Grade: 4.5 out of 5

In On Writing Romance, award-winning romance novelist Leigh Michaels talks you through each stage of the writing and publishing process. From the origins and evolution of the romance novel to establishing a vital story framework to writing that last line to seeking out appropriate publishers, everything you ever wanted to know about writing a romance novel is here.

In addition to a comprehensive breakdown of more than thirty romance subgenres, including such categories as historical, inspirational, Regency, and sweet traditional, you’ll discover how to:

* Steer clear of clichés and stereotypes by studying the genre
* Craft engaging and realistic heroes and heroines readers will adore
* Convincingly develop the central couple’s blossoming relationship
* Add conflict by utilizing essential secondary characters like the “other woman”
* Use tension and timing to make your love scenes sizzle with sensuality
* Get your characters to happily-ever-after with an ending readers will always remember

Plus, read a sample query letter, cover letter, and synopsis, and learn how to properly prepare your romance novel for submission to agents and editors. On Writing Romance has everything you need to leave readers swooning!

I think of all the books that I’ve read on writing, this one is my favorite. It’s not cute and it’s not funny but it’s very informative and even though it’s packed to the brim with information you need to know about the romance genre, the market and everything else, it’s not a boring book. I found myself marking this book like I would a text book, wanting to remember key notes and things like that.

It was a very good writing tool to have. It’s got all sorts of information that some of the other books had as well but this one was just easier for me to get into. It’s got everything you need to know about writing a romance novel, building a plot, finding out which sub genre of romance you’re most suited to write and everything else you could ever dream of knowing and it’s all written in a way that you don’t have to have a dictionary handy to understand what the hell the author is trying to say.

If ever there was a book on writing romance that you must have, it’s this one. You’ll learn so much and get so fired up to start writing because Leigh Michaels does that great a job of teaching you everything you should know about the romance genre, everything you need to know to help you write a fabulous heroine and a swoonworthy hero. Everything is in this book so if you’re trying to write that fantastic romance novel and need a few pointers….this is the book for you.

This book is available from Writer’s Digest Books. You can buy it here.