The Three Best Romance Novel Subgenres

You all know that romance is by far my favorite book genre. The idea behind a romance novel is one that we know well. Typically two people meet, fall in love, experience some hardship, get back together and find their happily ever after. The structure for what we’ve come to love is there, but what makes each romance novel different is what happens in between. Romance is multi-layered and there are not one size fit all when it comes to this genre. That is where subgenres come in; from fantasy to historical, to paranormal; there is a little bit of something for everyone.

Here are what I consider to be the three best romance novel subgenres.

Multicultural romance

I love and prefer to read books that have characters who look like me. Because of that, multicultural romance is my go-to subgenre.

Multicultural romance usually features protagonists who are African American although there are a few book lines (though not enough) that include Hispanic and Asian heroes, and interracial relationships. Kimani, under the Harlequin umbrella, is one of my favorite mainstream publishers for this though there are increasingly more publishers as well as some solid work that is self-published.

Recommended author? Altonya Washington

Romantic Suspense

I love me a little danger when it comes to my romance novels, as I have talked about in a previous post. These novels are usually more plot-driven than others. Romantic suspense novels give me a little bit of what I love most in books; a sliver of danger, crime, mysterious circumstances, and a whole lot of scorching romance.

Recommended author? Maureen Smith

Contemporary Romance

Contemporary romance, as you can guess, is set in the present. The books that are set after World War II are considered to be contemporary and is said to be in the largest subgenre. These are set in the time in which they are written and more often times than not try to properly articulate and represent the times. With that being said, some of the content in the books tend to date the material if and when you go back to read the book years later.

Contemporary romance has definitely grown over the years and overall, the characters especially the women featured in the books have grown to be more nuanced and complex. It is definitely the sub-genre I read the most.

Recommended author? Brenda Jackson

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Natalya

Natalya is an Account Manager by day and an editor and author's assistant to passionate creatives by night. When she is not adding to her enormous book collection or stationery supply, she is catching up on her favorite television shows.

Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.

You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.