Dissertation Abstracts

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• Academics Who Write Romance
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• Bibliography
  • Bibliography A-C - the first part of our bibliography of academic articles and books about romance.
  • Bibliography D-G - the second part of our bibliography of academic articles and books about romance.
  • Bibliography H-L - the third part of our bibliography of academic articles and books about romance.
  • Bibliography M-O - the fourth part of our bibliography of academic articles and books about romance.
  • Bibliography P-S - the fifth part of our bibliography of academic articles and books about romance.
  • Bibliography T-Z - the final part of our bibliography of academic articles and books about romance.
• Bibliography of Scholarship in Languages Other than English.
• Guides to the Genre
• Romance in the Media - lists news items/features items about romance.
  • Romance in the Media A-I
  • Romance in the Media J-Z
• Romance Resources for Academics - lists romance-related resources which may be of interest to academics.
• Writers on Romance - lists items written about the genre by romance authors but not published in academic journals or books.

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Some of the items listed below are freely available online, but most are not. More details for many of them are available via the ProQuest Database but this is accessible only by subscription.

Abdullah-Poulos, Layla, 2016. 

“Muslim Love American Style: Islamic-American Hybrid Culture and Native-Born American Black Muslim Romance.” MA thesis, SUNY Empire State College, 2016.Excerpt

Adams, Kathleen Barzun, 2003. 

Thirty years of change : heroes, heroines, and the popular romance. Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity College.

Achieng’, Okang’a Nancy, 2017. 

"A Cosmopolitan National Romance: A Study of In Dependence by Sarah Ladipo Manyika." MA thesis, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.[1] [About an African novel which it seems might or might not be a romance, depending on how one defines "African romance" (since the author argues that African romance is more expansive than the US definition).]

Al-Bataineh, Afaf Badr, 1998. 

"The modern Arabic novel: a literary and linguistic analysis of the genre of popular fiction, with special reference to translation from English." Ph.D., Heriot-Watt.[2] [From the abstract at the "Index to Theses" website: "critical insights should enable us to form an overall picture of how the subject of my case study (Mills & Boon and its translation into Arabic) is viewed in the languages and cultures concerned: this particular genre has not been acceptable to the Western literary establishment until recently, and is not acceptable to the Arabic critical establishment even today. [...] Chapter Eight presents a detailed analysis of a Mills & Boon novel in English and its translation into Arabic."]

Allport, Tanya, 1988. 

Female journeys :the place of Jane Eyre and "Mills and Boon" in the search for women's existential space. Thesis (MA--English)--University of Auckland.

Anderton, Gretchen E., 2009. 

Excitement, adventure, indifference: Romance readers' perceptions of how romance reading impacts their sex lives. Ed.D., Widener University, 2009 , 165 pages; AAT 3383833

Araujo, Gail, 2009. 

Living to read romance: The transformative potential of interpretive practice in romance reading. M.A., California State University, Fullerton. Abstract.

Avila, Debbie Maria, 2005. 

"The Romance Novel of the 1930s and 1940s in Spain and Portugal: The Cases of Carmen de Icaza and Alice Ogando." U of California Irvine (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 66.7:2572)

Backman, Nelina Esther, 1999. 

"Evangelism Embarrassed: Christian Literature in a post-Christian Culture." Ph.D. dissertation, Brown University, United States -- Rhode Island. Publication No. AAT 9932368. [Includes some discussion of "contemporary evangelical romance fiction."]

Balducci, Federica. 2011. 

A Different Shade of Pink: Literary Thresholds and Cultural Intersections in Italian Chick Lit. A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Italian. [3] [See the section on 'Italian popular romance: romanzo rosa and its evolution', pp. 67-83.]

Barletta, Sandra Anne, 2008. 

A first kiss is still a first kiss: romancing the mid-life reader and heroine : A basic renovation. Thesis (M.A.(Research))--Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 2008. Abstract and link to pdf. [Pages 1-29 are analysis of "a neglected demographic of reader and heroine who are marginalised within the romance genre. As well, it gives reasons why heroines need not be characterised in particular roles or situations as they age, and a rationale for why their underrepresentation as romance heroines should end." A Basic Renovation is a romance novel written by Barletta and included in the thesis which was "Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Creative Writing (romance)."]

Barletta, Sandra A., 2014. 

Cougars, Grannies, Evil Stepmothers, and Menopausal Hot Flashers: Roles, Representations of Age, and the Non-traditional Romance Heroine. PhD thesis in Creative Writing and Literary Studies, Queensland University of Technology. [4]

Barra, Andrea Cipriano, 2014. 

Beyond the Bodice Ripper: Innovation and Change in the Romance Novel Industry. PhD dissertation in Sociology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Abstract and link to pdf

Benjamin, Sarah, 1999. 

"The Theory of 'Identity Dissonance': Mass Communication, Romance Fiction, and the Self-Concept." M.A. dissertation, York University (Canada), Canada. Publication No. AAT MQ43370.[5]

Beyer, Jennifer Ann Perry, 2000. 

The romance novel revolution :a study of criticisms and readers. Thesis (M.A.)--Bemidji State University.

Billekens, F.G.W., 2019. 

Never Mind Me When There's You: The Submission Of The Heroine In YA Supernatural Romance Fiction, Bachelor's Thesis, Utrecht University. Abstract and link to pdf

Blanding, Cristen, 2005. 

Interracial romance novels and the resolution of racial difference. Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University. Abstract and PDF

Böhmová, Petra, 2012. 

"Contemporary American Christian Fiction: Young and Rivers." Diploma thesis, Masaryk University Brno, Faculty of Education, Department of English Language and Literature. [6] [One of the novels discussed is Francine Rivers' Redeeming Love.]

Brasileiro Neves, 2014. 

