I’ve noticed a new trend lately when it comes to romance novels. When I walk into the bookstores and scour the shelves, I still see historical romance novels (usually by the bigger, well known authors), and there are contemporary romance novels, too. But what I see filling most of the shelf space is paranormal romances. Vampires. Werewolves. Aliens. Shapeshifters. Witches. Time-travel. Futuristic. And anything else fictional/paranormal that a writer’s imagination can dream up! Some of the paranormal stories I’ve seen feature alternate universes and exotic breeds that absolutely boggles my mind! Since my mind doesn’t work that way creatively, I have a whole lot of respect for authors who can suspend disbelief this way, and do it very well.
I was talking to a bookstore manager recently about what’s really hot right now, and she confirmed that paranormals are in big demand and consist of almost 70% of the romance industry. Wow, that’s a whole lot of vampires, werewolves, and time-travelers out there! As a reader, I do enjoy the occasional paranormal story, mostly sexy vampires, but I’m a true contemporary romance reader at heart. I like my men and women from this century — not a futuristic one, LOL!
So, my question to you is, as a romance reader, what do you like to read the most? Are contemporary romances your thing, or do you prefer historicals? Are you a die-hard paranormal romance reader? Or are you like me and read a few paranormals here and there, depending on the author and theme? And if you DO read a lot of paranormals, do you read by certain author, or because of certain paranormal elements?
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Janelle, quite honestly, I haven’t been reading romance at all lately. I’m on a true crime kick right now…lol! Finished In Cold Blood last month, now I’m reading A Murder In Belmont by Sebastian Junger.
However, when I do read romance, I typically like to read lighter, sassy contemporaries like those by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Rachel Gibson. I’m not into the paranormals–which is funny, since I love Stephen King, Dean Koontz, et al. I guess I just want lots of blood and guts with my horror…but no romance. :p
Leslie
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I love contemporary romance and romantic suspense. That’s 90% of what I read. I’m not really into historicals (I do prefer the here and now). Occasionally I do read paranormals because I like the author and it’s for the variety. I’m not into vampires, werewolves, aliens or the like. I like Jayne Castle (because I love Jayne Ann Krentz) but I’ve never read her Amanda Quick books. I like books with time travel, ghosts, witches, ESP and psychic elements but I choose them based on the author (I love Kay Hooper’s books). It has to be an author that I love to read.
BTW – I’m reading A Little Bit Naughty right now (finished Tempted & I’m in the middle of Seduced) and I’m loving it!! Great stories Janelle!
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I love to read contemporary romance. I have read a few historical novels but I just don’t seem to get into those like the contemporary ones. I also have been reading a lot of “sports themed” romance novels too. Which is a switch for me.
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Yes, I read paranormals. Historicals, contemporaries etc……
Historicals were my first love not regency (though I love them now) but good ole midieval. Kings, knights Lord and Ladies. You can tell I grew up with a fairy tale book being read to me at night. (f) I have always been fascinated with stories of Dracula and vampires so it is easy for me to understand my fascination with Vampire and other beings.
I loveSherilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters series (more contemporary) and The Lords of Avalon (historical time, time travel, magic involved).
Whe it comes to movies I enjoy period movies too. I guess I’m looking for the ultimate escape sometimes and I find them in books that take you away to somewhere you haven’t been before.
Plus, if you know your historical authors some of them are so careful with the history it like getting a history lesson in every book. I’ve learned more about King Henry the Eigth and how his court worked from Bertrice Smalls books than I ever did from a book in school.
Maybe it is the idea that such a thing as a Vampire, as vile and dangerous as they are can also be romatic and heroic.
(l)
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I like contemporary romances. I just think I can relate better to the characters and the surroundings, which I can’t seem to do in historical timepieces. I don’t like paranormals. I’ve always been scientifically inclined and have a very analytical mind, so I have a hard time enjoying something that I can’t see in my daily realm of life. I’ve never been able to get into sci-fi and things of that sort, because in my analytical mind some things just seem too far-fetched and I can’t fathom them to be real.
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Morning Janelle~
I’m into contemporary romances (Plotmonkeys, Judith McNaught, Nora, JoAnn Ross)and romantic suspense (Julie Garwood). Though I will admit I do like to go back in time a bit and read a good historical romance -again Julie Gardwood, Bertrice Small (the complete Skye O’Malley series). I don’t do time travel or vampires.
