Hallmarks of a contemporary romance go far beyond a modern setting, however. The women in these books are independent: living their own lives, following their own dreams, and building a future for themselves. They stumble over love rather than wait for it. This focus on the dreams and aspirations of the heroines outside of their relationships with the heroes is one of the most notable features of contemporary romance and allows for a wide range of detail and back-story to find its way into the novels.
Contemporary romances also reflect the society in which they are written. During the early 1990s yuppie boom, writers such as Judith McNaught were chronicling the lives of high-powered businessmen and glossy, but sweet, women. Today, many contemporary romances focus on families, well-rounded lives, and deeply connected circles of friends (which often extend into series). African-American writers and characters also have an adaptive home in contemporary romance today, as do inspirational romance writers and their fans. And no consideration of contemporary romance would be complete without a nod to the importance and influence of category romances, such as the Harlequin Presents line. Writers such as Brenda Jackson, Kathleen Eagle, Carly Phillips, Penny Jordan, Lynne Graham, and Helen Bianchin all write contemporary romances that cover a range of approaches and represent the varying styles of writers in this subgenre. Whether verging softly into chick-lit, dabbling into the paranormal, brushing up against suspense, or simply telling a modern story, contemporary romance offers readers the widest range of romance choices and thus is an important part of any romance collection.
Crusie, Jennifer. Bet Me. New York: St. Martin’s Pr., 2004 (ISBN: 978-0-312-98785-5).
A hilarious mix of eavesdropping gone awry and old-fashioned courtship, the story of Minerva Dobbs and Calvin Morrisey shimmers off the page. Bet Me is a deeply romantic and lovely story of two people who actively dislike each other coming to terms with the inevitability of fate. Min thinks Cal is trying to date her on a bet and is determined to punish him for the affront. Cal thinks Min is crazy … then cute … then addictively compelling. Toss in great secondary characters, strong friendships, lightening-fast dialog, and fantastic scenes, and the result is a classic in the contemporary romance genre.
Gibson, Rachel. See Jane Score. New York: Avon, 2003 (ISBN: 978-0-06-000924-3).
A fan favorite, See Jane Score features Seattle Times columnist Jane Alcott and the sexy Seattle Chinooks hockey player Luc Martineau. Assigned to cover the team, Jane thinks this will be her big break. But the team shuts her out, hazes her to no end, and dashes her dreams of moving from the fluff pages to serious journalism until Luc decides Jane is good luck and sets wide the team doors. One would think all would be well, but the growing attraction between Jane and Luc brings up dark secrets on all sides. Gibson has created a compelling love story, full of hockey details, with great characters and abiding warmth.
Greene, Jennifer Blame It on Cupid. New York: HQN Books, 2007 (ISBN: 978-0-373-77177-6).
Known for her well-crafted characters and her addictive sensibility that is at once charming, sweet, funny, and sexy, Greene is a writer worth getting to know. Writing both longer contemporaries as well as category romances, her books have a large and growing fan base. In this story, carefree Merry Olson suddenly finds herself as guardian of a grief-stricken eleven-year-old. Clueless on how to help Charlene cope with the loss of her father, Merry gains some unexpected help from her sexy next-door neighbor, Jack MacKinnon. Their story simmers, is delightfully sweet, and makes a great introduction to the charms of modern contemporary romance.