By Tracee M. Herbaugh
Cambridge, Massachusetts (AP) – Romance novels always enjoy a quiet night. The genre currently dismissed as guilty pleasure is connecting readers with writers through an increase in social media, book clubs and romance-specific bookstores.
At the recent launch party for Noradaria’s enemy romance “Pickup” at Lovestruck Books, a romance-specialized shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a crowd of women browsing the shelves sipped cocktails from the bar cafe.
After Dahlia’s reading, the patrons mixed in, exchanged contact information and exchanged author recommendations.
It was a particularly sociable event for book talk. But the community atmosphere is typical of romance fan events.
Dahlia likened romance readers to “comic con artists,” referring to the deep, deep-rooted passion that defines the fandom of comic books.
“They’re really educated about this genre,” Dahlia said. “Many of them started reading romances: Daniel Steele, VC Andrews, Jude Develok – as a teenager.”
At the torn body book store in Brooklyn, New York, manager Katherine Zoflare said fans of online connected romances often come to the store and meet in person. In addition to the author’s events, the store will host three different book clubs and a romance comedy night.
“We had a few suggestions here. We had a wedding here. It was really fun,” Zoflare said.
“From teenagers who are actually beginning to enter the romance genre, to older people who have been a romance reader for life and who recall how they did when they read Harlequins and when romance was not widely accepted,” she said.
“Now they love to see how widely accepted romance is.”
Customer holds the romance title at Ripped Bodice Bookstore in Culver City, California on Thursday, July 3, 2025 (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Keiana Samoy will browse the romance title at Ripped Bodice Bookstore in Culver City, California on Thursday, July 3, 2025 (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Ripped Bodice employee Ashley Dang stocks romance titles on Thursday, July 3, 2025 at Bookstore in Culver City, California. (AP photo/Cris Pizzello)
Iliana Garcia will browse the romance title at Ripped Bodice Bookstore in Culver City, California on Thursday, July 3, 2025 (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The oversized bookmarks are listed on display at the torn body bookstore in Culver City, California on Thursday, July 3, 2025 (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Customer holds the romance title at Ripped Bodice Bookstore in Culver City, California on Thursday, July 3, 2025 (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Romance bookstore boom
Bookstores like Lovestruck and The Ripped Bodice (with flagship stores in Los Angeles) began to appear all over the United States, from Wichita, Kansas to Wilmington, North Carolina, to Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Alison Hill, CEO of the independent seller trade group, is a bookstore specializing in 157 romances from the American Bookstore Association, which has opened more than half within the past two years.
“Romance books are one of the fastest growing book sales categories in recent years, driven by many factors, including the need for escape reading and book tocking,” Hill said.
And this genre has evolved. “The romance genre is more diverse in all respects, including character identities and plot,” she said.
Lovestruck owner Rachel Kanter has “incredibly – and honestly, postponed the boom. Romance has always been one of the most commercially successful genres, but for a long time it has not been able to gain the respect or space that is worthy of the literary world.”
Romance-specific bookstores are “where readers can feel joy, comfort and connection, and where love is taken seriously as a literary theme,” she says.
Lifelines in Covid
Like many hobbies, the romance fandom solidified and expanded after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic pushed so many people towards reading for escape and comfort, and romance has become a lifeline for many,” Kanter said.
“At the same time, there was a wider cultural change, people were rethinking what was important, craving joy and softness, and trying to support an indie business that reflected their values.
Rethinking romantic bonds
Romance includes countless subgenres, including hockey romance, western romance, LGBTQ romance, and even romances set on prison planets. But a common theme is their “essentially hopeful storyline,” says Elizabeth Michaelson Monaghan, a 52-year-old freelance writer and editor in New York.
“Romance is very clear that more than ever, or at least happy writers and readers are very clear about this,” she said.
Romantic fiction that doesn’t end like that? It’s just a love story.
Characteristics of the romance genre include powerful character descriptions, charm, conflict, satisfying solutions and emotional growth. Expect a lot of steam – some authors explicitly unfold it, others are more tamed.
There is a long-standing culture of (almost) women reading and sharing these books for generations.
“It’s fun to rethink courtship and romantic bonds,” said Jayashree Kamble, professor of English at Laguardia Community College and president of the International Association for Popular Romance Studies. “The risks are limited.”
Cumble has devoured Harlequin romance since his teen years in India.
Romance novels are “a lovely reminder that individualism and dating can come together. These are basic bonds.”
Community: Online and Real Life
Podcasts are also sources of information to help you discover trends. Andrea Martec, creator and host of the romance-focused “Love on the Shelf” podcast, said the romance bookstore has in some ways become a place of connections for those who are romantically committed.
“I can go to the bookstore and not just find someone who loves books,” she said.
“Romance readers want to feel better,” said Annabel Monaghan, author of several love stories, including “Nora Goes Off Script.”
