This book focuses on the projection of the hero’s masculinity in a selection of post-millennial popular romance narratives and attempts to discover if, and to what extent, this projection reinforces or challenges patriarchal ideas about gender. In the majority of these narratives the hero is often presented as a hegemonic alpha male. However, hegemonic masculinity is not a fixed concept. Rather, it is subject to continuous change which allows for the emergence of various dominant masculinities. Under a poststructuralist lens and through a close textual analysis approach and a gender reading of romance narratives, the book suggests that to a certain extent the romance hero could be described as a platform onto which different forms of dominant masculinity are displayed and highlights that these masculinities do not necessarily clash, depend on, or function as a prerequisite for each other.
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About the corpus:
The [Harlequin] Contemporary Romance subgenre is wide-ranging and consists of different series (e.g. Harlequin Medical Romance, Dare, Desire, Intrigue, Presents/Modern, Romantic Suspense, and Heartwarming) and the task of analysing it in its entirety is beyond the scope of this book. Instead, the decision was made to examine part of the subgenre and chose the Harlequin Presents/Mills & Boon Modern series (henceforth Modern). (11)
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The book is divided into chapters which each have their own abstract, so I'll paste those in below:
Hegemonic Masculinity and the Romance Hero
Despite being widely cited and discussed, the term “hegemonic masculinity” is not a fixed concept. This chapter draws from the field of men’s studies and romance studies and explores the notion of hegemonic masculinity and the various definitions it has received over the years. Moreover, it engages with the existing literature and forms a definition of the popular romance hero as a complex construction of different dominant forms of masculinity.
Transnational Business Masculinities in Popular Romance Fiction
This chapter borrows Raewyn Connell’s ideas of “hegemonic masculinity” - which is perceived as a dominant ideology of masculinity - and “transnational business masculinities” and examines the form of dominant masculinity embodied by the romance hero in the same way that Connell does, that is, mostly in economic terms, that is, the hero’s financial status, capital, and authority, and the power that comes with it. Moreover, the elements of “press and fame”, as well as “cosmopolitanism” and “attachment to place”, are explored here as they appear to contribute to the formation of the hero’s managerial masculinity.
Hybrid Masculine Bloc in Popular Romance Fiction
Informed by Demetriou’s notion on hybridity, this chapter attempts to show that the twenty-first-century “Modern” heroes examined in this book are also embodiments of hybrid masculinity as they incorporate elements from counter-hegemonic masculinities. The adaptation of non-hegemonic elements does not necessarily mean the elimination of other hegemonic ones. Rather, their co-appearance portrays an image of a more realistic masculinity. The analysis of the romance novels provided in this chapter suggests that this lifelike depiction of the male protagonist does not seem to reduce his hegemonic status.
Body and Beauty in Popular Romance Fiction
This chapter discusses the elements of body and beauty which appear to be incorporated into the male protagonists of the selected romance novels regardless of the form of masculinity they may embody. In greater detail, the chapter investigates the way these elements contribute to the formation of the hero’s masculinity and the role they play in the development of the protagonists’ sexual relationship. Furthermore, the analysis on masculinity through beauty and body shape highlights the important position the eroticisation of men holds in the post-millennial popular romance novels examined here.
“Lesser” Masculinities
In the twenty-first-century romance novels, the heroes and heroines still remain the main protagonists. However, they do not monopolise the romance story. Other characters and lesser masculinities have always existed in the romance stories and formed sub-stories, enriching the hero or heroine’s past and familial or work environment. They sometimes are the trigger for the two protagonists to meet and approach each other. This chapter discusses the “lesser” masculinities often encountered in popular romance novels and their different functions in the unfolding of the romance plot. More specifically, it investigates the important roles they play in the progression of the romantic development between the hero and heroine, as an overview of past experiences, a justification for the protagonists’ actions, and a foil for the romance hero.
Here's the abstract:
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About the corpus:
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The book is divided into chapters which each have their own abstract, so I'll paste those in below: