Facts on Romance Novels

Romance novels are the single most popular form of fiction in North America. They focus on the relationship between a man and a woman and how their relationship evolves from problematic to romantic. Depending on the type of romance novel, it may also have a focus on the physical, intimate experiences of the couple.

Features

Romance novels begin with a couple who is not currently in a romantic relationship and present an obstacle that works to keep the couple apart before they finally fall in love.

Misconceptions

The most common misconception of the romance novel is that the stories are old fashioned and that the female characters are all virgins.

Fun Fact

Almost half of all the paperback books printed and distributed for the North American market are romance novels of various types.

Size

Though there are exceptions, most romance novels are significantly shorter than standard paperback novels, with some as short as 50,000 words in length.

Types

Romance novels come in hundreds of different themes, including Christian, vampires, cowboys, historical, contemporary, futuristic, medical, single parents and many more.

Significance

Romance novels have been one of the most popular types of fiction books for decades, and are now popular in 120 countries.

Resources

• Harlequin is the largest romance novel publisher.