ROMANCE

In Romances the plot revolves around the love relationship and the inevitable happy ending. The genre encompasses a wide range of books — from historical to contemporary and futuristic, from gentle to racy, from paranormal to realistic — but no matter what the setting, all else is secondary to the love story. Authors draw readers in and allow them to participate in the process, from that first kiss through myriad difficulties and disputes to the ultimate resolution.

Romances follow a romantic relationship from its beginnings through to a satisfactory conclusion, while exploring the misunderstandings that threaten to scuttle the relationship along the way. The first kiss always awakens unexpected passions in both hero and heroine and sets the stage for a happy ending.

Since the primary appeal of Romances is to the emotions, it's often hard for readers to articulate exactly why they like them. Readers feel an emotional link with the protagonists and are invested in the satisfactory outcome of their story. Characters may be stereotypes — bright, independent but not necessarily beautiful heroines pitted against strong, dangerous heroes — but readers expect this and find satisfaction as the heroine always brings the hero to his senses and his knees. Romances read quickly; a reader can put her book down, pick it up later, and fall back into the story immediately. Authors may experiment with characters, settings, and story lines, but the happy ending is sacrosanct. Readers don't want surprises at the end. (NoveList)

Romance authors include:

...and more

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