If there’s one bright spot in the book world these days—despite the rise of AI, the proliferation of book bans, and the creeping decline in general readership—it’s the blooming of the romance genre. Once the butt of stupid jokes and snobbish literary condescension, romance today draws all kinds of readers with all kinds of tastes, and specialty bookstores like the Ripped Bodice (with branches in both Los Angeles and Brooklyn) cater to readers and forge community.
Romantasy by the likes of Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J. Maas may dominate the headlines (and the bestseller lists), but that subgenre is really just the tip of the iceberg. Says Ripped Bodice owner Leah Koch, “Alongside the dragons and fae, we’re seeing major love for super seasonal romance. Readers want books that match the mood of the moment, whether that’s sandy beach reads or cozy fall flings. Right now, One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune and Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood are flying off the shelves—people love a messy, sun-soaked love story.”
You’ll encounter a wide variety of characters in today’s romance, too, reflecting a diversity of race, gender expression, and body type once unheard of in the genre. As novelist Kennedy Ryan, who appears on the cover of this issue, puts it, “I’m going to write about people who may not see themselves in a traditional happily-ever-after but still deserve one.”
Hendrix Barry, the protagonist of Ryan’s latest novel, Can’t Get Enough (Forever, May 13), certainly isn’t your stereotypical romance heroine: She’s a successful Black professional, childless by choice, who’s caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s. She gets her HEA, but not at the expense of her ambitions or life choices. Says Ryan, “Hendrix is an auntie, she takes care of her mom, she takes care of her friends, she takes care of her community, and she’s putting so much love into the world. She’s one of the most certain and self-contained heroines I’ve written.” You can read the full interview with Ryan here.
Christopher William FitzWilliams Winterthrope, the Right Honourable Earl of Eden, is hardly a typical romance protagonist, either. The hero of TJ Alexander’s A Gentleman’s Gentleman (Vintage, March 11), set in England in 1819, is a “man of unusual make”—what today we’d call transgender—whose quiet country life is upended when he receives a solicitor’s letter informing him he must marry before his 25th birthday or forfeit his inheritance. And then there’s the troublesome matter of Christopher’s new valet, James Harding, who’s handsome to “an incredibly annoying degree.” Our review calls it a “charming, compelling, and very queer Regency.”
No setup is off linits for a romance these days. In Mallory Marlowe’s Love at First Sighting (Berkley, August 12), social media influencer El Martin experiences a UFO encounter while livestreaming with her Instagram followers, soon attracting the attention of Agent Carter Brody of the Private Intelligence Sector. The romance between these too is all too human—no paranormal activity here—but the result is “X-Files meets Hype House,” according to our reviewer, with “enough fast-paced action, clever banter, and sizzling chemistry for even the most skeptical nonbeliever.”
You’ll find many other terrific romance novels in this issue, including ones for young adult and even middle-grade readers. We hope to keep you reading happily ever after.
Tom Beer is the editor-in-chief.
