A Deep Dive into the Genre of Romance

Romance and erotica are the two most popular book genres worldwide – but why? Is it possible that everyone is looking for the same thing? And what is it that romance gives us that we can’t get anywhere else? In this article we’ll be taking a deep dive into the genre and finding out what it is that we love about love.

Connection and Romance
Arguably, romance is so popular because it capitalises on the innate human desire for  connection and intimacy.
We are, by nature, social creatures, and as such, romantic relationships play a special part in our lives. Our partners often become our closest companions and the ones we dedicate most of our lives to. They offer us the chance to learn about another person in their entirety and, in return, become fully seen and fully vulnerable to them. This mutual understanding is what we spend our lives looking for, and forward to, so it’s no wonder we love to read about it, too. Romance novels let us dream of what true love could be like and inspire us to find every drop of magic and intimacy hidden in the world around us. In a world where more and more of us are valuing our independence and online presence, a little more love could be exactly what we need.  

Conflict, Complication and Complete Chaos
Thinking about it, nothing brings us more joy than when a romance begins in the midst of drama. Perhaps the main character has lost their job, or their childhood sweetheart of ten years has just left them, and we see them lose everything they once loved. Their whole world comes crashing down and they think, Well, it can’t get worse than this – but it does. Until... they meet their new soulmate, and suddenly the birds are singing, and the sun is shining, and once again there is joy in the world. Until... they find out they can’t be with their soulmate because there’s a new problem and the world is ‘oh so grey’ again.   As painful as it may be to watch unfold, we love to feel like a happy ending is deserved, and we love to watch characters suffer hardships before coming out on the other side. It makes us feel seen, as very real humans with very real problems, and gives us hope that we, too, will be rewarded for our efforts.

Happily Ever After.
We often read romance for the happy ending. We know everything will work out, that the main characters will end up together, and all the bad will right itself. This soothes our worrisome brains, invites hope back into our hearts and reminds us that the world isn’t always so bad. (And if it is, that there’s always some good to be found in it.) Research has shown that stories with positive endings can make us more positive in life by training our minds to have positive expectations, thus making us happier. Romance novels aren’t boring because you know how they will end, and they aren’t always the unrealistic fairytale that haters tell you they are. The genre gives us space to hold hope for a better world, and if we live with this optimism, we’re more likely to make that world a reality.   Romance novels, play a big role in our society; the number of stories sold each year speaks for itself.

​If you’ve been tempted to dip your toes into the pool of romance and want to give writing one a go, email [email protected] to find out more about our Writing Advisor Service and how we can help you.