A friend of mine asked me why I like romance so much, specifically, why I like writing romance. So, lets go a little deeper into why I like writing about romance.

What is Romance?

Well, according to Google, the definition of romance is “a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love”. Isn’t that what we are all looking for? A little excitement and mystery? I mean, each individual has their own definition as to what excitement or mystery means to them. To me, finding someone that has the same dreams, passions, and a sense of humor is excitement enough. Others may want more.

This is where Romance novels come into play. Besides the fact that romance offers some hope or dream for some, it can come in many different forms. For instance, there is at least eleven different sub genres for a romance novel to qualify in (I am not including LGBTQ+ as a subgenre simply because it shouldn’t need one all on its own; it shouldn’t matter what gender the lovers are in the book, only that there is love between them), and more emerging all the time.

Romance Subgenres:

Plenty of different avenues to start. Then, with romance novels, you also get into the aspect of tropes. Now, the definition of a romance trope is: a plot, theme or character used so often that it has become a convention within the genre. One example of a trope is enemies turned lovers. That one is a classic.

Google it. There are literally hundreds of commonly used tropes, for any novel type. And I hate to say this, but romance sells. It doesn’t matter who you are. Anyone is looking for a good romance novel to read. And frankly, almost EVERY book you read has some kind of romance in it. Even JRR Tolkien included romance in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Harry Potter had his share as well. I mean, who wasn’t rooting for Ginny from the beginning?

These are all reasons why I choose romance to write about. It is everywhere. Everyone needs it. Some may not be magical, suspenseful, or exciting, but everyone deserves to have a romance story, even if it is fictional.

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What’s better than one or two great romance authors? Ten, actually. Below you’ll find my favorite ten romantic authors that are sure to give your heart all the feels and leave it pining for more! (Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com)

10. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games Trilogy

Not your typical romance novel, but it does provide the dreaded love triangle. Add in the dystopian drama, and it makes for an amazing read. I think the only question I really have is, did Katniss settle for Peeta? Or did she really fall for him?

9. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight series

Okay, I know. Some people may not actually like this as a favorite, but the writing style was pretty good. Definitely better than the movies. One other book that most don’t know about is her novel the Host. I feel it was much better than Twilight, but not really romancy.

8. Charlaine Harris – Sookie Stackhouse novels

Now a major series on HBO (which did deviate from the books, as usual), the Sookie Stackhouse novels were a very steamy vampire romance series. Definitely couldn’t put it down. Of course, seeing the dreamy bods in the HBO series definitely helped with the scenes in the book.

7. Cecelia Ahern – P.S. I Love You and Love, Rosie

Cecelia Ahern wrote two amazing books that was also adapted to movies. Full of love, heartbreak, and bad timing, they will keep you going to the end.

6. Nicholas Sparks – The Notebook, A Walk to Remember

Okay, who doesn’t love a good Nicholas Sparks book? I may not be a huge fan of all of them, he did create some swoon worthy novels.

5. James Patterson – Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, Sam’s Letters to Jennifer, Sundays at Tiffany’s

As another male author creating romance (he did cowrite some of these books), you have to wonder if they are any good. Normally, James Patterson writes amazing thrillers, but the few romances he has done, are ones you can’t put down. And let me tell you, MAJOR tearjerkers! Grab a box of tissues before you start in on them, you will need them.

4. Julia Quinn – Bridgerton Series

I will admit that I got into the Bridgerton series from the Netflix series of the same name. I am a huge historical romance fan and finding Julia Quinn has increased that fascination. Another that is gracing my Kindle page.

3. S. Nelson – Addicted Trilogy

A new (for me anyway) author that captivated me from page one. Pretty sure it took me three days to finish this trilogy (couldn’t stop and bought one after the other as soon as I was done). Could not put them down.

2. EL James – 50 Shades of Grey

The movie may have died, but the flame inside the book, will burn you alive. For a contemporary romance, this one would be hard to put down. Not everyone likes it, but I most definitely did. The companion trilogy told from Christian’s point of view was also good as well, although not as good as the original.

1. Eloisa James – there are too many to name. I have read them all.

I mentioned already that I am a historical romance junkie, and she is the drug that started it all. Not every book is a smash hit, but when 95% of them fill that hunger inside of you, I would say that is a total win. Her expertise in the field of Shakespearean, as she is a professor that teaches it, is brought to light in her writing. (Here is the link to her most recent book: How to Be a Wallflower)

Conclusion

I hope that this list offers more on your TBR for this summer. I will post more authors as I find them. As I have started writing myself, I have discovered plenty of indie writers that have undiscovered gems. More to come on that, so stay tuned and happy reading!

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