Romance novels, while wildly popular, are often “loathed by literary critics” and denounced as formulaic “hackwork” (Crusie). However, popular romance novels cannot be ignored; these books make up the largest market share of genre fiction, earning a total of $1.44 billion in 2022 (Curcic). In spite of this popularity, most university libraries have few romance novels or related nonfiction scholarly and non-scholarly sources about romance novels on their shelves.
At UD, lecturer Amy Krug and her English composition students set out to change that. In the fall of 2023, they collaborated with University Libraries Director of Collections Strategies & Services Tina Beis to curate a list of novels and nonfiction resources about the genre and build a circulating collection. Browse them here and use the links provided to view them in the library catalog.
This project was supported by a grant from the Experiential Learning Innovation Fund. Logo design by Shahd Salem.
Sources:
Crusie, Jenny. “Defeating the Critics: What We Can Do About the Anti-Romance Bias.” JennyCrusie.com. Accessed May 15, 2023.
Curcic, Dimitrije. “Romance Novel Sales Statistics.” Wordsrated.com. October 9, 2022. Accessed May 10, 2023.
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All That’s Left in the World
Erik J. Brown
All That’s Left in the World is about two boys, Andrew and Jamie, who are fighting for their lives after a deadly virus has killed off most of the world. With their loved ones gone, the only thing keeping them going is each other. While in search for civilization, Jamie begins to develop feelings for Andrew. This book is not your typical romance novel. It incorporates love between two men and an element of science fiction. This represents an LGBTQ+ subgenre of romance.
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Always Only You
Chloe Liese
Always Only You includes two disabilities — autism and rheumatoid arthritis — when most stories do not even include one. This story shows that no matter the disability, it is possible to find love, putting light on the topics of these disabilities and finding love.
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Archer's Voice
Mia Sheridan
The main character, Bree, moves to get away from the trauma she experienced with her father after a brutal crime. She finds herself in a small town, developing feelings for a man with a childhood tragedy that left him mute and emotionally scarred. However, Bree finds out that she can understand him, and they both see something in each other that lets them both begin to heal. However, they both struggle with feelings for each other because of fears of abandonment and never being able to trust someone again.
This is a good addition to the collection because it may prompt readers to reflect on the way that they treat others and how they want others to treat them. This book makes people feel good because the love seems so pure. Most readers get attached to the characters and appreciate that there is a diverse cast. The story is moving and shows a strong impression of the disability.
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Benjamin Alire Saenz
This book is a must-have for any college student's bookshelf. Its exploration of identity, friendship, and love speaks to the heart of the young adult experience, making it a valuable addition to any collection, especially for its celebration of diversity.
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Ash
Malinda Lo
Ash is a sapphic retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. This novel is a perfect addition to the Popular Romance Collection because it is a wholesome, gentle transition into the sapphic romance genre. This book is significant because it is frequently banned or challenged.
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Bet Me
Jennifer Crusie
Jennifer Crusie is an important author to include in any collection because of the quality of her novels as well as her scholarship: She was working on her PhD when she decided to become a romance author. Her high-quality books reflect her deep understanding of romance.
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Betting on the House
Cassandra Medcalf
This book breaks the chains of stereotypes of women in business. The book allows readers to see a successful woman in business and the struggles that come with it. It challenges the stereotypes and helps the character find who she is.
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Boyfriend Material
Alexis Hall
Boyfriend Material uses one of the standard romance tropes – “pretend relationships.” In this romantic comedy, the fake relationship is between Luc, who is reluctant to participate in the charade, and Oliver, a serious lawyer. Of course, their relationship eventually becomes real as they navigate love and self-acceptance. Chosen for its humor, relatable characters, and heartfelt themes, it's a great addition to any library collection.
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Brazen and the Beast
Sarah MacLean
This book exemplifies the topics of female empowerment and independence. It portrays a successful woman focused on her career and growing her business. She finds love, but not at the cost of her passions. This book challenges stereotypes of gender roles and shows that females can focus on their careers and relationships.
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Change of Plans
Dylan Newton
This book features a woman, Bryce Weatherford, who is given custody of her three young nieces. She then meets a retired marine, Ryker Matthews, who lost his leg in service and continues to deal with the pain. They both meet at the perfect time and help each other with their problems. We see how no matter what the obstacle may be, having someone by your side who will always be there is so important.
Change of Plans is a great addition to the Popular Romance Collection because it follows two people who both have challenges to work through. It shows the reality of people who have bumps in the road that need to be handled before love. The book gives a good sense of comfort and reality to show others it is OK to have stressful obstacles. This book also shows how important it is to have a support system. Having people who believe in you and will always be there allows you to reach your full potential.
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Click. Date. Repeat.
KJ Farnham
This book highlights finding love online — not in 2024, but 21 years earlier in 2003. It focuses on the start of the Internet dating scene, and it finds someone who has gone through many unsuccessful dates and is willing to try something new on their parents' computer. Will this new approach work or end in an even longer unsuccessful dating cycle?
We chose this book because instead of highlighting more modern online romances it goes back to 2003, when the Internet was on the rise, and provides insight into this experience. It will add a new perspective to online dating as it focuses on the start of it and the struggle that comes with it.
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Crocodile on the Sandbank
Elizabeth Peters
Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first book in the Amelia Peabody series. Published in 1975, it introduces a Amelia, a suffragist and Egyptologist protagonist living in the Victorian era. For Amelia and future generations, romance is only a part of the story; intelligence and character are just as attractive as physical attributes. Clearly, author Elizabeth Peters, who herself earned a doctorate in Egyptology at the University of Chicago, believed female protagonists didn't need to be waiting for rescue.
