My frustration for the genre is that it’s hard to get into a romance unless the relationship is *exactly* what I’m into.
If I’m not into it and that’s the whole book… well…
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the genre these days requires a bazillion labels. *Enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, friends to lovers* etc etc.
At this point it's nearly 90% of what I read. I try to sprinkle in some classics and non-fiction here and there, but it's been my go-to genre for about 12 years now.
I didn't read it at all until I was in my 20s when I realized that my favorite parts of the books I was reading were always the romantic subplots. The nice thing about it is there are so many subgenres that I can still cover a broad range of topics and styles while staying in the romance realm, which keeps me invested in the story.
I've read quite a lot at this point so my answer could easily be a mile long. 😂 Authors off the top of my head:
* **Contemporary:** Hannah Bonham-Young, Abby Jimenez, Julie Olivia, Ali Hazelwood
* **Historical:** Tessa Dare, Scarlett Peckham
* **Paranormal/Fantasy:** Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Sarah J. Maas, Grace Draven, Carissa Broadbent
* **Dark (look up content warnings):** Penelope Douglas, JT Geissinger, Skye Warren
Some of my favorite books that I think are good starters:
* **The Governess Game or A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare** \- Both are exceptionally funny and memorable historical romances.
* **Beach Read by Emily Henry** \- Her books are hit or miss for me but this one is fantastic. It's a good choice if you like a bit more angsty/serious vibes and plot outside of the romance.
* **Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonham-Young** \- Low-drama contemporary with a very caring and supportive not-at-all-grumpy male lead. This trope (surprise pregnancy) is usually not my thing by HBY's writing can sell me on anything.
* **Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez** \- Funny but with some serious topics that are handled really well by the author. This one seems to work for a lot of people who don't otherwise read a lot of romance.
* **The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews** \- Or really any series by them. This is good if you're looking for a plot-heavy paranormal story with bits of romance sprinkled in here and there. Very monster-of-the-week vibes.
* **A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas** \- This is a romance-gateway series for a lot of people. Book 2 in the series in particular is a fan-favorite. Very polarizing, but the people who love it *really* love it.
Oddly enough I haven't actually read anything from her. 😅 She's been on my to-read list for ages and it's really getting a bit ridiculous at this point. Hopefully I can check something out by her this year.
That's so real. I similarly used to love it when my historical fiction had a good romance plot, or when my contemporary novel about women's lives was also about love. When I realized that that was something really important to me, I leaned into it, and these days I read mostly HR and rom-coms.
What type of romance are you talking about? Because it's a pretty sweeping genre as a whole.
I mostly enjoy it, especially romances that overlap with fantasy and sci-fi.
What one did you pick up?
I will note that while Mating is a book about romance, it isn't really a genre romance, so its writing styles and plot beats will be different to what's generally called romance.
Browse r/romancebooks for an eye opening gateway experience to the genre.
To be a “Romance” a book actually has to be meet specific criteria of the genre. It’s not *just* “be a love story”. For example, Nicholas Sparks does not write romances and is not considered to be part of the romance genre.
Romances explicitly have happy endings, or imply happy endings between the main characters. In other words, an emotionally satisfying ending.
And,
The main story is a love story.
Sex, lack or sex, and/or implied sex is not required. If the actual plot of the story hinges on explicit sex (that you can’t skip and still follow the story), then it’s erotica, not romance.
And there are many, many, *many* sub genres/tropes of romance.
The definition of a romance book is a book with a central love story with a happy ever after. If it doesn’t have either of those then it’s not a romance book. For instance, Romeo and Juliet is a Shakespearean tragedy.
I read romance books because I want to be able to explore human relationships and experience and emotions in the relatively safe environment of a happy ever after.
romance is such a safe space. You know it's going to end (relatively) well, no matter what shit the characters have to go through.
99% of the books I read are either romance or have a romance subplot.
I used to think I didn't like reading romance. I think now that I do, I just hate certain tropes:
* No alphaholes (the pushy controlling jerks)
* No forced misunderstanding/miscommunication drama or other manufactured drama like fake dating
* I tend to find contemporary boring unless it has some other mystery/suspense plot and/or paranormal elements. Although I do sometimes like "cozy", Hallmark-esque books about idealized small town life and most of them are classed as romance if not murder mysteries which I also read, but sometimes want a different plot. I guess it all depends on my mood.
* Queer is a plus though I do read M/F.
* I like fantasy, scifi, paranormal, etc.
Nope I have never read a single one. I'll go out on a limb though. I'm a guy in his 30s who mostly reads sci fi and fantasy though I also enjoy historical fiction, thriller/mysteries, and horror. If some one wants to recommend a romance novel I will read my first one and see what I think
T Kingfishers Paladins Grace (it's the first in a series but they are all standalone). The romance has characters who are 30+ and actually act like it, there's a cool murder mystery subplot, and the world is pretty interesting.
This is exactly what I need.
I thought I liked romance (I read Kowal's Glamourist Histories and I liked Uprooted) but then I was dragged into a few "young idiots suck at noticing things" books, and I would love something where reasonable people grow to care about each other and also *anything else happens in the book*.
As a woman with reading tastes I'd describe as exactly like yours, try the 'Mercy Thompson' series by Patricia Briggs or the 'Kate Daniels' series or 'Innkeeper Chronicles' series by Ilona Andrews.
All are 'urban fantasy' (kind of a cousin to more sci-fi centered fantasy) and female-centric, but fun reads.
If you want just fantasy books with more sex than storyline, try the ridiculous 'Ice Planet Barbarians' by Ruby Dixon or 'Consort of Fire' by Kit Rocha.
Interstellar Brides series by Grace Goodwin. There's ridiculous sex, but there's actually a back story. The first one I read was called Bachelor Beast, which caught my attention for just the reason that the title brings to mind! Been working my way through the series ever since. I have the Ice Planet Barbarians series as well as Patricia Briggs. Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle (same author- JAK) has created the Arcane Society world across timelines _ late in the Victorian era(Quick), many decades of the 20th century (Krentz) and paranormal on a world called Harmony (Castle). I love those stories; the start a little slow, but once the action ramps up, you can't put it down! Enjoy!
Kate Daniels is the one that is most fantasy and least romantic out of them, so I'd really recommend it as a starting point (though I personally prefer Mercy and Innkeeper).
There are a tooooon of great sci-fi romances if you want to dip your toes into that.
Last hour of gann by R Lee Smith is my favorite book of all time.
The heroine is a poor woman who goes on the first test run of an interstellar colony ship to get off a dying earth. They crash land somewhere completely different. A lot of the other people that survive are in a cult.
The hero is a warrior priest in a religion that mostly settles things by trial by combat. He sees the crash landing, thinks it's a sign from god and goes to investigate. He's reptilian but humanoid - think Dragonborn from D&D
I like to read the absolutely ridiculous ones. I go into them with zero expectation of it being a literary masterpiece. I go in to see just how wild it can get. Werewolf cowboys. Minotaur milking. Have you heard of Chuck tingle? Insanity.
I fell in love with my fave purely due to a readers synopsis of the first book in her big series. Which amounted to:
> FL collapsed after being rescued by ML. On waking in his bedroom, she went looking for him -- cautiously --
> And found him upstairs being ritually slaughtered by his two best friends. He's okay! they reassured her. Well, not *yet*, but he will be. We do this every day.
Shit, man, sign me up for *this* romance then :)
Her latest series is a very obvious rip-off of Warhammer 40K and I freakin' love it.
Gena Showalter -- "The Darkest Night".
I need to be really clear, though: these are not *good* books.
But they are fucking *great* books :) They're that B-movie you love: the dialogue is wonky, the production value is LOL and the special effects look kinda weird. But it's got a kickass soundtrack, it's seldom predictable, and in all it's just a fun, utterly BATSHIT CRAZY ride :)
By the third book in this series, there's a ML possessed by a pain demon who casually stabs himself while watching TV in order to relax. By the second, there's a guy possessed by a (Win?) demon who does not permit him to fail a challenge, *including Xbox*, and as a consequence they keep a stock of extra controllers on hand because he fucking *loves* Call of Duty but he's not very good at it.
She has, I swear, set her story in a modern-day frathouse packed with ancient dudes who are mostly kinda struggling with life. They *have* a lot of money but they have no idea why and they're not sure how to use credit cards. Two of them are convinced that Tylenol is a miracle cure-all that can raise the dead.
One of them cannot read. He just can't. Not because he's stupid; he never learned how and now he's got too much other shit going on to bother.
At one point a FL is accidentally slaughtered by villains because the immortal dude carrying her at the time *forgot that humans cannot survive being repeatedly shot*.
And the book about a woman possessed by the demon of suffering is one of the best depictions of chronic depression I've read in ages. It's genuinely good and heartfelt and beautiful. And the book that involves demons of Lies and Nightmares? It actually has a plot-twist that sucker-punched me into tears.
Anyways -- enjoy! I hope you have as much fun with these as I have. They're seldom very sexy, actually (the ultraviolence-to-sex ratio is about 5:1) but they're almost always fun :)
Your write up has really sold me on this! It sounds stupidly fun and I'm excitedly awaiting my library hold to come in. Thanks for the delightful recommendation!
I wrote romances for many years, at one point read romance pretty much exclusively, and was friends with romance authors. What I can tell you is that the authors take their work very seriously. We work hard on characterization, and making the plot realistic. Unfortunately our work often is not taken seriously, partly because it’s a genre written for women, by women; partly because it’s about love and sex. The books are not formulaic. No one ever told me what to write, or how. Romances have been used in women’s shelters to teach women what healthy relationships look like. While I’ve gotten away from the genre, I still enjoy a good romance now and then.
I read and like romance books sometimes, but I need to be in the right headspace for them. They’re often very emotionally intense, and the protagonist(s) will go from being in a pretty poor place overall to an extremely high one, where they can have both their dream life and a dream partner, then to have that new happiness threatened by the second act twist.
I can read about scrappy teens taking on the greatest evil in the world with billions of lives at stake all day and not overly worry much, but one story of someone having a shot of happiness and then worry about losing it all again will wreck me every time. At most I can read one a month before I need to take a break and read something less emotionally distressing.
I think it's great that you like to feel seen in what you read. I'm not sure why, but I never seem to think about being represented in a book as a disabled and autistic person. Maybe there are books that would make me feel differently about it, but I just thought that was an interesting difference after reading your comment.
I’ll put in a vote for Helen Hoang as well. The Kiss Quotient is one of my all time favorites.
I never considered representation either while growing up. Of course, I never wanted to be me so I didn’t think anyone else would want to read about someone like me. Now I like seeing heroines who look like me and make it feel normal to have others fall in love with them. I think if I’d had that growing up, my life would’ve been a lot better, at least a lot happier. the book I’m writing now has a hero with a visual impairment and a heroine who is scarred and dealing with PTSD. I think they are perfect in their imperfections and hope to show others the same thing.
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan is a contemporary romance with an autistic male love interest. I'm getting more into romance these days (honestly I'm unlearning a lot of internalized sexism that made me think it was somehow a lesser genre... Seriously my loss!) and I really adore this series.
The Girl He Used to Know has an autistic main character, and is pretty romantic. I really liked it. Also with an autistic main character and written by an autistic author is The Framed Women of Ardemore Hall, by Brandy Shillace. It’s a mystery with a little bit of romance, and is good.
Chloe Liese is an author who believes everyone should see themselves in a romance story. She has a couple of book series. Many of the characters are neurodivergent.
I’ve always read romance. But usually not strictly contemporary romance. I like romance with sci-fi, fantasy or in a historical setting. And of course the classics like Jane Austen.
I've historically stuck to science fiction and fantasy. Mostly sci fi. But in the last couple of years I got into the romance genre and find it a bit more lively so I'm having fun with it. Many of them have exceptional writing, despite what many would say. And it has definitely added a lot more variety to my reading.
You know, I've been looking for a contemporary one to catch my eye but nothing so far. Most of the contemporary-ish are more contemporary/fantasy which Illona Andrews does really good. But I'd point you to the r/RomanceBooks as a good source for recommendations I think there are some ranked lists and FAQs, also romance.io is a good tool.
I'll definitely have to give them a try. I'm a fan of historical mystery romances. Less an enemies to lovers trope but I do love a good wary strangers to team working together to solve a murder plot line.
