I’ve seen that romance books have really taken off in popularity (or, rather, readers aren’t as discouraged from talking about their love for these books and sharing them with others outside the community too).
I‘d really like to try and get into romance.
I’ve looked at the books that others browse and gone through friends’ recommendations (Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, Taylor Jenkins Reid). But everything feels kind of…soulless and formulaic. Plus…it really must be said…there isn’t a lot of diversity among the authors whose books are pushed heavily in displays and email blasts.
Some non-romance books I’ve enjoyed (to make recs easier maybe?):
Pachinko (Min Jin Lee)
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawn Walton)
A Seperate Peace (John Knowles)
Everything I Never Told You (Celeste Ng)
by crystalbethjo
3 Comments
Based on your taste I’d skip the BookTok stuff and go straight to authors like Alyssa Cole, Beverly Jenkins, or Helen Hoang — they’ve got way more substance than the formulaic stuff and you’ll actually find diverse voices that match the literary quality you’re used to
definitely look into Kennedy Ryan and Tia Williams’ work! ive seen a lot of non romance readers enjoy them.
Try browsing the Romance Books sub (I can’t link it as it’s not allowed here, but you can easily search for it). There are lots of good recommendations and discussions for you to figure out what you like.