Fans say new romance bookstores and online groups are giving the genre some overdue respect
At a recent launch party for Nora Dahlia's enemies-to-friends romance 'Pick-Up' at Lovestruck Books, a romance-dedicated store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a crowd of women sipped cocktails from the bar-café as they browsed the shelves.
After Dahlia's reading, patrons stuck around to mingle, swap contact info and trade author recommendations.
It was a particularly social event for a book talk. But the communal atmosphere is typical of events for romance fans.
Dahlia likened romance readers to 'Comic-Con folks,' referring to the deep-rooted passion that defines comic-book fandom.
'They're educated on the genre in a real way,' Dahlia said. 'Many of them started reading romance — Danielle Steel, V.C. Andrews, Jude Deveraux — as teenagers.'
At The Ripped Bodice bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, manager Katherine Zofri said romance fans who have connected online frequently come into the store to meet in person. Along with author events, the store hosts three different book clubs and a romance comedy night.
'We've had a couple proposals here, we've had a wedding here which was really fun,' Zofri said.
She said customers range 'from teenagers who are starting to really get into the romance genres to older folks who have been romance readers for their entire lives and remember way back when they were reading the Harlequins and romance wasn't as widely accepted.
'Now they're loving seeing how widely accepted romance has become.'
A boom in romance bookstores
Bookstores like Lovestruck and The Ripped Bodice (which has a flagship store in Los Angeles) have begun popping up all over the U.S., from Wichita, Kansas, to Wilmington, North Carolina, to Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Of the 157 romance-dedicated bookstores in the American Booksellers Association, more than half opened within the last two years, aid Allison Hill, CEO of the group.
'Romance books have been one of the fastest growing book sales categories in recent years, driven by a number of factors including the need for escape reading and BookTok,' Hill said.
And the genre has evolved. 'The romance genre is more diverse in every way including character identity and plot,' she said.
Lovestruck's owner, Rachel Kanter, called the boom 'incredible — and honestly, overdue. Romance has always been one of the most commercially successful genres, but for a long time it didn't get the respect or space it deserved in the literary world.'
Romance-specific bookstores, she says, 'are places where readers can feel joy, comfort, and connection — and where love is taken seriously as a literary theme.'
A lifeline during COVID
As with many hobbies, romance fandom solidified and expanded after the COVID-19 pandemic.
'The pandemic had pushed so many people toward reading for escape and comfort, and romance became a lifeline for a lot of folks,' said Kanter.
'At the same time, there was a wider cultural shift happening — people were rethinking what mattered, craving joy and softness, and looking to support indie businesses that reflected their values. Romance, with all its hope and heart, met that moment beautifully,' she said.
Reimagining the romantic bond
Romance has countless subgenres — hockey romance, Western romance, LGBTQ romance, even romance set on prison planets. But a common theme is their 'inherently hopeful storylines,' says Elizabeth Michaelson Monaghan, a 52-year-old freelance writer and editor in New York who said she's read 'hundreds' of romance novels.
'Romance must have a happily-ever-after — or at least a happily-for-now. Romance writers and readers are very clear on this,' she said.
Romantic fiction that doesn't end that way? That's just a love story.
Traits of the romance genre also include strong character descriptions, attraction, conflict, and a satisfying resolution and emotional growth. Expect plenty of steam — some authors deploy it explicitly, others are more tame.
There's a long-standing culture of (mostly) women reading and sharing these books across generations.
'It is pleasurable to reimagine courtship or the romantic bond,' said Jayashree Kamble, professor of English at LaGuardia Community College and president of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance. 'There is limited risk involved.'
Kamble has been a voracious romance reader since her teenage years in India, where she devoured Harlequin romances.
Romance novels, she said, are 'a lovely reminder that individualism and companionship can go together. These are basic bonds.'
Community: online and in real life
Podcasts, too, have become a source for discovering what's trending. Andrea Martucci, creator and host of the romance-focused 'Shelf Love' podcast, said romance bookstores have become places of connection akin, in some ways, to churches — for the romantically devoted.
'I can go to a bookstore and not just find people who love books,' she said, 'but find people who love the very same books I love.'