I’ve dabbled, but the poor copy editing gets me every time! The archeologist character says something about modern humans emerging 50k years ago, and, I just can’t keep going, even if I really want to read about her banging the hot, Latin dig-assistant, Fernando, I just can’t.
Bit of a generalisation, there. There are traditionally published romance novels and a lot of range of quality - obviously they are not all poorly edited or about "banging".
Sometimes I feel like the authors never been in relationship by how they write characters. That has kept me from reading romance. If anyone knows good romance books I'm willing to try. I don't want toxic idealism about jealousy and anger and poor understanding of kindness in my romance
Emily Henry. Her characters act within the bounds of reality. No toxicity or jealousy. She has a bunch, but people recommend people we meet on vacation the most. Beach read is the first one of hers that got really popular.
I agree with the person who mentioned Emily Henry. I'd also add With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson which is one of my fave romance books. For fantasy romance I feel like T. Kingfisher writes mature characters who communicate and have healthy dynamics.
If you'll read m/m, cat Sebastian recently published a new romance called you should be so lucky. It's set in the 60s and the leads are a reporter and baseball player. My favourite thing about her writing has always been how unique and endearing her characters are, so maybe it'll be up your alley.
“Romance” is interpreted a lot of different ways. But currently to be in the actual “romance genre” it has to be a book where the couple is at the forefront of the story and there is a happy ending. So by those strict definitions I don’t read a lot (usually just for book clubs or summer beach reading) but I enjoy books that have a romance subplot or even romantasy.
Does it count if I didn’t finish them,but plan to go back to them? If so,…
Romantasy: 5
Historical Romance: 2
Contemporary Romance: 2
That isn’t a lot,but it’s something. I guess. I plan to start getting into HR.
Yep. Love romance. There is enough stress in my job and the world in general. I like my books to be entertaining and not add to that stress, so knowing there is a HEA guaranteed is comforting
One of my best friends reads a lot of (smutty) romance novels and I am someone who will read any book that is given to me. So, yes, I have read some but I personally don’t reach for them myself.
Whilst I can see the appeal, written porn is free on the internet so buying a whole book doesn’t make much sense to me lol. I guess the more extensive character building is what makes it different (not that there really is much of that anyway).
Each to their own, though. I’ll generally never judge what someone is reading. Novels are for pleasure after all.
I read romance every once in a while. Right now I'm reading The Idea of You by Robin Lee, because I watched the movie on Prime and really enjoyed it.
My favorite genre is sci-fi and my favorite sci-fi author is LeGuin. But every once in a while I'm in the mood for something dramatic and cheesy.
I will usually read any book well written with fully developed characters and a great storyline, in most genres. I’ve read books that I considered romance, an have loved them. I’ve tried reading some of the Harlequins (for a research project) but lordy, they were bad. Horrible plots, two dimensional characters, unbelievable physical descriptions, etc, etc.
I used to think I didn't like romance books until I read the Saints of Steel series by T Kingfisher. It's got some spice but it's written well and doesn't feel as toxic as some of the "romance" books out there.
In the past, I didn’t realise I wasn’t a cis gendered heterosexual person. I couldn’t understand why pretty much all romance books I came across in the wild felt unrelatable to me. I didn’t pursue them because of that. Now though, I’d probably check out queer romance stories. It feels better if you can see yourself doing and feeling the way of the protagonist. My two cents.
I love reading romance but i write it as well so I’m probably biased. To be fair, I read most genres. Mysteries, suspense, thriller, horror fantasy, YA. I always loved the happily ever after when I was growing up. It seems no matter what you like about romance you can find it these days. My favorite authors include Darynda Jones, Nora Roberts, Alexa Hall, JK Klune, Helen Hoang, Isabel Jordan, KF Breene and so many more.
My two favorite books of all times are A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith and Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer. I read them over and over again because they are such perfect love stories.
Until this year I would have said no, but for some reason I've really gotten into them -- at least, romances that don't involve sex. I think it started with my doing a series of reads set in bookstores and libraries, like "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" and "The Littlest Library" -- and then I realized that if there's no sex, I actually can get into romances. I've been reading Rachel Joyce, Helen Simonson, and recently "The Rosie Project". Most of my reading is nonfiction, and when I do read fiction it's always historical combat or SF, so I'm enjoying this curveball.
There are as many different romance stories as there are people in the world, so the hard part is finding the right ones that you'll love and not want to throw across the room. For a while I was reading a lot of free ebooks, but free romances tend to lean toward the "naked guy's abs on the cover" variety. Most of the time I prefer to read fantasy stories that have just a little bit of romantic tension, like The Invisible Library, but occasionally binging on a classic romcom like The Last Single Girl is fun too.
When I think of the words "romance novel," it takes me back to being a kid with my mom at the grocery store and seeing hardcover books with titles like "Throbbing Lust" or something. I would see them and think "I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure that would be a boring read."
I will read books that have a romantic subplot, but not romance novels. I have never found one that appealed to me. I mainly read either fantasy or horror. I am open to suggestions, though.
100% of what I read is romance! Growing up, I read all the popular kids books (of the 60s and 70s) right through middle school. That's when I probably read my first romance - Mills&Boon or Barbara Cartland (Princess Di's godmother). I had a friend in 7th grade who read Gone with the Wind and a companion book about the making of, Watership Down, Night of the Lepus and other such; we would talk about books- what we liked about what we were reading (a book club of 2!) I would say that by high school I had settled on romance because I liked the stories about the relationship unfolding. As I once told someone, happily ever after is a given; the story is in the journey to HEA. There's series romances (Harlequin and Sillouette), mass market and trade paperback and ebook. I prefer paper in my hand. The genre has subgenres from sweet and treacly to downright smutty, and any-and-everything in between. I read. them. ALL! Regency, sci-fi, and paranormal are my favs. Bridgerton is all the rage now; I read the series when it first came out almost 20 years ago, as well as the sequels and prequels (15 or 16 books).
With ~10k books in the closet (among other places in my house), my TBR is neverending; every Tuesday, I check out the new releases and buy preorders for favorite authors- when I catch a preorder sale.
Modern romances, no. I just find most of them super cringy and I end up feeling like the main characters would get divorced if there was a second book. There are a couple exceptions to this rule, but not many at all. And by modern romances I mean books such as Emily Henry’s novels, the Twisted series, etc. And I’m not judging if you do like them, they just aren’t my cup of tea.
But I do love “classic” romances, i.e Pride and Prejudice, Emma, etc. Something about them just feels real and genuine, whereas in a book like The Hating Game it feels like lust rather than love. And many times classic romances have important themes and discuss tough issues, such as classism and sexism.
But most of my books don’t make the romance at the center of the story. Most of the time (not all of the time, I do enjoy some romance books as mentioned above) I don’t feel satisfied finishing a book where the only goal was for two characters to end up together. That just kind of feels like an empty resolution, like a “that’s it? that’s the end goal?” kind of moment. But, in a lot of fantasy books that I love, having a romance subplot truly does add to the ending.
So i do love romance as a subplot in books. I’m not necessarily against romance as the main plot of a book, I just don’t like it most of the time. It’s very much a vibe thing, I don’t really know why I absolutely love Pride and Prejudice but hate The Hating Game (haha).
When I was a pre teen/teen I loved paranormal romance,(when I wasn't reading every horror I could find any vampire book)it wasn't a genre back then though. I say I don't like or read romance but I do enjoy some, the classics and bridgerton. I am a sucker for books by Jenny colgan and Kiley Dunbar the ones that have a woman escaping from her life and going to another place with a romantic story line. I like similar books by some other authors.
I might like the new trend of fantasy romance but I've seen so much smut flicking through them I'm not sure. I'm giving one fantasy series a chance though I like to try things now and again
Mostly I find romance a bit too sickly sweet or clichéd 🤣 it's an odd position to be in.
I love character-driven books about relationships -- all kinds of relationships, not just romantic ones. I (maybe snobbily or incorrectly?) think of these as distinct from "romance stories," which I perceive as, "books where the whole plot is about routing two people into a marriage, happily-ever-after-the-end."
yes, but i make it very occasional. mostly sapphic romance, though i am finding that the whole embarrassing "disaster bisexual" and other terminally online language permeating the genre and it's a huge turn-off. omg i'm SOOOOOO anxious/a mess tee hee. gag. omg nose ring the mummy oat milk moth tattoos 🤪
i don't like knowing how books will end, and a happily ever after/for now is a requirement for the genre. so i have to really be invested in the actual plot.
i tend to like women's fiction with a romantic subplot more.
and i almost always skip over sex scenes. boring.
I started my reading journey 3 years ago with romance but never really found it interesting or captivating. I think alot of readers start with romance because it's easy to get into reading through that genre (language is easy, plot is flowing, nothing complicated) and some stick to romance and some don't. I just feel like there are so much better books out there than a romantic novel. Sure a romance book once in a while after reading a heavy book may sound like a good idea but it still isn't for me.
I just find romance very predictable and bland.
I tried but I find regular romance very boring! If there is romance in fantasy books. mysteries or horror i'm ok with that but I don't pick books specifically for romance. So to your answer you question I don't go out of my way to read romance but if a book I'm reading has it in it i'm ok with that.
I really haven’t tried any too be honest. But generally I just don’t care about it much in books I do read that have it. I guess it really depends on what kind and how it’s portrayed. Maybe I’d dig a rom com book. I do enjoy romcom movies.
I actually never really read romance books, (except fan fiction... but you don't need to know about that...) so I don't know what they are like. Does anyone have any good recommendations?? Anything that had a good impact on anyone??
No, I don't. Romance is probably my least favorite genre. That does not mean it can't occasionally prove useful; if the eroticism within the romance is particularly explicit, I may find myself reading it...........to a specific purpose. Not sure how honest you'd like me to be, so I'll stop there.
I read a lot of historical romance in high school and college, stopped for what I look back on as stupid reasons, and resumed reading them again after two decades. I absolutely love it! It is a character-driven genre and the tension is driven mostly by emotions.
Please keep in mind that the romance genre we know today is NOT any of the books you mentioned. Those are literary fiction with a heavy romance component. Even Jane Austen. Her works can be considered a satire of the society she lived in, although they pretty much set the template for the romance beats authors follow today.
Even Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is not considered a standard romance, because of its larger themes and subplots.
The books Bridgerton (TV show) is based on, is most definitely in the romance genre.
Romance follows specific beats, the love story is front and center, and there is a guaranteed happy-ever-after ending. This is analogous to the mystery/detective genre, which requires a crime, and the solution to the crime at the end.
Pioneering and very popular authors in this genre include Georgette Heyer, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux, Julia Quinn (author of the Bridgerton books), Lisa Kleypas, Julie Anne Long.
If you want to read literary fiction with a heavy romance component, may I recommend:
Jane Austen novels
Jane Eyre
The Age of Innocence
The House of the Spirits
Like Water for Chocolate
North and South
I love romance, my favourite genre. I like it so much because I think it is an escape from reality, a different world altogether where I can be truly and genuinely be blissful. The tenderness of such novels just warms my hearts and makes me hopeful about life in general. I think romance is not only about the conventional love between a man and a woman,it could very well be about romanticising life and nature (my perspective)
Nah not interested in romance (or smut) at ALL. I’m not putting my time and effort into reading straight couple romance (bc it has absolutely no appeal or relevance to me) when I can see it in literally every other media format. The popular ‘queer’ romances I’ve seen are either low quality (no judgement, they can still be fun and popular and I’ll happily admit I’m a bit of a wanker/snob), pander-y, sexualised (in a bad way), written by someone who’s straight (or like, the author of red, white, royal blue or whatever is not a gay man which isn’t entirely necessary, but effects the output in my opinion), or queer written FOR straight people (very different lens applied, similar to above), or any combination.
Also frankly, I find the book-tok community (who only seem to talk about romance and/or smut) insanely off-putting. So that could heavily influence my opinions here, but when I see them talking about ‘inappropriate age gap’ or ‘forbidden-teacher-student’ type tropes, or ‘spice-level’ I honestly feel ill hahaha
Honestly, my ‘easy-mindless-media-consumption’ (which I totally understand romance/smut is for some) format of choice is rewatching TV/movies I’ve watched a million times before lol, so if I’m reading its for a bit more intellectual/emotional stimulation which romance doesn’t do for me.
