Romance Novel Subgenres
Ever wondered what was the difference between a contemporary and a contemporary series novel? Here you'll find a list of the terms we use on this site, a short definition of each, and links to the books database for each subgenre.
- Anthology
- Anthologies aren't a true subgenre. They're a collection of stories gathered together into one book, and the stories can be written by the same or different authors. May contain stories of varying time periods and settings.
- Contemporary
- Time periods are generally set after the World Wars.
- Contemporary Series
- Time periods are generally set after the World Wars, and these novels are released as part of a numbered series of books, i.e. Silhouette Romance.
- Erotic Romance
- These novels often have graphic sexual content. Generally, these novels are not for the timid.
- Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal
- Also called FF and P. These books can contain fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal elements, including magic, ghosts, psychics, vampires, werewolves, space-travel, etc. Time periods can include the past, present, or future, or any combination thereof. We include time-travel books in this category.
- Historical
- Generally, these novels are set during any time period before the World Wars.
- Historical Series
- Generally, these novels are set during any time period before the World Wars, and are released as part of a numbered series of books, i.e. Harlequin Historicals.
- Inspirational
- These novels contain spiritual themes. Settings and time periods vary.
- Regency
- Settings are specific to the early 1800s in England.
- Romantic Suspense
- Time periods vary. These novels contain strong elements of mystery, intrigue, and/or suspense.
