Category romances are the backbone of the romance industry. According to a report on bookselling, romance books comprised 1.37 billion in sales in 2006 and Harlequin was responsible for $418 million. The numbers mean that Harlequin publishes nearly a third of all romance books sold. A great number of these books are categories.
I remember reading categories in my early romance reading years. I actually still have some Rapture Romances (Joan Wolf) and Candlelight Ecstasy (Stephanie James aka Jayne Ann Krentz). As I grew older and more experienced as a reader, I began to drift away from categories believing for some reason that they weren’t “enough” of a romance book to keep me interested. I admit to even cultivating a sort of disdain for the categories, telling myself that while I was a romance reader, I read “real” romances not the supermarket variety stories.
Ironically, though, I would continue to read categories over the years by big name authors like Linda Howard, Jennifer Crusie, and Nora Roberts. I secretly glommed onto Lass Small despite her weird use of TEXAS! in her books. (If you’ve ever read a Small book, the word Texas is invariably in all caps and with an exclamation point. They also include lots of red haired women and men who go weak in the knees at the sight of red hair).
It appears, in retrospect, that I had been a category reader all along, only loathing to admit it even to myself.
Since starting the blog, Dear Author, I’ve become more interested in the art and craft of writing, not because I want to be a writer myself, but because its a very interesting topic. I’ve begun to recognize what skill it takes to deliver a compelling storyline within such stringent guidelines as the categories require. In reviewing the long line of popular and
bestselling authors, many of them had their writing careers begin at Harlequin: Nora Roberts, Tess Gerristen, Iris Johansen, Janet Evanovich, to name a few.
As I get older and my time becomes more precious, categories are becoming an increasing part of my reading repertoire. I can capture the emotional fix that romance delivers in a much shorter space of time by reading a category.
Not all categories work for me. I tend to buy by author as I become more familiar with the different lines. I did buy the December Harlequin Presents and I found one author I loved, another I liked. I read a story I couldn’t finish and one that I wish I hadn’t which essentially means that my response to category romances is the same as any other set of romance books I might buy and read over the course of a few weeks.
I’ve got recommendations, if you want to hear them. Sara Craven and Helen Brooks are currently my favorite Harlequin Presents authors. Craven primarily writes about couples who have had a previous relationship and have parted because of a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Helen Brooks writes about women (and sometimes men) who have been deeply scarred by a past personal relationship and the men who are determined to overcome those barriers.
Lisa Renee Jones’ “Hard and Fast” was a great story about a new sports reporter and her increasingly dangerous affair with a pro baseball player. Kathleen O’Reilly’s “Beyond Breathless” features a woman trying to determine whether allowing herself to fall in love with a famously wealthy financial guru will prevent her own dreams of making it to the top.
If you haven’t read a category, you might try one. The stories aren’t costly – 
most are under $4.00 at the grocery store or online. (I buy the ebook version). You never know if you might find a gem.
Do you have a favorite category romance book?
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Maria
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 4:31 am:
Hi Jane! I’m a total category romance lover – there are soooo many choices and so many that I love. When I’m in the mood for paranormal I go to the Silhouette Nocturne line – great authors – terrific books.
I was excited to see you mention Sara Craven. I recently read her book Innocent on her Wedding Night – great pick.
Marisa
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 6:53 am:
Category romances introduced me to some of my very favorite authors- Suzanne Brockmann, Lori Foster, Janelle Denison, Cherry Adair, Nora Roberts, Linda Lael Miller and Jessica Bird – the same authors that are now my go to auto-buy authors. Each month I try a new author, and the list of new authors I want to keep reading grows. In the past couple of years I’ve been introduced to authors such as Caridad Pinero, Hope Tarr, Anna DePalo and Pamela Palmer to name a few.
I look forward to each month’s new releases.
Elle James
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 7:45 am:
I cut my teeth on romance with Harlequin. My mother brought them home by the bag full and I read until my eyes crossed. I guess that’s why I write them now! I love the category length because my life gets hectic and I can’t always devote a lot of time to a long novel, but I want the satisfaction of a good read, an escape into another world, if only for a short time. And if it’s exciting and filled with sexy characters, all the better!
keoweegirl
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 8:10 am:
I’ve been a fan of category romances for years. As Jane mentioned, the busier our lives get the harder it is to fit reading into our hectic schedules. I almost always have a longer, single title book “in process” but many times I like to get that beginning to happy ending “quick fix” that a category promises. Plus, they’re a lot easier to tuck into my purse when I’m on the go! I’ve discovered many wonderful authors through categories, including some already mentioned by Marisa, as well as Elizabeth Bevarly, Judy Christenberry, Cathy Gillen Thacker, Cathi Linz, Tina Leonard and many, many more. I recently discovered Kay Stockham and Anna DeStefano, two wonderful authors with ongoing series in Harlequin Super Romance.
I especially like the ongoing series offered by categories and the chance to meet many generations of a family that I’ve grown to love, such as Christenberry’s Randall family or Thacker’s McCabe family, Leonard’s Jefferson brothers, Roberts’ MacGregors and Foster’s Buckhorn Brothers.
I try various lines within the categories but generally stick with Silhouette Special Edition, Silhouette Desire, Harlequin American
Romance and, occasionally, Harlequin Super Romance.
SB Sarah
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 9:21 am:
Now I want to read “Hard and Fast” – thanks for the recommendation Jane!
