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 it 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 recommendation 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 | COWBOY | SPORTS | ROMANTIC SUSPENSE | ROCKSTAR
Books marked with * are those that I have read.
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
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Published March 2007Amazon | Goodreads |
Published March 2005Amazon | Goodreads |
Published November 2011Amazon | Goodreads |
Published October 2010Amazon | Goodreads |
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.
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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 Published January 2014Amazon | Goodreads |
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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.
Published July 2017Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
| 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 Published December 2019Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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All Chained Up is one of my favorite opposites-attract romance! All Chained Up is about a nurse an and ex-con.
Published March 2016Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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Romance Readers Recommend
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Amazon*Recommended by@charlottelovestoread |
AmazonRecommended by@hannahheartsromance |
AmazonRecommended by@glimpses_of_my_books |
AmazonRecommended by@romanticallybookish |
AmazonRecommended by@readingafterten |
Click here to go back to the category menu.
Cowboy Romances are Western-set romances. Most of the heroes or heroines are Cowboys or live in a ranch or are involved in the Rodeo scene. Some Cowboy Romances are also considered Small Town Romance.
Notable Cowboy Romance Novels
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Published June 2006Amazon | Goodreads |
Published February 2000Amazon | Goodreads*this author has been known to be problematic |
Published March 2008Amazon | Goodreads |
Published May 2012Amazon | Goodreads |
Favorite Cowboy Romance Reads
Cowboy Romance is another genre that I haven’t really delved into.
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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. Published February 2018Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
Romance Readers Recommend
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AmazonRecommended by@ammybel |
AmazonRecommended by@beamasalunga |
AmazonRecommended by@glimpses_of_my_books |
AmazonRecommended by@thenaptimewriter |
AmazonRecommended by@carasbookboudoir |
Click here to go back to the category menu.
Sports Romance is a very popular sub-genre featuring sports, or sports agent (sports owners, promoters, etc).
Notable Sports Romance Novels
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Published 1994*Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
Published February 2016*Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
Published January 1998*Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
Published July 2015Amazon | 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).
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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.
Sports Romance: HockeyPublished September 2016Amazon | Goodreads
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault Off-page |
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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.
Sports Romance: BasketballPublished August 2018Amazon | Goodreads | Review
Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse on-page |
| 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 Sports Romance: RugbyPublished September 2015Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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Scoring the Wrong Twin is a case of mistaken identity! I love this twin-switch trope.
Sports Romance: FootballPublished January 2018Amazon | Goodreads |
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Romance Readers Recommend
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AmazonFootballRecommended by@dulivre |
AmazonHockeyRecommended by@ksquaredreads |
AmazonFootballRecommended by@hannahheartsromance |
AmazonFootballRecommended by@bookswithgab |
AmazonRecommended by@readaholic19 |
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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 the romance is still the central plot of the story.
Notable Romantic Suspense Romance Novels
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Published August 2000*Amazon | Goodreads*this author has been known to be problematic |
Published June 2000Amazon | Goodreads |
Published July 2003Amazon | Goodreads |
Published September 2015Amazon | Goodreads |
Favorite Romantic Suspense Reads
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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! Published November 2014Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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I really love this book! This was my firs Rebecca Zanetti and I loved it! Forgotten Sins is another second-chance romance with a twist! This one features an enhanced supersoldier that gave me Captain America vibes! Published January 2013Amazon | Goodreads |
| Risking it All is one of my favorites in this series.
This book features an undercover female detective and an antihero!
Published January 2015Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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Where the Blame Lies is riveting and scary and had me at the seat of my pants!
I am just amazed at what an amazing and strong character Josie is! The romance is between Josie, the survivor and the detective investigating the copy-cat case. *Trigger: sexual assault, kidnapping Published December 2019Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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Romance Readers Recommend
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AmazonRecommended by@thebookdisciple |
AmazonRecommended by@dailywafflebooks |
AmazonRecommended by@ksquaredreads |
AmazonRecommended by@sporadic.obsessions.of.tiffany |
AmazonRecommended by@readaholic19 |
Click here to go back to the category menu.
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
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Published July 2013*Amazon | Goodreads |
Published October 2010Amazon | Goodreads |
Published July 2003Amazon | Goodreads |
Published January 2018Amazon | Goodreads |
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.
| 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 Published November 2014Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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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 Published November 2014Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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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 Published November 2014Amazon | Goodreads | Review |
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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 gets their own book, too.
Published April 2016Amazon | Goodreads |
Romance Readers Recommend
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AmazonRecommended by@thenaptimewriter |
AmazonRecommended by@pri_bibliophile &@firewhiskeyreader |
AmazonRecommended by@beamasalunga |
AmazonRecommended by@lucyreadsromance |
AmazonRecommended by@thenerdywanderer98 |
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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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