Why romance must be braver, with Adriana Herrera

This week's guest is Adriana Herrera, author of many contemporary and historical romances including a A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke. Adriana leads the pack when it comes to writing love stories that are bold, sexy and unwavering in their values. We talked about what it means to write brave romance novels, where the happily-ever-after includes a better world for everyone, not just the main characters. Has the idea that romance novels are inherently feminist outlived its usefulness? What does it mean for a romance to truly be feminist? We also discussed writing about survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and cishet male love interests who are viable partners but still have some learning to do.  Please consider this a content warning if you are sensitive to conversations about abuse and physical violence, or frank discussions of abortion and reproductive healthcare. As a reminder, you can support this podcast by joining my Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose for as little as $3/month. Independent podcasting is a labor of love and I am so proud of the conversations we're having on this show about romance and activism and community. My patrons make this podcast possible, and they have my sincere gratitude. You can follow Adriana as @ladriana_herrera on Instagram and Threads, or visit her website at adrianaherreraromance.com. You can purchase her books from the Rebel Ever After shop at bookshop.org/lists/rebel-ever-after. You can follow Ella on Threads, Instagram and BlueSky @brosandprose for updates about the show and other romance/political shenanigans. My second-chance college reunion romance But How Are You, Really is available at bit.ly/buthowareyoureallynovel