You know what’s hot? Romance novels.
Popularity for the genre and its fantasy-centric cousin, romantasy, has been building for more than 20 years, but sales have surged noticeably since the pandemic with more readers cozying up to a good love story, says Mary Stein, East Baton Rouge Parish Library assistant director.
From sweeping historical romances to dark academia, settings and themes vary far and wide thanks to prolific authors turning out book after sultry book.
Romance novel sales rose 52% in 2022. And by October 2024, seven of the top 10 books of the year fell into the romance or romantasy category, according to Publishers Weekly.
Widely read romantasy writers like Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros and chick-lit novelists Emily Henry and Colleen Hoover have helped bring younger readers into the fold. Meanwhile, bingeable shows like Bridgerton and Outlander have inspired fans to read their favorite series’ source material and search for similar novels.
Along with a multitude of themes and settings, romance novels come with varying spice levels, Stein says.
“It’s the never-ending battle between sweet, and hot and steamy,” Stein says. “Readers want one kind or the other.”
Stein also suggests readers pinpoint the tropes they like, including second-chance romance, opposites attract, small-town setting or haters-to-lovers.
Once you find your lane, there’s plenty to work with. Some romance novelists write under multiple pen names, and many turn out series that keep fans eager for each new release, says Jenna Jaureguy, EBRPL collection development librarian.
“A reader can read the next one and the next one and just get lost in a hole—like I did personally during COVID with the Bridgerton series,” Jaureguy says.
Serious fiction readers might scoff at the romance genre, but that’s not stopping diehards. Jaureguy says they’ve gobbled up not just physical books, but e-books and audiobooks, too. In fact, Goodreads’ winner for the 2024 Readers’ Favorite Audiobook was Henry’s Funny Story, which was also the popular reading cataloging site’s winner for Readers’ Favorite Romance.
“I think a lot of the stigma has gone away,” Jaureguy says. “And at libraries, we just want our patrons to have what they like.”
“It’s fun,” she continues. “These are books people are enjoying and talking about a lot.”
Celebrate friendship this year at the Main Library for Galentine’s Day
Friday, Feb. 14
Movies on the Plaza, Galentine’s Day Edition | Main Library at Goodwood
5 p.m.: Pre-movie events include Not So Regular Cookies and S.A.B.’s Snoballs, a nail bar, line dancing and a friendship bracelet station, plus “furry dates” with adoptable pets from Companion Animal Alliance.
7 p.m.: Screening of Now and Then, a coming-of-age film celebrating friendship
This article was originally published in the February 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.
