August is Read A Romance Month

Read a Romance Month with cover images of romance novels

Don’t wait until Valentine’s Day to pick up a romantic read, because August is Read A Romance month. A time to appreciate heat, beach reads, and one of the best literary ways to escape it all. A 2018 study reported that twenty-five percent of all books and one out of two mass-market paperbacks sold were romance novels. Its a common truism that the publishing industry is held up by readers of romantic fiction; romance readers will read across subgenres, and fifty percent of them will try a new author—a much higher percentage than readers of other genres.

Yet despite its extreme popularity, you will find many readers who have never even attempted to read a romance novel, because they don't feel like it's for them. The fun truth about romance novels is that it's a genre made up almost entirely of subgenres. So if you like thrillers, there's a subgenre for that. If you like paranormal, there's a subgenre for that. Almost anything you enjoy in fiction, you can find a Romance novel analogue for it.

Included below is a sampling of just some of the subgenres as part of the wider genre. Also, feel free to consult our card catalog to dig deeper (we have over 5,000 romance novels in our collection).

Regency Romance

One of the most beloved novels of all time is Pride and Prejudice, which is arguably the first modern romance novel, and is absolutely the one that set the template for how a lot of modern romance is written. Regency romance is a longstanding favorite subgenre in the romance category; leads who don't like each other until they do, very rich heroes, smart and feisty leading ladies; all these elements get mixed together in Regency Romance.

There are a lot of great writers in that subcategory, and they generally write in series so if you find an author you like there's a whole back catalog you can move on to. Here is a sampling:

  • Lorraine Heath
    • Lorraine Heath's books are a lot of fun. Her books offer titled gentleman, escapist stakes, and interesting historical plotlines involving things like bastardry, regency marriage laws, disability, and so on. She's written multiple series (wherein each novel can be read as a standalone). Series include:  Scoundrels of St. James, the Hellions of Havisham, Sins For All Seasons, and many more.
  • Julia Quinn
    • Julia Quinn is best known for her best-selling Bridgerton series (now also a famed Netflix series). The eight Bridgerton books follow the exploits of the tight-knit, loving Bridgerton family, each sibling getting their own book. Quinn has written many other Regency titles as well.
  • Johanna Lindsey
    • Johanna Lindsey is without doubt one of the grand-dames of the genre. With over sixty titles to her name, in subgenres as diverse as sci-fi, to the Old West, to her Regency novels. She is perhaps most famous for her Malory Family novels, which follow various members of this wealthy, wicked family, and which, just so coincidentally, launched the cover model career of Fabio.

As a side note, lots of historical time periods are depicted in a plethora of romantic subgenres. From Medieval times, to the Viking age, to the Wild West, and many more.

Chaste Romance

Many times readers are drawn to the comfort or the adventure of romantic fiction, but are not interested in engaging with any depictions of graphic intimacy. For those readers, there is a special subgenre of "Chaste" Romance, where the storylines are still great but the action is never warmer than a kiss. There are many curated lists you can find online by googling the terms "chaste romance," "clean romance," "proper romance," or "sweet romance." These lists are curated by bibliophiles who want to help guide like-minded readers to books they can enjoy.

Here is a sampling a few such authors:

  • Sarah Eden
  • Elizabeth Camden
    • Elizabeth Camden's writing is chaste, but still dependably has appealing storylines and plotting. Camden is also generally successful at avoiding cheesiness, which is a win (or a loss, depending on what you want).
  • Wanda Brunstetter
    • Wanda Brunstetter has published dozens of books in the Chaste Romance subgenre known as Amish Romance. While the time period is contemporary, the setting in a niche community lends her books a charmingly antiquated feel (though, they still offer excitement and intrigue).
Paranormal Romance

Paranormal, or supernatural romances are great choice for anyone who enjoys magic, vampires, or whatever-else-have-you from the fantasy side of the book aisle, but with that fun touch of romance.

There are a lot of great writers in this subcategory, and they generally write in series, so if you like one, there's a whole back catalog you can discover. Here is a sampling:

  • Illona Andrews
    • Author of multiple series, each with their own internal rules of magic and worldbuilding. The books are fantastic and combine militaristic action scenes with touches of humor, and lots of heart. These books work much better when read in order; they can be enjoyed on their own but you will lose a lot of context.
  • Lynsay Sands
    • While Sands has written many Regency and Scottish historic romance novels, she is becoming increasingly well known for her Argeneau vampire series. And she's releasing the 36th installment next month! Sands is famed for combining comedy and action with her romance. These books can absolutely be read in any order, as each novel features its own couple and plotline.
  • Christine Feehan
    • Feehan has been called the Queen of paranormal romance. Her oeuvre allows for a prolific deep dive, but she is probably best known for her Carpathian and Ghost Walker series of books. Some of her series lean more military suspense, and others lean harder into fantasy and fate.
Contemporary Romance

Contemporary Romance may be the most difficult subcategory to contain in a single metric, because with contemporaries, your choices are as wide as thrillers, harlequin romances, cozies, or dramatic storylines exploring modern day issues (e.g. divorce, career conflict, and so on).

Here is a brief sampling.

  • Synithia Williams
    • Williams has published multiple contemporary romance novels, which predominantly feature protagonists of color. They are usually standalones, and generally feature relatable problems, often with an escapist sweetness.
  • Elena Armas
  • Maya Banks
    • Maya Banks's books are broken up into series, but every book can be read as a standalone. They range from slow burn to erotic to tropey fun. It's hard to recommend a starting place since she writes widely, but you can explore the titles on her website, and also in our catalog.
LGBT Romance

As the decades pass and as genres evolve, we've entered a time where more groups of people can see idealized versions of their love story in print. LGBT+ couplings have enjoyed an increased presence for the past few years, both in historical romance (talk about star-crossed stakes), and in contemporary romance novels.

Here is a sampling of just a few:

  • Casey McQuiston
    • McQuiston writes both M/M and F/F romance contemporary novels. They are idealized and a fun delight to read. Their debut novel, Red, White & Royal Blue, is about to be released as a movie on Amazon Prime.
  • Alexis Hall
  • Cat Sebastian 
    • Sebastian writes queer historical romances. If you enjoy the traditional historical romance formula, but want to explore it populated with queer couples, she's a great place to begin.

Tags

By LaurelC on December 18, 2023