Today’s romance novels are not the bodice ripping, sex saturated, moaning and groaning, air head woman vs. chest beating man, empty stories of the 70’s and 80’s. Today’s romances have evolved to complex plots, with smart, savvy 
heroines and sensitive, flawed heroes. The old romance books had the domineering man “rescuing” the passive woman. Today you’ll find strong, independent women who sometimes do the “rescuing”. While most of today’s books have the “happily ever after ending”, some stories end up “happy for now”, or “satisfied with my live as is”. Most romances today don’t center around just the two main characters. You learn about their families and friends, the town they live in, the world around them. Today’s romance reader is smart, educated, thoughtful, and complex. Today’s romances run the gambit from historical England, to the wild American West, to the military, to small town life. They can be inspirational, suspenseful, other worldly and a whole host of subgenres – so many that everyone will be able to find the right fit for their reading pleasure. It is a bit deceiving to label a book “romance”, when it fits quite nicely as a “literary” novel. Below is a list of just a few of the romance subgenres.
- Medieval
- Historical (England, Scotland)
- American Historical
- Western (Contemporary)
- Western (Historical)
- Contemporary (Serious)
- Contemporary (Humorous)
- Suspense
- Thriller
- Military
- Paranormal(Vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters)
- Paranormal(Ghosts, witches)
- Futuristic/Fantasy
- Regency Romances
- Victorian Romances
- Inspirational(Historical)
- Inspirational(Contemporary)
- Erotic
- Chick Lit
- Romantic Mysteries
The Library has an excellent selection of mass market romance paperbacks located on the main level near the front windows.
Which is your favorite genre?
The Cheshire Library Blog 
I love that romance novels are evolving and changing to embrace strong female role models and bringing a story to the reader that is a bit more complex and thought provoking! This is what has drawn me to historical romance novels. I feel they can transport me to a different era and many times a different culture! I have come across a fabulous book that I have to recommend after reading your post called “Shanghai Love” by author Layne Wong (http://laynewong.com/). It is an unlikely love story between a Chinese herbalist and a Jewish refugee looking for safety from Nazi Germany. The herbalist, Peilin, was betrothed to a man who was killed before their wedding but tradition and honor forced the marriage along anyways. She is sent to Shanghai to manage his family’s herbal shop. Shanghai is also Henri’s destination as he has graduated from medical school as Hitler is rising to power. He flees to Shanghai where he’s befriended by Ping, Peilin’s brother. Through her kindness, Henri becomes fascinated with Chinese herbs as well as the exotic culture surrounding him. It is such a gripping story with a female character that you care about and that deserves a happy ending!
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