Dangerous Books for Girls

I really wanted to read a history of romance novels from a book history perspective: emergence of the genre, publishing houses, how they are categorized, etc. This is not that. This is a self-published book that wasn't pushed hard enough to do the research it gestures at or even to consistently cite its research. There are some good insights! But skip it. Not worth the $10. Although to be fair, there's apparently not as much good research on this from the last decade+, so you might end up reading it anyway, if you're interested in the topic.

An insightful look into the history and importance of romance novels. It's a little repetitive at times, but overall an enjoyable read.

It helped me understand and appreciate the genre. It was fascinating to learn how, and why, the romance novel is disparaged as it is, and the role that romance novels fulfill within our society, and its importance for showing women how their lives can be different (although, and the author makes this point to a degree, this can show people how our roles could be different).

After reading it, I'm beginning to think I may be a bit too harsh on my Goodreads scores. I'll rethink how I score books going forward.