Aut hor Sp otlight:
TAY L O R J E N K I N S R E I D By Don Qarlo Bernardino The romance genre is often accompanied by gendered assumptions that deem its narratives as vapid, cliché and centred around women’s unrealistic fantasies. Women romance authors not being taken seriously is common, and they are often positioned against highly regarded works of fiction. It’s a genre that almost everyone is familiar with, yet less respect it as “esteemed literature.” Despite the criticisms that are associated with romance novels, it is still one of the most profitable genres. Many established authors have built long-lasting careers out of romance fiction, such as the classical Jane Austen and more modern names like Julia Quinn and Danielle Steel. You may recognize Quinn’s name from her thriving book series, Bridgerton, that recently became a hit on Netflix, further proving the genre’s profitability. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a fascinating author and the centre of this spotlight as she sets herself apart from other romance writers. She gives readers a fresh take on a familiar genre through complex female protagonists and compelling storylines. Reid’s work speaks to women everywhere, with a career spanning across multiple mediums, including television, magazines and now adult and historical fiction. In managing to write romance stories that speak to an audience beyond its stereotypical target reader, Reid’s work tells real, honest stories about love and romance that address their complexities. Each of her books is told from the perspective of female protagonists with compassion and empathy, fleshed out as real and complex human beings. These women are dealing with love, but the author also gives the readers
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a reason to identify with them beyond their romantic endeavours. Pre-author years Early on in her career, Reid worked in the entertainment industry and as an essayist with various magazine publications. Her foray into fiction all started when she met Jennifer Aniston, whom she recognized from the show Friends. In an interview with Marie Claire, Reid spoke about how all her friends wanted to know what it was like meeting Jennifer Aniston, leading her to write them an email detailing the story of how she met the actress. This was what made her realize she loved writing stories and found that she had a real knack for it. She then decided to write full-time, and has since become an extremely prolific and talented writer who shows no signs of slowing down. Her early novels: adult romance Reid kicked off her literary career with four adult romance novels that had similar themes of two people falling in and out of love. The romance genre is plagued with familiar narratives like this, attracting much of the criticism that writers of romance fiction receive. But it’s the tried and true formula. A man and woman meet, fall in love, have steamy sexual tension. Change up the setting, characters and conflicts every now and then and you have a bookshelf of best-selling novels. What elevates Reid’s adult romance novels from others in the genre is her ability to tell grounded, heart-wrenching stories about love that take different approaches in their concepts and have realistic characters. In her first novel, Forever Interrupted, readers follow Elsie Porter,
