The mystery on Women Fiction solved Romantic suspense, at the name suggests, is a particular genre of fiction where you

find a perfect balance between romance and mystery. Romantic suspense books deal with a suspense or mystery that the main protagonists are faced with. Typic ally, the heroine of the novel is the innocent victim of an attempted crime. She takes the help of the hero to solve the mystery, and in the process, falls in l ove with him. The romantic suspense novel is an offshoot of the romance genre. Therefore, it h as many of the characteristics of a typical romance. At the centre of the plot i s the relationship between the hero and the heroine which develops along with th e suspense element. The romance between the protagonists affects the mystery tha t they are trying to solve. Similarly, the twists of events as the investigation proceeds, has a strong impact on the feelings of the hero and the heroine. Ulti mately, the romantic suspense book ends with the mystery solved and the protagon ists united in a steady relationship. Romantic suspense novels are different in tone and style from the typical romanc e novels as the primary focus is not only on the romantic alliance between two p eople, but on the mystery surrounding them. These novels are therefore plot driv en instead of being character driven. The romantic suspense author has to mainta in a proper balance between the romance and the mystery elements. The tone of th ese novels is more brisk and racy; the language is more clean and not as sentime ntal or intimate as in a typical romantic novel. Romantic suspense is very popul ar with the reading masses and there are a number of successful romantic suspens e authors catering to this demand.

The romance novel comes under the broader and more diverse literary genre known as women s fiction. Women s fiction deals with any kind of fiction written for female r aders. It can deal with romance, suspense, contemporary issues, relationships an d marriage. Novels dealing with the issues faced by modern women in contemporary society are often grouped under chick lit.

Chick lit is an American slang that started getting popularity towards the end o f the 1980 s. It is definitely a particular type of women s fiction as it deals with co temporary women and the diverse problems faced by them. Chick lit is very differ ent from the typical romantic writing as the female character is shown as a stro ng and independent person who has the potential to face difficulties and who can learn from her own mistakes. She is no longer the passive suffering victim of c ircumstances. Chick lit covers a large variety of female experiences, all pertin ent to the present times, like love, broken relationships, motherhood, career st ruggles and the search for self-identity. Chick lit and romantic novels have another major difference. In a romance, the f ocus is on the relationship between the hero and the heroine. On the other hand, the primary focus of chick lit is on the heroine. There may or may not be a rom ance and a typical happy ending. What are important is the various situations th at the protagonist has to face in life and how they shape her emotionally or pro fessionally. Romance may be part of these experiences. Chick lit novels generall y have an emotionally and psychologically satisfying endings. Jane Rosenthal is an award winning poet, radio journalist, a romantic suspense a uthor, and an educator. She received a degree in Creative Writing from San Franc isco State where she studied with Frances Mayes. She also loves to write on abou t romantic suspense. Anyone who loves, reading, writing, gardening and believes in changing the world one small step at a time should write her at www.allaboutj anesranch.com.