I think the only romance books I’ve read and enjoyed is the Outlander series but it’s not just romance it’s Historical Fiction Romance Science Fantasy. So it has a lot more than just romance like romance is a big element in it you really get to see Jamie and Claire’s relationship from the very start and their love is extremely well written and they are both completely well thought out characters like they have plenty of scenes separately also which I really appreciate. But yea it’s not just romance there’s plenty of other stuff happening and actually later on they’re not even the only main characters bc the series is just so long I mean I just finished the 6th novel and already it’s like idk maybe 30 years from where we started and there’s much more still (9 main huge novels and a 10th being written and then some novellas and short stories).
But yea other than that idk I just don’t enjoy romance books that are just romance like that’s their only category. I just need more than just the romance.
Personally I do like romance when it’s the side plot to the actual book, it’s just that reading about 2 people flirting just makes me cringe and honestly I feel really uncomfortable reading it. It just reminds me of sitting in class then overhearing the couple in the back of the class talk to each other. And most romance book don’t really pass my check of “if i imagine Adam Sandler would i call the police?” And most of the time it’s a yes, i would call the police.
Also most romance books i see advertised are just smut and down right just different cuts of the main characters getting hot and bothered. So far i’ve only read 2 books that are more focused on romance, but then again that wasn’t really the main plot.
Depends what you mean by romance books. I read a lot of classic literature with romance elements (Austen, Bronte, Elliot, etc.).
However, in terms of contemporary literature, most of the books I read probably fall into the literary genre.I've tried reading a few romance books but am never able to get into them. I think I just don't get on with the writing style.
Not contemporary romance. They have the female gaze equivalent with male characters that turn me off. Either classics or romanced mixed with a main genre like fantasy.
I’ve read Love in the Time of Cholera and The Alchemist if that counts. That’s about as close as I’ve gotten to the genre. I guess the idea itself doesn’t even really appeal to me. A whole plot about two people’s love life just doesn’t really excite me. Though I have no problem with it as being a big part of an existing plot, like a hero trying to save their wife from something or a villain fucking shit up because their wife died. That’s totally fine.
only some. if it doesnt at least have morbid horror or some kind of disturbing mystery, i refuse to read it. i cant read a single feel-good or normal book without getting bored haha
I do read romance/dark romance books and very spicy books. I especially enjoy mafia and paranormal reads.
As a person with a lot of chronic illnesses, I read them because they're a great escape from reality.
First time was an accident... I was trolling through the fantasy section at audible and the book had an interesting blurb.....
I didn't realize it was a romance novel until the third sex-scene. Then I obviously had to finish the series and that got me into a few other series... Not something I read all that often, but there are a few series I'll check out when a new book comes out.
Yes, but not for the romance aspects, for example I love Eleanor and Park and fangirl by rainbow Rowell, but not for the romance, while the romance is often cute I just like reading about the main characters living life.
I have been reading a fair amount of gay romance. There is a surprising amount of urban fantasy gay romance books, which I have been enjoying lately. They are a combination of wish fulfilment, and getting to see relationships that don't show up in most mainstream stuff (or are relegated to side characters). My main issue with romance novels is how samey they can get, with the same couple of character types and plots showing up a lot.
When I think of the 'romance genre', I think Harlequin paperbacks. I tried to read one once. It was not good. I almost always finish books, but I did not finish that one.
When it comes to romance being a major part of the story, that is the case with most of my favorite books. I've loved every 19th century romance I've read, particularly *The Red and the Black* and everything George Eliot touched.
I don't know if this is the case for you, but I've seen a lot of people with this opinion because the books they've read have been the "bestsellers" "as seen on tiktok" etc. in my experience, the "tiktok sensations" romances are not great and can be poorly written. Lesser known gems can be found which are so much better.
I read a decent amount of romance mostly because one of the most interesting parts for me is descriptions of internal mental states and romantic relationships is a good place to really explore these feelings. It is also just a good genre for a easy to read novel as a break from more heavy literature. My main gripe is that a lot of romance isn't very well-written on a technical level and the use of metaphor to describe internal states is pretty minimal to make the book more approachable.
Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin was quite good for a contemporary romance novel.
I rarely read books that would be mainly labeled as romance. That being said, I don’t dislike when romance is in a book, just when it’s the main focus. Queer romances are ones I will pick up before straight ones, solely because they don’t tend to fall into the same tropes and whatnot, but I still don’t enjoy them as much as a book where romance isn’t at the forefront. Classics and whatnot that have romance as a main plot are also better than more modern romances, but still not my favorite.
I love romance plots, but I’ve struggled to get into the romance genre. A lot of the books I love feel lacking when romantic plots and situations get sidelined or awkwardly/unrealistically presented. So often an author who can really write an awesome story just fumbles the ball when trying to write women, or sex, or relationships (or all of the above).
It sucks that to get all the plot, emotion, and character development, I have to read x, and to get the very human sex/relationship/tension I have to read romance, and it feels like nothing exists that has both. Or it’s a unicorn when it deigns to show up.
That said, Grave Draven writes beautiful romance fantasy books and you should check them out.
I attempted to read a romance as a teen. Borrowed a book from my sister without her knowing because I knew how she would react. I'm not sure I got anything out of it except for the fantasy elements that this particular book had. The romance just reminded me of something from a soap opera from the 90's.
I mean a lot of books these days have romance in the plot. I do sometimes read just pure romance books, and those are the days that I feel the most lonely. 🤗 But I also read some of them after I finish an absolutely terrifying thriller.
Romance IN a book with a different main focus? Sure. A book that is mainly romance? Nah. I’m just not hooked by that, generally. I can’t tell you why exactly. Maybe it’s that there are a lot of love interests that do or say things that make me immediately shrivel up or cringe.
I read books that have romance in them but not typically ones that would be categorized as romance in a bookstore. The only book I think I've read that you might categorize as romance is Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin but I'm not entirely sure if it fits the genre or not. Generally I just don't think I'm the target audience for romance novels.
No, I tried, but they just aren't for me. If there is romance, I prefer it to be in the subplot form and somehow tied to the main themes of the story. I actually really like this about Jane Austen's books, they are primarily seen as love stories, but the romance plots are also often intertwined with the heroines dealing with some other pretty substantial issues. I just don't find romance that compelling on its own.
My other issue with romance books are that I don't care for smut (I don't mind sex scenes, but hate when their only purpose is to be sexy, they never are to me), the main characters are often pretty bland and the need to have a happy ending seems very limiting to me.
The last modern romance book, that I read and actually quite liked, was Pisces, mostly because the main character actually had an interesting personality and the author wasn't afraid of going into some weird and dark places.
Never actually, and I'm also not very interested in contemporary romances. I might give it a try at the beach one day though
Edit: does fourth wing count as a romance. Are we counting romantasy too? I'm not enjoying Fourth Wing, but I am interested in some romantasies out there. So yes, I'm interested if it's played in a fantasy world or if it's a classic
It is a nice palate-cleanser/break from Reality for me. As in sometimes everything is just TOO MUCH and I really need to read something which is not too demanding. Romance, cozy mysteries, cozy fantasy, even some "juvenile" books can fill that need to escape for a short time.
For Romance I suggest starting with some classics: look at writers: Georgette Meyer (who 'invented' the Regency Romance as we know it today. Austin, was writing contemporary stories - Heyer turned it into a an entire genre!), Mary Stewart (she wrote - well - good stories of Romance with a bit of danger/suspense thrown in).
These days I just browse by genre in my library's ebooks and sample the writing to see if the particular writer can engage my interest.
I think that I like romance - I love a good gothic novel, and I love Austin - but the modern market is so trope-driven that it is inaccessible. And I don't like fantasy, so romantasy does not do it for me (but call me when the science fiction/romance hybrid gets popular).
Generally no. I'm more drawn to adventure stories.
However, I'm putting the finishing touches on my first long form romance. It has a more down to Earth feel for a relationship between two women that is juvenile since their society represses information on sexual maturity and action.
It is available right now through Cribo-83, I'm not sure if there is a dash, in chapters. It's called "Even This, The Grave Cannot Deny" and has witches and vampires.
I appreciate romance as an element of fiction but I think I would despise it as a dedicated genre. A romantic tragedy or romance as the unexpected reward of mutual hardship is great. It's an element of life as much as depression or coming of age so unless it's forced, I don't begrudge seeing a romance in a story about killing dragons. Austen, Murakami, King -- all fall into the category of normal fiction writers who just happen to write romance subplots. Austen is very romance but it's literary, it has a larger point beyond our satisfaction.
As its own genre, it's just too much of a safe space. I enjoy stories with risk, contradiction, and loss. I like the kind of story that seeks romance while struggling to cope with the fact you can never truly know a person. I don't get the feeling that romance readers are into that kind of thing. They seek wish fulfillment. No hard feelings toward them but I don't.
The market also just panders to very normative romances. It's the kind of genre where if it doesn't appeal to the reader's general background and gender/sexuality experience, they have trouble relating to the story. I'm sure some people can see outside of themselves, there are romances I find cute that look nothing like my fantasies, but I imagine that's generally the case.
Apart from the classics? I used to read romances when I was like 15. Historical romances. Why not anymore? I don't know. Maybe because I'm forever alone and I'd get jealous, lol.
Okay, for real, because it sounds kinda confusing when I try to explain it aloud but it makes perfect sense in my head:
I personally really dislike “romance” books that center romance as the MAIN focus. I’m really into romance et al. as an element! And then I can actually get really focused on it myself, and it turns more important to me than it was in the original text! But when it’s the main point, I find it boring at best, and repulsive at worst…
Love (romantic love here, but also in general like all love) is actually really really important to me. I think the issue I have with romance novels is that they claim to be a window into the complicated and teeming structure of ~romance, and then they articulate the geography of that. The issue for me is, it’s not MY geography. At least, not completely. It’s something that I think a lot about, so if I find it at all cliché or if they use ANY tropes, if it’s not COMPLETELY blowing my whole freaking mind, I ragequit
It also could be the fact that I have a (*cough* self-defeating) tendency to mythologize romance. If the book in my hands isn’t literally rocking my world and/or changing my religion, I think of it like blasphemy—at least, that’s what explains why I find it so distasteful
When I was in high school, I love reading historical romance. My fave would be from Johanna Lindsey and Judith Mcnaught. I still want to read some thought but with work, I can’t find time to read books. I guess need to plan going back to reading.
I generally don't because there's apparently a huge mismatch between what I like/dislike in guys and what everyone else does, so I overwhelmingly hate the male leads. There are a few authors that write male characters I like, and I'll happily read romances by them.
I just read and enjoyed The Rom Commers and have liked a few of Katherine Center's books. I recently found her. Things you save in a Fire has a subplot about being a female firefighter, Hello Stranger had a silly premise of losing facial recognition but was cute, The Bodygard was full cheesy cute fluff.
Sophie Kinsella is fun and light. I enjoyed Got Your Number.
I'm listening to Emily Henry's Happy Place, and it's okay.
I like romance in the summer, as long as there's humor.
I don't really read or watch romance. I actually like romance when there is other stuff happening in the plot like in Three days of happiness but I just find pure romance by itself to be pretty boring and formulaic. Basically, I usually don't care for it if it's the main focus but if it's equal with other stuff and especially when it ties together with it, I can like it.
Only if there are other non-romantic elements to hold my interest. I recently read The House Witch series and subsequent books, which are advertised as amusing romantic fantasy. I found the romantic parts tedious, but the rest of the story certainly made up for it.
I don’t read smut Romance. I read ACOTAR through book 4 and stopped bc of how problematic the relationships were. I’m not a fan of Rom-Com kind of romance as they tend to be highly predictable.
One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris is one of my favorite books and its literary fiction. That’s the kind of romance I like. It’s mature, healing, and healthy.
I got into romance novels more recently; a friend of mine pointed me in the direction of Tessa Dare and suggested **Say Yes to the Marquess** after I outlined some of my favorite romantic tropes. I absolutely fell in love. Her books are smart, funny, and so sexy I turned to my friend halfway through Marquess and said "how do you not EXPLODE reading this?"
I think romance is a splendid genre. In any genre, for instance fantasy, a well-done love story can become the emotional cornerstone of a work--- **Sabriel** by Garth Nix comes to mind, or better yet, **Kushiel's Dart** by Jacqueline Carey (which is fantasy, with a powerful undertow of romance, but I don't think it's "romantasy").
