All About the Most Popular Book Genre: Romance

Photo from Focus Features

Edited by Rachel Heung

Are you an avid reader? A person who always has their nose in a book? Well, if you are a self-proclaimed “bookworm” then you must have seen at least one romance novel. Today, I’ll tell you all about the most popular book genre: romance.

Romance is the most popular genre out there. The theme of the genre is love. The majority of romance novels are written and read by women. Therefore, it is catered slightly more towards women who actually make up 84% of its readers. According to Amazon, romance novels make about 1.44 billion in sales making it the most profitable genre. Romance novels are all about the happy ending between two individuals. It inspires and provides a sense of hope to its readers because everything is so “perfect” making it emotionally satisfying to read. Readers are able to experience an emotional rollercoaster or a dramatic sequence of events in the main character’s shoes, serving as an escape from reality. 

Romance first gained popularity during the late eighteenth century to the Victorian era. Some famous and cherished works that were born during this time include Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen, Jane Eyre (1847) by Charlotte Bronte and Anna Karenina (1877) by Leo Tolstoy. The most notable of these three is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is about Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy who learn to set aside their pride and prejudices in order to accept and love each other. Since its release in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has been noted as one of the most popular novels and has sold 20 million copies worldwide.    

“A romance novel should leave readers joyous. My books all have happy endings.” - Judith McNaught. In conclusion, romance is a genre that everyone of all ages, genders and races can enjoy because it’s hopeful, optimistic and happy endings are always guaranteed!

Bibliography

• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/common-romance-subgenres-to-guide-your-writing

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_novel

• https://www.liveabout.com/romance-novels-about-the-romance-fiction-genre-2799896

• https://mrusbooksnreviews.com/15-reasons-why-read-romance#:~:text=Romance%20helps%20grow%20our%20understanding,everything%20centered%20on%20a%20woman

• https://theurbanwriters.com/blogs/publishing/romance-books-are-hot-flirt-your-way-to-bestseller

• https://bubblecow.com/blog/popular-book-genre

• https://theurbanwriters.com/blogs/publishing/romance-books-are-hot-flirt-your-way-to-bestseller

• https://daily.jstor.org/the-business-of-the-romance-novel/

• https://www.famousauthors.org/top-10-famous-romance-novels-of-all-time

• https://www.vox.com/2015/1/28/7922617/pride-and-prejudice-charts

• https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/austen-power-200-years-of-pride-and-prejudice-8454448.html

• https://quotefancy.com/quote/1508445/Judith-McNaught-A-romance-novel-should-leave-readers-joyous-My-books-all-have-happy