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I do read paranormal romance. I particularly enjoy Sherrilyn Kenyon and Christine Feehan. I read historical romance the most. I enjoy the escape to a difference time and place. I also read contemporary romances. I find that what I read depends on the mood I am in.
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I like contemporary romances, and romantic suspense. I have read some paranormal, but not into vampires and weirwolves. The few time travel books I have read, I just have a hard time believing. So I guess I will have to stick with books that I can get into and associate to. I was on a historical kick a few years ago, but for one reason or another got away from that line.
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(c)
Good Morning Janelle,
I love contemporary romances, and romantic suspense. Anything Hot and Steamy. But I’m also into Paranormal Romance (this from someone who’s scared to watch scary movies, go figure). Katie McAllister does Dragons like no other and Katie McAllister, Lyndsay Sands and Maryjanice Davisdon have awesome Vampires series. These Paranormal Romances are written more like a regular comtemporary Romance only with a twist, that the hero or heroine are Vamps! (d)
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I prefer contemporary romances – category and single title. I used to read historicals a long time ago but not so much anymore. A little mystery here and there, a little true crime, a little chick lit. But I’m not really into paranormals at all.
But I know people who absolutely LOVE them. Guess that’s why they’re so huge right now!!
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I’m a contemporary romance girl myself. I’ve read only one historical and really enjoyed it. But my heart is with contemporary. I just dont do the paranormal thing. I like to read about men and women from this world. People I can really see falling in love. People who are like me.
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I mainly read contemporary romance and romantic suspense. When I’m in the mood for something other than that I usually settle in with a book by Sue Grafton, Thomas Harris or Nelson DeMille. I do read an occasional vampire story.
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Historicals were my first love, but I read contemps too. I love them both. I have not read that many paranormals or fantasies though.
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Contemporary romance & romantic suspense are my favorite. I’m not into the paranormal at all but I do love Nora’s books about witches, she does a great job with that. No vampires or werewolves for me! Once in a while a time travel is okay & also historical but mostly the here & now! Someone gave me a Susan Wiggs historical that was very good & enjoyed. I’m so glad all of you Plotmonkeys write in the here & now. Books that make me laugh along with the romance are also very much enjoyed. :)
Have a great day everyone.
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Okay, maybe I am new to this genre…..do the characters make out with vampires and aliens and such? Or, are those guys (vampires, aliens and such) just ‘outside’ charaters? Obviously, I read the contemporary ones (ones where they are at least in the same time zone).
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I read contemporary and romantic suspense the majority of the time. If I read a paranormal, it is by author.
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Hi, Katie! Yes, in many paranormal romances, the hero and or heroine are otherworldly beings like vampires or werewolves and such. I personally don’t like that type myself, either. I’ve written two paranormals and am about to write my third. In my first, my hero is a ghost. In my second, my hero *was* a ghost and is now a man out of time, while my heroine was his reincarnated wife (or was she?)
In my third, my heroine is a powerful witch. (Think Charmed). My hero also has some powers as he is half-witch.
I’ve always loved paranormal stories ever since reading Rita Clay Estrada’s THE IVORY KEY. (Funny how this topic is dovetailing into my post at the Access Romance blog today.) I don’t like vamps or werewolves, either…though I have enjoyed the Laurell K. Hamilton variety. And of course, Anne Rice.
I cut my teeth on historicals–Henley, Miller, Deveareux, Lindsay. I don’t read them much anymore. Can’t really say why. The same for straight contemporaries. Unless it’s a chick lit or written by a friend, it’s not usually the book I’ll pick up. I love romantic suspense! That’s my first choice of reading now.
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I love historicals, mostly Regencies, but I do have a fair amount of contemporaries. As for paranormals, I really can’t get into them — I just prefer timetravel in Star Trek and Star Wars and the aliens in the X-Files. Though I did break that with Teresa Mederios’s After Midnight. I loved the two I read before that and gave it a try. Still not a fan of vampires, but hey, I loved hers.
Lois
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Thanks Julie for your help! I think I will stick with the contemporaries (I guess that is what it would be called….books like “The Bachelor” that Carly has written).
I think this website is so awesome because the authors actually care enough to write back! Keep it up. :)
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Carolyn — I’m glad you’re enjoying A LITTLE BIT NAUGHTY. Those two stories were written a few years ago for Harlequin Temptation, and I’m so glad that they finally reprinted them! The hero of SEDUCED is one of my favorites.
Thanks everyone for stopping by and letting us know what you like to read. I’m surprised there aren’t more die-hard paranormal readers considering what’s in bookstores, but hey, the Plotmonkeys write mostly contemporary and so that’s probably what most of you read!
Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for JUNGLE MADNESS FRIDAY! Julie is doing the giveaway this week, and let me just say — I wish *I* could win the prize! :d
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Oh, and the title of the blog should have been WHAT’S IN A ROMANCE NOVEL? Not WHAT *IS* A ROMANCE NOVEL? Geez, we all know what a romance novel is! LOL
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Without a doubt! I love contemps. Now, dont mean to offend anyone, but dont like vamps, werewolfs, shapeshifters, paranormal or witches. Surprised to hear I am in the minority.
I particularly like contemps with humor, and touching contemp stories. I do read an occasional western historical. Love Stef Ann Holm’s west. hist. books.
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Urban Fantasy is my favorite genre to read.
I would eat up paranormal romance and horror whenever I could get my hands on them before they became so hot. I cut my teeth on Stephen King and Dean Koontz. And then I discovered gothic romance, and dark romance with paranormal elements.
I couldn’t be happier that I have a much wider range of imaginative worlds to choose from now. I don’t have to settle for an “almost what I want to read” anymore.
And now I am more encouraged that I write PR an UF.
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i am a die hard contempory romance now, it use to be historical. once i started a contemp romance i could not get into historical romance. I am not a fan of paranormal romance or future, i can’t get into to them. i love blaze books the most
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I go in cycles. Currently I am totally digging on the historicals (Lisa Kleypas, Julianne MacLean, Eloisa James). Before that was the erotic stories by EC and the Aphrodisia line. I mix it up a little by going on a category binge – HP’s and Blazes mostly.
I do like paranormals and vamps. Not as big a fan of werewolves but MJD does a funny and fabulous were, and Lucy Monroe is writing werewolf stories, and I adore Lucy’s books. Kate Douglas writes about some really scorching weres, too.
My issue is the saturation of one or two hot topics – it can get tiresome – but at the same time, I’m seeing a lot of authors flex their creative muscles and bring a lot of originality to them, which is definitely a good thing. I can’t say I love one genre more than another, but I love the variety. I’m thinking about checking out the offerings of Christian romance for another type of story. It’s so great to have choices.
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I have never been into paranormal romance until I picked up the Black Dagger Brotherhood series written by J.R. Ward. They are great. The first book was really good and the second one was even better. (y) (y) Two thumbs way way up. She has created a whole new way to look at vampires.
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Good topic, Janelle! Personally, I am totally ANTI vampires, werewolves, etc., & only occasionally, timetravels, only if written by a favorite author. I definitely believe the popularity of these books caused Harlequin to cancel the Temptations, one of my favorite lines.
My favorites are: hot contemporaries (monogamous, heterosexual H/H, especially, with humor (i.e., SEP, Leslie, etc.); category series by favorite authors (yeah, I’m still reading the Blazes, SIMs, etc.); hot Historicals, & some Regencies (e.g., Carla Kellys). I find Regencies require more of my brainpower, so, I trade off genres. I don’t want to read Romantic Suspense, with emphasis on the Suspense, deleting the Romance, or mysteries. Some authors can write the latter, with lightness & romance (e.g., Susie Enoch), but, not many. I always buy by author (adding new ones based on friend’s recommendations), & give a book 20 pages to engage me, or, I recycle.
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I enjoy most of the books in the Janelle Dennison collection and I really get a kick out of conitinuing to pick up the titiles that I don’t have by ordering them from obscure websites on the internet. Of course, then I have to wait to get them which can take some time but if I don’t receive them within two weeks then I get to make some trouble.
I love reading any book that has a cop for a hero, or a military man, a doctor, lawyer or candlestick maker. I just live to read and read to live. My husband said that if books were food, I’d be the biggest woman in the world since I read so much. Of course I have him convinced that it doesn’t matter what I read, I am picking up knowledge. I also had him convinced that I knew so many ways to kill a person (especially when he makes me so angry that steam is usually coming out of my ears), until he read you novel HOT STUFF. Now he knows that I don’t know what I am talking about. Thanks for the great memories over the years and I hope that you continue to give me a lot more novels to enjoy and torture my main squeeze.
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I hate the paranormal in romatic suspense which does tell you exactly what I do like to read. My sister is on the paranormal kick and when we trade novels I end up having like twelve of the paranormals and none of the romatic suspense. My sister on the other hand has really good novels that I have lent to her. At least I get to give them back. There is always a silver lining, you just have to search for it sometimes. Keep up the great work.