Yes!! 2018 was the year I saw the shift too! I never read historical or category romance in the past but DID read what was called chick lit at the time ~ I’m fairly certain most of those books would now be considered rom coms since the romance genre has gone mainstream. I have started dipping into historicals and some super spicy stuff since then and have fully embraced what I call emotional romance - NOT a rom com and not category romance. Kennedy Ryan’s Skyland series being a perfect example. I’m also very much in love with cozy romances that have a sweet small town or family or band of friends, low heat and low angst. Such great comfort reads! As for rom coms - the market is now over saturated and I’m becoming more and more picky about these as IMO, the quality has fallen off a cliff with the volume of titles on offer.
Natalie!! I resonate with all of this so deeply! Thanks for taking us on the journey of your romance with ROMANCE! The podcast HOT&BOTHERED was really my gateway into the romance genre and their first season (debuting in 2020 pandemical times) is all about writing romance novels as a sacred practice to affirm and claim an HEA for ourselves. If you haven’t listened, I highly recommend that you check it out. 💛✨
Loved this series, Natalie! And I can’t wait to one day read your romance novel ☺️ I was definitely one of the readers who discovered and embraced the romance genre in 2020. Before that, I had only read a handful of titles in the genre but then Emily Henry’s Beach Read opened the door! It’s been so fun to explore and learn and dive into the genre 🤍
Yes!! 2018 was the year I saw the shift too! I never read historical or category romance in the past but DID read what was called chick lit at the time ~ I’m fairly certain most of those books would now be considered rom coms since the romance genre has gone mainstream. I have started dipping into historicals and some super spicy stuff since then and have fully embraced what I call emotional romance - NOT a rom com and not category romance. Kennedy Ryan’s Skyland series being a perfect example. I’m also very much in love with cozy romances that have a sweet small town or family or band of friends, low heat and low angst. Such great comfort reads! As for rom coms - the market is now over saturated and I’m becoming more and more picky about these as IMO, the quality has fallen off a cliff with the volume of titles on offer.
Natalie!! I resonate with all of this so deeply! Thanks for taking us on the journey of your romance with ROMANCE! The podcast HOT&BOTHERED was really my gateway into the romance genre and their first season (debuting in 2020 pandemical times) is all about writing romance novels as a sacred practice to affirm and claim an HEA for ourselves. If you haven’t listened, I highly recommend that you check it out. 💛✨
Loved this series, Natalie! And I can’t wait to one day read your romance novel ☺️ I was definitely one of the readers who discovered and embraced the romance genre in 2020. Before that, I had only read a handful of titles in the genre but then Emily Henry’s Beach Read opened the door! It’s been so fun to explore and learn and dive into the genre 🤍