BellaOnline Forums Books and Music Romance Novels New Trends in Romance?

Hi, I about 20 years ago, I wrote 3 romance novels that I didn't get published but it was really fun writing them. I used to read a lot of romance, keeping up with current trends but haven't read any in quite a few years.

I was thinking of trying my hand at it again and was wondering what the current trends are? I remember reading a few years ago it was babies, either the heroine or hero was a single parent, or there was a baby or child somehow involved. What current topics are of interest to romance readers?

I'd appreciate any thoughts.

Joan

One question I have too is - how graphic have the sex scenes gotten to be? I know that when I used to read romances, many sex scenes were pretty tame, then they got VERY graphic, which I didn't care for. Also, it seemed to me that the heroines got more coarse over time, swearing and tough, which I also didn't care for. What are current popular writers doing?

What authors would you suggest I read to get an idea of current trends?

Hi, Joan.

The first thing I guess is for you to decide what you like best in romance, which means you need to do quite a lot of reading. <G> Romance doesn't have a lot of limits these days, and there are all sorts of things very popular, particularly paranormal stories. Do you like paranormal at all? Historical? Contemporary? Romantic suspense? Category (ie, Harlequin/Silhouette)? If you can narrow down the subgenre, I'm sure we can come up with all kinds of suggestions for you to start your reading.

Elizabeth, that sounds great! I love reading paranormal and I'm interested in historical also. I have a degree in history and have done a lot of local history writing. I had an idea for a book actually that kind of mixed the two genres about a woman who runs a historical society museum, with a mystery from the past to solve, perhaps with the help of a spirit. I planned on using our local historical society as a model for the setting.

I'd love your ideas on books I can read to help me research either in paranormal or historical. One of my needs in the research area is just how much historical detail is needed.

Thanks so much! Any suggestions are appreciated.

Okay. Historical paranormal gives me something to work with. <g>

Try some of Mary Jo Putney's 'Guardians' series. Or Emma Holly's Upyr. Maybe Eve Silver or Joy Nash. These should give you some ideas for detail and setting.

Thanks so much! I'll check on these.

Do you write romances also?

Hello, Joan, I've read a few of Danielle Steele's. Most of her books seem to be a trend of hers. Work related romance. Involved in meetings and flying around and meeting men while working. Boy meets girl, date, fall in love, marriage. I like her but just got tired of the same thing. I didn't know who else's books to read. I knew I wanted romance. I don't enjoy reading anything murder related. Just wanted fun stuff. I just fininshed: Someone to Love. by Jude Deveraux. I thought it was a good romance story. Again, boy meets girl while working.

It depends on what you're thinking of. Usually the baby books tend to be Harlequin/Silhouette, and if that's what you're looking at, those books never go out of style.

If you're looking more toward single title romances, paranormals are huge, though the vampires that have dominated the last few years are giving way to shapeshifters and demons, and I've even seen a few more time travels in the past year than in several previous years.

Romantic suspense is still going strong, and in the past few years, inspirational romances have gained a bigger share of the market.

Really, except for the traditional Regency romances, there's not much you won't find on the shelf in the romance section of bookstores these days.

There is a lot of explicit sex, language and all these days, especially since erotic romances gained a foothold in recent years, but you'll still find some romances where the bedroom door closes in your face. <g>