Love Has Always Been in the Air - The History of Romance Novels

If we were to look at the sales statistics for books - eBooks, printed, self-published, etc. - we would find overwhelmingly that romance novels reign supreme. For as much stigma as they get, the romance genre and various subgenres are a cornerstone of the book market. They're what keep traditional publishers alive. What started as a genre written primarily for women to have something other to read than journals on how to run their household and take care of various clothing items, continues to be the highest-grossing genre across literature.

So, why is there so much stink around romance?

There are a lot of factors to consider when we dive into the stigma around romance novels. Before I get started, please remember that I am not a scholar of literature, an historian, or even remotely an expert in any of this. I'm just a woman who loves to write and read romance.

When I wrote my first book, Truly & Deeply, I hadn't written anything in a long time. Probably years. Then, I started reading T.L Swan's books, and was hooked by these beautiful (albeit fantastical) love stories of women who were adored by strong, powerful men that would literally kill for them. There had been romantic elements in the books I'd read before, primarily fantasy and historical fiction, but never had I read something that was pure romance. I devoured it. I fell in love with this genre. And it inspired me to start writing again!

I've written three romance novels, and it took me about a year and half to proudly say that I write romance. Will my future books all be romance? Maybe not, but they'll definitely always have elements of it. And that's because I love romance and I am proud to be a part of a genre that has such a rich history.

The History of Romance Novels

@amytwice_ on Tiktok, made an amazing video talking about how romance novels have provided women "identity, autonomy, and pleasure for years" in the face of a world that insisted we should have none of those things. Romance novels were the original FU to the patriarchy. When speaking to some of the earliest recognized romance authors, Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, the New York Public Library says, "For female readers tied down by social norms and conventions, these romance novels became a form of escape and inspiration." In a world where women were told explicitly that they had no place in shaping the way the world worked, the idea of educated and empowered young women being seen as desirable by the upper echelon of men in society was a beautiful fantasy.

Cut to the 20th century, when various subgenres of romance began to emerge. Romantic horror, gothic romance, and historical fiction romance all became even more popular, finally leading to the "bodice-ripper" genre of romance that introduced the steamy scenes that have become a staple for some romance readers. These steamy novels were lucrative, and eventually Harlequin, a subsection of HarperCollins, began publishing and marketing these types of romance novels directly to women. We've all seen these books - the cover has Fabio, the handsome, shirtless, dark-haired man clutching an alluring woman to his chest as they gaze lovingly at each other in a way that hurts my neck just to think about. This revolutionized the genre, but also gave ammunition to tack on more vocal stigma to it.

In 2022, romance novels generated $1.44 billion dollars in revenue. BookTok exploded with recommendations for novels that covered all sorts of romance subgenres - romantasy being a big one - and offered a new and wildly successful way for smaller authors and independent authors to market their books. It also provided a community of people that could connect and discuss and share their love of this genre, helping to lessen the stigmas around it more and more.

Why is Romance as a Genre so Popular?

Here's where we get into the Becca's opinion of it all. Not basing this off of any facts, simply my own experiences with and knowledge of this industry insofar as a self-published romance author.

Romance continues to be a space where women, and now more and more marginalized groups, can escape. We look at the dumpster fire that is the world around us, feeling absolutely hopeless. Our bodily autonomy is under attack, the very notion of some of our existence is being wiped away as if it doesn't matter, and we are watching our friends and loved ones spend each day terrified of the fresh hell that will be unleashed tomorrow.

Romance novels aren't just silly little love stories. They're messages of empowerment. They're a statement of visibility and representation for so many people. Romance novels offer a little bit of hope in an otherwise horrific world. They say to their readers, "I see you, and you deserve to be loved in your entirety." All stories are important, and I just so happen to love the romance genre. It's been around for centuries, educating and empowering groups that suffer at the hand of the patriarchy. And, to me, that's why it has remained the most popular genre of literature for as long as it has.

Message of Hope

To my fellow writers, authors, and creatives - please keep working. I know that it's unbearably difficult right now to reconcile promoting your book with the hounds jumping on the door, but the work that we do is so important. Keep representing, keep testing the limits, keep creating. Because it's what will keep us connected as we move towards an unpredictable future.