Contemporary romance
Encyclopedia
Contemporary romance is a subgenre of romance novel
s, generally with the setting after World War II
. The largest of the romance novel subgenres, contemporary romance novels are set in the time when they were written, and usually reflect the mores of their time. Heroines in the contemporary romances written prior to 1970 usually quit working when they married or had children, while those novels written after 1970 usually have, and keep, a career. As contemporary romance novels have grown to contain more complex plotting and more realistic characters, the line between this subgenre and the genre of women's fiction has blurred.
Most contemporary romance novels contain elements that date the books, and the majority of them eventually become irrelevant to more modern readers and go out of print. Those that survive the test of time, such as the works of Jane Austen
are often reclassified as historical romances.
Over half of the romantic fiction published in the United States in 2004 (1468 out of 2,285 books) were contemporary romance novels. Contemporary romance novels have twice been chosen by Kelly Ripa
to be featured in her Reading with Ripa book club.
Subgenres include:
, babies or children. One obstacle for making plots in this sense is to adapt to an ongoing increase in women who independently foster their children without any partner.
Highly notable examples include Nobody's Baby But Mine
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
.
, but has its own type of setting and characters, although it yet can be as multifarious as any other subgenre. The setting usually involves a medical workplace, often the emergency department
, but also airborne medicine
, family medicine
and obstetrics and gynaecology
.
Regarding characters, the central male protagonists (heroes) are almost always medical doctors, mostly emergency physician
s, primary care physician
s or surgeon
s, and sometimes obstetricians/neonatologists or pediatricians. The female protagonists (heroines) are mostly medical doctors but also often nurses, working in primary care, obstetrics/neonatology, training or residency programs
, surgery, anesthesiology or emergency medicine. The doctors are almost always ingenious, the male ones usually being tallish, husky and chiseled, while nurses are strong but caring.
Patients bring a lot of potential for subplots. They mostly get completely recovered, regardless of the severity of their injury or disease. Almost no plot, however, includes a doctor-patient or nurse-patient relationship, since it is a code for professional health care workers to avoid intimate relationships with patients, as a part of a professional doctor-patient relationship
.
The plot often includes pregnancy
and children.
The reality in the medical field, however, is generally far from as romantic as depicted in this subcategory of fiction.
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s, generally with the setting after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The largest of the romance novel subgenres, contemporary romance novels are set in the time when they were written, and usually reflect the mores of their time. Heroines in the contemporary romances written prior to 1970 usually quit working when they married or had children, while those novels written after 1970 usually have, and keep, a career. As contemporary romance novels have grown to contain more complex plotting and more realistic characters, the line between this subgenre and the genre of women's fiction has blurred.
Most contemporary romance novels contain elements that date the books, and the majority of them eventually become irrelevant to more modern readers and go out of print. Those that survive the test of time, such as the works of Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
are often reclassified as historical romances.
Over half of the romantic fiction published in the United States in 2004 (1468 out of 2,285 books) were contemporary romance novels. Contemporary romance novels have twice been chosen by Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa is an American actress and television host. Since February 2001, she has served as the co-host of talk show Live with Regis and Kelly, along with Regis Philbin and now solo host of Live! With Kelly...
to be featured in her Reading with Ripa book club.
Subgenres
Contemporary romance novels may, in turn, be categorized into several subgenres, sometimes mixing with other main subgenres of romance novels.Subgenres include:
- General contemporary romance
- Contemporary Romantic Suspense
- Baby Love
- Medical romance
- Cowboy contemporary romance
- Glamour & Jet Set
- Humorous contemporary romance
- International Lovers
- Love in the Workplace
- Vacation Love
- Amnesia, that is memory lossMemory lossMemory loss can be partial or total and it is normal when it comes with aging. Sudden memory loss is usually a result of brain trauma and it may be permanent or temporary. When it is caused by medical conditions such as Alzheimers, the memory loss is gradual and tends to be permanent.Brain trauma...
, often including some former relationship
Baby love
This subgenre includes pregnancyPregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
, babies or children. One obstacle for making plots in this sense is to adapt to an ongoing increase in women who independently foster their children without any partner.
Highly notable examples include Nobody's Baby But Mine
Nobody's Baby But Mine
Nobody's Baby But Mine is a romance novel written by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and published in 1997. It may be categorized as baby love romance. It's a book in the Chicago Stars / Bonner Brothers series.-Plot introduction:...
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is an award-winning and best-selling American writer of romance novels.-Biography:...
.
Medical romance
Medical romance novels may generally be regarded as a subcategory of contemporary romance, as well as of medical fictionMedical fiction
Medical fiction is fiction whose events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. It is highly prevalent on television, especially as medical dramas, as well as in novels.-Subgenres:...
, but has its own type of setting and characters, although it yet can be as multifarious as any other subgenre. The setting usually involves a medical workplace, often the emergency department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
, but also airborne medicine
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
, family medicine
Family medicine
Family medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. It is a division of primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, sexes, diseases, and parts of the body...
and obstetrics and gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology are the two surgical–medical specialties dealing with the female reproductive organs in their pregnant and non-pregnant state, respectively, and as such are often combined to form a single medical specialty and postgraduate training programme...
.
Regarding characters, the central male protagonists (heroes) are almost always medical doctors, mostly emergency physician
Emergency physician
An emergency physician is a physician who works at an emergency department to care for acutely ill patients. The emergency physician is a specialist in advanced cardiac life support , trauma care such as fractures and soft tissue injuries, and management of other life-threatening situations.In...
s, primary care physician
Primary care physician
A primary care physician, or PCP, is a physician/medical doctor who provides both the first contact for a person with an undiagnosed health concern as well as continuing care of varied medical conditions, not limited by cause, organ system, or diagnosis....
s or surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s, and sometimes obstetricians/neonatologists or pediatricians. The female protagonists (heroines) are mostly medical doctors but also often nurses, working in primary care, obstetrics/neonatology, training or residency programs
Residency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
, surgery, anesthesiology or emergency medicine. The doctors are almost always ingenious, the male ones usually being tallish, husky and chiseled, while nurses are strong but caring.
Patients bring a lot of potential for subplots. They mostly get completely recovered, regardless of the severity of their injury or disease. Almost no plot, however, includes a doctor-patient or nurse-patient relationship, since it is a code for professional health care workers to avoid intimate relationships with patients, as a part of a professional doctor-patient relationship
Doctor-patient relationship
The doctor-patient relationship is central to the practice of healthcare and is essential for the delivery of high-quality health care in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The doctor-patient relationship forms one of the foundations of contemporary medical ethics...
.
The plot often includes pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
and children.
The reality in the medical field, however, is generally far from as romantic as depicted in this subcategory of fiction.