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You may be surprised with the 1990s romances I’m claiming haven’t aged well. Specifically, you may be surprised by what I’m leaving out: bodice rippers full of violence, including sexual violence. There are plenty of romance readers today who want stories with clear consent between main characters and a minimum of violence. But guess what: there are still tons of readers who crave romances with violence, sexual and otherwise. It would be disingenuous to claim these older books haven’t aged well, given the current prevalence and popularity of romances with stalkers, serial killers, bullies, and kidnappers.
It’s patronizing and paternalistic to think the readers of the 1990s (or earlier) were less sophisticated than readers of today. People project a lot onto romance readers — much more than readers of other literature, I’d venture. But lots of people like to read about topics that they probably would never want to encounter in real life. That was true then, and it’s true now. It’s certainly worth thinking about why that’s the case, and what it says about our society. But that’s beyond the scope of today’s investigation. Today, I’m looking at some romances we should all agree haven’t aged well. Then, we will look at some books from the 1990s that I think still deserve big audiences.
Romances That Have Not Aged Well
And One Wore Gray by Heather Graham
I am often looking for nuance when talking about what should and should not be written about. Still, there are some bright lines worth drawing. One of those Rubicons I do not wish to cross is romances featuring Confederate soldiers. They were traitors, losers, and trying to uphold a terrible and violent system that is a stain on the country we have not washed out. I know people continue to write romances like these and ones about plantation-owning slaveholders. Can we just not??
Lion of the Desert by Barbara Faith
Another thing I really wish we could ditch in romance is the fetishization of men of color. The Sheik was a very influential romance from 1919 that somehow we have not quite moved past. Despite that novel (spoiler for an over 100-year-old book) featuring a white rapist in brownface, the stereotype of the sexually aggressive Black or brown man continues to plague us. Moreover, it continues to have real-life consequences. While I welcome Own Voices authors exploring stories in this realm, I will kindly ask white people to stop writing about people with “desert eyes.” You’re making it weird.
Savage Thunder by Johanna Lindsey
No disrespect to Johanna Lindsey! I think there are plenty of her books still worth reading. She was, after all, one of the most popular and influential writers of the historical bodice ripper. But once again, I am going to ask white people to stop writing romances between white people and Native American people unless you can do it without invoking all manner of harmful stereotypes. I love to go to big used books sales with lots of older paperback romances, the sheer number of ‘80s and ‘90s romances featuring Native Americans is, frankly, shocking. Many of them, like Savage Thunder, are offensive right from the title and cover (no disrespect to iconic cover artist Elaine Duillo either!), never mind the content. Thankfully, these days we have romance authors like Robin Covington and Danica Nava who are writing romances featuring Indigenous people that aren’t wildly racist and fetishizing.
Comanche by Fabio
I didn’t point out Fabio on the cover of the Johanna Lindsey book above because Fabio gets a book of his own on this list. Despite this being another gross book working from stereotyped caricatures of Native Americans, we also must agree that Fabio has not aged well, despite his workout regimen. He’s a right-wing blowhard these days, and let’s not continue to prop up people like this who rode the coattails of more talented people into the spotlight.
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1990s Romances That Have Aged Well
Night Song by Beverly Jenkins
Recently I had the great fortune of meeting Beverly Jenkins, one of the most well-respected romance authors in the genre. I asked her where she thought new readers should start with her work. While common wisdom is to start with Indigo, widely considered her masterpiece, I will go with Ms. Bev’s own wisdom: start at the beginning. The Jenkins-verse is vast and interconnected. Start with Night Song, a Reconstruction-era romance between a teacher and a Union soldier in Kansas. Then you will be able to build out all of the relationships yourself and catch every Easter egg and cameo along the way.
To Love and to Cherish by Patricia Gaffney
There are some romance authors with great catalogs of 1990s romances. These authors, like Laura Kinsale and Judith Ivory, are beloved not just for their stories but for their gorgeous prose. Anyone who says romance isn’t “well written” doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Patricia Gaffney is another wonderful writer, and I truly love this book. It pairs a world-weary woman with a gem of a vicar. Everyone in this book is really struggling, and the way this book resists easy solutions or flat characterizations is a marvel.
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
While this book is not a genre romance, romantic/sexual relationships are at its core, and it has an optimistic ending. It’s a bit tough to find queer romance from the 1990s. A few notable authors of queer romance from the ‘70s and ‘80s include Ann Shockley, Gordon Merrick, and Vincent Virga if you’re interested in reading more. Sarah Waters is known for exploring gender and sexuality in her novels. Her debut, Tipping the Velvet, was first published in 1998 by Virago Press, influential for women’s writing and feminist books. Set in Victorian England, it follows an oyster girl named Nan who goes on a journey of self-discovery thanks to her fascination with a male impersonator named Kitty. Like Sarah Waters books tend to be, it’s a ride. I also really enjoyed the BBC adaptation!
Olivia And Jai by Rebecca Ryman
You see many (though still not enough) historical romances nowadays that tackle colonialism without glorifying it or ignoring it the way so many other books do. But this book from the 1990s does that too! Olivia is an American living in colonial India with British relatives. Jai is what the book calls “half-caste,” meaning he has a white father and an Indian mother. Jai is an enemy of Olivia’s family, but he’s cryptic and mysterious, and Olivia is obsessed with him. If you like a romance with a brooding man and a slightly twisted love story that is decidedly not out to warm your heart, pick this one up.
This is but a small sampling of romances I think hold up! If you’re looking for more, we have a great list of unusual historical romances that includes some oldies but goodies. And author Sarah Maclean’s recommendations page also has some classics. Top tip: do a search on the page for “old school.” Make this the year you don’t make any assumptions about what older romance novels (or readers!) were up to, and find out for yourself.