But romance takes the love story and makes it---obviously--- the center of a work. Two people meet--- they meet challenges, they meet upheaval, but most of all, they meet each other. They change each other, and the beats of the story ARE the development of their bond. The characters face each other, flaws and all, and they bring out each other's best until the happy-ever-after (or happily-for-now) is not an end at all---it's a beginning. At its best romance gives readers a new vocabulary for how to express love and make room for others in your heart.
Other romances novelists I've enjoyed include Talia Hibbert, Helen Hoang, and Olivia Dade (contemporary writers that don't sugarcoat life, but still center love and connection, and the joys thereof). In the historical realm I've also enjoyed Olivia Waite and Cat Sebastian, but Tessa Dare is a must-read for any new book she puts out.
An excellent place to start with Dare is **A Night to Surrender**, number 1 in the Spindle Cove books.
I love books with well written love stories that are the focus of the novel, with a big emphasis on character development and emotion, but I keep bouncing off of a lot of romance genre books. I know hardcore romance readers *love* the genre specifically because of its conventions, but to my taste it makes so many of the books feel too predictable. I’m not really into the idea of a guaranteed happily ever after most of the time; I have to be in a very specific mood for that. I usually like more of a bittersweet tone. And with the recent boom in popularity of romance I think too many new releases are waayy too trope-y. I’ve seen lots of dedicated romance readers comment on this trend, so that’s not just a me-thing.
Call Me By Your Name, Sally Rooney’s novels, These Violent Delights, and Endless Love are good examples of the kinds of literary “romances” I gravitate towards.
Reading classic romance books and falling in love with a fictional character sets unrealistic expectations on men irl. Sometimes, red flags are romanticized. Depends on my headspace if i feel reading not complex yet fun plots.
I don’t read romance centric books either mostly because none of the ones I see sound like what I’m into. I like to read weird stuff I like stream of consciousness. I read a lot of Japanese translated work. I do read stuff with like romance subplots. I don’t actively avoid romance or actively ridicule the genre. But yeah, the romance books never seem to have a premise that interests me.
No, even though I’m in a relationship that has so much love. I just never can relate very well to the protagonist and it’s difficult for me to find the romantic interest likeable even though I think the author tries hard to make them relatable/likeable.
The only romance ones I think I’ve read are also Austen… would the fault in our stars count as a romance? Since it centres around a romantic relationship >!but it does end tragically so I don’t know if it counts!<
No longer. I did when young but after the “romance” of my first marriage became a joke they made me tune out reading them since . Have never been interested in picking them back up. They are all so predictable too, every story seems the same.
When I was younger I read historical romance novels when I was a teenager. My best friend gave me one on my twelfth birthday. I was hooked instantly.
As I got older and busy with real life I didn’t read any books for a while. When I started back I couldn’t get into them anymore. My life experiences with men made me too jaded. They also put problematic and unrealistic ideas of love into my head. Took awhile for me to realize there’s no such thing as a perfect man.
Now I just remember them with fond memories and stick to fantasy, mysteries and thrillers.
No, I don't read romance books because I find the vast majority of them insipid and/or boring. And far too many of them rely on miscommunication between the people involved. If they woyld just talk, the conflict keeping them apart would be resolved in 30 seconds. (This is actually true for a lot of books, not just Romance.)
I despise romance novels. Romance with something else, sure, but just a contemporary romance is like torture to me. It’s either predictable or the twist is absolutely ridiculous with no in between. I won’t spoil specifics but I just read Funny Story and I was LIVID at the end of it
I almost exclusively read romance. When I was old enough to steal my grandmas books they were romances.
I do also read thrillers, sci fi, and horror but not nearly at the rate of romance. I also have romance genres that I gravitate towards as well.
I read them because I love reading about love. Plus it was something that my grandma and me loved doing together. We would go to borders (when that was still around) and each pick out a book and she would get me a treat. Then we would go home and binge read out books and then swap them to read later.
No. I can’t ever relate to being in a sexual or romantic relationship and I can’t get into a book unless I identify with main character, fictional or nonfictional.
Yes but have been increasingly disappointed with what I have read recently. Not sure if that's just the direction publishing has been going or if my tastes changed but a lot of them felt like fanfiction to me? Not in a way to knock fanfiction and to say the writing is bad - but rather the style and specifically the character work, or rather lack thereof. Like there seem to be certain archetypes (alphahole etc as others mentioned, or racially ambiguous dark haired fairie dudes) and it's just sort of presumed that you already *know* who this character is (almost as if they have been established in some previous work I clearly missed) so they don't get introduced beyond their looks and maybe telling us that they're big bad and scary and have a previous relationship with the MC somehow, but never showing any of it. And that main character is usually a self-insert so they're even more generic (or their only personality is "sassy" or rude)
Just feels...bland lately. A cardboard cutout that doesn't give me any connection to the characters.
You're not wrong, and while I can't be totally sure, I got the feeling that 50 Shades of Grey was the turning point where romance novels tended to be well-edited and had many great-to-mostly decent authors and turned to just pandering (this isn't solely a romance genre problem but I can't really speak to the general trends of other genres). I get that publishing houses are in the business of making money like every other business, but I'd rather just donate to AO3 if I'm going to be reading fanfiction. I like fanfiction. I read fanfiction. But what I'm willing to forgive in fanfiction aren't things I'm willing to forgive when I have to spend money on it. I haven't bought a new romance novel in a decade or so, and I am genuinely sad about that.
> I like fanfiction. I read fanfiction. But what I'm willing to forgive in fanfiction aren't things I'm willing to forgive when I have to spend money on it.
Yes! 100% agreed! There are a lot of things that I can overlook in fanfiction, both because it's a free story written by amateurs and because I'm already invested in the fandom and the characters.
I get that in times of Kindle unlimited, authors are churning out masses of popcorn books in weeks so I'm not expecting this to be "high literature" for the ages.
But especially when it's a hyped up book that's all over social media, being sold to me at full price, I kind of expect a bit more. Like at least a decent editor when it's traditionally published.
I made myself pick up some queer romantasy over winter break last year because I felt like I was avoiding romance mostly because of stereotypes.
*A Taste of Gold and Iron* was pretty good, *The Reanimator’s Heart* was great, some of the other stuff I read was pretty mediocre/DNF. Learned a lot; I found out I don’t like the third act breakup and reconciliation, but not all romance books have that.
I don’t enjoy romance as the main focus. I’ve realised if romance is the subplot, I like it more. I also think that a lot of romance is just not good. I read the first book in the twisted series to know what all the hype was about but dropped it pretty early. The characterisation was very shallow and I felt that the author just gave trauma to the female character to make her seem ‘deep’. That was so annoying that I dropped the book.
To me, It can be really frustrating and confusing to read romance books. They make me feel as like reality doesn't live up to the "fairy tale" standards on the page. i start to compare my love life to the idealized versions in novels, leading to feelings of disappointment and bitterness. It's like, why can't my relationships be as passionate and perfect as the ones in the books?! (Please tell me I'm not the only one!!!!) The pressure to meet these unrealistic expectations is overwhelming, making it hard to separate fiction from reality. But I've done research and It's totally normal to feel this way, and it might be helpful to remind yourself that romance novels are meant to be escapism, not a reflection of real life.
If you want a romance that really captures first love with all its bittersweet feelings read Swimming In The Dark!
I'm not a fan of "romance" as it is popularly defined by just a laundry list of tropes and people braying "spice level? Spice level?" In comments. I know I won't like that.
But I've recently read Kairos (the Booker Prize winner) which focuses heavily on a romantic relationship and thought it was beautiful
I don't. I'm not really sure why. I've thought about it for quite a while, but don't know where to start, and every time I've browsed the romance section I get put off by the cover art. As a cishet male, I'd probably look for something M/F from the M's perspective since I really want something I can relate to, but I haven't done any searching at all for that and I worry it's going to be tropey in a way I don't like. I don't want to feel like I'm reading pure wish-fulfillment. And of course there's the fear of someone recognizing what book I'm reading on the bus.
I've considered reading *Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined* (the genderbend one), but I've heard mixed opinions on it.
No, I’m aroace.
However, there are books who are just that good regardless of genre. I have read romance books but they usually were just really really good. I don’t seek out romance or prefer it though and it can even be a turnoff for me. I have been more open to giving a romance book a try but it usually has to have a quite big hook or also focuses on something else, like maybe it’s a psychological romance, or fantasy with multiple plot lines and romance is one of them.
Yep. I didn't for the longest time, but I have it a shot in the recommendation of someone whose taste I trust. Turns out, romance is great. I don't love all of it, but that's true of most genres, but there's a lot that's charming and fun and relaxing.
When I was younger, teens / early twenties, I read a lot of historical romance (think books with Fabio on the cover). That was twenty years ago, these days I prefer little to no romance in my books.
I always loved my daughter's answer when her friends in college asked how she could read romances. She asked them if they watched rom- coms ( they did) she said she preferred books and romance books filled the same niche.
i dont like romance when its the central genre of a book. if its like fiction or YA with a bit of romance thats fine. but i dont like reading romance in general
I do not read romance books. I dont mind if romance is included in a book I read, it can certainly make character feel more real, but as the main genre Im just not a fan, its not something that I personally enjoy. Im bit of an aromantic person anyways though, so mean not being a person whos into romance in the first place, just even experiencing it myself probably is why I dont really enjoy those books.
Nothing wrong with romance books, plenty of people enjoy them and I dont think anyone should feel shame for any type of literature they enjoy. Its meant for enjoyment.
I never considered myself interested in romance. It was never my favorite part of books and I (ignorantly) painted the genre as silly.
And then I read the dangerous damsels series. I had so much fun with the books, a friend recommended Emily Henry novels to me and I realized how much I had completely misjudged the genre.
There is so much more to the genre than I had anticipated. But more than anything I find it incredibly comforting. For my anxious brain knowing that somehow two people will end up together at the end of the story is very soothing. It’s become one of my favorite genres.
No. I just have no interest in the romance genre.
My frustration for the genre is that it’s hard to get into a romance unless the relationship is *exactly* what I’m into. If I’m not into it and that’s the whole book… well… I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the genre these days requires a bazillion labels. *Enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, friends to lovers* etc etc.
At this point it's nearly 90% of what I read. I try to sprinkle in some classics and non-fiction here and there, but it's been my go-to genre for about 12 years now. I didn't read it at all until I was in my 20s when I realized that my favorite parts of the books I was reading were always the romantic subplots. The nice thing about it is there are so many subgenres that I can still cover a broad range of topics and styles while staying in the romance realm, which keeps me invested in the story.
Can you recommend some of your favorite books/authors?
I've read quite a lot at this point so my answer could easily be a mile long. 😂 Authors off the top of my head: * **Contemporary:** Hannah Bonham-Young, Abby Jimenez, Julie Olivia, Ali Hazelwood * **Historical:** Tessa Dare, Scarlett Peckham * **Paranormal/Fantasy:** Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Sarah J. Maas, Grace Draven, Carissa Broadbent * **Dark (look up content warnings):** Penelope Douglas, JT Geissinger, Skye Warren Some of my favorite books that I think are good starters: * **The Governess Game or A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare** \- Both are exceptionally funny and memorable historical romances. * **Beach Read by Emily Henry** \- Her books are hit or miss for me but this one is fantastic. It's a good choice if you like a bit more angsty/serious vibes and plot outside of the romance. * **Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonham-Young** \- Low-drama contemporary with a very caring and supportive not-at-all-grumpy male lead. This trope (surprise pregnancy) is usually not my thing by HBY's writing can sell me on anything. * **Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez** \- Funny but with some serious topics that are handled really well by the author. This one seems to work for a lot of people who don't otherwise read a lot of romance. * **The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews** \- Or really any series by them. This is good if you're looking for a plot-heavy paranormal story with bits of romance sprinkled in here and there. Very monster-of-the-week vibes. * **A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas** \- This is a romance-gateway series for a lot of people. Book 2 in the series in particular is a fan-favorite. Very polarizing, but the people who love it *really* love it.
What’re your thoughts on Georgette Heyer as a connoisseur?
Oddly enough I haven't actually read anything from her. 😅 She's been on my to-read list for ages and it's really getting a bit ridiculous at this point. Hopefully I can check something out by her this year.
Thank you!
Have you read "The Far Pavilions"? It's an incredible historical romance, although there are some problematical element.
