Modern Romance

Once dismissed as the province of bored housewives and grocery store paperback shelves, the intrepid romance novel has lately found a flourishing second life with a new generation of readers and listeners. In the last decade, romance has established itself as a chart-topping genre for an especially broad and diverse audience of print and audiobook consumers, spawned devoted fan communities on TikTok and Reddit, and inspired countless well-attended writer and fan conferences nationwide. With indie authors undeniably leading the charge in modern romance, we were curious to hear their thoughts on how the genre found its renaissance in the 21st century. To start the conversation, we were lucky enough to chat with beloved indie romance author Alexandria House about how telling Black love stories is essential in bringing romance into a new era and reviving its popularity with readers and listeners everywhere. Were you a fan of romance before you became an author? Definitely! I cut my romance teeth on the Sweet Dreams and Sweet Valley High books when I was a teen. I’ve always been in love with love. I thought then and still think romance is a vital part of the literary landscape. Everyone can use a happily ever after every now and then. It’s good for the soul. How did you start writing romance novels? I just wanted to see if I could do it. Turns out, I could, lol. How would you describe your stories? I write relatable, steamy love stories that take you through the gamut of emotions. My stories make you feel; they make you believe in the possibility of love. They contain real dialogue, real sex, real issues, and real, diverse characters, people like those you probably know and love in your life. They also make you squirm :) You explore some serious topics & situations like loss, trauma, and difficult family dynamics with your characters—how do these themes work in a romance novel? The biggest misconception about the romance genre is that it’s just fluff, and it’s not – we tell real stories.

Since I see my characters as real people with real lives, it’s paramount that true-to-life situations are a part of my stories while the hero and heroine navigate their journey to love. It’s not something I do consciously, though. It’s something the characters bring to the story. I merely transcribe it for them.

I think it works because romance always ends on a positive note. No matter what the characters may endure, the reader is assured that everything will be fine in the end. Romance provides hope for the characters and the reader. What are some other misconceptions you’ve heard about romance? One misconception I hear repeatedly is that there aren’t any Black romance novels available that aren’t filled with struggle and trauma. Spoiler alert: there are! Besides mine, I can name a ton of Black indie authors writing and publishing beautiful Black romance stories in all subgenres. We’re not a monolith. What is the importance of telling Black love stories? Black people are people. We are humans living the human experience. Black people love! Black people love each other! Black love is real and alive. It’s not a foreign concept or an anomaly. It’s beautiful and essential and everyone needs to know that. And I believe it makes the genre more legitimate. All fiction, and most certainly romance, should mirror the world, not just a small part of it. Everyone should be able to relate to stories about love. Do you see that lack of diverse character representation changing in contemporary romance? Indie authors have blown that problem out of the water! On any given day, diverse authors are releasing tons of love stories. Everyone can find a character who resembles them if they’re willing to look past the mainstream books that are being pushed. It’s a beautiful time to be a romance reader! What role do these diverse stories play in pushing the genre forward and giving it new life with contemporary audiences? It shows progress, though slow and overdue. It demonstrates an openness to change, and it helps everyone to realize all stories and voices are relevant and important. No one type of love story trumps another. It evens the playing field and makes the genre more colorful, both literally and figuratively. Anything that does not grow and adapt, dies, according to science. I don’t believe romance would’ve survived without change. We see it all the time. Things evolve, and those unwilling to adapt are left behind. Diverse romance readers would eventually grow tired of never seeing themselves in stories. Are there any tropes or new trends in romance writing you’ve seen that you’re excited about? Honestly, I’m excited about all the authors whose work doesn’t fit in any one genre or category. I love seeing authors stretch their talent and break the rules, or even better, make their own rules! What do you hope to see for the genre next? A true, genre-wide embracing of indie work. I hope to see indie authors be celebrated and respected even more than they currently are. Any new or upcoming releases you’re excited about? Yes! I’ve just completed my hockey series, The St. Louis Sires. It’s a Black romance series full of heart and steam and laughs. Everyone should check it out! Alexandria House is the best-selling indie author of 29 audiobooks telling steamy, relatable stories about Black love. Her books consistently land atop Amazon’s African American Romance bestsellers list, she is the recipient of many reader-driven awards, and her books have been included on “must read” lists published by Shondaland, Oprah Magazine, and BookRiot. Two of her titles were chosen as 2023 Audies Award Erotica Finalists. She is also the author of three Audible Original projects, and her St. Louis Sires hockey romance series is out now.