Hello all! Welcome back to this blog!
A few years ago I discovered Romance. Not just the sub-plotted thread lines existing in which ever genre that I came across, but the innovative, new born, sub-genres of Romance.
I discovered that I loved to read Romance and that I went by these books in a short breath time span.
This phase gave me a good perception of what was being created in those years and how some storylines were most attractive to me than others.
I remember crossing paths with Young Adult Romance and Adult/Erotic Romance. I remember the impact of Urban, Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.
But what they all had in common was the Romance part.
Even when the plot was about something else entirely, it was the quality of relationships and the love that bloomed, as well as the griefs and disappointments of an unrequited love, and everything in between, that were the propeller to read more on different genres.
I’m from a time when writing romance was still very frowned upon.
Fortunately I can now say that I am from a time that saw these preconceptions evolve into a more mainstream type of literature and are a bit more tolerated.
Just a bit. Let’s not go crazy over this.
[Was this the reason they were so afraid of? To have a lesser genre to be a big earner? Never mind.]
By now, I’m tempted to list a few of my most impactful reads. ***Should I? Let me know in the comments, if you’re interested in knowing what got into my Best Romance Books Ever.
There had been a great number of romance books written in such an impactful way that I do hope they withstand the passage of time.
A few months ago I came across a few lists all under the reference “Best Romance Novels of All Time”.
I was quite curious about what would pop up if I researched something as broaden as this and it did not disappoint.
Of course we had the classics in there, which contains some of my favorites, but there was also a few of the published (and self-published) ones that are now considered modern genre-classics.
Goodreads produced a list of 639 books on this query: Best Top Romance Novels of All Time . A list which needs to be revised since it has escaped the fundamental criteria for existing.
Criteria: The list is compiled from Amazons Bestsellers in Romance for the peoples view, from Romance Readers Top 100 Romance Novels for a Critique View, And from the Best books From last 10 years lists. Each book has been rated at least 4 star by at least 75 readers.
639! And some of those are series.
Then, it was time for browsing through a Readers Digest Article with the 55 Best Romance Novels of All Time. Last updated in January 2023, this list contains more recent romance novels, from which I spotted a few well loved of mine.
Since this article has the following disclaimer, and it fails to state the choice criteria, I don’t think it to be an unbiased list.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
But its a list, no matter what. A list in which we may find some romance suggestions.
Then it was time to check out ProWritingAid‘s book list. The Best Romance Novels of All Time: Top 60+ Love Books contains a few well known works organised under the epithet’s The Essential Reading Lists: Romance.
Criteria: Top Classic Contemporary Romance Novels. Contemporary is the largest sub-genre in romance. It’s an umbrella term for romance novels set at the time the author was writing—from about the 1970s onwards. You’ll find stories about modern themes, challenges, and society, with most contemporary stories rooted in the real world. We’ve split this list into modern classics and rising stars.
I couldn’t avoid mentioning The Best Romance Novels of 2022 in The New York Times.
As well as The New York Times Best Sellers. [How many of these are Romance?]
I am contemplating doing a WTR list for my own purposes, after all, I love reading romance. I feel I have quite a few classics to catch up, I mainly disregard the contemporary romance best-selling books, and I write paranormal romance, so I should be reading further on these sub-genres across times. And a separate WTR Romance list would be wise of me keep.
For now, I hope you find some Best of All Times Reads in one of these lists and keep reading. Reading is very important if you want to keep writing.
And if you feel you have a Romance Novel in you, it doesn’t matter how many books are on these lists. There is always space for a truly brilliant story. The one you will write.
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Bye and Keep writing! ✍🏼
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