Sure, the female gaze is one way to describe a beautiful woman staring seductively at you from across the bar. But, in media studies, it’s a little bit more than that.
In 1975, feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey coined the term “the male gaze.” The concept describes the way visual arts typically depict the world—and women—from a heterosexual, male perspective under the assumption that the audience viewing it is also male. This art, notably film and television, prioritizes male experiences and narratives, often reducing female characters to their physical appearance and their roles in relation to male characters, even objectifying and sexualizing them.
The male gaze has become the standard in filmmaking, in large part because men have predominantly held the roles of writers, directors, and cinematographers. Additionally, a patriarchal society emphasizes male viewpoints and male viewers. But, that’s slowly changing.
Let’s explore exactly what the female gaze looks like, where you can find it in romance novels, and why its depiction in media is so important.
What is the female gaze?
To put it simply, the female gaze is the female perspective of the world.
Unlike the male gaze, the female gaze prioritizes stories about the female experience and female characters, who are full-fledged, respected, and have agency over their own life and decisions. You won’t find any objectification of the female body here!
One example of this is Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” a movie about living as a woman in a patriarchal society and how the patriarchy affects women. Another is “Fleabag,” a TV show where a flawed female character talks directly to the audience, which is presumably other women who may understand her.
The female gaze is still a relatively new concept, but it’s an important one. As “Transparent” creator Joey Soloway said during the Toronto International Film Festival, the female gaze is “a political platform” that “calls out how the male gaze divides us.”
Art is a way to showcase the world we live in as well as the world we want to live in. It’s not a stretch to say that having more films and TV shows that depict the female gaze brings us a little bit closer to gender equality.
Finding the female gaze in romance novels
Hollywood may still have a long way to go with depicting the female gaze, but romance novels have been doing it successfully for decades. Consistently the best-selling and most profitable genre, romance has historically been written by women, for women. That means there are thousands upon thousands of stories that prioritize the desires and pleasure of female characters who are diverse and fully formed.
Romance novels are a place where women can kiss other women because they want to, not because a man dared them to do it while he watches. They’re where quirky women with glasses and overalls don’t need a makeover to be seen as beautiful. They’re a place where women can enjoy sex and not feel ashamed. They’re where a woman’s happy ending can include conquering a kingdom, getting a promotion, or reuniting with a long-lost friend—in addition to getting married and having a baby, if that’s what she wants.
While the female gaze in romance novels may focus on the female characters, the male characters are also written with the female gaze in mind. And that’s where the “book boyfriend” comes in. Whether it’s Mr. Darcy from “Pride and Prejudice” or a version of Greek mythology’s Hades in countless romantasies, these male characters written by women are, so to speak, too good to be true. That’s not to say they’re not flawed, but they’re more sensitive, communicative, and respectful than the men often depicted in other media.
These book boyfriends wear what women who are into men deem attractive—which is usually a dark gray Henley and jeans or a three-piece suit (if you know, you know!). Their eyes darken and they growl possessively when they get turned on. They say things like, “Who hurt you?" and lean seductively on door frames (yes, like the TikTok trend). They may hate everyone except the woman they’re in love with, and they always make sure that woman’s needs are met first in the bedroom. Now, that’s the female gaze.
7 female gaze books & audiobooks to get you started
Here are a few book recommendations as you start to explore the female gaze!
1. “Bringing Down the Duke” by Evie Dunmore
In 1879 England, Annabelle Archer is a brilliant scholarship student at Oxford University’s first-ever female cohort. Without a cent to her name, she must fulfill the requirements dependent on her scholarship, namely recruiting prominent men of society to help support the women’s suffrage movement. She sets her sights on the Duke of Montgomery, an aloof and striking man in search of a wife.
Sebastian Devereux needs to find a Duchess to help him solidify the reputation he’s worked hard to re-establish for himself. But a persistent, strong-willed, and outspoken bluestocking keeps getting in his way. Even more frustrating is that he happens to be incredibly attracted to her. As they begrudgingly work alongside each other to achieve their respective goals, they realize that ultimately they want the same thing: each other.
Fighting for women’s rights as foreplay? Sign us up!
2. “The Rakess” by Scarlett Peckham
Seraphina Arden is a self-proclaimed rakess, the rare and highly scandalous version of a rake—a man during the Restoration period known for drinking, gambling, and, most notably, womanizing. Seraphina isn’t worried about her reputation. She only cares about two things: pursuing her passions, namely her wild one-night trysts with attractive men, and exposing the one man in particular who ruined her.
Scottish widower Adam Anderson is a wholesome architect and father of two who’s hired to work on Seraphina’s coastal home. But he gets way more than he bargained for when the lady of the house makes him an offer he can’t refuse: one-month of no-strings pleasure. As the days turn into weeks, both of them find themselves breaking the one rule they established: thinking about what the future could hold, made even more complicated when it’s revealed Adam’s life depends on the man who ruined Seraphina’s.
“The Rakess” is the first book in Scarlett Peckham’s recent “Society of Sirens” series, a trilogy centering women who unabashedly own their sexuality and happiness, societal expectations be damned!
