A Beginner’s Guide to Romance Novels
I started the Read a Romance Book series on this blog as an introduction to the world of romance books.
This post will focus mainly on Contemporary Romance and a few sub-genres under this category. This is not an exhaustive list.
Edit: I decided to cut this post in half because it was getting too long. Part 2 will be posted later.
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
Click here if you want to skip the about romance intro.
What is a Romance Novel
There are many genres and subgenres of a romance novel but essentially, it is defined as a fictional story with a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Romance writers and industry experts (based on what I have read in the past and heard romance writers talk in panels) say that if the romance is taken out of the plot, the book will not make sense.
Romance readers usually say that a romance novel has to have an HEA (happily ever after) or an HFN (happy for now). There has been some debate over this, but as a romance reader, I personally define romance novels as having an HEA or an HFN.
A lot of genre fiction novels may have romantic elements, but if romance is not a central plot and it does not end in an HEA or HFN, it is not considered a romance novel. There are also other genres with strong romantic themes, but it is still not considered a romance if it does not meet the romance novel definition.
The very first romance novel The Flame and the Flower written by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss was published by Avon Romance in 1972.
Old Skool Romance
If you are a romance reader, you will know that Old Skool Romance or Old School Romance are those romances of any genre written and published in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Some of these romances are very problematic if written today.
Some of my favorite romances are Old Skool Romances and I always keep in mind the time that these books were written. While I believe that these books are problematic, I try to keep an open mind when reading them and judge the book based on the time it was written.
Heat Levels
There are varying heat levels in romance novels – from closed-door, to fade to black, to all-out sexytimes, there is a book for everyone!
I personally prefer sexytimes on the page, so most of my personal recommendations will have a heat level ranging from 3-5.
Literary Tropes
There are different types of tropes that are applicable to romance books. Wikipedia defines a literary trope as the use of figurative language, via word, phrase or an image, for artistic effect. The word trope has also come to be used for describing commonly recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs, or clichés in creative works.
Some books may have multiple tropes.
I have been reading romance novels since I was 11 years old. I was first attracted to it when I saw a book with a lady on the cover with a gorgeous gown. This was a Harlequin Historical romance, and I have been reading romance ever since.
This feature will go over each general genre of romance. I will try to include all possible genres and subgenres. While I have not read all the books, I have asked other romance readers to recommend their must-read romance per genre and I will include those.
Contemporary Romance (CR) are romance novels set from 1950 to the present and is the largest subgenre of romance. There is a growing list of CR sub-genres and some romance tropes are also used as a Contemporary Romance sub-genre.
Click on the links to be taken to each category
Small Town Romances are romance novels set in a small town or rural areas. These novels are usually light and fluffy.
Notable Small Town Romance Novels
Book Details
- Virgin River by Robyn Carr – Published March 2007 – Amazon | Goodreads
- Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – Published March 2005 – Amazon | Goodreads
- The Next Always by Nora Roberts – Published November 2011 – Amazon | Goodreads
- Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis – Published October 2010 – Amazon | Goodreads
My Favorite Small Town Romance Reads
I admit that I haven’t read a lot of Small Town Romances, so my choices are really very few. I plan to read more books in this genre.
Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan – Published January 2014
The heroine finds herself in a small town to start over and meets one of the silent residents and falls in love with him. This book is so emotional and lovely.
Trigger: Abuse
Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai – Published July 2017
Hate to Want You is an opposites-attract forbidden romance where the hero and heroine meet for one day a year for an illicit affair. Their families are feuding.
The One for You by Roni Loren – Published December 2019
The One for You is an unrequited second-chance romance about survivors of a school shooting. This is the last book in the series and is a must-read!
Trigger: School shooting flashback scenes
All Chained Up by Sophie Jordan – Published March 2016
All Chained Up is one of my favorite opposites-attract romance! All Chained Up is about a nurse and ex-con.
Trigger: attempted sexual assault on page
Romance Readers Recommend
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Cowboy Romances are Western-set romances. Most of the heroes or heroines are Cowboys, live on a ranch, or are involved in the Rodeo scene. Some Cowboy Romances are also considered Small Town Romances or Western Romances.
Notable Cowboy Romance Novels
Book Details
- Montana Sky by Nora Roberts – Published June 2006 – Amazon | Goodreads
- MacKenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard* – Published February 2000 – Amazon | Goodreads
- Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James – Published March 2008 – Amazon | Goodreads
- Big Sky Country by Linda Lael Miller – Published May 2012 – Amazon | Goodreads
*this author has been known to be problematic
Favorite Cowboy Romance Reads
Cowboy Romance is another genre that I haven’t really delved into.
True to You by Jennifer Ryan – Published February 2018
True to You is an emotional and heartbreaking book about lies and redemption and family. The hero is an undercover DEA agent and the heroine is the daughter of a drug lord the hero is investigating.
Romance Readers Recommend
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Sports Romance is a very popular sub-genre featuring sports, sports agents, or sports-adjacent characters (sports owners, promoters, etc).
Notable Sports Romance Novels
Book Details
- It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – Published 1994 – Amazon | Goodreads | Review
- The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata – Published February 2016 – Amazon | Goodreads | Review
- Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson – Published January 1998 – Amazon | Goodreads | Review
- Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy – Published July 2015 – Amazon | Goodreads
Favorite Sports Romance Reads
I have more favorite sports romance books but they are filed under New Adult Romance (which is way down below).
Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen – Published September 2016 – Sport: Hockey
Rookie Move is one of the first sports romance books that I read and I fell in love with Leo and Georgia. This is also a second chance romance and this series is a spin-off of her New Adult series The Ivy Years.
Triggers: Sexual assault off-page
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan – Published August 2018 – Sport: Basketball
Long Shot is one book that I did not expect. I wrote a long review of this book and it’s a great read if you want to know my thoughts.
