Dissertation Abstracts

From this page you may return to the main Romance Scholarship page or go directly to

• Academics Who Write Romance
• Academic Online Essays (not published in academic journals or volumes)
• Autobiographies and Biographies of Romance Authors
• 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.

---

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.

Adams, Kathleen Barzun, 2003. 

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

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.[1] [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. [2] [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. [3]

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.

Beyer, Jennifer Ann Perry, 2000. 

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

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. [4] [One of the novels discussed is Francine Rivers' Redeeming Love.]

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. [5]

Buckley, Julia, 2010. 

"The Door To Wonderland: How Mary Stewart’s Literary Voice Influenced 20th Century Romantic Suspense." MA thesis, Elmhurst College.[6]

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.[7]

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.

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.]

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

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.

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).[8]

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. [9]

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]. [10]

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.

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).

Gorry, April Marie, 1999. 

"Leaving Home for Romance: Tourist Women's Adventures Abroad," PhD thesis, University of California, Santa Barbara.[11] [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.)

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.

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.

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.]

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.]

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.

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.

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

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. [12]

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.]

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.

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. [13]

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.

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

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. [14]

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.

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

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.

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. [15] [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

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. [16]

Tatlock, Kristen Doris, 1986. 

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

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.]

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.]

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)

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.[17]

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)

Wiebe, Laura, 2013. 

Speculative Matter: Generic Affinities, Posthumanisms and Science-Fictional Imaginings. Ph.D. thesis from McMaster University.[18] [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

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. [19]

Zachik-Smith, Susie, 1993. 

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