Romantic fiction

Romantic fiction is one of the oldest genres in literature, with a history that goes back at least to the medieval concept of courtly love, the "cult of the Virgin Mary" and beyond.

Romantic fiction may include drama, poetry and short stories, but (in English literature, at least) the term is often regarded as synonymous with "romantic novel".

Modern romantic fiction is generally looked down on as inferior to "literary" fiction. It often appears to be written to a "formula". In the UK, publishing houses such as Mills & Boon[?] and Robert Hale[?] are specialists in the publication of romantic fiction, and the acceptance or rejection of submissions is governed by specific criteria which include the nature of the plot and conduct of the characters.

List of romantic novelists