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Stepping into London’s inaugural romance-focused bookstore, one is greeted by Sarah Maxwell, who presides over the “smut hut,” a dedicated space for the shop’s more sensual reads. Amid shelves laden with vivid paperbacks like Just For the Summer, Swept Away, and The Friendship Fling, young women peruse, chat, and delve into the world of romance fiction. Sarah aims to challenge the narrative that romance writing is subpar, countering critics – often male – who dismiss it as mere “smut.”
The surge in sales of romance and fantasy novels last year propelled UK fiction revenue over £1bn for the first time, according to a recent report. With this growing popularity, some readers and industry experts argue that perceptions of romance literature are evolving for the better. However, others contend that sexism continues to hinder the genre from gaining widespread acceptance.
Romance fiction encompasses a vast array of sub-genres and tones, all centered around passionate love stories culminating in a guaranteed happy ending. Romantasy, a fusion of romance and fantasy elements, has become a fixture on bestseller lists, largely due to the fervent following it has cultivated among BookTok’s community of readers. Popular series like Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses feature female leads navigating high-stakes romantic entanglements within magical, fantastical realms.
Sky, a 23-year-old Londoner, enthuses about her current obsession with cowboy romances, a sub-genre often set in the American frontier. Joining her, Chantelle, 24, proudly declares themselves as ardent readers of romance. Their journey into the genre began with reading fanfiction under school desks, now seeking recommendations through BookTok. While encountering occasional disapproving glances when discussing their beloved books, they remain steadfast in their love for romance literature
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