Chick lit or
Chick literature is
genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre became popular in the late 1990s, with chick lit titles topping
bestseller lists and the creation of
imprints devoted entirely to chick lit. Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the
romance novel genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships.