Romance is a leading-edge genre, driving circulation and making readers happy. This fall, LJ highlights key trends and titles, including the establishment of a new subgenre, romantasy; the invention of a new type of hero, the cinnamon roll; an increasing focus on cozy stories; and a renewed stress on action and adventure.

Offering such a wide range of reading experiences, it’s no surprise then that this already popular genre is attracting even more readers. Dimitrije Curcic at WordsRated, an international research data and analytics group, reports that “sales of romance novels more than doubled over the last two years, making romance among the fastest-growing categories in the publishing world. As for the reasons behind this growth, we have to look at the demographics of romance readers, who are getting increasingly younger. The emergence of #BookTok, along with screen adaptations of some novels, is the driving force behind the emergence of romance over the last couple of years.”

Romantasy Reigns

New stories that combine romance with strong fantasy elements, such as magic and mythical creatures, have grown recently and become known as “romantasy.” This subgenre’s popularity is in part due to the success of Rebecca Yarros’s dragon-centric The Fourth Wing, from Entangled’s new Red Tower imprint. Readers searching for a read-alike might enjoy Kit Rocha’s forthcoming Consort of Fire (Montlake); this novel is set in a lush fantasy world brimming with ancient magic, dangerous secrets, and erotic connections. Leah Hultenschmidt, publisher at Forever, says there’s a lot of buzz for The Princess of Thornwood Drive, based on Trinidadian lore, by Khalia Moreau. “It cleverly hits so many TikTok trends—New Adult angst, fantasy worldbuilding, mythological elements—and has a great twist at the end.” There’s also Justinian Huang’s The Emperor and the Endless Palace (Mira), a queer, Asian reimagining of an epic love story blending historical figures with Chinese folklore, giving readers blood, sex, and adventure across three lifetimes.

Action/Adventure

Adventurous stories are appearing in contemporary romance too. According to Berkley Vice President and Editorial Director Cindy Hwang, “One emerging favorite [trend] is action/adventure. It’s always been a popular subgenre, but we’re seeing a new surge with one important difference—the heroines are no damsels needing to be rescued; they are just as competent (or equally incompetent) as the heroes. Tiana Smith’s The Spy and I (Berkley) exemplifies this—the heroine isn’t the secret agent, but she is very smart and comes with her own skill set that makes her a true partner in both espionage and love.” Raiders of the Lost Heart (Berkley) by Jo Segura [see interview above] is another example. This Indiana Jones–inspired enemies-to-lovers plot is packed with action—some of it steamy—as the protagonists rescue each other and search for a thief in the Mexican jungle. Opal Wei’s Wild Life (Harlequin) mixes adventure with screwball comedy and STEM when a researcher accidentally gives a crucial tissue sample to a distractingly handsome visitor—and has to follow him to a rugged, secluded island to get it back.

Cozy comes Calling

Cozy romances, which mix heartwarming relationship fiction with contemporary romance, are also strong this year; The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle (Kensington) by Annie Rains typifies the mix. This stand-alone grown-up twist on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a powerful and moving tale about the importance of friendship—with a magical twist in the form of a charm bracelet. Best-selling author Susan Mallery’s upcoming novel The Summer Book Club (Canary Street) features three women who join their town’s book club—devoted entirely to romance novels—and become close friends as they navigate the messiness of motherhood, love, and growing into the people they always wanted to be. Debut author Ally Zetterberg’s The Happiness Blueprint (Mira) is a heartfelt novel that follows Klara, a diabetic woman in an unfulfilling job, and Alex, whose life has been upended by his brother’s untimely death, as they navigate grief, uncertain futures, job changes, finding acceptance, and even love.

Small-Town Community

While some publishers see interest in small-town settings waning, Erika Tsang, editorial director at Avon, points out that the focus has only shifted, with readers seeking—in the wake of COVID lockdowns—titles that reflect a strong sense of community. Small-town romances fulfill that need.

In the heartfelt Mom Com (Blackstone) by Adriana Mather, a single mother returns to her small hometown to run her deceased father’s bakery—with her high school best friend and ex. Laura Piper Lee’s Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair (Union Square) features another single mom, who moves back home to renovate a fixer-upper cabin with the help of the hot carpenter living in the treehouse next door.

What She’s Having (Sourcebooks Casablanca) by Laura Moher has witty writing, Southern charm, a plus-sized heroine, and a small-town setting. Sourcebooks Senior Marketing Associate Katie Stutz notes that Moher has a background in sociology. “This unique perspective adds depth and authenticity to the narrative, allowing the story to explore themes of body size, found family, and self-care in a meaningful way.” Falling for Alaska (Forever) is the first book in a new series by Belle Calhoune, featuring a down-on-his-luck football player and a sassy restaurant owner who find themselves going from enemies to lovers. Nikki Payne’s Sex, Lies and Sensibility (Berkley), a deliciously sexy rom-com inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, features two sisters trying to revamp a Maine beach-town inn.

It’s drinks all around in two additional small-community titles: Jennifer Ryan’s Wilde for You (Avon) is the second book in a series that centers around a dive bar in a small town; and in Last Call at the Local (Berkley) by Sarah Grunder Ruiz, characters with ADHD and OCD reinvent a pub in an Irish village.

Spotlight on Love

Stories featuring the glitz of stage and screen—and the less glamorous behind-the-scenes moments—are on the rise in romance. “A trend I’ve noticed over the past couple of years is this sort of ‘larger-than-life’ set romances—things like Hollywood settings, reality TV show settings, pop star love interests,” says Shannon Plackis, assistant editor at Kensington. Ashley Bartlett’s Revisiting Summer Nights (Bold Strokes) is part of this trend, as women who met in their 20s, when both were hot young actors, have grown up and moved on, only to be thrown together again. In The Stage Kiss (Alcove) by Amelia Jones, two actors fall for each other with every onstage kiss—against their better judgment. On the Plus Side (St. Martin’s Griffin) by Jenny L. Howe is a hilarious rom-com about the newest star of a plus-size makeover show as she tries not to fall for her cameraman on national TV.

Sparks fly when a best-selling author and the writer hired to adapt her book for film are forced to spend long days and nights writing together in screenwriter/director Yulin Kuang’s How To End a Love Story (Avon). In the charming rom-com Second Chances in New Port Stephen (Atria/Emily Bestler) by TJ Alexander, a fortysomething trans man returns to his hometown after his TV-writing career goes up in flames, only to cross paths with his high school ex. One more on this theme is Melissa Ferguson’s How To Plot a Payback (Thomas Nelson), in which a TV writer’s plan for revenge turns to love.

Combining two trends, adventure and glitz-and-glamour, Not How I Pictured It (Kensington) by Robin Lefler “is a really fun adventure romp featuring the cast of a hit early 2000s teen drama TV show (think The OC) who are reunited many years later for a reboot but end up stranded on a tropical island,” explains Elizabeth Trout, associate editor at Kensington.

It’s not just actors that are on trend; musicians are as well. Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka write a romance that will appeal to all Swifties: The Breakup Tour (Berkley). In this celebrity romance, superstar Riley gets a second chance with her college boyfriend—who also happens to be the muse behind her hit song. St. Martin’s SVP and Publishing Director Anne Marie Tallberg calls Till There Was You (St. Martin’s Griffin) by Lindsay Hameroff “an irresistible second-chance-at-love tale featuring a chef, a musician, and blueberry pancakes so good they inspire a hit song.” Set against the dual backdrops of contemporary and 1920s Harlem, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde (Grand Central) by Tia Williams is the story of a free-spirited florist and an enigmatic musician.

Cinnamon Roll Heroes

Meet the cinnamon roll hero (CRH), defined as a character who is sweet, supportive, and kind, even though they might be grumpy on the outside. “We’re going to start seeing a rise of [the] cinnamon roll. Ultimately readers are ready and eager to fall for well-rounded characters, ones who embrace emotions or messy feelings, and actively communicate those feelings,” says Lauren Jernigan, assistant director of social media at Kensington. Fish Out of Water (Sourcebooks Casablanca), the rom-com adventure by Katie Ruggle, even describes the hero as a “stealth cinnamon roll, hiding his squishy sweetness behind a scowl.” Earls Trip (Kensington) by Jenny Holiday takes the cinnamon roll hero to Regency-era historicals. “Inspired by the Diamond Dogs on Ted Lasso, the series revolves around three best friends—all earls—who take an annual retreat together where they help each other work out personal problems and give love life advice. It’s a refreshing break from brooding dukes,” raves Jane Nutter, senior marketing and communications manager at Kensington.

Emotional Journeys

Increasingly, romance readers want angsty stories filled with heavy emotion, novels that break their hearts before the HEA arrives. The Air He Breathes (Sourcebooks Casablanca) by Brittainy Cherry is exactly this: a deeply touching novel about life after unimaginable loss. Becky Hunter’s One Moment (Forever) is a heart-wrenching, page-turning debut about friendship, love, and loss. The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett (Carina Adores) is an emotional and steamy contemporary romance with a bisexual hero and an undiagnosed neurodivergent heroine. This Could Be Us (Forever) by Kennedy Ryan features a single mother struggling to support herself and her three daughters. This deeply moving and personal novel about sacrifice, self-reliance, and finding true happiness is also an incredibly meaningful story for Ryan, as both she and the lead character are parents of autistic children.

Twisty Meet-Cutes

Everyone wants a meet-cute, but sometimes the meet is anything but cute. A random meeting on the street leads to a fake relationship in A Not So Meet Cute (Bloom), a series launch by Meghan Quinn. Fan-favorite Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer (Forever) combines snort-laughable humor and deep poignancy and explores mental health and trauma using rom-com tropes. A meet-disaster between two new coworkers leads to romance in Jessica Lepe’s laugh-out-loud debut, Flirty Little Secret (Forever). Sam Brody, assistant editor at Forever, calls the opening chapter “hands down, the funniest scene I’ve ever read. I also loved [that] both the heroine and the author are Sephardic Jews from a Mexican Moroccan family.” A woman comes face-to-face with the fake Canadian boyfriend she made up as a teenager in Jenny Holiday’s charming and heartfelt contemporary stand-alone Canadian Boyfriend (Forever). Markus Harwood-Jones’s Really Cute People (Carina Adores) is a funny and charming polyamorous romance–meets–coming-of-age-story.

The Spicier the Better

Sizzling, sexy, steamy titles are becoming more prevalent. When Grumpy Met Sunshine (St. Martin’s Griffin) by Charlotte Stein is an opposites-attract romance with undeniable chemistry between a grumpy retired footballer and his fabulous and sunshine-y ghostwriter. Lana Ferguson’s The Fake Mate (Berkley) is a sexy paranormal rom-com in which two doctors, who happen to be wolf shifters, agree to be fake mates. But soon they realize that true love is a whole different kind of animal. Love Redesigned (Bloom) by Lauren Asher is a love story with Cuban American protagonists who broker a temporary truce to renovate a house together.

Harlequin’s new Afterglow imprint will publish two sizzling titles each month, beginning January 2024. Timothy Janovsky’s steamy LGBTQIA+ romance The (Fake) Dating Game and Katherine Garbera’s The Bookbinder’s Guide to Love will be Afterglow’s inaugural titles, with Frenemy Fix-Up by Yahrah St. John and The Devil in Blue Jeans by Stacey Kennedy following close behind.

Conclusion

Romance provides stories that fans adore. What lovers of the genre have always known, that its books offer great reading, is becoming clear to an ever-widening audience. As Stephanie Beaver, a librarian specializing in romance collection development at Hoover Public Library in Alabama, notes, “The genre has been destigmatized. Now we have a very diverse readership who isn’t afraid to walk up to the desk and have a conversation about romance or ask for specific tropes.” So here’s to the HEA, the meet-cute, the CRH, and the love of reading the genre fosters.

For even more romance titles on the way, browse through these collections:

Wishing for Love 

Love on Vacation 

Road Trip Delights 

Historical Encounters 

Romantic Mysteries 

HEAs So Good They Are Supernatural 

Love in Play