"ROMANCES DE BOLSO: A novela romântica da Harlequin Books no mercado editorial brasileiro", Trabalho de pesquisa de mercado apresentado ao Departamento de Comunicação Social, da Universidade Católica de Pernambuco, como requisito para a obtenção do grau de bacharelado em Publicidade e Propaganda, Recife. [7]

Breeden, Amanda L., 2007. 

Neo romance :gender renegotiation in Harlequin romance novels. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Northern Iowa.

Bryson, Mary, 2004. 

Public Library Services to the Romance Reader: An Online Survey of Romance Readers. A Master’s paper for the M.S. in L.S. degree - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. May, 2004. [8]

Buckley, Julia, 2010. 

"The Door To Wonderland: How Mary Stewart’s Literary Voice Influenced 20th Century Romantic Suspense." MA thesis, Elmhurst College.[9]

Bun, Jennifer C., 2007. 

"The Effects of Romance Novel Readership on Relationship Beliefs, Romantic Ideals, and Relational Satisfaction." Honors Thesis - Boston College. Full text

Burge, Amy, 2012. 

"Desiring the East: A Comparative Study of Middle English Romance and Modern Popular Sheikh Romance." PhD thesis, University of York. [Abstract and pdf available here.]

Burley, Stephanie Carol., 2003. 

"Hearts of Darkness: The Racial Politics of Popular Romance." U of Maryland, College Park (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 64.6: 2082)

Burnside, Mary Elizabeth, 1996. 

"The novels of Mills and Boon in the post-war period." M.Phil., Hull.[10]

Bywaters, Barbara Lee, 1989. 

"'Re-reading Jane': Jane Austen's legacy to twentieth-century women writers'. PhD thesis. Bowling Green State University. Details at BGSU library. A short excerpt of this thesis seems to be available in Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective. Ed. Mary Fahnestock-Thomas. Saraland, AL: PrinnyWorld, 2001. 493-508.

Capps, Stephanie Carol, 2017. 

"What You Read and What You Believe: Genre Exposure and Beliefs about Relationships". Master of Science thesis. University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 2017. [11] [This seems very similar to an article with the same title published the next year. The primary author may have changed their lastname: http://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Faca0000189 ]

Carmichael, Lynn P., 1985. "A Romantic Past

A Study of Historical Romance as a Form of Recreational Fiction in Public Libraries." M.A. thesis, South Australian Institute of Technology.

Chappel, Deborah Kaye, 1992. 

"American Romances: Narratives of Culture and Identity" Duke University, Dissertation Abstracts International52 (8): 2923A-24A.

Christian, Linda Kathryn. 1984.

"'Becoming a Woman through Romance: Adolescent Novels and the Ideology of Femininity'." U. of Wisconsin, Madison (Dissertation Abstracts International: Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences) 45.5: 1282.

Clawson, Laura, 1998. 

"Covering genres: romance, science-fiction/fantasy, pleasure, and respectability." Thesis (B.A., Honors, American Studies, English)--Wesleyan University, 1998. Special Collections: Wesleyan (Thesis), Call Number: 1998 C617 ["my senior honors thesis at Wesleyan was about romance and sci-fi, and how academics tended to treat sci-fi as literature and romances as a cultural phenomenon to be explained." (from an interview at Smart Bitches Trashy Books) ]

Close, Lisa. 2008. 

Functional analysis of the contemporary folkloric vampire. Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of English, 2008. [References Nora Roberts' Circle Trilogy: see abstract in Brigham Young University library's catalog.]

Coddington, Lynn, 1997. 

"Romance and Power: Writing Romance Novels as a Practice of Critical Literacy." Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, United States -- California. Publication No. AAT 9803158.

Colemnero, Laura Elizabeth, 1999. 

"The social construction of gender as represented in popular fiction, 1990-1997." Ph.D. dissertation, South Dakota State University, Publication No. AAT 9924280. [Includes analysis of Johanna Lindsey's Gentle Rogue.]

Collier, Kathryn (Kizzi), 2018. 

"My Chemical Erotic Romance: A Deeper Look into Women’s Lustful Fantasies." A Division III Project, Hampshire College.[12]

Cortesi, Taylor D., 2013. 

"'Traitorous Bodies': Cartesian Dualism in Romance Novels by Susan Johnson and E. L. James." M. Lit. thesis, Texas State University - San Marcos. Abstract and link to pdf.

Davis, Mary Louise, 1986. 

'Romances and the Modern Ms.: a Study of Contemporary (Line) Romances, 1980-1984.' Ph.D. diss., University of Southern California.(Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A:The Humanities and Social Sciences) 47.11, p. 4108.

Davis, Storme G. 2008. 

Nora Roberts: descendant of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë?: a thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate School, Tennessee Technological University. Thesis (M.A.)--Tennessee Technological University, 2008.

DiVisconte, Jessica, 2009. 

The Recession and Its Effect on the Romance Genre. Master of Science in Publishing. Paper 16. Dyson College of Arts & Sciences, Pace University. Abstract and link to pdf.

Donalson, Tara A., 2005. 

The Parody of Romance. MA Thesis, Graduate School of The University of Texas at Arlington. ["I look at the parallel formulas found in secular and inspirational romance fiction, searching how inspirational romance evangelizes and gives spiritual instruction to its readers."] Abstract and link to pdf.

Downey, Kristin, 2005. 

"Irony, Ideology, and Resistance: The Amazing Double Life of Harlequin Presents", McMaster University, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 66.10:3640.

Dryden, Therese Michelle, 2011. 

"Bachelor Dad on Her Doorstep." MPhil Thesis, University of Newcastle (Australia). [This dissertation is in two parts: the first has been published as Bachelor Dad on Her Doorstep, "a Harlequin Mills & Boon Sweet Romance" under the pseudonym "Michelle Douglas" and is therefore not available online. The "accompanying exegesis discusses the conventions and constraints of the popular romance genre. It explores the challenges presented to a writer in creating and maintaining emotional intensity in a popular genre romance and the need to provide a satisfying and credible ending to that romance" and it can be downloaded from here.]