All I can say is that WOW! I love this book and I personally told Kennedy Ryan what an amazing book it is and what a strong character Iris is.
Trigger: Domestic Abuse, Sexual Abuse on page with some fade to black, very graphic
Melt for You by J.T. Geissinger – Published September 2015 – Sport: Rugby
Melt for You is a slow-burn hate-to-love romance. I really love how the heroine finally stood up to herself and accepted herself as plus-size.
Trigger: fatphobia
Scoring the Wrong Twin by Naima Simone – Published January 2018 – Sport: Football
Scoring the Wrong Twin is a case of mistaken identity! I absolutely love the twin-switch trope!
Romance Readers Recommend
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Romantic Suspense involves an intrigue or mystery for the protagonists to solve (source: Wikipedia). Usually, this subgenre involves LEOs, FBI agents, Detectives, Navy SEALS, or the bodyguard. The key in this genre is that romance is still the central plot of the story.
Notable Romantic Suspense Romance Novels
Book Details
- Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard* – Published August 2000 – Amazon | Goodreads
- The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann – Published June 2000 – Amazon | Goodreads
- Don’t Tell by Karen Rose – Published July 2003 – Amazon | Goodreads
- Absolute Fear by Lisa Jackson – Published September 2015 – Amazon | Goodreads
*This author has been known to be problematic. I have also read this particular book and enjoyed it.
Favorite Romantic Suspense Reads
Midnight Action by Elle Kennedy – Published November 2014
Midnight Action is the 5th book in the Killer Instincts Series and it is my favorite! This is a second-chance, hate-to-love romance where the hero is a mercenary and the heroine is a hacker and leads a group of hacker ladies!
Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti – Published January 2013
I really love this book! This was my first Rebecca Zanetti and I loved it!
Forgotten Sins is another second-chance romance with a twist! This one features an enhanced super soldier that gave me Captain America vibes!
Risking It All by Tessa Bailey – Published January 2015
Risking it All is one of my favorites in this series. This book features an undercover female detective and an antihero!
Where the Blame Lies by Mia Sheridan – Published December 2019
Where the Blame Lies is riveting and scary and had me at the seat of my pants!
I am just amazed at what a fantastic and strong character Josie is! The romance is between Josie, the survivor, and the detective investigating the copycat case.
Trigger: sexual assault, kidnapping
Romance Readers Recommend
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These are romances featuring characters in a band. For this subgenre, I included actors/Hollywood romances or anybody in theater, as well.
Notable Rockstar Romance Novels
Book Details
Favorite Rockstar Romance Reads
This is another genre that I still need to delve into! I’ve only read a few books in this genre.
Grip by Kennedy Ryan – Published November 2014
Flow, Grip, & Still is a trilogy that needs to be binge-read ASAP! This is a second-chance romance between an up-and-coming rapper and his manager.
Triggers: Racism, Stillbirth
My Soul to Keep by Kennedy Ryan – Published November 2014
My Soul to Keep is another of Kennedy Ryan’s books that should be read prior to the Grip Series. This is a romance between a popular classical musician and an up-and-coming pop artist/dancer.
Triggers: Sexual Assault, Abuse
Another Sky by Jayne Frost – Published November 2014
Another Sky surprised me in a lot of ways. I was not expecting this book at all. It’s an amazingly written book about struggle, depression, and dealing with loss.
Triggers: Death, Loss
Listen to Me by Kristen Proby – Published April 2016
Listen to Me is an amazing read and gave me 90s vibes.
The heroine is an ex-model and part-owner of a restaurant and the hero used to be a pop star who retired and auditioned to be their entertainer. I also love the friendships between all the 5 ladies here! Each of the ladies gets their own book, too.
Romance Readers Recommend
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What are your must-read Contemporary romance novels in the sub-genres mentioned?
Have you read any of the books recommended here?
Resources:
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This is incredible, Ezrah! I imagine a lot of time went into compiling this and I love how comprehensive it is! I’ve read several of these books except for the cowboy ones as that’s not a genre I’m particularly fond of.
Nick @ The Infinite Limits of Love recently posted…Non-Stop Swoons: 40-Love by Olivia Dade
Thank you so much, Nick! I am slowly going to go through all the major/common romance sub-genres LOL wish me luck!
I love Virgin River and Simply Irresistible for small town romances. Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers series is fantastic! Welcome to Last Chance by Hope Ramsay, Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis, The Next Best Thing and The Best Man by Kristan Higgins, Meant to Be by Terri Osburn, Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst. For Cowboy romances, I bow to Carolyn Brown – my favorite is Darn Good Cowboy Christmas.Also, Nora Roberts’ Song of the West. For sports romances, It Had to Be You & that series was so good! I’ve read Rachel Gibson’s hockey series and The Trouble With Valentine’s Day is my favorite. Other great hockey romances are Ice Knights by Avery Flynn and Kate Meader’s Chicago Rebels. I don’t read much romantic suspense, but I did like Julie James’ The Thing About Love. For rock star romance, Terri Osburn’s Rising Star (country star). Too funny – we just watched the movie Forever My Girl last night!
Oh, One Night With a Cowboy by Cat Johnson was another of my favorite cowboy romances, with some heat in it!
Ohh thanks for the recs!
I’m not a fan of Penny Reid’s writing and I’ve tried 3 times to get into her books!
Love this post Ezrah!!!
Thank you, Corina!
Can you tell me in a nutshell what do you think the main difference from old school romance writing from today’s romance writing?
I’m not an expert but personally, I think the new romance books sound more modern and adapt modern themes. With old school romances, they tend to use themes that are not acceptable in today’s standards. The writing style also depends on the author.