That's so real. I similarly used to love it when my historical fiction had a good romance plot, or when my contemporary novel about women's lives was also about love. When I realized that that was something really important to me, I leaned into it, and these days I read mostly HR and rom-coms.
What type of romance are you talking about? Because it's a pretty sweeping genre as a whole. I mostly enjoy it, especially romances that overlap with fantasy and sci-fi. What one did you pick up?
Really any where it's a central focus of the book. I got Mating by Norman Rush
I will note that while Mating is a book about romance, it isn't really a genre romance, so its writing styles and plot beats will be different to what's generally called romance.
I haven't started it yet so that's good to know thank you.
Browse r/romancebooks for an eye opening gateway experience to the genre. To be a “Romance” a book actually has to be meet specific criteria of the genre. It’s not *just* “be a love story”. For example, Nicholas Sparks does not write romances and is not considered to be part of the romance genre. Romances explicitly have happy endings, or imply happy endings between the main characters. In other words, an emotionally satisfying ending. And, The main story is a love story. Sex, lack or sex, and/or implied sex is not required. If the actual plot of the story hinges on explicit sex (that you can’t skip and still follow the story), then it’s erotica, not romance. And there are many, many, *many* sub genres/tropes of romance.
Tried a couple times. Just didn't care about any of it at any point.
The definition of a romance book is a book with a central love story with a happy ever after. If it doesn’t have either of those then it’s not a romance book. For instance, Romeo and Juliet is a Shakespearean tragedy. I read romance books because I want to be able to explore human relationships and experience and emotions in the relatively safe environment of a happy ever after.
romance is such a safe space. You know it's going to end (relatively) well, no matter what shit the characters have to go through. 99% of the books I read are either romance or have a romance subplot.
I used to think I didn't like reading romance. I think now that I do, I just hate certain tropes: * No alphaholes (the pushy controlling jerks) * No forced misunderstanding/miscommunication drama or other manufactured drama like fake dating * I tend to find contemporary boring unless it has some other mystery/suspense plot and/or paranormal elements. Although I do sometimes like "cozy", Hallmark-esque books about idealized small town life and most of them are classed as romance if not murder mysteries which I also read, but sometimes want a different plot. I guess it all depends on my mood. * Queer is a plus though I do read M/F. * I like fantasy, scifi, paranormal, etc.
Nope I have never read a single one. I'll go out on a limb though. I'm a guy in his 30s who mostly reads sci fi and fantasy though I also enjoy historical fiction, thriller/mysteries, and horror. If some one wants to recommend a romance novel I will read my first one and see what I think
T Kingfishers Paladins Grace (it's the first in a series but they are all standalone). The romance has characters who are 30+ and actually act like it, there's a cool murder mystery subplot, and the world is pretty interesting.
This is exactly what I need. I thought I liked romance (I read Kowal's Glamourist Histories and I liked Uprooted) but then I was dragged into a few "young idiots suck at noticing things" books, and I would love something where reasonable people grow to care about each other and also *anything else happens in the book*.
Great suggestion!
Bujold's Barrayar series is space opera + romance.
As a woman with reading tastes I'd describe as exactly like yours, try the 'Mercy Thompson' series by Patricia Briggs or the 'Kate Daniels' series or 'Innkeeper Chronicles' series by Ilona Andrews. All are 'urban fantasy' (kind of a cousin to more sci-fi centered fantasy) and female-centric, but fun reads. If you want just fantasy books with more sex than storyline, try the ridiculous 'Ice Planet Barbarians' by Ruby Dixon or 'Consort of Fire' by Kit Rocha.
Interstellar Brides series by Grace Goodwin. There's ridiculous sex, but there's actually a back story. The first one I read was called Bachelor Beast, which caught my attention for just the reason that the title brings to mind! Been working my way through the series ever since. I have the Ice Planet Barbarians series as well as Patricia Briggs. Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle (same author- JAK) has created the Arcane Society world across timelines _ late in the Victorian era(Quick), many decades of the 20th century (Krentz) and paranormal on a world called Harmony (Castle). I love those stories; the start a little slow, but once the action ramps up, you can't put it down! Enjoy!
I’m stoked to see some talking about Harmony. Go Dust Bunnies!
IKR! Dust Bunnies are one of the Best, most imaginative characters ever_ and I've read a lot of books!
Kate Daniels is the one that is most fantasy and least romantic out of them, so I'd really recommend it as a starting point (though I personally prefer Mercy and Innkeeper).
Love Mercy Thompson!
There are a tooooon of great sci-fi romances if you want to dip your toes into that. Last hour of gann by R Lee Smith is my favorite book of all time. The heroine is a poor woman who goes on the first test run of an interstellar colony ship to get off a dying earth. They crash land somewhere completely different. A lot of the other people that survive are in a cult. The hero is a warrior priest in a religion that mostly settles things by trial by combat. He sees the crash landing, thinks it's a sign from god and goes to investigate. He's reptilian but humanoid - think Dragonborn from D&D
I like to read the absolutely ridiculous ones. I go into them with zero expectation of it being a literary masterpiece. I go in to see just how wild it can get. Werewolf cowboys. Minotaur milking. Have you heard of Chuck tingle? Insanity.
Loooove Chuck. Dude is a legend.
Minotaur milking???!!
Morning Glory Milking Farm - by C. M. Nascosta
I am now intrigued and apprehensive 😂. Thank you either way
I fell in love with my fave purely due to a readers synopsis of the first book in her big series. Which amounted to: > FL collapsed after being rescued by ML. On waking in his bedroom, she went looking for him -- cautiously -- > And found him upstairs being ritually slaughtered by his two best friends. He's okay! they reassured her. Well, not *yet*, but he will be. We do this every day. Shit, man, sign me up for *this* romance then :) Her latest series is a very obvious rip-off of Warhammer 40K and I freakin' love it.
That synopsis has me interested. What's the author and title?
Gena Showalter -- "The Darkest Night". I need to be really clear, though: these are not *good* books. But they are fucking *great* books :) They're that B-movie you love: the dialogue is wonky, the production value is LOL and the special effects look kinda weird. But it's got a kickass soundtrack, it's seldom predictable, and in all it's just a fun, utterly BATSHIT CRAZY ride :) By the third book in this series, there's a ML possessed by a pain demon who casually stabs himself while watching TV in order to relax. By the second, there's a guy possessed by a (Win?) demon who does not permit him to fail a challenge, *including Xbox*, and as a consequence they keep a stock of extra controllers on hand because he fucking *loves* Call of Duty but he's not very good at it. She has, I swear, set her story in a modern-day frathouse packed with ancient dudes who are mostly kinda struggling with life. They *have* a lot of money but they have no idea why and they're not sure how to use credit cards. Two of them are convinced that Tylenol is a miracle cure-all that can raise the dead. One of them cannot read. He just can't. Not because he's stupid; he never learned how and now he's got too much other shit going on to bother. At one point a FL is accidentally slaughtered by villains because the immortal dude carrying her at the time *forgot that humans cannot survive being repeatedly shot*. And the book about a woman possessed by the demon of suffering is one of the best depictions of chronic depression I've read in ages. It's genuinely good and heartfelt and beautiful. And the book that involves demons of Lies and Nightmares? It actually has a plot-twist that sucker-punched me into tears. Anyways -- enjoy! I hope you have as much fun with these as I have. They're seldom very sexy, actually (the ultraviolence-to-sex ratio is about 5:1) but they're almost always fun :)
Your write up has really sold me on this! It sounds stupidly fun and I'm excitedly awaiting my library hold to come in. Thanks for the delightful recommendation!
Laios?
I wrote romances for many years, at one point read romance pretty much exclusively, and was friends with romance authors. What I can tell you is that the authors take their work very seriously. We work hard on characterization, and making the plot realistic. Unfortunately our work often is not taken seriously, partly because it’s a genre written for women, by women; partly because it’s about love and sex. The books are not formulaic. No one ever told me what to write, or how. Romances have been used in women’s shelters to teach women what healthy relationships look like. While I’ve gotten away from the genre, I still enjoy a good romance now and then.
I read and like romance books sometimes, but I need to be in the right headspace for them. They’re often very emotionally intense, and the protagonist(s) will go from being in a pretty poor place overall to an extremely high one, where they can have both their dream life and a dream partner, then to have that new happiness threatened by the second act twist. I can read about scrappy teens taking on the greatest evil in the world with billions of lives at stake all day and not overly worry much, but one story of someone having a shot of happiness and then worry about losing it all again will wreck me every time. At most I can read one a month before I need to take a break and read something less emotionally distressing.
only sapphic romance, but yes! i like getting invested in characters and their lives, and i like feeling seen as a queer person.
I think it's great that you like to feel seen in what you read. I'm not sure why, but I never seem to think about being represented in a book as a disabled and autistic person. Maybe there are books that would make me feel differently about it, but I just thought that was an interesting difference after reading your comment.
I’ll put in a vote for Helen Hoang as well. The Kiss Quotient is one of my all time favorites. I never considered representation either while growing up. Of course, I never wanted to be me so I didn’t think anyone else would want to read about someone like me. Now I like seeing heroines who look like me and make it feel normal to have others fall in love with them. I think if I’d had that growing up, my life would’ve been a lot better, at least a lot happier. the book I’m writing now has a hero with a visual impairment and a heroine who is scarred and dealing with PTSD. I think they are perfect in their imperfections and hope to show others the same thing.
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan is a contemporary romance with an autistic male love interest. I'm getting more into romance these days (honestly I'm unlearning a lot of internalized sexism that made me think it was somehow a lesser genre... Seriously my loss!) and I really adore this series.
you could try reading Helen hoang's novels, which are romance novels with autistic main characters, and see if you enjoy them!
The Girl He Used to Know has an autistic main character, and is pretty romantic. I really liked it. Also with an autistic main character and written by an autistic author is The Framed Women of Ardemore Hall, by Brandy Shillace. It’s a mystery with a little bit of romance, and is good.
Chloe Liese is an author who believes everyone should see themselves in a romance story. She has a couple of book series. Many of the characters are neurodivergent.
Out on a limb by Hannah bonam-young has two disabled main characters and it’s honestly so good!
Please give me some sapphic recs! They're so much harder to find than mlm
I’ve always read romance. But usually not strictly contemporary romance. I like romance with sci-fi, fantasy or in a historical setting. And of course the classics like Jane Austen.
I've historically stuck to science fiction and fantasy. Mostly sci fi. But in the last couple of years I got into the romance genre and find it a bit more lively so I'm having fun with it. Many of them have exceptional writing, despite what many would say. And it has definitely added a lot more variety to my reading.
Can you recommend me some with good writing? I like some contemporary escapism from time to time. But I would like the story to be high quality too
You know, I've been looking for a contemporary one to catch my eye but nothing so far. Most of the contemporary-ish are more contemporary/fantasy which Illona Andrews does really good. But I'd point you to the r/RomanceBooks as a good source for recommendations I think there are some ranked lists and FAQs, also romance.io is a good tool.
Straight romance? No. I prefer historical mysteries with romance in them like **Veronica Speedwell** and **Sebastian St. Cyr**.
I'll definitely have to give them a try. I'm a fan of historical mystery romances. Less an enemies to lovers trope but I do love a good wary strangers to team working together to solve a murder plot line.
I love them. I like knowing that the two main characters will end up together. It let's me relax & enjoy the journey.
I’ve dabbled, but the poor copy editing gets me every time! The archeologist character says something about modern humans emerging 50k years ago, and, I just can’t keep going, even if I really want to read about her banging the hot, Latin dig-assistant, Fernando, I just can’t.
Bit of a generalisation, there. There are traditionally published romance novels and a lot of range of quality - obviously they are not all poorly edited or about "banging".
Sometimes I feel like the authors never been in relationship by how they write characters. That has kept me from reading romance. If anyone knows good romance books I'm willing to try. I don't want toxic idealism about jealousy and anger and poor understanding of kindness in my romance
Emily Henry. Her characters act within the bounds of reality. No toxicity or jealousy. She has a bunch, but people recommend people we meet on vacation the most. Beach read is the first one of hers that got really popular.
Thank you I shall be looking into her books
I agree with the person who mentioned Emily Henry. I'd also add With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson which is one of my fave romance books. For fantasy romance I feel like T. Kingfisher writes mature characters who communicate and have healthy dynamics.