Dummer, Kathleen Ann. 1990. 

A study of character development of main characters in young adult category romance literature. Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming.

Dunnion, Janne May, 1997. 

Mapping Normalcy: Romance and the Postmodern Body, MA thesis, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the Univesity of Toronto. ["The main focus of this thesis is an examination of the constitution of the female body within the location of popular culture, specifically Harlequin Enterprises and popular romance novels."] Details and link to pdf

Elliott, Margaret A., 1996. 

'The Librarian's Stereotyped Image in Romance Novels, 1980-1995: Has the Image Changed?', Master's Research Paper, Kent State University. ERIC Document ED401924. Abstract and PDF

English, Jessica, 2017. 

“Reading the Romance: Through the Eyes of a Millenial Feminist.” Masters Thesis. Eastern Washington University. [13]

Faust, Meredith S., 2010. 

""Love of the purest kind": Heteronormative rigidity in the homoerotic fiction of Ann Herendeen" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. Paper 41. MA thesis from DePaul University. Details and PDF.

Fekete, Maleah, 2016. 

"Social Differences in Taste: Investigating Romance Reading." 2016 SURF Conference Proceedings [This is a conference paper but outlines the direction of a larger project. The student has a supervisor.][14]

Fenty, Linda D. 1987. 

"A Comparative Analysis of Female Role Models in Selected Contemporary Teen Romances." Auburn University (Dissertation Abstracts International) 48, no. 8: 2007A-2007A. Auburn University Library Catalog details.

Fera-VanGent, Tania, 2005

'Popular Romance Novels: Seeking out the 'Sisterhood'." M.A. diss., Brock University (Canada).[15]

Flesch, Juliet, 2001. 

From Australia with love :Australian romance novels, 1950-2000. Thesis (Ph.D)--Dept. of History (Women's Study), University of Melbourne.

Fletcher, Lisa, 2002. 

I love you :historical romance fiction and heterosexuality. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne.

Funderburk, Amy, 2004. 

Romance Collections in North Carolina Public Libraries: Are All Genres Treated Equally? A Master’s Paper for the M.S. in L.S. degree. - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, April, 2004. [16]

Gardner, Dora Abigail, 2019. 

'Defending the Bodice Ripper', MA thesis, Eastern Kentucky University. Excerpt

Garza, Raquel M, ???? (possibly 2011). 

“Don’t tell me I don’t know what Love is”: A Comparative Study on Heterosexual and Homosexual Romance Novels Longwood University, [probably submitted as part of a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies with a concentration in Public Relations and Organizational Communication]. [17]

Geib, Aleta Esther. 1986. 

Changing heroes: depictions of the male sex role in category romance novels, 1976-1983. Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University.

Genz, Carole, 2005. 

"Romance Revisited: Transformations of the Marital Love Triangle in Women’s Fictions." PhD thesis, University of Stirling, Department of English Studies.

Gerlitz, Laura Michelle, 2019. 

"Judging a Book By Its Cover: Bringing the Digital Humanities into Reader’s Advisory", MA thesis, Digital Humanities and Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta. ["This study sets out to examine recurring themes found on book wrappers published by Harlequin in their first seventeen years [1949-1968] [...]. The resulting patterns will be connected to reader’s advisory as appeal factors in successful book selection by readers."] [18]

Glennemeier, Jaelyn, 2018. 

“And he was an Arab!:” Imperial Femininity and Pleasure in E. M. Hull's 1919 Desert Romance, The Sheik', Honors thesis, University of Kansas. Abstract and link to pdf.

Goade, Sally Ann, 1999. 

"'And With the Land, Our Spirits So Blended': Interrelated Frontier Quests of Self in Contemporary Historical Romance. A Study of Rosanne Bittner's 'Savage Destiny' series", Idaho State U, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 60.4:1132).

Goris, An, 2011. 

From Romance to Roberts and Back Again: genre, authorship and the construction of textual identity in contemporary popular romance novels." PhD thesis, University of Leuven. Abstract and Index Pdf

Gorry, April Marie, 1999. 

"Leaving Home for Romance: Tourist Women's Adventures Abroad," PhD thesis, University of California, Santa Barbara.[19] [This is an anthropology PhD but Chapter 5 (pages 195-240) presents "the results of a survey of 45 popular romance novels dating from 1977 to 1996 [...] it is principally intended to test the validity of findings generated by my field survey of romance tourism.]

Gregor, Theresa Lynn, 2010. 

From Captors to Captives: American Indian Responses to Popular American Narrative Forms. Ph.D. thesis from University of Southern California. [Available from here. See the section on "Savage Obsession and Dreamquest: The Cultural Work of Contemporary Mass-Marketed American/Indian Romances," pages 175-186. Discusses novels by Cassie Edwards and Janet Wellington.]

Griffin, Linda Coleman, 1999. 

"An Analysis of Meaning Creation through the Integration of Sociology and Literature: A Critical Ethnography of a Romance Reading Group." U of Houston, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 60.4: 1117.)

Güvendi Yalçın, Elif, 2018. 

"The Transformation of Romance Novels Based on the Theories of Sociologist Anthony Giddens," Istanbul Aydin University Institute of Social Sciences. Abstract [Based on analysis of "three medieval romances’s content— Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe (1920), Kathleen Woodowiss’ The Wolf and the Dove (1974), and Amanda Quick’s Mystique (1995)"]

Hall, Glinda Fountain. 2008.

A genre of our own: the cultural work of women's popular romance fiction. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Arkansas State University. Catalogue record at Arkansas State University's library.

Hamlyn, Eleanor, 2014. 

