Chick lit providing a new direction to women’s fiction

Imagine the dreamscapes of young adults and teenage girls, filled with the exploits of dashing detectives and their demure lady loves, of troubled times and sinister plots, all revolving around the blossoming love between two strangers brought together by the twists and turns of fate. This vivid imagination and the fertile dreams are all fuelled by Romantic suspense fiction, hailing from the diverse world of Women’s fiction.

Romantic novels filled with joyous descriptions of fervent love affairs, of damsels in distress and noble knights in shining armour have been a hit since ancient times and have figured very prominently in Women’s fiction. However, the shift from character centric stories to plot centric ones is a much more recent phenomenon and has been very well taken by readers, from around the world. The central theme of by Romantic suspense fiction generally revolves around the love affair of two protagonists set in a plot of significant depth and suspense elements. The male protagonist is usually one who plays the role of protector of the female protagonist, and by virtue of this symbiotic relationship a love affair, often of epic proportions blossoms.

Following in the footsteps of the great, the typical Romantic suspense author provides the reader with engaging and well-crafted fodder for the mind. Though the essential plot of the story revolves around the love affair between the protagonists, the Romantic suspense author must develop a central plot keeping in line with the suspense and mystery elements of a typical Romantic suspense novel. There are several sub genres of romance that appeal to young and old alike, but few have the same impact as the bitter-sweet symphony that is a perfectly written Romantic suspense novel.

There are various categories of Romantic suspense books and they cater to the sensibilities and imagination of a number of age groups, starting from hormonal teenagers, young adults to desperate housewives! Even senior citizens cannot refrain from the allure of a Romantic suspense book with its engaging plot and the good old love story, it would seem. These novels have gained immense purchase in the market, especially after many of them were turned into major film productions, catapulting many suspense authors to fame.

This has become quite a phenomenon in Mexico City where even the family’s old matriarch turns out to be a fervent follower of Chick lit! It must be mentioned here, that despite the fact that Chick lit is included under the romance genre, it differs significantly from mainstream romance novels. It describes in a light-hearted tone, the daily issues of a modern woman and her take on the world. In Mexico City, such genres are popular not only because they portray the ebbs and flows of the relation between two lovers, but also that between a woman and her friends, colleagues and relatives. Hence, the cult of female fiction is a phenomenon that is here to stay as even men find attraction in its themes and plots. Future directions in suspense romance indicate fertile grounds for authors and readers alike.