I couldn't find an abstract, but here's the first paragraph:
Historical romance fiction, which is typically outside the realm of academe, offers a playing field for women writers and readers where heroines survive, succeed, and overcome their societies' rigid and oppressive structures. As with any interpretation that uses history as its lens to expose and examine societies of the past, historical romance writers also reveal and interpret the society and culture of the present. By choosing to debunk perpetuated myths that reinforce negative gender roles and racial stereotypes, romance writers who delve into historical time periods are using myths and heritage through their art and literature to act as social commentary. According to Roland Barthes, myth is ''speech stolen and restored'' (Bryan 2). This seems to present a logical link then to the use of heritage in creating value systems through historical connections brought from the past to formulate cultural perspectives of the present. As a genre, historical romance fiction has itself been the subject of criticism, especially by feminist scholars. The genre's seeming reinforcement of traditional, patriarchal, and hegemonic ideologies, especially those concerning gender roles and sexuality, has opened it up to harsh critiques and dismissal. Yet, romance fiction, through marginalization, offers a freedom to expose the realities of social and cultural hypocrisies. (37)
I couldn't find an abstract, but here's the first paragraph: