Re this Salon article linked below it discusses how changes in sexual attitudes and mores over the past 40-50 years or so are now reflected in contemporary romance novels and (as an example) now “no means no” in romance literature.
I know romance novels are a pretty big business and I would imagine popular writers tend to cater to their audiences desires. The question I have is if it is a two way street. How much are romance stories just a refection of the popular romance zeitgeist and how much do you think they (as literature) might actually change attitudes. Did any particular romance novel make you shift your world view (even a bit) on sexuality?
Virgins and heroes: It took a while, but romance novels finally learned that no means no -