I wrote most of my romance novel, , during the COVID lockdown era, when the world seemed to be shrouded in darkness and uncertainty. At the time, I wanted to work on writing something I hoped would not only bring readers some joy but also wouldn’t traumatise me as I wrote it.
I wasn’t alone in thinking that the world needed a bit of light-hearted entertainment. Romance novels are currently having their .
As bestselling romance author Emily Henry : “The world has felt particularly unpredictable for the last few years. When you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, it’s such a gift to pick up a book that you know might put your heart through the wringer but will ultimately turn out OK.”
25 per cent of all books sold in the 21st century have been romance books
In the UK, statistics show that sales of romance novels are currently at their highest, with an . A 2018 study showed that .
In Australia, the romance genre is a . But in 2020 at least, romance fiction was .
Anecdotally, at least, this has changed in recent years – not just because large publishers are publishing books such as mine and other romance fiction, but because there is a growing realisation that readers in this country want books catering to them and their lives.
The funny thing is, I didn’t grow up reading romance fiction. Perhaps I, too, was swayed by the snobbish attitude that seems to exist around this genre. Much of this is due to the fact that romance is seen as a genre enjoyed by women, hence .
As Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare, , “Romance novels used to be books you might hide in your bedside drawer.”
When I was a teen, there weren’t many romance titles in the YA genre. Now the market has changed drastically. My 14-year-old daughter has introduced me to a number of YA romance books that she’s been reading. Books such as Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han, Heartstopper by Alice Oseman – the list goes on. I’ve now read a number of titles in the romance genre, some of which .
The explosion in popularity of YA romance titles could be due to the . Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis was the first book that caught the attention of what was soon termed “BookTok” – TikToks made by readers talking about books they liked (as well as didn’t like). In the UK, books that used TikTok or #BookTok in their marketing sold .
Books that used TikTok or #BookTok in their marketing sold 2.2 million copies in the first four months of 2022
All this means that romance is now very much at the forefront of fiction. Such is its popularity that The Guardian recently asked to talk about their favourite rom-com books.
It seems the tables may be turning in favour of romance, because the industry at large can’t deny there’s a huge appetite for these books and that people enjoy reading them.
I’m thrilled that something I wrote to give people joy in moments of darkness is doing exactly that.
Last night I gave a talk at a library, and afterwards a woman came up to me and said that she hadn’t been reading much until she picked up my book and managed to finish it in a day and a half. It reminded her of how much fun reading could be. The bookseller who was selling copies of my book chimed in, “There’s nothing like reading romance to get you out of your funk.”
If romance gets people reading and offers a moment of respite in a world that sometimes feels so overwhelmingly negative, then I say more power to romance books.
is an author and freelance writer. Her debut novel, , is out now through Penguin Australia.
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