"Reading the Genre Codes in Giorgio Scerbanenco's Hybridised Romanzi Rosa", A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Italian Studies, The University of Auckland. [20]

Harlan, Kimber Leigh. 2005. 

Romancing the reader: constructing a discursive and social female identity through romance novels. Thesis (M.A.) -- Tarleton State University. [Abstract available here and here.]

Harris, Patricia Marie, 1985. 

The rhetorical vision of courtship in Harlequin Romances: a fantasy theme analysis. Thesis (M.A., Communication Studies)--California State University, Sacramento.

Harrison, Rachel, 1980. 

Women and Romantic Fiction: Subordination and Resistance. Thesis (M.Litt) - University of Birmingham, Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies.

Hartmann, Britta U., 2014. 

Island fictions : Castaways and imperialism. PhD thesis, University of Tasmania. Abstract [Includes a chapter on "castaway romances" which focuses on 20th- and 21st-century novels by writers including Violet Winspear, Margery Hilton, Ginna Gray, Julie Tetel Andersen, Penelope Neri, Donna Simpson, Darlene Marshall, Jill Sharvis, Kandy Shepherd & Tracey Garvis Graves.]

Harzewski, Stephanie, 2006. 

"The new novel of manners: Chick lit and postfeminist sexual politics ." U of Pennsylvania, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 67.7:2573.)

Heffernan, Joan-Mary, 1992. 

Women's romantic fiction :a study of three New Zealand Mills and Boon authors. Dissertation (MA--English)--University of Auckland.

Henderson, Courtney R.,2007. 

"Ladies and Loners: A Comparative Gender Study of the Romance and Popular Western.' M.A. diss., The University of Texas at Arlington. Abstract and full PDF ["my focal texts for the romance genre are Johanna Lindsey’s Savage Thunder and Joan Johnston’s Frontier Woman."]

Heydt, Victoria, 2010. 

"Stark naked: an analysis of eighteenth and twenty-first century romance novels." Washington College. Details

Hilton, Linda Ann Wheeler, 2000. 

"Half Heaven, Half Heartache : Discovering the Transformative Potential in Women's Popular Fiction." A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Honors College for the bachelor's degree, Arizona State University West. Details [Published as a Kindle edition in 2011 - US, UK]

Hirsbrunner, A.R., 2000. 

"Doomed to become heroines? Identification, women and fiction." Ph.D., Wales, Cardiff. ["The fear that readers will want to become like the main characters of novels they read has accompanied prose fiction throughout its history, 1970s feminists in particular were convinced that women were being duped into subscribing to patriarchal stereotypes by canonical or popular romances. The present study examines this topos. [...] fiction is not itself a fantasy, but can be used to confirm and refine a fantasy the reader already has. Romance thus contributes to a homogenisation of its females readers' fantasies, but cannot implant fantasies in subjects with different desires."] Entry in Cardiff University's Library Catalogue.

Hodgson, Kathleen, 2006. 

"The representation of the female hero in the romantic fiction of Mills & Boon." Thesis (MPhil.) - University of Reading, Institute of Education.

Hubbard, Rita Cooper, 1982. 

"Relationship Styles In Popular Romance Fiction: A Fantasy Theme Analysis Of Harlequin Romances, 1950-1979." (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 42.12:4973)

Hughes, Helen Muriel, 1988. 

"Changes In Historical Romance, 1890s To The 1980s: The Development Of The Genre From Stanley Weyman To Georgette Heyer And Her Successors." U Of Bradford (United Kingdom), (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 50.11: 3603)

Hurley, Frances Kay., 1999. 

"In the Words of Girls: The Reading of Adolescent Romance Fiction." Harvard U, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 60.6: 1946)

Hutton-Jarvis, C.A., 1998. 

"The educational potential of romantic fiction." PhD from University of Leeds. ["Romantic fiction was chosen as the focus for the case-study because of its capacity to stimulate women readers to make connections between their reading and their lives. Popular romances foreground issues which have particular implications for women's personal, social and economic situations. The case-study includes detailed textual analyses which illustrate the potential for using the romance as a vehicle for exploring such issues."]

Jackson, Elaine, 2005. 

"Riding the tosh horse: women writers of popular romance between the wars." Thesis (doctoral) - University of Birmingham, Department of English. British Library details [From the abstract at the "Index to Theses" website: "Concentrating on three primary authors: E.M. Hull, Berta Ruck, and Marguerite Jervis (writing under pseudonyms Oliver Sandys and Countess Barcynska), this thesis examines the production and distribution of popular romance between the two World Wars. [...] Authors’ personal experiences of love and marriage are explored alongside the more public influences of editors, publishers, and literary agents. The relationship between authors and readers is also examined. This thesis demonstrates how the authors in question pioneered what we now recognize as a predominantly female romance genre [...] and that their oeuvre contribute substantially to the canon of women’s writing history."]

Jagodzinski, Mallory Diane, 2010. 

Of Bustles and Breeches: Cross-dressing Romance Novel Heroines and the Performance of Gender Ideology. Master of Arts (MA) Thesis, Bowling Green State University, Popular Culture. [The thesis "examines three recent cross-dressing romance novels: The Spy by Celeste Bradley; Duchess By Night by Eloisa James; and Almost a Gentleman by Pam Rosenthal." Abstract and link to PDF.]

Jagodzinski, Mallory, 2015. 

Love is (Color) Blind: Historical Romance Fiction and Interracial Relationships in the Twenty-First Century. PhD dissertation, Graduate College of Bowling Green State University. [This dissertation analyzes three historical romance novels — Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress by Theresa Romain (2015), The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran (2008) and The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan (2013)]PDF

Janzen, Moira J. 1994. 

Georgette Heyer's Regency romances: serious literature or popular fiction? Thesis (MA--English) -- University of Auckland

Jensen, Margaret Ann, 1980. 

