The article is summarised in one review: "In ‘Love in Australian Romance Novels’, McAlister and Teo analyse historical representations of gender, sexuality, and intimacy in Australian romance novels in order to conceive a type of romance that is distinctly Australian. In so doing, they trace the legacy of novels that may be considered Australian in tone, setting and characters across the twentieth century that culminate in the marketable ‘rural romance’ subgenre." McAlister and Teo note, however, that Australian romance shares limitations with romance from other parts of the world: "love in mass-market romance novels is very narrowly conceived. Generally speaking, the overweight are absent as romantic protagonists, as are the elderly, the disabled, the mentally ill, the poor and welfare-dependent, and non-white Australians" (194).
The article is summarised in one review: "In ‘Love in Australian Romance Novels’, McAlister and Teo analyse historical representations of gender, sexuality, and intimacy in Australian romance novels in order to conceive a type of romance that is distinctly Australian. In so doing, they trace the legacy of novels that may be considered Australian in tone, setting and characters across the twentieth century that culminate in the marketable ‘rural romance’ subgenre." McAlister and Teo note, however, that Australian romance shares limitations with romance from other parts of the world: "love in mass-market romance novels is very narrowly conceived. Generally speaking, the overweight are absent as romantic protagonists, as are the elderly, the disabled, the mentally ill, the poor and welfare-dependent, and non-white Australians" (194).