What's the Next New Trend in Romance?

The romance genre has been dominating the fiction world for years—and its popularity has only skyrocketed thanks to social media. With all that success, let's check out what's trending in romance now and what might be coming next.

Dark romance blew up in popularity on BookTok, giving authors like H.D. Carlton, Rina Kent, and Shantel Tessier a spot on bestseller lists with their intense, high-stakes love stories. And while this trend doesn't seem to be slowing down, a few more subgenres are giving those dark romances a run for their money.

Romantasy (a blend of romance and fantasy) is a subgenre that has exploded nearly as quickly. Authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Rebecca Yarros have given fantasy a steamy facelift that makes readers devour their stories and beg for more. Fae, dragons, magic wielders, political intrigue, AND a romance that will make you weak in the knees? Count me in!

Whether it be fairytales or mythology, retellings have been huge in romance as well. Marissa Meyer, Emily McIntire, and Katee Roberts have delivered some chart-topping romances that give familiar characters a fresh—and often spicy—twist. I'm a sucker for a new spin on something old.

Another trend that’s heating up? Cowboy romances. Authors like Elsie Silver, Lyla Sage, and Bailey Hannah are serving up some deliciously spicy and rugged romance. Romance readers have gone feral for a man who can lasso a steer, stay on a bull for eight seconds, and still know the sidewalk rule. As a rural Midwestern girl, I'm a big fan of this one. With some of my roots firmly planted in cattle farming, I decided to pick up my pen and add a ranching romance to my repertoire with Roped In earlier this year. It was the easiest book I’ve ever written—and proof that there’s a little truth to the advice: write what you know.

So, what's up next in romance? Your guess is probably as good as mine, but one thing's for sure: the dark romcom has officially entered the chat, and I am absolutely here for it. Give me a morally gray man who will absolutely end you in the blink of an eye, but worships the ground his woman walks on. Brynne Weaver's Ruinous Love trilogy and Navessa Allen's Light's Out and Caught Up are perfect examples of this unique subgenre that combines hilarious banter and laugh-out-loud antics with darker themes like serial killers, stalking, and other criminal activities. Whatever direction romance takes next, I’ll be right here—reading, writing, and falling a little bit in love with every story along the way.