"Women and romantic fiction a case study of Harlequin Enterprises, Romances and readers" (January 1, 1980). ETD Collection for McMaster University. Paper AAINK46885. Details and pdf here. In her Love's $weet Return: The Harlequin Story (1984), Jensen describes that book as "the outgrowth of a doctoral dissertation I completed at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario" (11).]

Jocks, Yvonne Annette, 1988. 

“Adventure and Virtue: Alternating Emphasis in the Popular Romance Tradition.” Master’s thesis, University of Texas at Arlington. [Jocks writes romances under the pseudonym Evelyn Vaughn ]

Johnson, Naomi Ruth, 2007. 

"Consuming Desires: A Feminist Analysis of Bestselling Teen Romance Novels". The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 68.11)

Jossart, Deborah A. 2004. 

Transforming the fairytale: a diachronic study of utopias of popular romance. Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Dakota, 2004.

Joyal, Amanda, 2012. 

From Victorian literature to the romance novel: Disability and the courtship plot. M.A. thesis, University of Wyoming, AAT 1510201.

Kamble, Jayashree, 2008. 

"Uncovering and Recovering the Popular Romance Novel." PhD thesis from the University of Minnesota. AAT 3338954. Details, Abstract and PDF

Kebadze, Nino, 2007. 

"Fictions of Surrender: Romance and Exemplarity in Post-War Spanish Women's Narratives. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Kentucky, United States -- Kentucky. Publication No. AAT 3263682. [Abstract. "The second part of this dissertation focuses on three novels by the best-selling authors of novelas rosa --Luisa-María Linares, Concha Linares-Becerra, and Carmen de Icaza." This has subsequently been published as a book by Tamesis.]

Keegan, Faye Jessica, 2016. 

"Soft metafiction(s) : Mary Stewart and the self-reflective middlebrow." Ph.D. thesis, University of Newcastle. Details and pdf.

Kempf, Rachel Erin, 2015. 

"Dirty Words: The Writing Process of 'Smutshop'." The University of Texas at Austin, Master of Fine Arts.PDF ["I worked at Siren-BookStop, Inc. for three years, cleaning up manuscripts and penning gay werewolf erotica [...] It was the best and worst job I’ve ever had — the best because I got paid to write and spend my workday making dirty jokes, and the worst because real sex isn’t porn sex, and real women aren’t romance heroines, and love and relationships are messy and complicated and when you spend all day boxing it into the confines of a highly formulaic genre, you’re bound to start getting some messed-up ideas about how your love life ought to be"]

Kemppinen, Anne-Mari Katriina, 1988. 

"Translating for popular literature with special reference to Harlequin books and their Finnish translations." University of Joensuu. Details copied from Joensuu University Library's online catalogue.

Khuankaew, Sasinee, 2015. 

"Femininity and masculinity in three selected twentieth-century Thai romance fictions." Ph.D thesis, Cardiff University. AbstractPdf

Kinard, Amanda Marette, 1999. 

"Forbidden Pleasures: The Romance and Its Readers." Vanderbilt U.,(Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 59.12: 4424)

Kirkland, Catherine, 1984. 

"For The Love Of It: Women Writers And The Popular Romance." U of Pennsylvania, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 46.1:10.

Klarich, Morgan L., 2012. 

"Multiculturalism, Sex, and Powerful Women: The New Romance Novel as the Voice of Neofeminism?". MA Thesis, Dartmouth College, 97 pages; AAT 1510706. Abstract

Kloester, Jennifer V., 2004. 

"Georgette Heyer: writing the Regency: history in fiction from Regency Buck to Lady of Quality 1935-1972." Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, History Dept.

Kolko, Beth E. “Writing the Romance

Cultural Studies, Community, and the Teaching of

Writing.” Ph.D. diss., University of Texas at Austin, 1994.

Kramer, Devon J., 2010. 

"Truth through the medium of cheerfulness: Romance novels as points of resistance." M.A., Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2010 , 114 pages; AAT 1479123.

Kusaeri, Akhmad, Dewi Candraningrum and Titis Setyabudi, 2015. 

"Love Conflict Reflected in Jennifer Crusie's Anyone But You Novel (1996): Psychoanalytic Approach." School of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. [21]

Lamprinou, Artemis, 2013. 

"A Study on the Cultural Variations in the Verbalisation of Near-Universal Emotions: Translating Emotions from British English into Greek in Popular Bestseller Romances," PhD thesis, University of Surrey. Abstract

Larson, Christine, 2017. 

“An Economy of Words: Precarity, Solidarity and Innovation in Digital Book Publishing.” PhD Diss., Stanford University. [According to Lois and Gregson (2018) "Larson’s dissertation (2017) comprises the only known examination of writers’ careers in the romance genre. Her 2014 survey examined 4,270 romance writers’ earnings over the previous eight years, comparing their incomes via traditional and self-publishing. She found that only approximately 20 percent of her sample earned above the U.S. median income through their writing."]

Lessard, Victoria, 2017. 

'Marketing Desire: The "Normative/Other" Male Body and the "Pure" White Female Body on the Cover Art of Cassie Edwards' Savage Dream (1990), Savage Persuasion (1991), and Savage Mists (1992)', MA thesis, McGill University.[22]

Liu, S.-h, 2012. 

"The Translation/Mutation of Romantic Love: An Exploration of the Translation History of Modern Romances in Taiwan after 1960". PhD Thesis, National Taiwan Normal University. Abstract

Lin, Fang-Mei, 1992. 

"Social Change and Romantic Ideology: The Impact of the Publishing Industry, Family Organization, and Gender Roles on the Reception and Interpretation of Romance Fiction in Taiwan, 1960-1990." U of Pennysylvania (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 53.5:1675) Abstract

Lohmann, Jennifer, 2006. 