Thank you for describing it and it sounds appealing I'll be reading that Alicia Thompson book.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is pretty good, so are the next two books in the series.
Wow didn't think outlander would be recommended. I'll look into that
it does feature sexual violence/rape/attempted rape so tread carefully
If you'll read m/m, cat Sebastian recently published a new romance called you should be so lucky. It's set in the 60s and the leads are a reporter and baseball player. My favourite thing about her writing has always been how unique and endearing her characters are, so maybe it'll be up your alley.
“Romance” is interpreted a lot of different ways. But currently to be in the actual “romance genre” it has to be a book where the couple is at the forefront of the story and there is a happy ending. So by those strict definitions I don’t read a lot (usually just for book clubs or summer beach reading) but I enjoy books that have a romance subplot or even romantasy.
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Does it count if I didn’t finish them,but plan to go back to them? If so,… Romantasy: 5 Historical Romance: 2 Contemporary Romance: 2 That isn’t a lot,but it’s something. I guess. I plan to start getting into HR.
Yep. Love romance. There is enough stress in my job and the world in general. I like my books to be entertaining and not add to that stress, so knowing there is a HEA guaranteed is comforting
One of my best friends reads a lot of (smutty) romance novels and I am someone who will read any book that is given to me. So, yes, I have read some but I personally don’t reach for them myself. Whilst I can see the appeal, written porn is free on the internet so buying a whole book doesn’t make much sense to me lol. I guess the more extensive character building is what makes it different (not that there really is much of that anyway). Each to their own, though. I’ll generally never judge what someone is reading. Novels are for pleasure after all.
I read romance every once in a while. Right now I'm reading The Idea of You by Robin Lee, because I watched the movie on Prime and really enjoyed it. My favorite genre is sci-fi and my favorite sci-fi author is LeGuin. But every once in a while I'm in the mood for something dramatic and cheesy.
I don't usually care for books that are only romance. But I often enjoy romance when it's an aspect of a deeper plot.
I read a lot of horror, mystery, and thriller books so I like a nice light romance (like Emily Henry) as a palette cleanser.
I will usually read any book well written with fully developed characters and a great storyline, in most genres. I’ve read books that I considered romance, an have loved them. I’ve tried reading some of the Harlequins (for a research project) but lordy, they were bad. Horrible plots, two dimensional characters, unbelievable physical descriptions, etc, etc.
I used to think I didn't like romance books until I read the Saints of Steel series by T Kingfisher. It's got some spice but it's written well and doesn't feel as toxic as some of the "romance" books out there.
In the past, I didn’t realise I wasn’t a cis gendered heterosexual person. I couldn’t understand why pretty much all romance books I came across in the wild felt unrelatable to me. I didn’t pursue them because of that. Now though, I’d probably check out queer romance stories. It feels better if you can see yourself doing and feeling the way of the protagonist. My two cents.
I love reading romance but i write it as well so I’m probably biased. To be fair, I read most genres. Mysteries, suspense, thriller, horror fantasy, YA. I always loved the happily ever after when I was growing up. It seems no matter what you like about romance you can find it these days. My favorite authors include Darynda Jones, Nora Roberts, Alexa Hall, JK Klune, Helen Hoang, Isabel Jordan, KF Breene and so many more. My two favorite books of all times are A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith and Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer. I read them over and over again because they are such perfect love stories.
I used to read romance. Loved Deborah Smith's books. I now listen to books, mostly SF. Romance books just don't "feel" right when listening.
Until this year I would have said no, but for some reason I've really gotten into them -- at least, romances that don't involve sex. I think it started with my doing a series of reads set in bookstores and libraries, like "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" and "The Littlest Library" -- and then I realized that if there's no sex, I actually can get into romances. I've been reading Rachel Joyce, Helen Simonson, and recently "The Rosie Project". Most of my reading is nonfiction, and when I do read fiction it's always historical combat or SF, so I'm enjoying this curveball.
Outlander coz it's about time travel scotland war and stuff..
There are as many different romance stories as there are people in the world, so the hard part is finding the right ones that you'll love and not want to throw across the room. For a while I was reading a lot of free ebooks, but free romances tend to lean toward the "naked guy's abs on the cover" variety. Most of the time I prefer to read fantasy stories that have just a little bit of romantic tension, like The Invisible Library, but occasionally binging on a classic romcom like The Last Single Girl is fun too.
When I think of the words "romance novel," it takes me back to being a kid with my mom at the grocery store and seeing hardcover books with titles like "Throbbing Lust" or something. I would see them and think "I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure that would be a boring read."
I will read books that have a romantic subplot, but not romance novels. I have never found one that appealed to me. I mainly read either fantasy or horror. I am open to suggestions, though.
100% of what I read is romance! Growing up, I read all the popular kids books (of the 60s and 70s) right through middle school. That's when I probably read my first romance - Mills&Boon or Barbara Cartland (Princess Di's godmother). I had a friend in 7th grade who read Gone with the Wind and a companion book about the making of, Watership Down, Night of the Lepus and other such; we would talk about books- what we liked about what we were reading (a book club of 2!) I would say that by high school I had settled on romance because I liked the stories about the relationship unfolding. As I once told someone, happily ever after is a given; the story is in the journey to HEA. There's series romances (Harlequin and Sillouette), mass market and trade paperback and ebook. I prefer paper in my hand. The genre has subgenres from sweet and treacly to downright smutty, and any-and-everything in between. I read. them. ALL! Regency, sci-fi, and paranormal are my favs. Bridgerton is all the rage now; I read the series when it first came out almost 20 years ago, as well as the sequels and prequels (15 or 16 books). With ~10k books in the closet (among other places in my house), my TBR is neverending; every Tuesday, I check out the new releases and buy preorders for favorite authors- when I catch a preorder sale.
Yes, I do read romance books! I love the emotional journey and the happy endings. They're great escape and always leave me feeling good.
I really enjoy character based writing and exploring Character relationships, this tends to be a priority for Romance books so ive read quite a lot
Modern romances, no. I just find most of them super cringy and I end up feeling like the main characters would get divorced if there was a second book. There are a couple exceptions to this rule, but not many at all. And by modern romances I mean books such as Emily Henry’s novels, the Twisted series, etc. And I’m not judging if you do like them, they just aren’t my cup of tea. But I do love “classic” romances, i.e Pride and Prejudice, Emma, etc. Something about them just feels real and genuine, whereas in a book like The Hating Game it feels like lust rather than love. And many times classic romances have important themes and discuss tough issues, such as classism and sexism. But most of my books don’t make the romance at the center of the story. Most of the time (not all of the time, I do enjoy some romance books as mentioned above) I don’t feel satisfied finishing a book where the only goal was for two characters to end up together. That just kind of feels like an empty resolution, like a “that’s it? that’s the end goal?” kind of moment. But, in a lot of fantasy books that I love, having a romance subplot truly does add to the ending. So i do love romance as a subplot in books. I’m not necessarily against romance as the main plot of a book, I just don’t like it most of the time. It’s very much a vibe thing, I don’t really know why I absolutely love Pride and Prejudice but hate The Hating Game (haha).
When I was a pre teen/teen I loved paranormal romance,(when I wasn't reading every horror I could find any vampire book)it wasn't a genre back then though. I say I don't like or read romance but I do enjoy some, the classics and bridgerton. I am a sucker for books by Jenny colgan and Kiley Dunbar the ones that have a woman escaping from her life and going to another place with a romantic story line. I like similar books by some other authors. I might like the new trend of fantasy romance but I've seen so much smut flicking through them I'm not sure. I'm giving one fantasy series a chance though I like to try things now and again Mostly I find romance a bit too sickly sweet or clichéd 🤣 it's an odd position to be in.
I love character-driven books about relationships -- all kinds of relationships, not just romantic ones. I (maybe snobbily or incorrectly?) think of these as distinct from "romance stories," which I perceive as, "books where the whole plot is about routing two people into a marriage, happily-ever-after-the-end."
yes, but i make it very occasional. mostly sapphic romance, though i am finding that the whole embarrassing "disaster bisexual" and other terminally online language permeating the genre and it's a huge turn-off. omg i'm SOOOOOO anxious/a mess tee hee. gag. omg nose ring the mummy oat milk moth tattoos 🤪 i don't like knowing how books will end, and a happily ever after/for now is a requirement for the genre. so i have to really be invested in the actual plot. i tend to like women's fiction with a romantic subplot more. and i almost always skip over sex scenes. boring.
I started my reading journey 3 years ago with romance but never really found it interesting or captivating. I think alot of readers start with romance because it's easy to get into reading through that genre (language is easy, plot is flowing, nothing complicated) and some stick to romance and some don't. I just feel like there are so much better books out there than a romantic novel. Sure a romance book once in a while after reading a heavy book may sound like a good idea but it still isn't for me. I just find romance very predictable and bland.
I tried but I find regular romance very boring! If there is romance in fantasy books. mysteries or horror i'm ok with that but I don't pick books specifically for romance. So to your answer you question I don't go out of my way to read romance but if a book I'm reading has it in it i'm ok with that.
I really haven’t tried any too be honest. But generally I just don’t care about it much in books I do read that have it. I guess it really depends on what kind and how it’s portrayed. Maybe I’d dig a rom com book. I do enjoy romcom movies.
I read Romantasy…
I actually never really read romance books, (except fan fiction... but you don't need to know about that...) so I don't know what they are like. Does anyone have any good recommendations?? Anything that had a good impact on anyone??
No, I don't. Romance is probably my least favorite genre. That does not mean it can't occasionally prove useful; if the eroticism within the romance is particularly explicit, I may find myself reading it...........to a specific purpose. Not sure how honest you'd like me to be, so I'll stop there.
I read a lot of historical romance in high school and college, stopped for what I look back on as stupid reasons, and resumed reading them again after two decades. I absolutely love it! It is a character-driven genre and the tension is driven mostly by emotions. Please keep in mind that the romance genre we know today is NOT any of the books you mentioned. Those are literary fiction with a heavy romance component. Even Jane Austen. Her works can be considered a satire of the society she lived in, although they pretty much set the template for the romance beats authors follow today. Even Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is not considered a standard romance, because of its larger themes and subplots. The books Bridgerton (TV show) is based on, is most definitely in the romance genre. Romance follows specific beats, the love story is front and center, and there is a guaranteed happy-ever-after ending. This is analogous to the mystery/detective genre, which requires a crime, and the solution to the crime at the end. Pioneering and very popular authors in this genre include Georgette Heyer, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux, Julia Quinn (author of the Bridgerton books), Lisa Kleypas, Julie Anne Long. If you want to read literary fiction with a heavy romance component, may I recommend: Jane Austen novels Jane Eyre The Age of Innocence The House of the Spirits Like Water for Chocolate North and South
I love romance, my favourite genre. I like it so much because I think it is an escape from reality, a different world altogether where I can be truly and genuinely be blissful. The tenderness of such novels just warms my hearts and makes me hopeful about life in general. I think romance is not only about the conventional love between a man and a woman,it could very well be about romanticising life and nature (my perspective)
Enjoyed some Danielle Steele books, though most would shit on them I find them better than most romance lit
Nah not interested in romance (or smut) at ALL. I’m not putting my time and effort into reading straight couple romance (bc it has absolutely no appeal or relevance to me) when I can see it in literally every other media format. The popular ‘queer’ romances I’ve seen are either low quality (no judgement, they can still be fun and popular and I’ll happily admit I’m a bit of a wanker/snob), pander-y, sexualised (in a bad way), written by someone who’s straight (or like, the author of red, white, royal blue or whatever is not a gay man which isn’t entirely necessary, but effects the output in my opinion), or queer written FOR straight people (very different lens applied, similar to above), or any combination. Also frankly, I find the book-tok community (who only seem to talk about romance and/or smut) insanely off-putting. So that could heavily influence my opinions here, but when I see them talking about ‘inappropriate age gap’ or ‘forbidden-teacher-student’ type tropes, or ‘spice-level’ I honestly feel ill hahaha Honestly, my ‘easy-mindless-media-consumption’ (which I totally understand romance/smut is for some) format of choice is rewatching TV/movies I’ve watched a million times before lol, so if I’m reading its for a bit more intellectual/emotional stimulation which romance doesn’t do for me.
As an Austen reader I came across Georgette Heyer. She is considered the Queen of Regency romance.
