Roses are red, violets are blue, why romance novels are becoming less taboo

Have you tucked into a romance novel lately? If not, you might be in the minority of readers — the genre's sales are soaring. Last year, they grew twice as fast as the rest of the fiction market.

In the past, the genre’s commercial value was widely accepted — romance books have always been big sellers. But now the genre's literary merit is getting more recognition.

"A lot of folks are carrying super heavy burdens these days, but in romance, the one ironclad rule — the one thing that makes it a romance novel and nothing else — is that readers will always get happily ever after," said Jenna Zarzycki, a librarian with the King County Library System.

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Charlie Hunts, owner of Charlie’s Queer Books in Seattle, thinks the stigma surrounding romance books has also been lessened by better-looking covers and the anonymity offered by e-readers. He also credits the rise to romance authors connecting with audiences through social media.

“There are so many different ways that love can exist in the world, and I feel like the genre can hold all of that,” Hunts said.

The genre’s growth in popularity has also come in part from its crossover with the fan fiction genre, in which fans write romance stories featuring well-known pop culture figures — such as Kylo Ren and Rey from "Star Wars."

This particular coupling was the favorite of Ren Rice, owner of The Romance Era Bookstore in Vancouver, WA. Ren and other "Star Wars" fans disappointed with how the franchise ended were thrilled when the internet wrote what’s called a ‘"fix it," or alternate, more satisfying film ending.

"I think that fan fiction is able to tap into wants and interests that sometimes traditional publishing is not or is kind of unaware of," Zarzycki said. "So I think that we're finally getting — as the readers deserve — a full and interesting spectrum of stories, plots, and what might have been."

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For his part, Hunts sees fan fiction as an incubator for authors as well: They get to practice writing using well-known characters and the fan fiction community then gives them feedback.

So there’s more reason than ever to find love in a stack of books this Valentine's Day. And we won’t leave you guessing: Here are book and event recommendations from local romance booksellers and fans.

• 'The Holiday Horrors" series by Aiden Pierce: The dark side of monster romance.
• "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J Moss: For those new to romantasy (romance + fantasy) who want an easy introduction.

-Ren Rice, owner of The Romance Era Bookstore in Vancouver, WA

• "Deceived by the Gargoyles: A Love Bathhouse Monster Romance" by Lillian Lark: A monster romance with lush descriptions and dialogue, and a lot of lust.
• Getting married in Hunts' bookstore! He’s found these moments of queer joy are filling his cup in these stressful times. Reach out to him at info@charliesqueerbooks.com to learn more.

-Charlie Hunts, owner of Charlie’s Queer Books in Seattle

• "The Mead Mishaps Series" by Kimberly Lemming: If the title “That Time I Got Drunk And Yeeted A Love Potion At A Werewolf” makes you giggle, then this is the author for you.
• Joining the King County Online Romance Book Group led by Charlie Hunts.

-Jenna Zarzycki, librarian with the King County Library System