When you read the title, what are your thoughts? Somehow I have found myself reading many books that fall under this category (at least according to my local library). Why did I start reading these? I don't actually know. I'm thinking that I picked up a interestingly covered book that had some sort of historical era setting. And after reading more than 50 pages, realized what category the book fit into. And at that point, I wanted to find out the ending. And then I probably figured out that the book was part 1 of a trilogy or something of the like. And of course, I had to read the rest of the series. I am speculating because I really cannot remember how I fell into the genre, but now I'm really into it.

Some interesting notes about the genre:

Extremely formulaic plot: These books always focus on a single woman who ends up getting married (either the end of the book or the series). There is always a big obstacle (death, natural disaster, huge misunderstanding, trip) to overcome.
Characters: The main character is usually a late teen to early 20s single woman who has no real interest in marriage. Enter at least one potential husband. Usually there's two to choose from. If there are two suitors, one always turns out to be a cad in some way. Usually the woman has some supportive family members. Often there innocent children (previous child, orphans, etc.)
Content: The reader is guaranteed that there will be no cuss words (the worst I have noticed was a nonChristian who said Damn). There will be no sex scenes. Usually there are a few kisses. I did read a few books about reformed prostitutes that did allude to sex but talked about it in the way you talk about sex when children are present: vague and using euphemisms. Even when characters marry in the books there are only allusions to sex. I would be hard pressed to find one of these books that actually has "sex" in print. And of course there are many Bible verses and usually sermons. These are a given being a Christian historical romance, but sometimes these sermons can go on for over three pages. A little excessive sometimes.
Authors: There are many authors out there, but they often coauthor a series. Most of them have 20-30 books authored within three years of publishing. So I often run into the same names. Currently I am reading Tracie Peterson's and Lauraine Snelling's libraries.
Historical content: I am usually pleasantly surprised by the background historical content. The authors often do research of the area or the events of the time period featured. As a history teacher, I do appreciate this effort.

With all the issues I have with the genre, why exactly do I keep reading them? Well, simple answer -- they're easy. I don't have to think while reading them. Considering that I read very academic history books, technology and business books, and authors like Melville or Austen, these books are like a vacation. They're something I can read while waiting in the car line to pick my boys up from school. I can read them at the coffee-house while listening to others' conversations. I can read them while in the room with someone watching tv. I can read them before bed when I am tired, but not tired enough to actually fall asleep. They are easy and fairly entertaining. So guess what I got on my last trip to the library? Yup, that's right, more Christian historical romance.