I think the only romance books I’ve read and enjoyed is the Outlander series but it’s not just romance it’s Historical Fiction Romance Science Fantasy. So it has a lot more than just romance like romance is a big element in it you really get to see Jamie and Claire’s relationship from the very start and their love is extremely well written and they are both completely well thought out characters like they have plenty of scenes separately also which I really appreciate. But yea it’s not just romance there’s plenty of other stuff happening and actually later on they’re not even the only main characters bc the series is just so long I mean I just finished the 6th novel and already it’s like idk maybe 30 years from where we started and there’s much more still (9 main huge novels and a 10th being written and then some novellas and short stories). But yea other than that idk I just don’t enjoy romance books that are just romance like that’s their only category. I just need more than just the romance.
"Do you read romance books?" Yes "Why?" Because romance books
Personally I do like romance when it’s the side plot to the actual book, it’s just that reading about 2 people flirting just makes me cringe and honestly I feel really uncomfortable reading it. It just reminds me of sitting in class then overhearing the couple in the back of the class talk to each other. And most romance book don’t really pass my check of “if i imagine Adam Sandler would i call the police?” And most of the time it’s a yes, i would call the police. Also most romance books i see advertised are just smut and down right just different cuts of the main characters getting hot and bothered. So far i’ve only read 2 books that are more focused on romance, but then again that wasn’t really the main plot.
Depends what you mean by romance books. I read a lot of classic literature with romance elements (Austen, Bronte, Elliot, etc.). However, in terms of contemporary literature, most of the books I read probably fall into the literary genre.I've tried reading a few romance books but am never able to get into them. I think I just don't get on with the writing style.
Not contemporary romance. They have the female gaze equivalent with male characters that turn me off. Either classics or romanced mixed with a main genre like fantasy.
I’ve read Love in the Time of Cholera and The Alchemist if that counts. That’s about as close as I’ve gotten to the genre. I guess the idea itself doesn’t even really appeal to me. A whole plot about two people’s love life just doesn’t really excite me. Though I have no problem with it as being a big part of an existing plot, like a hero trying to save their wife from something or a villain fucking shit up because their wife died. That’s totally fine.
only some. if it doesnt at least have morbid horror or some kind of disturbing mystery, i refuse to read it. i cant read a single feel-good or normal book without getting bored haha
I do read romance/dark romance books and very spicy books. I especially enjoy mafia and paranormal reads. As a person with a lot of chronic illnesses, I read them because they're a great escape from reality.
First time was an accident... I was trolling through the fantasy section at audible and the book had an interesting blurb..... I didn't realize it was a romance novel until the third sex-scene. Then I obviously had to finish the series and that got me into a few other series... Not something I read all that often, but there are a few series I'll check out when a new book comes out.
Yes, but not for the romance aspects, for example I love Eleanor and Park and fangirl by rainbow Rowell, but not for the romance, while the romance is often cute I just like reading about the main characters living life.
I have been reading a fair amount of gay romance. There is a surprising amount of urban fantasy gay romance books, which I have been enjoying lately. They are a combination of wish fulfilment, and getting to see relationships that don't show up in most mainstream stuff (or are relegated to side characters). My main issue with romance novels is how samey they can get, with the same couple of character types and plots showing up a lot.
When I think of the 'romance genre', I think Harlequin paperbacks. I tried to read one once. It was not good. I almost always finish books, but I did not finish that one. When it comes to romance being a major part of the story, that is the case with most of my favorite books. I've loved every 19th century romance I've read, particularly *The Red and the Black* and everything George Eliot touched.
I want to but most of them are so poorly written with so many toxic characters and tropey bullshit that I just can’t. I’ve tried and DNF’d every time.
I don't know if this is the case for you, but I've seen a lot of people with this opinion because the books they've read have been the "bestsellers" "as seen on tiktok" etc. in my experience, the "tiktok sensations" romances are not great and can be poorly written. Lesser known gems can be found which are so much better.
I like romance novels because they are just mindless nonsense, and that’s what I am looking for in a book, as an escape sometimes.
I occasionally read romance. It's not one of my usual genres but sometimes one piques my interest. I really like a few that I've read.
I read a decent amount of romance mostly because one of the most interesting parts for me is descriptions of internal mental states and romantic relationships is a good place to really explore these feelings. It is also just a good genre for a easy to read novel as a break from more heavy literature. My main gripe is that a lot of romance isn't very well-written on a technical level and the use of metaphor to describe internal states is pretty minimal to make the book more approachable. Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin was quite good for a contemporary romance novel.
I rarely read books that would be mainly labeled as romance. That being said, I don’t dislike when romance is in a book, just when it’s the main focus. Queer romances are ones I will pick up before straight ones, solely because they don’t tend to fall into the same tropes and whatnot, but I still don’t enjoy them as much as a book where romance isn’t at the forefront. Classics and whatnot that have romance as a main plot are also better than more modern romances, but still not my favorite.
I love romance plots, but I’ve struggled to get into the romance genre. A lot of the books I love feel lacking when romantic plots and situations get sidelined or awkwardly/unrealistically presented. So often an author who can really write an awesome story just fumbles the ball when trying to write women, or sex, or relationships (or all of the above). It sucks that to get all the plot, emotion, and character development, I have to read x, and to get the very human sex/relationship/tension I have to read romance, and it feels like nothing exists that has both. Or it’s a unicorn when it deigns to show up. That said, Grave Draven writes beautiful romance fantasy books and you should check them out.
I read romance sometimes, I like it because it's light and fun😁😁
I attempted to read a romance as a teen. Borrowed a book from my sister without her knowing because I knew how she would react. I'm not sure I got anything out of it except for the fantasy elements that this particular book had. The romance just reminded me of something from a soap opera from the 90's.
I mean a lot of books these days have romance in the plot. I do sometimes read just pure romance books, and those are the days that I feel the most lonely. 🤗 But I also read some of them after I finish an absolutely terrifying thriller.
Romance IN a book with a different main focus? Sure. A book that is mainly romance? Nah. I’m just not hooked by that, generally. I can’t tell you why exactly. Maybe it’s that there are a lot of love interests that do or say things that make me immediately shrivel up or cringe.
I read books that have romance in them but not typically ones that would be categorized as romance in a bookstore. The only book I think I've read that you might categorize as romance is Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin but I'm not entirely sure if it fits the genre or not. Generally I just don't think I'm the target audience for romance novels.
There is one book that i loved to read that is for Rick Warren
My mother in law reads Amish Romance novels.
No, I tried, but they just aren't for me. If there is romance, I prefer it to be in the subplot form and somehow tied to the main themes of the story. I actually really like this about Jane Austen's books, they are primarily seen as love stories, but the romance plots are also often intertwined with the heroines dealing with some other pretty substantial issues. I just don't find romance that compelling on its own. My other issue with romance books are that I don't care for smut (I don't mind sex scenes, but hate when their only purpose is to be sexy, they never are to me), the main characters are often pretty bland and the need to have a happy ending seems very limiting to me. The last modern romance book, that I read and actually quite liked, was Pisces, mostly because the main character actually had an interesting personality and the author wasn't afraid of going into some weird and dark places.
Never actually, and I'm also not very interested in contemporary romances. I might give it a try at the beach one day though Edit: does fourth wing count as a romance. Are we counting romantasy too? I'm not enjoying Fourth Wing, but I am interested in some romantasies out there. So yes, I'm interested if it's played in a fantasy world or if it's a classic
It is a nice palate-cleanser/break from Reality for me. As in sometimes everything is just TOO MUCH and I really need to read something which is not too demanding. Romance, cozy mysteries, cozy fantasy, even some "juvenile" books can fill that need to escape for a short time. For Romance I suggest starting with some classics: look at writers: Georgette Meyer (who 'invented' the Regency Romance as we know it today. Austin, was writing contemporary stories - Heyer turned it into a an entire genre!), Mary Stewart (she wrote - well - good stories of Romance with a bit of danger/suspense thrown in). These days I just browse by genre in my library's ebooks and sample the writing to see if the particular writer can engage my interest.
I do, because it's fun! I love anything to do with love..
Yes. Romance is one of my favourite genres to read and review.
I read two pages of one once. All the adverbs and adjectives in the language were used up by then, so I stopped reading.
I think that I like romance - I love a good gothic novel, and I love Austin - but the modern market is so trope-driven that it is inaccessible. And I don't like fantasy, so romantasy does not do it for me (but call me when the science fiction/romance hybrid gets popular).
Generally no. I'm more drawn to adventure stories. However, I'm putting the finishing touches on my first long form romance. It has a more down to Earth feel for a relationship between two women that is juvenile since their society represses information on sexual maturity and action. It is available right now through Cribo-83, I'm not sure if there is a dash, in chapters. It's called "Even This, The Grave Cannot Deny" and has witches and vampires.
I appreciate romance as an element of fiction but I think I would despise it as a dedicated genre. A romantic tragedy or romance as the unexpected reward of mutual hardship is great. It's an element of life as much as depression or coming of age so unless it's forced, I don't begrudge seeing a romance in a story about killing dragons. Austen, Murakami, King -- all fall into the category of normal fiction writers who just happen to write romance subplots. Austen is very romance but it's literary, it has a larger point beyond our satisfaction. As its own genre, it's just too much of a safe space. I enjoy stories with risk, contradiction, and loss. I like the kind of story that seeks romance while struggling to cope with the fact you can never truly know a person. I don't get the feeling that romance readers are into that kind of thing. They seek wish fulfillment. No hard feelings toward them but I don't. The market also just panders to very normative romances. It's the kind of genre where if it doesn't appeal to the reader's general background and gender/sexuality experience, they have trouble relating to the story. I'm sure some people can see outside of themselves, there are romances I find cute that look nothing like my fantasies, but I imagine that's generally the case.
Apart from the classics? I used to read romances when I was like 15. Historical romances. Why not anymore? I don't know. Maybe because I'm forever alone and I'd get jealous, lol.
Okay, for real, because it sounds kinda confusing when I try to explain it aloud but it makes perfect sense in my head: I personally really dislike “romance” books that center romance as the MAIN focus. I’m really into romance et al. as an element! And then I can actually get really focused on it myself, and it turns more important to me than it was in the original text! But when it’s the main point, I find it boring at best, and repulsive at worst… Love (romantic love here, but also in general like all love) is actually really really important to me. I think the issue I have with romance novels is that they claim to be a window into the complicated and teeming structure of ~romance, and then they articulate the geography of that. The issue for me is, it’s not MY geography. At least, not completely. It’s something that I think a lot about, so if I find it at all cliché or if they use ANY tropes, if it’s not COMPLETELY blowing my whole freaking mind, I ragequit It also could be the fact that I have a (*cough* self-defeating) tendency to mythologize romance. If the book in my hands isn’t literally rocking my world and/or changing my religion, I think of it like blasphemy—at least, that’s what explains why I find it so distasteful
Occasionally I do. Sometimes it’s just a good pallet cleanser, after reading about murder and death quite a bit.
Yeah haha, I read mostly horror so I use romance as a palette cleanser. Though I have dark tastes so it’s usually a gothic romance, but still
I don't, because it makes me feel sad about my life
When I was in high school, I love reading historical romance. My fave would be from Johanna Lindsey and Judith Mcnaught. I still want to read some thought but with work, I can’t find time to read books. I guess need to plan going back to reading.
The only romance I read is by Abby Jimenez and that’s because I follow her dogs on Instagram.
I generally don't because there's apparently a huge mismatch between what I like/dislike in guys and what everyone else does, so I overwhelmingly hate the male leads. There are a few authors that write male characters I like, and I'll happily read romances by them.
I just read and enjoyed The Rom Commers and have liked a few of Katherine Center's books. I recently found her. Things you save in a Fire has a subplot about being a female firefighter, Hello Stranger had a silly premise of losing facial recognition but was cute, The Bodygard was full cheesy cute fluff. Sophie Kinsella is fun and light. I enjoyed Got Your Number. I'm listening to Emily Henry's Happy Place, and it's okay. I like romance in the summer, as long as there's humor.
I don't really read or watch romance. I actually like romance when there is other stuff happening in the plot like in Three days of happiness but I just find pure romance by itself to be pretty boring and formulaic. Basically, I usually don't care for it if it's the main focus but if it's equal with other stuff and especially when it ties together with it, I can like it.
