The Romance Genre

The biggest genre is romance: biggest both in terms of the number of books published, and the number of books sold . Romance novels, according to Romance Writers of America, have two defining qualities : they have a love story that is central to the plot, and they have an “emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending”—the Happy Ever After, or HEA. If it only has one of the two, it’s probably be Women’s Fiction, not romance. There are several major sub-genres within romance:

Contemporary

Contemporary romances can be set any time after World War II, but are usually set in the present day. They can date very quickly, both in terms of the technology (cassette decks or dial-up internet) and in terms of the social norms they espouse. There are numerous sub-genres within contemporary romance: military romance and cowboy romance are currently popular, as are books set in small towns with old-fashioned values of friendliness and community.

Romantic Suspense

Romantic suspense novels are more plot-driven, and usually feature the hero and heroine working together to solve some mystery (or may feature one trying to rescue the other from evildoers). One or both protagonists usually work in either law enforcement or serve in the Armed Forces (FBI agents and Navy SEALs are especially popular). Note that for a novel to be considered romantic suspense, the love story must be central to the plot. If the suspense is more important than the love story, the novel is likely to be a thriller/suspense with romantic elements. The same holds true for other romance sub-genres.

Historical

Historical romance can be set in any period prior to World War II. The most popular period in Christian fiction is probably novels set in the American West in the late 1870’s, while both Regency and Victorian England are popular in general market romance. Edwardian fiction is gaining traction in both markets, probably due to the popularity of Downton Abbey. The key challenge for authors in historical fiction is blending historical accuracy with modern-day sensibilities, particularly around sexist or racist attitudes.

Erotic Romance/Erotica

The focus in these novels is the sexual relationship, often featuring same-sex couples, ménage or non-consensual sex, which makes Christian erotica a contradiction in terms (I don’t read these books, but I’ve seen enough online discussion to what they are, and why I don’t want to go near them). A small number of self-published Christian authors do include explicit sexual scenes in their books, but this is why they are self-published. And let’s not get into why Christian readers will read novels featuring a rape or other explicit violence, but not novels with sex between a married Christian couple.

Chick-lit

Chick-lit isn’t really romance, as the heroine’s relationships with family and friends are often as important as her romantic relationships . The origin of the phrase is chick (young woman) lit (literature). It’s not chic lit. Classic (!) examples include Bridget Jones’s Diary and Sex in the City, and these exemplify my issue with Chick lit: they often feature and glorify infidelity and promiscuity.

Chick-lit has a slightly different meaning within the Christian market: it refers to novels that are humorous or ‘light in tone’ with a colloquial voice. Examples include Sandra Bricker and Lisa Wingate. This was popular in the 1990’s, but has now fallen from favour.

Bonnet Romance

Romances featuring Amish or Mennonite characters. Amish romance is a genre quirk: it’s a hugely popular sub-genre of Christian fiction, but not in the general market. It is usually contemporary, set in one of the various Old Order Amish communities in the United States, and often features a teenager falling in love for the first time as she struggles to come to terms with the rules of her faith .

Do you write romance? How do you describe what you write? What do you feel are the essential ingredients in a romance novel?

Next week we will discuss some more common genres: mysteries, suspense and thrillers.