" 'Beauty and the Beast' Themes in Romance Novels." A Master’s Paper for the M.S. in L.S degree. April, 2006. 41 pages. Advisor: Brian Sturm. A Master’s paper submitted to the faculty of the School of Information and Library Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Library Science. [23]

Lutz, Deborah, 2004. 

"The Dangerous Lover and the Erotics of Failure: Nineteenth-century Byronism and the Contemporary Romance. Ph.D. dissertation, City University of New York, United States -- New York. Publication No. AAT 3127895. [Has since been published by Ohio State University Press - see the main bibliography for details.]

Malloy, Audrey Miles, 2017. 

"Remnants of the Bodice Ripper: How Consent is Characterized in Heterosexual and Lesbian Erotic Romance Novels." Bard College, Senior Projects Spring 2017, Bard Undergraduate Senior Projects. [24]

Markert, John, 1984. 

"Beyond Gatekeepers: Romance Publishing and the Production of Culture." Ph.D. dissertation in Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Details in Vanderbilt University Library Catalogue.

Margolis, Ann, 2009. 

"In Defense of Romantic Fiction" (2009). Master of Science in Publishing. Pace University, Dyson College of Arts & Sciences. Details and link to pdf.

McAlister, Jodi Ann, 2015. 

"Romancing the Virgin: Female Virginity Loss and Love in Popular Literature in the West". PhD thesis, Macquarie University, 2015. [25]

McKinley, Tracey Lynn, 2007. 

'The Female Quest: An Analysis of Archetypal Layering in Harlequin Presents.' M.Ed. diss., Queen's University (Canada).

Michel, Anita, 1997. 

Re-reading the (series) romance : toward a typology of recent series romance novels. Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University.

Miguel, Donna De Silva, 2002. 

Love conquers all :the rhetoric, culture, and appeal of the contemporary romance novel, and coming to terms with coming out of the closet. Thesis (M.A.)--New Mexico State University.

Modleski, Tania. 1980. 

"'Popular Feminine Narratives: A Study of Romances, Gothics, and Soap Operas'." Stanford U., (Dissertation Abstracts International: Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences) 41.5: 2104-A.

Moffitt, Mary Anne Smeltzer, 1990. 

"Understanding Middle-Class Adolescent Leisure: A Cultural Studies Approach to Romance Novel Reading" U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, (Dissertation Abstracts International 51.4: 1035A)

Moody, Stephanie Lee, 2013. 

"Affecting Genre: Women's Participation with Popular Romance Fiction." Ph.D thesis. University of Michigan. [26]

Morrissey, Katherine, 2008. 

Fanning the Flames of Romance: An Exploration of Fan Fiction and the Romance Novel. MA Thesis, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University. Abstract and the thesis.

Morrissey, Katherine, 2016. 

Romance Networks: Aspiration & Desire in Today’s Digital Culture. Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1179. Ph.D. thesi, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Abstract and link to download after June 06, 2018

Naber, Christine Marie, 1995. 

"Rape myths are the theory--romance novels are the practice: The impact of exposure to images of women in popular culture, " U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences,57.4:2950). Abstract

Neal, Lynn S., 2003. 

"Romancing God: Reading Evangelical Romance Novels." Ph.D. dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States -- North Carolina. Publication No. AAT 3086588. [Has since been published by the University of North Carolina Press - see the main bibliography for details.]

Newton, Marlo Leigh. 1991. 

Romancing the tome: the novels of Georgette Heyer. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Melbourne

Olivier, Séverine, 2009. 

"Le roman sentimental. Productions contemporaines et pratiques de lecture.' Doctorat en Langues et lettres, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Abstract

O'Mahony, Lauren Kate, 2015. 

"In Search of Feminist Romance in Australian 'Chick Lit'." Thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Murdoch University. [27]

O'Neil, Kathryn M., 2016. 

"Women's rhetoric and the romance novel genre." M.A. Thesis, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Abstract

Omissi, Dominic, 1995. 

"The Mills and Boon memsahibs: women's romantic Indian fiction 1877-1947." Ph.D., Lancaster. British Library details. [Abstract from the Index to Theses website: "This thesis examines the published written work of eleven different women. The material is principally in the form of romantic novels but short stories form a significant minority along with poetry, autobiography, history, and contemporary political comment. [...] All but one of the writers spent extended periods in India and numerous of their works have never been discussed in any critical work of which I am aware. [...] the current work challenges the dominant image of India, its climate, people and imperial significance, drawn from the writings of men like Kipling, Forster and Orwell. The study concludes that this image (which I call the canonical image) is utterly inappropriate when measured against the writings of these women. Their work is, I conclude, in certain important respects counter-canonical.]

Owen, Mairead, 1990. 

"Women's Reading of Popular Romantic Fiction: A Case Study in the Mass Media: A Key to the Ideology of Women." U. of Liverpool, (Dissertation Abstracts International 52.8: 2745A) Details and download available.

Paizis, George, 1986. 

"'Reine ou esclave ... ' : conflicting images of women in the contemporary 'romantic novel' in France." Ph.D. Thesis, University of London. Details

Parameswaran, Radhika E., 1998. 

"Public Images, Private Pleasures: Romance Reading at the Intersection of Gender, Class, and National Identities in Urban India." U of Iowa, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 58.12:4485)

Parv, Valerie, 2007. 

"Healing Writes: Restorying the Authorial Self through Creative Practice : and Birthright, a speculative fiction novel." Thesis for Master of Arts degree (by research), University of Queensland. [The novel is not available online, but the non-fiction section is and an abstract is also available.]

Pearce, Elizabeth Florence, 2004. 