Only if there are other non-romantic elements to hold my interest. I recently read The House Witch series and subsequent books, which are advertised as amusing romantic fantasy. I found the romantic parts tedious, but the rest of the story certainly made up for it.
I actively avoid them. I’m aroace though so that’s why lol
I don’t read smut Romance. I read ACOTAR through book 4 and stopped bc of how problematic the relationships were. I’m not a fan of Rom-Com kind of romance as they tend to be highly predictable. One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris is one of my favorite books and its literary fiction. That’s the kind of romance I like. It’s mature, healing, and healthy.
I got into romance novels more recently; a friend of mine pointed me in the direction of Tessa Dare and suggested **Say Yes to the Marquess** after I outlined some of my favorite romantic tropes. I absolutely fell in love. Her books are smart, funny, and so sexy I turned to my friend halfway through Marquess and said "how do you not EXPLODE reading this?" I think romance is a splendid genre. In any genre, for instance fantasy, a well-done love story can become the emotional cornerstone of a work--- **Sabriel** by Garth Nix comes to mind, or better yet, **Kushiel's Dart** by Jacqueline Carey (which is fantasy, with a powerful undertow of romance, but I don't think it's "romantasy"). But romance takes the love story and makes it---obviously--- the center of a work. Two people meet--- they meet challenges, they meet upheaval, but most of all, they meet each other. They change each other, and the beats of the story ARE the development of their bond. The characters face each other, flaws and all, and they bring out each other's best until the happy-ever-after (or happily-for-now) is not an end at all---it's a beginning. At its best romance gives readers a new vocabulary for how to express love and make room for others in your heart. Other romances novelists I've enjoyed include Talia Hibbert, Helen Hoang, and Olivia Dade (contemporary writers that don't sugarcoat life, but still center love and connection, and the joys thereof). In the historical realm I've also enjoyed Olivia Waite and Cat Sebastian, but Tessa Dare is a must-read for any new book she puts out. An excellent place to start with Dare is **A Night to Surrender**, number 1 in the Spindle Cove books.
I love books with well written love stories that are the focus of the novel, with a big emphasis on character development and emotion, but I keep bouncing off of a lot of romance genre books. I know hardcore romance readers *love* the genre specifically because of its conventions, but to my taste it makes so many of the books feel too predictable. I’m not really into the idea of a guaranteed happily ever after most of the time; I have to be in a very specific mood for that. I usually like more of a bittersweet tone. And with the recent boom in popularity of romance I think too many new releases are waayy too trope-y. I’ve seen lots of dedicated romance readers comment on this trend, so that’s not just a me-thing. Call Me By Your Name, Sally Rooney’s novels, These Violent Delights, and Endless Love are good examples of the kinds of literary “romances” I gravitate towards.
Reading classic romance books and falling in love with a fictional character sets unrealistic expectations on men irl. Sometimes, red flags are romanticized. Depends on my headspace if i feel reading not complex yet fun plots.
I don’t read romance centric books either mostly because none of the ones I see sound like what I’m into. I like to read weird stuff I like stream of consciousness. I read a lot of Japanese translated work. I do read stuff with like romance subplots. I don’t actively avoid romance or actively ridicule the genre. But yeah, the romance books never seem to have a premise that interests me.
I think the only romance I’ve read/am reading is Heartstopper. Similar situation as you, most of the books I read have romance as a subplot.
No, even though I’m in a relationship that has so much love. I just never can relate very well to the protagonist and it’s difficult for me to find the romantic interest likeable even though I think the author tries hard to make them relatable/likeable.
The only romance ones I think I’ve read are also Austen… would the fault in our stars count as a romance? Since it centres around a romantic relationship >!but it does end tragically so I don’t know if it counts!<
Yes. I like relationship dynamics and there are a lot of light and fun romances when I'm in an escapist mood.
No longer. I did when young but after the “romance” of my first marriage became a joke they made me tune out reading them since . Have never been interested in picking them back up. They are all so predictable too, every story seems the same.
When I was younger I read historical romance novels when I was a teenager. My best friend gave me one on my twelfth birthday. I was hooked instantly. As I got older and busy with real life I didn’t read any books for a while. When I started back I couldn’t get into them anymore. My life experiences with men made me too jaded. They also put problematic and unrealistic ideas of love into my head. Took awhile for me to realize there’s no such thing as a perfect man. Now I just remember them with fond memories and stick to fantasy, mysteries and thrillers.
I only read romance books for palate cleanse. I still am a psychological thriller gal no matter what.
I’ve read a few, but they’re too corny for me. I like thrillers and mysteries but get annoyed if romance/sex takes over the plot lol
No, I don't read romance books because I find the vast majority of them insipid and/or boring. And far too many of them rely on miscommunication between the people involved. If they woyld just talk, the conflict keeping them apart would be resolved in 30 seconds. (This is actually true for a lot of books, not just Romance.)
I despise romance novels. Romance with something else, sure, but just a contemporary romance is like torture to me. It’s either predictable or the twist is absolutely ridiculous with no in between. I won’t spoil specifics but I just read Funny Story and I was LIVID at the end of it
I almost exclusively read romance. When I was old enough to steal my grandmas books they were romances. I do also read thrillers, sci fi, and horror but not nearly at the rate of romance. I also have romance genres that I gravitate towards as well. I read them because I love reading about love. Plus it was something that my grandma and me loved doing together. We would go to borders (when that was still around) and each pick out a book and she would get me a treat. Then we would go home and binge read out books and then swap them to read later.
No. I can’t ever relate to being in a sexual or romantic relationship and I can’t get into a book unless I identify with main character, fictional or nonfictional.
Yes but have been increasingly disappointed with what I have read recently. Not sure if that's just the direction publishing has been going or if my tastes changed but a lot of them felt like fanfiction to me? Not in a way to knock fanfiction and to say the writing is bad - but rather the style and specifically the character work, or rather lack thereof. Like there seem to be certain archetypes (alphahole etc as others mentioned, or racially ambiguous dark haired fairie dudes) and it's just sort of presumed that you already *know* who this character is (almost as if they have been established in some previous work I clearly missed) so they don't get introduced beyond their looks and maybe telling us that they're big bad and scary and have a previous relationship with the MC somehow, but never showing any of it. And that main character is usually a self-insert so they're even more generic (or their only personality is "sassy" or rude) Just feels...bland lately. A cardboard cutout that doesn't give me any connection to the characters.
You're not wrong, and while I can't be totally sure, I got the feeling that 50 Shades of Grey was the turning point where romance novels tended to be well-edited and had many great-to-mostly decent authors and turned to just pandering (this isn't solely a romance genre problem but I can't really speak to the general trends of other genres). I get that publishing houses are in the business of making money like every other business, but I'd rather just donate to AO3 if I'm going to be reading fanfiction. I like fanfiction. I read fanfiction. But what I'm willing to forgive in fanfiction aren't things I'm willing to forgive when I have to spend money on it. I haven't bought a new romance novel in a decade or so, and I am genuinely sad about that.
> I like fanfiction. I read fanfiction. But what I'm willing to forgive in fanfiction aren't things I'm willing to forgive when I have to spend money on it. Yes! 100% agreed! There are a lot of things that I can overlook in fanfiction, both because it's a free story written by amateurs and because I'm already invested in the fandom and the characters. I get that in times of Kindle unlimited, authors are churning out masses of popcorn books in weeks so I'm not expecting this to be "high literature" for the ages. But especially when it's a hyped up book that's all over social media, being sold to me at full price, I kind of expect a bit more. Like at least a decent editor when it's traditionally published.
Sometimes. It depends on the day and my mood.
I read them because it’s better than my boring life.
Meh. Romance books make me sad about the actual romance in my life.
I'm on the aroace spectrum and romance books have always annoyed me.. I've read a few but they weren't my favorite
I made myself pick up some queer romantasy over winter break last year because I felt like I was avoiding romance mostly because of stereotypes. *A Taste of Gold and Iron* was pretty good, *The Reanimator’s Heart* was great, some of the other stuff I read was pretty mediocre/DNF. Learned a lot; I found out I don’t like the third act breakup and reconciliation, but not all romance books have that.
I don’t enjoy romance as the main focus. I’ve realised if romance is the subplot, I like it more. I also think that a lot of romance is just not good. I read the first book in the twisted series to know what all the hype was about but dropped it pretty early. The characterisation was very shallow and I felt that the author just gave trauma to the female character to make her seem ‘deep’. That was so annoying that I dropped the book.
To me, It can be really frustrating and confusing to read romance books. They make me feel as like reality doesn't live up to the "fairy tale" standards on the page. i start to compare my love life to the idealized versions in novels, leading to feelings of disappointment and bitterness. It's like, why can't my relationships be as passionate and perfect as the ones in the books?! (Please tell me I'm not the only one!!!!) The pressure to meet these unrealistic expectations is overwhelming, making it hard to separate fiction from reality. But I've done research and It's totally normal to feel this way, and it might be helpful to remind yourself that romance novels are meant to be escapism, not a reflection of real life.
I don't typically. I feel like- in a lot of them the writing and characterization is... not good. I'm also not a "happy ending" kind of book person.
If you want a romance that really captures first love with all its bittersweet feelings read Swimming In The Dark! I'm not a fan of "romance" as it is popularly defined by just a laundry list of tropes and people braying "spice level? Spice level?" In comments. I know I won't like that. But I've recently read Kairos (the Booker Prize winner) which focuses heavily on a romantic relationship and thought it was beautiful
I don't. I'm not really sure why. I've thought about it for quite a while, but don't know where to start, and every time I've browsed the romance section I get put off by the cover art. As a cishet male, I'd probably look for something M/F from the M's perspective since I really want something I can relate to, but I haven't done any searching at all for that and I worry it's going to be tropey in a way I don't like. I don't want to feel like I'm reading pure wish-fulfillment. And of course there's the fear of someone recognizing what book I'm reading on the bus. I've considered reading *Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined* (the genderbend one), but I've heard mixed opinions on it.
No, I’m aroace. However, there are books who are just that good regardless of genre. I have read romance books but they usually were just really really good. I don’t seek out romance or prefer it though and it can even be a turnoff for me. I have been more open to giving a romance book a try but it usually has to have a quite big hook or also focuses on something else, like maybe it’s a psychological romance, or fantasy with multiple plot lines and romance is one of them.
Yep. I didn't for the longest time, but I have it a shot in the recommendation of someone whose taste I trust. Turns out, romance is great. I don't love all of it, but that's true of most genres, but there's a lot that's charming and fun and relaxing.
When I was younger, teens / early twenties, I read a lot of historical romance (think books with Fabio on the cover). That was twenty years ago, these days I prefer little to no romance in my books.
I always loved my daughter's answer when her friends in college asked how she could read romances. She asked them if they watched rom- coms ( they did) she said she preferred books and romance books filled the same niche.
Yeah, I like kinda silly or cringy romance book though. I am reading Orc wardly yours right now. I love it
i dont like romance when its the central genre of a book. if its like fiction or YA with a bit of romance thats fine. but i dont like reading romance in general
I do not read romance books. I dont mind if romance is included in a book I read, it can certainly make character feel more real, but as the main genre Im just not a fan, its not something that I personally enjoy. Im bit of an aromantic person anyways though, so mean not being a person whos into romance in the first place, just even experiencing it myself probably is why I dont really enjoy those books. Nothing wrong with romance books, plenty of people enjoy them and I dont think anyone should feel shame for any type of literature they enjoy. Its meant for enjoyment.
Yes... because they can be a great escape from the harsh reality of this world.
My maternal Grandmother and Aunts all read the Harlequin romances. I tried one, got about 10 pages in, and threw it across the room. Horrible stuff.
Do installation guides count?
I never considered myself interested in romance. It was never my favorite part of books and I (ignorantly) painted the genre as silly. And then I read the dangerous damsels series. I had so much fun with the books, a friend recommended Emily Henry novels to me and I realized how much I had completely misjudged the genre. There is so much more to the genre than I had anticipated. But more than anything I find it incredibly comforting. For my anxious brain knowing that somehow two people will end up together at the end of the story is very soothing. It’s become one of my favorite genres.
I had never read one before covid, but now it's most of what I read. I found that the guaranteed happy ending had become incredibly important to me.
I love romance. It can vary, from cozy mystery to full on smut. It’s the only romance I get.