From the 1970s to the 1980s there would be a smattering of romance novels made into movies, some from Harlequin, Pocket Books, and other publishers. Here we look at four books that made it to the big screeen.
romance novels
Author Spotlight: Robert Vaughan
Robert Vaughan may not be a big-name author, but he sold tens of millions of books in the 20th century under many names. His pseudonyms include Paula Fairman, K. C. McKenna, Paula Moore, Fancy DeWitt, Patricia Matthews, Jonathon Scofield, Lee Davis Willoughby, and Kit Dalton. Have you read any Robert Vaughan romances?
Most Expensive and Hard to Find or Out-of-Print Romances
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most difficult old-school romance novels to track down. Some of these books we’re lucky to have in our collection, others we once had and sold or lost (how foolish!). And finally, there are those we’d pay our weight in gold to have.
Celebrities on Romance Book Covers
Before they were famous, their faces were on book covers. While these celebrities appeared in various genres, we’re limiting our focus to romance. It’s always fun to track the career of the rich and famous to their humble beginnings, especially if they posed for clinches!
Movies Based on Romance Novels, Part I: Barbara Cartland
Considering the many romance novels published in the 20th century, it’s surprising how few of them were adapted for film or television. One exception is Barbara Cartland.
Stepback Covers Part II: The History of the Stepback
The history of stepback covers goes back to the early-to-mid-20th century. Bantam, Warner, and Pocket Books would be among the first paperback publishers to use this innovative cover design in the 1970s.
Covers of the Week #46: Black Couples in Love
The month of February in the United States is recognized as Black History Month. So in honor of that, for the week of Monday, February 21, 2022, to Sunday, February 26, 2022, let’s appreciate some older romance covers with Black or Afro-American protagonists.
Link: Old School Romance on Youtube
These six commercials advertise the wonder of category romance novels. They look so tasteful, like old Summer’s Eve or Massengill feminine douche commercials. I got a kick out of watching them. Hope you enjoy them, too.
A Brief Look at Category (aka Series) Romance
Category lines, or series romance, are one of the cornerstones of the romance novel industry. As we document the genre’s past on Sweet Savage Flame, we’ll delve deeper into each individual line. Category romance, as their name implies, are sorted into category lines and defined by tropes.
15 Old School Historical Romances That Revolutionized the Genre
These 15 Historical Romances published before 2000 either caused radical changes in the romance novel industry or they are so pivotal and unforgettable, they are must-reads. Please note, we at Sweet Savage Flame may not have read all books ourselves, but recognize their importance to the genre. Our aim is to review all books on this list if we haven’t already.









