What’s hot in romance?

Posted on January 2, 2008 by Susan Lyons

That’s what I’m wondering today, on Wondering Wednesday.

People used to think of romance novels as “those little Harlequins” – sweet, short romances that typically featured a rich, powerful guy rescuing a secretary/nurse/nanny, who swooned at his overwhelming – and often overbearing – masculinity. In fact, I still run into people who have that impression. Obviously, these are not people who actually read romance, or they’d know what a varied and constantly changing genre it is.

I’ve been subscribing to Romantic Times Book Reviews for several years now.  Of course not all romances that are published get reviewed in RT, but I’d guess a significant proportion of romances are included. This means the magazine provides a quick way of determining what the publishers decided (roughly a year ago, when they were purchasing) would be popular with today’s readers.

A recent issue contained reviews for the following:

-Paranormal romance: 34 titles

- Erotica/erotic romance: 32 titles

- Historical romance: 25 titles

- Inspirational romance:  17 titles

- Contemporary romance: 16 titles

- Romantic suspense: 6 titles

Those figures don’t include the Harlequin/Silhouette series titles: 82 in total, with books ranging from very spicy to sweet inspirationals, and including romantic suspense and paranormal.

That’s well over 200 titles a month, by the way. A heck of a lot of romance is being published and read.

What’s really interesting is that, until a few years ago, paranormal and erotic barely existed. It seems many of today’s readers are looking for something edgier than in the past. Women are becoming more open about their sexuality and their fantasies.

I wonder how a feminist would interpret this, if she/he analyzed this trend for a doctoral dissertation. Sexual empowerment is surely a good thing. And yet, if women’s fantasies include being dominated by a vampire, werewolf or other paranormal hero, or playing the submissive and being handcuffed or spanked, I have to wonder if we haven’t come around full circle to the days of the timid nurse and the overbearing doctor. Or is this a whole new thing, because now women are empowered, and acting out of a position of equality and choice when they choose their fantasies? What do you think?

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8 Responses to “What’s hot in romance?”

  1. Amie Stuart, on January 2nd, 2008 at 5:13 pm Said:

    Yet more wip avoidance LOL
    I dont think we’ve come full circle…I think it’s more as you said, we’re making empowered choices — from a completely different place than many of our mothers and grandmothers did and our fiction reflects that. Even though I write (erotic) romance, I tend to go for the happy ending vs the HEA (IE marriage proposal, babies etc) because for me, it’s more realistic–even in my reading tastes–I want that touch of reality in my fantasy. (and yes I know we could debate happy vs HEA till the cows come home :D )

  2. JoAnn Ross, on January 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 pm Said:

    Oh, goody! A hot button for the new year!

    You know, although it’s way cool any time we get new readers to the genre, I’m not sure that anything is ever new. HQ Temptation had paranormal stories in their line from the mid 80s (I know because I wrote some of them), and category romance was born with really sexy books back in the late 70s and early 80s. Since the sexual revolution was going on then, our heroines reflected the times, enjoying energetic sex, including oral sex ( can I say that on WordPress?), even when they first met the hero, from the beginning of that contemporary sea change. Mine, which I first sold in 1982, and started coming out in 1983, certainly did. Were the words a bit different to describe things? (Including scenes involving handcuffs?) Sure. But so were the words people were using in “real life.”

    It’s always difficult to niche a book. Is a regency with a vampire a historical? Or a paranormal romance? Is a story set in 2007 with a ghost a contemporary or paranormal? If a story has a character questioning his or her belief in God or some sort of higher power — and I’ve written some of those, too — an inspirational? And if a category romance has a couple chasing Jack the Ripper, as Anne Stuart wrote for Silhouette years and years ago, is that a paranormal? What it was, was a really, really good story.

    Paranormal romance has undergone a couple revolutions of being the “new, hot” thing since I started, which just goes to show that writers who write solely to trends can find themselves in trouble. (Not that any PASIC member would ever do that!)

    As for what a feminist would say — and I consider myself one — I suspect most who write literary criticism are still stuck in the mindset of thinking romance are bad for women (while probably having never read one), but I’ve never worried about what anyone thinks about my books. (Except the publishers who write the checks. Occasionally, I will listen to them, LOL) I write the stories I want to read at the time, and fortunately, enough people out there must be wanting to read the same type of story to have kept me in the business for 25 years and 100 books.

