Considering the multi-billion-dollar industry pulp romance novels have become, a documentary on their popularity and the no-name writers who create them would seem warranted. With Where the Heart Roams, filmmaker George Csicsery attempts to squeeze between the pages of these various books and figure out what makes them so appealing to so many, and what makes their authors tick.

The film is hooked on a train ride organized by one Chelley Kitzmiller, a romance novel aficionado who can't get enough of the books (and, the movie tells us, will go on and write her own books in the genre). It's called "The Love Train" (no kidding) and on board are several high-profile celebrity authors and--for those who are willing to kick in for a fee--fans, allowing them all to rub shoulders.

Though there is some waxing philosophic about what makes these gals tick (only a couple of emasculated-looking men exist on this cassette), Where the Heart Roams doesn't really delve deeply enough into the phenom to make us really understand the overwhelming success of these books.

At over a decade old, this doc feels a tad too dated. Harlequin fans lock horns with feminists concerning debates surrounding the genre, making this entry feel sooooo steeped in the '80s.

--Matthew Hays