As Annabel Monaghan, author of several love stories including 'Nora Goes Off Script,' puts it, 'People who read romance want to feel good. And when you gather a bunch of people who want to feel good, it's magic.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
13 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
George Lucas tells Comic-Con crowd his new museum will be 'a temple to the people's art'
Published Jul 27, 2025 • 3 minute read Filmmaker George Lucas speaks during the Sneak Peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel in Hall H of the convention center during Comic-Con International in San Diego, Calif. on July 27, 2025. Photo by CHRIS DELMAS / AFP via Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. SAN DIEGO — George Lucas finally came to the stage at Comic-Con Sunday to an ovation from thousands, some holding light sabers in the air, with soaring 'Star Wars' music filling the room. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The 81-year-old, appearing for the first time at San Diego's pop cultural extravaganza, looked decidedly earthbound in his jeans and flannel shirt, and a bit embarrassed by the attention. The quiet, thoughtful discussion that followed about the art museum he's building stood in contrast to the sci-fi and superhero bombast that came from Comic-Con's huge Hall H in the previous three days of the convention. He's quietly passionate, though, about the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, co-founded with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson. Long in the works, the project was first announced in 2017 and is set to open its doors in Los Angeles' Exposition Park next year. 'This is sort of a temple to the people's art,' Lucas told the crowd. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The museum designed by Ma Yansong resembles a giant space cruiser, and at 300,000 square feet it's about the size of an average IKEA store. 'Star Wars' art and artifacts will be well-represented as shown in an introductory video narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. But Lucas' focus on the comic art and populist paintings are just as central to its aims. He's is one of the main collectors of the paintings of Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish, and Hobson has made a specialty of collecting the work of Black painters including Norman Lewis and Kara Walker. The panel discussion also included director Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang, who has worked on Star Wars films since the Lucas-directed 'Star Wars' prequels in the 1990s. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Rapper, singer and actor Queen Latifah, a friend of Lucas and Hobson who called herself a 'sci-fi nerd,' served as moderator and chief energizer of the panel. 'Are y'all pumped up for this museum now or what?' she shouted to the crowd at the end. The project began in part just to have a place for everything Lucas has collected since he was in college in the 1960s, when he learned original drawings from comic books and comic strips were surprisingly affordable. 'I could get an 'Alley-Oop' for $30,' Lucas said. 'I've been collecting narrative art ever since.' He owns the first drawing of Flash Gordon, original panels of 'Peanuts' comic strips complete with notes from artist Charles Schulz, and early drawings of Iron Man and Black Panther, along with original artwork for political cartoons and alternative comics. He would later move on to paintings and art from films, after the 'Star Wars' money began pouring in. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'What am I going to do with it all?' Lucas said. 'I refuse to sell it. I could never do that.' Del Toro, himself a famous hoarder of pop culture artifacts and a museum board member, said the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year came 'frighteningly close' to the collection he keeps at home. 'Now that the museum exists, a lot of it may go there,' Del Toro said. He emphasized throughout the panel the political importance of comics since their beginnings. 'Comics were the first one to punch Nazis,' Del Toro said. 'Before movies.' While unusual for the big room, the discussion was very close to the kind of talks that have constantly happened in the less flashy corners of Comic-Con for more than 50 years. Lucas is easily on the Mount Rushmore of figures whose work has had the greatest inspiration on the kind of films and other pop cultural celebrated annually in Hall H. But the convention wasn't a common showcase for blockbuster films when he was directing them himself. And he sold 'Star Wars' and Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Co. in 2012. The Lucas museum's 11-acre campus sits right next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and near several other major museums and the University of Southern California. An exact date for its opening has not been announced. Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
Toronto Star
13 hours ago
- Toronto Star
George Lucas finally comes to Comic-Con to give a preview of his new museum
SAN DIEGO (AP) — George Lucas is finally coming to the stage at Comic-Con. And while 'Star Wars' is sure to get a mention, the 81-year-old is making his debut appearance at the San Diego pop cultural extravaganza for a more earthbound reason: a preview of his long-in-the-works Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. The Sunday panel discussion in Comic-Con's vaunted Hall H will act as a relatively quiet closing act to the four-day festival that brought its usual series of big, bombastic looks at upcoming sci-fi and superhero projects.
Winnipeg Free Press
13 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
George Lucas finally comes to Comic-Con to give a preview of his new museum
SAN DIEGO (AP) — George Lucas is finally coming to the stage at Comic-Con. And while 'Star Wars' is sure to get a mention, the 81-year-old is making his debut appearance at the San Diego pop cultural extravaganza for a more earthbound reason: a preview of his long-in-the-works Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. The Sunday panel discussion in Comic-Con's vaunted Hall H will act as a relatively quiet closing act to the four-day festival that brought its usual series of big, bombastic looks at upcoming sci-fi and superhero projects. The museum-centered session is also meant to be a broader discussion of the new institution's subject matter: the histories and traditions of narrative art across time and cultures. Lucas will be joined by fellow filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and art director Doug Chiang, who has worked on a steady series of 'Star Wars' films starting with the Lucas-directed prequels in 1999. Queen Latifah will act as moderator. Lucas is easily on the Mount Rushmore of figures whose work has had the greatest inspiration on the kind of films and other pop cultural celebrated annually in Hall H at Comic-Con. But the convention wasn't a common showcase for blockbuster films when he was directing them himself. He sold 'Star Wars' and Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Co. in 2012, and Disney has used different venues to make big splashy presentations about its properties. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. The museum founded by Lucas and his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson, is set to open next year in Exposition Park, near the Los Angeles Coliseum, several of the city's other museums, and the University of Southern California. The 11-acre campus and 300,000-square-foot building designed by architect Ma Yansong includes galleries, two theaters and related spaces.
