Lesbian romantic fiction is largely considered a sub-genre of romance.Upon reading, however, the texts present themselves as having different purposes and plots to their heterosexual counterparts. This thesis presents an analysis of what the hallmarks of mainstream romance are, and then uses those as a genre norm against which lesbian romance novels may be compared. Ultimately, it is determined that lesbian romances do not fit the genre form of romance novels. Possible reasons for this difference and sites for future study are suggested.
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In lesbian romance, the process of coming out, to oneself, to other characters, and to the world at large is a common theme.Beyond that, issues pertinent to lesbian life, such as custody and partnership rights, become vital to the novels. It is partly this inclusion of issues beyond the scope of the traditional romance novel that makes lesbian romance a genre unto itself.In a number of books marketed by Naiad as romances, the love story plays far less of a major role than would ever be permissible in mainstream romance and, indeed, in many cases, the love story is hardly present at all.Within the story, many of the conventions of mainstream romance, such as monogamy, are ignored, further widening the gap.If these books are to fall within the definition of a romance novel, they must bear some resemblance to and follow the pattern of romantic fiction.The novels published by Naiad Press do neither.These are novels about lesbians, not lesbian romance novels. (2-3)
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Ultimately, the covers of The Naiad Press romances do not convey the message o f their genre.Given that there are certain conventions in mainstream romance and its permutations regarding the packaging of books, it seems that Naiad books from the beginning do not follow the form of romance that would allow their readership to make the transition smoothly from one type of romance to another. (30)
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The books selected for study are: Birds of a Feather, by Jackie Calhoun; Katherine V. Forrest’s Curious Wine; Forty Love, by Diana Simmonds; Love in the Balance by Marianne K. Martin; Karin Kallmaker’s Painted Moon; and Wedding Bell Blues by Julia Watts. They are six very different texts, and their similarities to the heritage of mainstream romance vary widely. (31)
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Curious Wine is one of the Naiad books that bear the most resemblance to a mainstream romance.Given that it is the first of its sub-genre, it is most likely to reflect the existing conventions of the genre from which it is descended.It is therefore strange that some o f the later Naiad books deviate so far from the norm set by Curious Wine. (34)
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monogamy is an assumed factor within the relationship in mainstream romance.Any past relationships are forgotten, and any contact with the notorious other woman is initiated by her and rejected by the hero.Such a situation might be used as an opportunity for the heroine to stumble across the hero in the clutches of her competitor (who is, of course, no competition at all) and thereby set off a chain of misunderstanding which simultaneously allows the hero the opportunity to prove his devotion to his heroine.Not so here. (38)
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there are some touching elements to Joan’s story: her love of nature, her strong friendships, and her determination.None of those things, however, matter in the game of marketing.Birds of a Feather is sold as a romance novel, and it is by no definition anything of the sort.At the heart of a romance is a love story, and there is no love story in Birds of a Feather. (40)
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Wedding Bell Blues is an interesting novel, full of issues of identity, prejudice, fear, individuality and honesty.But as the synopsis so clearly indicates, the love story is the last sentence, and is more of a sexual than a romantic relationship; an afterthought in this so-called romance novel.The hero(ine), Jack, does not meet the heroine until page 104, nearly halfway through the book.This tardy encounter breaks one of the most important rules of mainstream romance:to introduce the hero and heroine as quickly as possible so that the love story may begin. (41)
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Painted Moon is very much a romance in that the two principal characters experience a rebirth of sorts in their love for each other.[...but...] While Jackie and Leah are separated, Kallmaker invokes another standard of Naiad books that violates one of the most serious conventions of mainstream romance: monogamy.Leah has an affair with Constance Reardon.While it is primarily a sexual friendship, as it was in Birds of a Feather, that is almost a greater sin, as sexual relationships in mainstream romance are never taken lightly.They express a greater commitment than those that are simply physical convivial relationships. (44-45)
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Kallmaker’s book is a strong argument for the existence of a genre, rather than sub-genre, of lesbian romance, with different benchmarks and conventions which differ from its mainstream lineage and sub-genre cousins.Perhaps in a lesbian romance, there does not have to be a hero(ine) and a heroine, but there can be two heroines, bringing to fruition the idea of two people forging a relationship together, rather than either one doing the “meeting, losing and getting.” If casual or friendly sexual relationships are more of a norm in lesbian society, then the heterosexual standard of monogamy can be altered to fit the standards of the community for whom these romances are written. (45)
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The passing of the Naiad Press torch to Bella Books will be a matter for further research, as Bella determines whether to continue publishing lesbian love stories of the same type as Naiad, or to go in another direction, either closer to, or further afield from, mainstream romance. Whatever the future brings, it is clear that the books marketed by Naiad as lesbian romance are not romance novels in the conventional definition.There is not a value judgement implicit in that determination, but there is value in examining the reason for the choice to deviate from the genre norm (57)
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