"Reading the Lesbian Romance: Re-imagining Love, Sex, Relationships, and Community." Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Iowa, United States -- Iowa. Publication No. AAT 3139383. ["The core of the research emerged from the face-to-face, phone and e-mail conversations with readers of lesbian romance texts" and one section is "based on an examination of twenty-five lesbian romance novels."]

Pylkkänen, Merita, 2013. 

"Didactic Fulfillment and the Popular Romance: Jude Deveraux’s The Mulberry Tree." MA thesis, University of Eastern Finland. [28]

Potter, J.E., 1998. 

"Boys in khaki, girls in print: women's literary responses to the Great War 1914-1918", D.Phil., Oxford. ["This thesis explores the ways in which women interpreted the Great War as it happened and focuses on texts written and published between 1914 and 1918. [...] The romance novels discussed in Chapter Three follow a pattern in which the aspirations of heroes and heroines are thwarted - then fulfilled - by the events of the War. Such 'light entertainment' makes highly-charged claims for the regenerative power and the righteousness of Britain's sacrifice."] [This has since been published as a book.]

Rampure, Archana, 2005. 

"Doctors in the Darkness: Reading Race, Gender, and History in the Popular Medical Romance ", U of Toronto, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 66.10:3642) Abstract and some discussion/description here.

Reed, Eleanor, 2018. 

"Domestic Culture in Woman's Weekly, 1918-1958", Doctoral thesis, Department of English and Creative Writing, University of Roehampton. [29] ["This thesis [...] explores the domestic culture produced by the magazine between the end of the First World War in November 1918,and 1958." The "literary methodology for surveying periodical form [...] is based on romance, the genre to which the vast majority of Woman’s Weekly fiction printed during the period belongs" (2).]

Rice, Linda. 2008. 

Ambiguous love a reflection of self in relation to popular romance fiction. Darwin, N.T.: Iron Mountain. Thesis (M.A.)--Charles Darwin University

Russell, Shanon, 2014. 

"Dangerous Young Men: Themes of Female Sexuality and Masculinity in Paranormal Romance Novels for Young Adults." Masters Thesis. University of Ottawa.[30]

Rutherford, Carina Lynn, 1999. 

Wild dreams rooted in reality :an exploration of the Harlequin Mills & Boon novels of Daphne Clair. Thesis (MA--English)--University of Auckland.

Sagun, Karryl Kim Abella, 2019. 

Book Mavens of Manila : an interpretative phenomenological analysis of contemporary niche publishers in the Philippines. Doctoral thesis,Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Pdf [I include this because it incorporates material from "three Wattpad self-publishers based in the Philippines: Mina V. Esguerra, Noreen Capili, and Kimberly Villanueva. All three agreed to be quoted verbatim, and to be referred to by name. They have all published both on electronic platforms (particularly Wattpad) and on print. They also share the same genre for their works: romance" (123)]

Sandbakken, Asta Margrethe, 2016. 

"Feeling Men: Masculinity, Sexuality, and Emotion in the Contemporary Romance." MA Thesis, University of Oslo.[31]

Sanyal, Madhuparna, 2008. 

"Re-imagining the late-colonial Anglo-Indian woman's romance: Reading Maud Diver." PhD dissertation, Drew University. AAT 3334864. Details from Drew University Library

Savinainen, Raija, 2001. 

Gender-specific features of male/female interaction in a popular romantic novel by Barbara Cartland. University of Jyväskylä. Details and link to pdf.

Shore, Zandra Lesley, 1999. 

"Girls reading culture, autobiography as inquiry into teaching the body, the romance, and the economy of love." Dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Education, University of Toronto. [Can be downloaded from the University of Toronto Library. [See in particular Chapter Four, which mentions the work done on romance and romance readers by Radway, Snitow, Cohn, Christian-Smith and others.]

Short, Christopher Brown, 1996. 

"The history of romance illustration and the romance novel cover." Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Illustration in the Graduate School at Syracuse University. Bibliographic Details

Smáradóttir, Helena María, 2006. 

"Happily Ever-After: The Romance Reader's Individual Choice and Empowerment." B.A. thesis. University of Iceland.

Smáradóttir, Helena María, 2009. 

"Love as a Commodity: Brand-Name Romantic Fiction and its Readers. The Domain and Readership of Harlequin Enterprises, Both in Iceland and Abroad." Thesis submitted for a master's degree at the University of Iceland. Various sections available online: Summary, Table of Contents, Introduction, Conclusion, Works Cited, Appendix. Those wishing to read more of this thesis or the author's B.A. thesis may contact the author directly.

Smith, William Clay Kinchen, 2002. 

"Revising Captivity Narratives", U of Florida. [32] [This thesis deals with many types of captivity narrative, but there are sections specifically about romances. In the chapter on works from the 1980s, there is a section on romance (341-354), and the chapter concerning the 1990s has a similar section (373-378). Romance authors whose works are discussed include Madeline Baker, Karen A. Bale, Cassie Edwards, Fern Michaels, Nan Ryan and Janelle Taylor.]

Sorenson, Tanya Lee, 2014. 

"How Traditional is the Romance? Heroines, Stereotypes, and the Heterosexual Script." Senior Projects Spring 2014. Paper 339. Bard College. Abstract

Spears, Jessica D., 2018. 

The Romance Novel Cover. MA Thesis (Art History). City University of New York (CUNY), Hunter College, 2018. Abstract and link to pdf.

Starr, Marian, 1981. 

Sweet Savage Book: The Romance in America, 1855-1980, Honors paper, Duke University. This is a typescript manuscript with 118 leaves (the bibliography can be found on leaves 106-118). OCLC Number: 07724196. Details in Duke University's Library Catalogue. [As far as modern romances are concerned, the focus is on the historical romances of the seventies (Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, etc.) with particular emphasis on their rape-fantasy aspects.]

Sterk, Helen Mae, 1986. 

