It is clear that women are raised to believe that romance is centralto their lives. This applies to all women, including those in the academy.No women in our culture are immune to this demand. So when womenencounter romance novels, the resonance is there. When she reads the ro-mance novel, a woman is given the opportunity to replay over and overthe crucial moment in her life when she was desired and sought after.Heilbrun (1988) described this moment in the following way: “For a shorttime during courtship, the illusion is maintained that women, by with-holding themselves, are central. Women are allowed this brief period inthe limelight—and it is the part of their lives most constantly and vividlyenacted in a myriad of representations. . . .” (p. 21). As Heilbrun pointedout, it is this stage where the woman is the center of attention. Once sheis captured, there is no longer the need to seduce her. The romance novelreplays this central moment over and over again. Frequently the book endsat the moment the characters decide to join their lives.The ways in which the ideas of romance are promulgated in societyare highly seductive to women. Thus, at least on the surface level, romancenovels have the capacity to resonate with fantasies and expectations thathave been inculcated from an early age. Over and over, then, the womanromance reader can identify with a heroine who is selected and valued forher qualities.If, wherever they turn in the popular culture, girls and women arereaffirmed in the idea that romance is the dominant and most crucial questin their lives, it makes sense that they enjoy reliving and/or fantasizingthis quest repeatedly. Again and again, while reading the romance novel, awomanparticipatesinasuccessfulromanticoutcome.Shecanidentifywiththe hazards of the quest knowing that the woman and man will be happilyunited in the end. Radway (1984) found that her readers often checked theconclusion of the book before purchase so they could ensure that it wouldgive them the story they wished for. The formulaic quality of the books, forwhich they are so heavily criticized, rather than representing a negativequality, can be seen as positive. It ensures that the key themes are availabletothereaderoverandover;onlythedetailsneedtochange,thenatureofthequest can acceptably replay itself. As Heilbrun (1988) noted, the moment ofcourtship is central to a woman’s life.3When reading a romance novel, shecan replay the feelings from that time—or those she can imagine would bethere. So, with ideas of the value of romance firmly entrenched, the readeris receptive to its flow in the romance novel. However, these ideas bothexist alongside and conflict with the assumptions and anticipations she3While this study refers to novels based on heterosexual relationships, an importantcomparison would be with lesbian romance novels