3. “Raise the Bar” by Dipsea
The male gaze is nowhere to be found in “Raise the Bar,” a sapphic office romance audiobook on the Dipsea app. Alex is a first-year associate at Sullivan and Polk, a high-strung environment where she’s been focused on nothing but keeping her head down and getting the work done. That is until Isa, the new senior partner, shows up. Rumors swirl around the office about her, but that doesn’t deter Alex from crushing hard on her new boss.
When Isa assigns Alex to her case, the two find themselves spending long hours and late nights side by side. Alex takes a chance and tries to flirt, but Isa quickly takes control of the situation. It isn’t long before Alex learns that Isa likes being the boss both in the office...and the bedroom.
Dominant, queer women with successful careers who put men in their place sounds sexy as hell to us. This steamy audiobook features 10 parts that will sweep you off your feet. Dive into their story all at once, or take it slow...one spicy chapter at a time.
4. “Rebel” by Beverly Jenkins
Valinda Lacy is dedicated to helping her newly emancipated community succeed in post-Civil War New Orleans. But freedom doesn’t mean free from harm, something she learns when the school she established is destroyed and she’s targeted by thugs. Fearing for her life, she runs away and crosses paths with Captain Drake LeVeq, an architect from a prominent New Orleans family.
Drake, who was raised by strong women, is immediately drawn to Valinda. Her strong will and determination, not to mention beauty, is all but irresistible. But their would-be union stops before it begins when Valinda’s father promises her hand in marriage to another man. But Drake and Valinda are living in the era of freedom...and that includes the freedom to follow their hearts.
From romance powerhouse and USA Today Bestselling author Beverly Jenkins, “Rebel” is the first book in her “Women Who Dare” series. Daring women who take risks to ensure they’re in charge of their own life is the kind of female agency we love to read!
5. “Sorry, Bro” by Taleen Voskuni
After turning down a less-than-romantic marriage proposal from her tech bro boyfriend, American Armenian Nareh Bedrossian finally succumbs to her mother’s matchmaking ways. For the next month, she’s tasked with schmoozing all the eligible bachelors at Explore Armenia, a series of events in her hometown of San Francisco that celebrate Armenian culture.
It’s at one of these very events where Nar meets Erebuni, a bewitching beauty who makes the rest of Explore Armenia something she actually looks forward to. As they laugh, cook, and bond over their shared culture, something more than friendship begins brewing between them. But Nar has kept her bisexuality close to the vest and coming out may change everything. When her worlds collide at Explore Armenia’s closing banquet, Nar must find the courage to be who she is with pride.
This debut novel from author Taleen Voskuni is everything the female gaze is about: the full makeup of a woman’s identity.
6. “Pride and Protest” by Nikki Payne
This modern BIPOC retelling of “Pride and Prejudice” follows Liza B., a DJ and activist who’s determined to keep her Washington, D.C. neighborhood from gentrifying. Her planned protest at a corporate event goes awry when she mistakes property developer and CEO Dorsey Fitzgerald for a waiter.
Dorsey is convinced that Liza is nothing more than a poser standing in his way. He wants nothing more to be rid of her and her performance activism, but when a moment from her protest becomes a viral meme, they find themselves more intertwined than either of them would like. Soon he learns that he was all wrong about Liza. Far from a fraud, she’s one of the most real, down-to-earth women he’s met. Now, instead of working to be rid of her, he fights for the chance to keep her close.
As an outspoken, opinionated, and intelligent woman who cared more about reading books than getting married, Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet was surely one of the first characters written for the female gaze. She continues to be the blueprint for strong female characters, including “Pride and Protest”’s Liza B.
7. “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
Anyone who’s on TikTok is at least a little familiar with the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series—ACOTAR for short. It’s nearly impossible to scroll on the app without coming across some mention of the adventure fantasy romance. The story follows Feyre, a 19-year-old huntress who comes face to face with a terrifying creature seeking retribution after she kills a wolf in the woods. She’s whisked away to an unfamiliar, magical land where she learns the true identity of the creature that captured her: A deadly immortal fae named Tamlin.
As she explores the realm of the fae, she discovers that everything is not what it seems. For one thing, there’s more to Tamlin than she thought. His icy persona lights a fire within her that’s far too complicated for her to understand. Then there’s the matter of the mysterious and dangerous shadow growing within the world of the Fae that can end everything...including whatever is blooming between Feyre and Tamlin.
Published in 2015, the popularity of “A Court of Thorns and Roses” on social media has skyrocketed Sarah J. Maas to become the bestselling author of 2024 to date. She’s created a world where women can be heroes, hunters, and fighters who fight for themselves, their loved ones, and what they believe in.
Set your sights on the female gaze
At their core, romance novels are about women falling in love and prioritizing their pleasure and desire—which is exactly what the female gaze is all about.
Despite its name, the female gaze isn’t just about watching—it’s about reading and listening, too. For more female-focused romantic fiction made by professional writers and top-tier narrators, get a 30-day free trial of Dipsea, the app for original spicy audiobooks and more.
Or download the Dipsea app for the best listening experience.