    I suspect that readers who are online and belong to internet groups that talk about such things do ponder their choices and discuss the differences in various subgenres. But I also suspect that the majority of readers who buy our books in Borders, or the supermarket, or Wal-mart, never think about genres. The same way they don’t think about pov, or character arcs. They’re just looking for a story that touches them in some elemental way, which is why, so long as we concentrate on telling the most entertaining stories we can, whatever the “type,” romance will continue to live long and prosper. :)

  3. Yasmine, on January 2nd, 2008 at 6:08 pm Said:

    Just because someone wants to be dominated in fantasy in no way indicates they are a submissive person in life. (And being dominated by a Vamp or a Were is so much more fun than by a human, IMO). I’ve done a lot of study on this subject for a nonfiction book I wrote and just in my personal life, and too many people assume that wanting to be submissive in the bedroom equals a timid personality. Voluntary submission can be a powerful erotic force and is not limited to women. Many men have these fantasies, too.

    I think a lot of women in my age group and under grew up on SF/Fantasy and are enjoying seeing female characters enter the field as more than just see-the-monster-and-scream token characters. We’re just mixing our love of the other genres with the passion of romance/erotica.

    Yasmine

  4. lucinda betts, on January 2nd, 2008 at 6:37 pm Said:

    I have no idea why erotica and paranormals have taken off, but I couldn’t be happier that they have! I love to read them, and I love to write them. I’m glad to be in such good company.

  5. Susan Lyons, on January 2nd, 2008 at 7:11 pm Said:

    Thanks for commenting, all of you. I figured this would be a topic that would stir up some emotion!

  6. Kate Douglas, on January 2nd, 2008 at 7:57 pm Said:

    I have to agree with Yasmin on at least some of the interest in paranormal romances–I grew up on science fiction and fantasy, mostly stories written by men for a male audience. With today’s paranormal and fantasy romances, we’ve finally got our own “Amazing Stories.” I love the dark and edgy angle of urban fantasy and some of the paranormals on the market today, but I also love the powerful, emotional stories and romances written within the paranormal context.

    As far as the popularity of erotic romance–I think all you have to do is look at the television programs making the headlines–Sex and the City did more for erotic romance than anything, in my opinion. It got women talking about their own sexual needs, from toys to kink and everything in between. Finding out your deepest fantasies aren’t nearly as weird as you thought they were goes a long way toward creating a market, and it’s one that a lot of authors were ready and waiting to exploit. I love writing my sexy paranormals, and love even more finding out just how far I can push boundaries. I also think it’s easier to write truly sexy erotic romance in a paranormal or fantasy setting–once you get the reader to accept your “world” as you create it, it’s much easier to get them to accept sexual acts they might disapprove of in real life. I’ve seen that with the reader response to my very graphic sex scenes between same sex partners and groups of lovers. So much of my email starts out with, “I really don’t approve of (whatever) in real life, but you make it seem perfectly normal in this setting…” As Lucinda says, I love to read them and I love to write them!

  7. Marie Tuhart, on January 3rd, 2008 at 8:48 am Said:

    I agree with Yasmine and Kate. I grew up reading science fiction, then on to fantasy. I stumbled onto romance when I was 19.

    I’ve read and still read Harlequin Presents because I love those alpha heroes. Erotic romance and paranormal have alpha heroes as well.

    For me, in my real life, I’m the one who has to be in control and take care of everything, the family, the job, the house, etc.

    I love reading about a man who takes everything over and truly cares about the heroine. All he can see is her and all he wants to do is make her happy and make her life easier (from his point of view) Physically and mentally he’s totally into her and wants what he thinks is best for her.

  8. Nancy Morse, on January 3rd, 2008 at 8:50 am Said:

    Years ago there was Playgirl. Maybe it’s still around, who knows? Women were wanting more erotic stories even back then. So not much has really changed, except that now we can write them and buy them and read them without having to stash them under the covers.

    And you’re right, JoAnn, we’re the ones who pick apart stories for POV, pacing, character development, etc. The average reader doesn’t know or care about all that. She just knows a good story when she reads it. And whether it fuels her erotic fantasies, reaffirms her belief in God, moves her for its sweetness, transports her to other worlds, or just gives her hope that somewhere there’s a HEA, then to all of us writers out there I say, job well done.

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