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Dark Lover
J. R. Ward
J.R. Ward launched her long-running Black Dagger Brotherhood series with the publication of Dark Lover in 2005. This paranormal romance series, which mixes romance with intricate world-building, became a decades-long phenomenon with over two dozen books and novellas to date and more on the horizon.
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Den of Vipers
K.A. Knight
This dark romance was one of the first books to be promoted on BookTok. BookTok greatly influences book sales and what is placed on the bestseller lists, and it should be represented in the collection because it shows the impact of social media in the self-publishing arena. Plus, it’s OK to like sexy books!
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Destiny's Embrace
Beverly Jenkins
This is the first book in the Destiny series by Beverly Jenkins, one of the most popular and prolific writers of Black historical romance. Her books are often set in the American West in the 19th century, a time frame that is often overlooked in Black romance. Jenkins has won multiple awards and is an important voice in the popular romance world.
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Divergent (Divergent, #1)
Veronica Roth
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions — Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). One day every year, 16-year-olds choose which faction to be a part of, and Beatrice makes a surprising choice. Beatrice renames herself Tris during the extreme physical tests of endurance and psychological simulations. Tris is hiding a secret though, and she discovers conflict that disrupts her almost perfect society.
We chose this book because there is a popular movie based on this book, so we think it could capture some people’s attention to read it. Also, it can add to the collection by being a sci-fi book.
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Double Love (Sweet Valley High #1)
Francine Pascal
This is a terrible book. It’s not well-written; it’s trite; and the characters are two dimensional. Love and happiness seem limited to blond, perky, thin, able-bodied girls. However, I loved these books, and they were the first YA romances I read; the series has well over 100 books and multiple spinoff series. For so many young girls in the 1980s, these books were the ideal depiction of high school romance and drama; even Roxanne Gay mentioned Sweet Valley High’s influence in her book Bad Feminist. This book is important to consider when we look at the evolution of young adult romance, and it makes us appreciate current, more inclusive novels. Notably, most of these books are ghostwritten, a common occurence in romance series.
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Ever After Always
Chloe Liese
This novel explores the inner workings of anxiety’s hand in a marriage. Ever After Always encapsulates representation and inclusivity in romance novels by showing a couple already married having real-world difficulties in their relationship, such as deciding on having children, navigating financial issues, and ultimately deciding if a relationship is worth saving. After reading this novel, you see a realistic depiction of marriage and learn more about how a partner’s mental health is just as important as their physical health.
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Every Day
David Levithan
This book is about a man who lives many different lives each day. However, he is in love with the same woman every single day. The story follows how he navigates the difficulties in pursuing a relationship with her, which is a struggle.
We chose this book because it seemed like an interesting story with the changing identity of the character. This novel is also a type of novel where we couldn’t imagine living a life like the man in the book.
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Everything, Everything
Nicola Yoon
Everything, Everything is an interesting book both entertainment-wise and academic-wise. The story takes an interesting twist on describing the challenges of a disabled, ill individual falling in love with someone she cannot be in close contact with. Academically, toward the end of the book, the reader will discover the true state of her “illness,” which can spark discussions about whether this book properly represents the disability community.
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Five Feet Apart
Rachael Lippincott
Disability romance novels dispel the common perception of living with a disability as tragic, and Five Feet Apart is a good example of this. Stella Grant takes us through her life and how she lives while trying to find love. This book illustrates that romance is not limited by disabilities.
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Flowers from the Storm
Laura Kinsale
The book focuses on Christian Langland, who suffers from a stroke that causes him to lose the ability to speak. He is taken care of by Maddy Timms, a kind Quaker woman. Their relationship becomes romantic. It is a story of a woman learning to be a strong leader while gaining confidence and personal autonomy. It was marketed simply as a woman caring for a man, but in reality, the story had many important themes.
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Gentle Rogue
Johanna Lindsey
Gentle Rogue, written in 1990, is the third in Johanna Lindsey’s 12-book series about the Malory-Anderson family. This novel serves as an early example of a series set within one family unit that immerses the reader within a cast of beloved, interconnected characters for a long run of romance books. It also demonstrates the way feminism affected the romance genre in the last part of the 20th century; the story’s heroine, Georgina, masquerades as a cabin boy to board a ship for America and take her fortune into her own hands.
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Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Talia Hibbert
Get a Life, Chloe Brown follows Chloe Brown, who spent most of her time at home due to her fibromyalgia, an illness that causes wide-body pain and fatigue. After a near-death experience, she decided to make a list to become more independent and rebellious. To help her do this, she seeks the help of her landlord.
The author of this book was a diverse romance writer who got started from self-publishing and social media. This book in particular follows a Black woman with a chronic illness, making it unique in the romance world.
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Hacked
Lucy Lennox and May Archer
Enter the thrilling world of Hacked, where cybersecurity meets heart-pounding romance. Join Jesse and Ian on a journey of danger and desire as they navigate the treacherous waters of cybercrime and love. Let their story inspire you to embrace the power of trust and passion in the face of adversity.
We chose this book because this novel presents a contemporary take on romance and how dating apps play a significant role in the characters' lives. This novel dives into the complexities of online dating and how relationships may tend to develop through a screen, yet it also reminds us that behind every profile is a person with their own vulnerabilities, desires, and secrets waiting to be discovered in the real world.
