by Samuel Richardson – Reviewed 9/18/17. See all my posts on Pamela.
- Pride and Prejudice (1813), by Jane Austen – Reviewed 10/23/17. See all my posts on Jane Austen.
- Jane Eyre (1847), by Charlotte Bronte – Reviewed 11/13/17. See all my posts on Jane Eyre.
- To Have and To Hold (1899), by Mary Johnston – Reviewed 12/11/17. See all my posts on Mary Johnston.
- A Room With A View (1908), by E.M. Forster – Reviewed 1/8/18. See all my posts on A Room With A View.
- The Sheik (1919), by E.M. Hull – Reviewed 1/29/18. See all my posts on The Sheik.
Mid-Twentieth Century Love Stories
- Gone With the Wind (1936), by Margaret Mitchell – Reviewed 4/2/18. See all my posts on Gone With the Wind.
- Rebecca (1938), by Daphne du Maurier – Reviewed 5/1/18. See all my posts on Daphne Du Maurier.
- Forever Amber (1944), by Kathleen Winsor – Reviewed 7/16/18. See all my posts on Forever Amber.
- Désirée (1951) by Annemarie Selinko – Reviewed 8/13/18. See all my posts on Désirée.
- Angelique (1956), by Sergeanne Golon – Reviewed 9/17/18. See all my posts on Angelique.
Regencies
- Grand Sophy (1950), by Georgette Heyer – Reviewed 1/14/19. See all my posts on Heyer.
- Whitney, My Love (1985), by Judith McNaught
- Gentle Rogue (1990), by Johanna Lindsey
- The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000), by Julia Quinn
- Slightly Married (2003), by Mary Balogh
- Flowers from the Storm (2003), by Laura Kinsale
- The Devil in Winter (2006), by Lisa Kleypas
Bodice Rippers
- The Silver Devil (1978), by Teresa Denys
- The Flame and the Flower (1972), by Kathleen Woodiwiss
- Sweet Savage Love (1974), by Rosemary Rogers
- Skye O’Malley (1981), by Bertrice Small
American-Set Historical Romances
- The Age of Innocence (1920), by Edith Wharton
- Indigo (1996), by Beverly Jenkins
- Time and Again (1970), by Jack Finney
- November of the Heart (1993), by LaVyrle Spencer
- The Windflower (1984), by Laura London
- Magnate (2016), by Joanna Shupe
- Deadly Love (2001), by Brenda Joyce
- Blaze (1986), by Susan Johnson
Genre and Craft
- A Natural History of the Romance Novel (2003), by Pamela Regis
- On Writing Romance (2007), by Leigh Michaels
- Dangerous Books for Girls (2011), by Maya Rodale
About this reading list
Wait, this is missing—Yes, yes it is missing. This romance reading list is a distillation of 272 (and counting) entries in a spreadsheet. The astute reader will note the absence of the following genres: Contemporary, Gothic, Paranormal, Highlanders, Victorian, Pirates, Time Travel, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Steampunk, Westerns, Erotica (classic and contemporary!), and much, much more. This is a beginning syllabus with broad categories, but it does cater to my interest in historical romance. Additional secondary sources will be added as I read each category. Shortlists for additional genres may be forthcoming, but extant information is also easier to find online than the broad genre overview here. Aspiring authors should replace the “American-Set Historical Romance” category with comps in their chosen subgenre.
About the Romance MFA Coordinator
Bonnie Loshbaugh is an indie author who enjoys research almost as much as writing. She has big plans to write romance, but in the meantime you can find her non-romance work at loshbaugh.com or chat with her on Twitter @rommfa.