Happy Mother's Day to all those who celebrate! This might be a tough conversation, but let's talk pregnancy and motherhood in romance books, and just why these topics have historically walked hand in hand with romance plots. Buckle in, it's a full on Jen X Jackie conversation.

Content warnings: discussions of pregnancy and pregnancy loss, artificial insemination, motherhood, abortion and patriarchal views of motherhood and partnerships, and brief mention of eugenics

Questions/comments/concerns/want to join in the conversation? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org!

Books we mention:

• Tied Up, Tied Down by Lorelei James (Rough Riders #4)
• Sunset Embrace by Sandra Brown
• If You Deceive by Kresley Cole
• Carpathian series by Christine Feehan
• Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris
• Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
• Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• The Final Girls Support Group by Grady Hendrix
• Flamer by Mike Curator
• Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
• Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• All Boys Aren't Blue by George Johnson
• Yellowface by RF Kuang

Sources:

• "Growing share of childless adults in U.S. don’t expect to ever have children" (Pew Research Center, 2021)