"Functioning fictions :the adjustment rhetoric of Silhouette romance novels." Ph.D. U. of Iowa, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 47.7:2372)

Tang, Wei-chung, 2004. 

"The Masculine Hero in American Popular Romances." MA Thesis, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. Abstract

Tang, Yang, 2014. 

"Between Fantasy and Reality: Time-Travel Romance and Media Fandom in Chinese Cyberspace." MA Thesis, Simon Fraser University. [33]

Tatlock, Kristen Doris, 1986. 

Raised on romance :a cultural study of romance fiction. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Virginia.

Taylor, Jessica Anne, 2013. 

“Write the Book of Your Heart: Career, Passion and Publishing in the Romance Writing Community,” Ph.D. Thesis, University of Toronto. Abstract and link to pdf

Tennenhouse, Tracy Shana, 1996. 

"Female Fantasies in Women's Popular Fiction", U California Santa Barbara, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 57.9:3943)

Therrien, Kathleen Mary, 1998. 

"Trembling at Her Own Response: Resistance and Reconciliation in Mass-Market Romance Novels." (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 58.7: 2659) [Special focus on Julie Garwood, Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz and Susan Wiggs.]

Tienkamp, Aaf, 2016. 

"New Adult Romance: An Emerging Genre." Master’s Dissertation Literary Studies. Programme: Writing, Editing and Mediating, University of Groningen. [34]

Travis, Melissa E., 2013. 

"Assume the Position: Exploring Discipline Relationships." Sociology Dissertations, Paper 71. Ph.D thesis. Georgia State University, Ph.D thesis. Abstract and pdf. [See the section on "Discipline Romance Novels", pp. 159-66.]

Turner, Natasha, 2015. 

"Contemporary Erotic Romance: Cunning Linguists or Fifty Shades of Feminist Dismay?" BA (Hons) dissertation, published in The New Birmingham Review 1.2. [These older links are no longer working Abstract pdf but the item should still be available here]

Uddin-Khan, Evelyn Angelina, 1995. 

"Gender, Ethnicity and the Romance Novel," Columbia U, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 56.11:4341)

Vani, Christina, 2018. 

Immortal Words: The Language and Style of the Contemporary Italian Undead-Romance Novel. Ph.D. thesis. University of Toronto, 2018. [35]

Walker, Lynn G., 2000. 

Women Reading Popular Fiction: Influences on Gender Identity. Thesis (M.A.L.S.)--North Central College.

Warner, Celeste R., 2010. 

Heyer’s Heroes: An Investigation into Georgette Heyer and Her Literary ‘Mark’ on the Regency Hero. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in English at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.[36]

Whalen, Kacey, 2017. 

"A Consumption of Gay Men: Navigating the Shifting Boundaries of M/M Romantic Readership", MA thesis from DePaul University.[37]

White, Ann Yvonne, 2008. 

Genesis Press: Cultural Representation and the Production of African American Romance Novels. Ph.D. thesis from the University of Iowa. [Link to University of Iowa catalogue details.] Excerpt

Whyte, Tamara Lynn. 2013. 

Shakespeare in Love: Appropriation of Shakespeare in Popular Romance Novels. U of Alabama. (Dissertation Abstracts International) 75, no. 6 (December 2014). [38]

Wiebe, Laura, 2013. 

Speculative Matter: Generic Affinities, Posthumanisms and Science-Fictional Imaginings. Ph.D. thesis from McMaster University.[39] [See in particular pages 37-71 on love, romance and Christine Feehan's Ghostwalkers series of romances.]

Wilson, Elizabeth Suzanne, 1986. 

Women creating men :the history of the hero in contemporary category romance fiction since the 1950s. Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Wirtén, Eva Hemmungs, 1998. 

Global Infatuation: Explorations in Transnational Publishing and Texts: The case of Harlequin Enterprises and Sweden, Section for Sociology of Literature at the Department of Literature, Uppsala University. PDF was there but can now be downloaded from here

Wood, Andrea, 2008. 

Radicalizing Romance: Subculture, Sex, and Media at the Margins. PhD Thesis, University of Florida. AAT 3392728 PDF

Young, Beth Rapp, 1995. 

"But are they any good? Women readers, formula fiction, and the sacralization of the literary canon", U of Southern California, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 57.2:893)

Young, Erin S., 2010. 

"Corporate Heroines and Utopian Individualism: A Study of the Romance Novel in Global Capitalism", Ph.D. thesis, University of Oregon, AAT 3420428. Pdf available from University of Oregon. [This author has since had 2 articles published which appear to draw on this thesis. See the main academic romance bibliography for details. "This dissertation explores two subgenres of popular romance fiction that emerge in the 1990s: 'corporate' and 'paranormal' romance. While the formulaic conventions of popular romance have typically centralized the gendered tension between hero and heroine, this project reveals that 'corporate' and 'paranormal' romances negotiate a new primary conflict, the tension between work and home in the era of global capitalism. [...] The 'corporate' romances of Jayne Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts, Elizabeth Lowell, and Katherine Stone feature heroines who constantly navigate the dual and intersecting arenas of work and home in an effort to locate a balance that leads to success and happiness in both realms. In contrast, the 'paranormal' romances of Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong, and Carrie Vaughn dissolve the tension between home and work, or the private and the public, by affirming the heroine's open and endless pursuit of pleasure, adventure, and self-fulfillment."]

Young, Whitney A., 2013. 

"Monsters in My Bed: Accounting for the Popularity of Young Adult Paranormal Romances." MA Thesis. Georgia State University. [40]

Yuill, Brendon, 2018. 

"Sheiks and Sherifs: Western Portrayals of the Middle East between the World Wars." MA Thesis. University of Central Oklahoma.[41]

Zachik-Smith, Susie, 1993. 

Romance by the book :a morphological analysis of the popular romance. Thesis (M.A.)--California State University, San Bernardino.