Plymouth, MI, USA – September 11, 2024 – “The popularity of romance books has been steadily on the rise for several years now,” says Scott Lorenz, President of Westwind Book Marketing. Stemming from this trend, the latest phenomenon in the reading community is brick-and-mortar stores exclusively for romance novels. Romance bookstores are scattered throughout the nation and have become vibrant community hubs for romance fans according an article written by Alexandra Alter in The New York Times.
The Rise of Romance
“The current romance craze traces to the early days of the pandemic,” says Alter. Romance books began to trend as people were in search of exciting love stories in times of boredom and uneasiness. Alter continues, “Print sales more than doubled in the last few years, from 18 million copies in 2020 to 39 million in 2023.” A significant turning point in the world of romance novels pre-pandemic was the 2016 release of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us. Hoover’s novel topped the charts, selling 6.9 million copies and remaining on The New York Times’ Best Sellers list for 131 weeks, according to Vox. The book gained tons of attention on social media, especially BookTok, because of its subject matter of abusive relationships. The iconic romance novel has now been made into a movie starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
Dream Me Home
Another notable novel intertwines romance and mystery: Dream Me Home written by psychotherapist Laurie Elizabeth Murphy. Murphy says her book “is about characters that are real, and face real dilemmas, they make irrational decisions even with the best intentions, and cannot always control the outcomes of the most well-planned lives.” The book was published in 2023 and Murphy won first place with Dream Me Home at the 2024 PenCraft Book Awards for Best Fiction in the Mystery category. Visit Murphy’s website to learn more about her award-winning novel.
Darzik
Physician Fionne Foxxe Farraday’s science fiction fantasy Darzik is a continuation of her Mates of the Alliance series. This compelling series tells the story of the love connection between a human and an extraterrestrial being. Farraday says, “In this story, Emily has been through something horrific which altered the course of her life. She is a survivor and doesn’t see herself as a victim. Most of this book is her journey to reclaim her life and how Darzik is there for her through it all as her staunchest cheerleader, the one who sees her bravery and supports her as she steps forward into a new life.” Find out more about Darzik here.
Romance Bookstores in the US
The Ripped Bodice in Los Angeles, CA as well as Brooklyn, NY Love’s Sweet Arrow in Tinsley Park, IL The Last Chapter in Chicago, IL Meet Cute in San Diego, CA Blush in Wichita, KS Under the Cover in Kansas City, MO Tropes & Trifles in Minneapolis, MN Grump & Sunshine in Belfast, ME A Novel Romance in Louisville, KY Beach Read Books in Wilmington, NC Lovebound Library in Salt Lake City, UT …And more!
The Bottom Line
“The bottom line,” says Lorenz, “if you’re a romance reader or writer, dive deeper into the community. Visit these romance bookstores, join or start a romance book club.”
About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a book marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers, and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Book Marketing at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award-winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator – A Proven System in Naming Your Book (www.BookTitleGenerator.net)
Media Contact
Company Name: Westwind Communications Book Marketing
Contact Person: Scott Lorenz
Email: Send Email
Phone: 734-667-2090
Country: United States
Website: https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com