For centuries, romance fiction by Irish writers from Lady Morgan to Marian Keyes has told the story of characters in love. Yet romance remains a target for public condemnation and critical contempt, in part because these popular novels have been written largely by and for women. In summer 2025, the Museum of Literature Ireland launched the exhibition Happy Ever After: Falling in Love with Irish Romance Fiction” to showcase the unique character of Irish romance fiction. 

In this series of interviews, Prof. Paige Reynolds (College of the Holy Cross) speaks with Irish writers who focus on romance in their fiction.