And yeah, I feel like a total tool for dismissing categories. Oy.
EmJay
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 9:49 am:
I used to read the Harlequin American Romance line because I reviewed it for RT a couple of years ago. Sometimes it felt like I was drowning in cowboys and secret babies. It’s really difficult to make those timeworn plot devices seem fresh and new, but some authors manage to pull it off. Ann DeFee, Pamela Browning, Kara Lennox, and Leah Vale were some of the authors from that line who received consistently high ratings and favorable reviews from me. I also enjoy the Harlequin SuperRomance line. A Home of Her Own by Brenda Novak and Independence Day by Amy Frazier are a couple of my favorite SuperRomance titles. (It may sound nerdy, but I enjoy looking at how technology is portrayed in romance novels. I can’t prove it, but I think Independence Day may be the first romance novel to feature an iPod.) My favorite category lines keep getting cancelled, though. I sorely miss Silhouette Bombshell. Evelyn Vaughn rocks! I’m also going to miss the Harlequin Everlasting Love line, which ends this month. The Marriage Bed by Judith Arnold was an Everlasting Love title and the first romance novel I’d read that dealt with a war veteran’s post-traumatic stress disorder and how it affected his relationship with his wife. Good stuff.
Marilyn
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 10:27 am:
I love category. It’s what I started on when I began reading romance. And I have probably read over 300 Silhouette Desires in the last couple years. I don’t read them as much since they became more like Presents, but I’m reading other lines now like Special Edition and SuperRomance. Kristi Gold, Leanne Banks, Kathie DeNosky, Susan Crosby and Roxanne St. Claire are some of my very favorite category authors. And two of my all-time favorite category books are Loving Evangeline and Sarah’s Child by Linda Howard. Yep, she began as a category writer.
Victoria Janssen
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 10:41 am:
I would love to see some recommendations so the vast sea of categories won’t seem so overwhelming. Most of the categories I own are by Ruth Wind (Barbara Samuels) and Jennifer Crusie.
Maria Lokken
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 10:45 am:
Okay ladies – Victoria wants to see some recommendations – let’s give her some!
Kim
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 10:51 am:
A Rendezous to Remember by Geri Krotow was amazing! It was part of the now defunct Everlasting line.
Hope Tarr and Kimberly Raye are both awesome. Elizabeth Bevarly is stellar!
Jane-funny you should mention Janet Evanovich. I’ve been trying to glom her catergories for years now. I have several but there are a few I’m just not paying ebay prices for. Her Steffie Halls are next to impossible to find.
Maria Lokken
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 10:54 am:
Opps – it went through with out my recommendations.
I’ve read a lot of the Nocturne line as I’ve said – so I’d recommend – Lindsay Mckenna “The Quest”, Caridad Pineiro “Holiday with a Vampire”, Guardian’s Keep” and Vivi Anna “Dark Lies”.
Maria Lokken
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 10:56 am:
Oops, I forgot Hope Tarr – Strokes Til Midnight was great!
Caridad Pineiro
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 11:06 am:
I got hooked on category novels as an adult and was so glad that I did. They were a great diversion from law school and work. I could finish one a day during my train and bus rides (they were rather long!) and they always left me feeling better. While I was reading them, I imagined myself one day writing for Harlequin and am so glad that it finally happened!
Maria — thanks for the props for HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE. I so loved working on FATE CALLS, the novella in that anthology, and also working with Maureen Child who is an absolutely fabulous writer. Maureen writes in a number of category lines.
As for the state of category today, it’s so vibrant with so many different choices for readers. From Presents to Nocturne, there’s just a wealth of wonderful books for readers to explore.
Marilyn
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 11:17 am:
Recommendations are difficult unless we know what you like. Cowboys? Tycoons? Architects? Secret babies or snowbound lovers? Sexy and hot or not? Inspirational? Suspense or just romance? Each category line fills a different niche. And since category books have the shelf life of a bag of potato chips, it helps if you have access to a good used book store. That’s how I was able to read backlists for many authors. Some of Evanovich’s old books have been re-released in the last few years so you don’t have to pay exorbitant e-bay prices for them.
Lynne Connolly
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 11:54 am:
I’ve just finished writing a book for the Modern/Presents line and it was really difficult to do! To remember not to go off on a tangent, not to let secondary characters take over, you have to be very disciplined to do one of these.
A new writer to the line is India Grey. So far she only has one out, “The Italian’s Defiant Mistress” which I really enjoyed. She has a distinctive, fresh voice.
Stella MacLean
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 12:48 pm:
As a past romance reviewer for the Chronicle Herald, I can honestly say that series authors are the unsung heroines of the romance industry. They write compelling stories, snappy dialogue and lots of good old fashioned sensual awareness. I was lucky enough to get a contract to write a series book which is coming out in April, titled Heart of My Heart–Super Romance. I’m glad to have the opportunity to join such an illustrious group of authors.
Stella
keoweegirl
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 1:48 pm:
Two categories I’ve read during the past six months and liked a lot are BECAUSE OF A BOY by Anna DeStefano, Harlequin Super Romance #1449 (Oct. 07) and THE BILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR by Jessica Bird (a/k/a JR Ward), Silhouette Special Edition (Aug 07). Both books kicked off a new series for the respective authors.
keoweegirl
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 1:51 pm:
Congratulations, Stella! I’ll look for your book come April.
Kim
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 2:19 pm:
Vivi’s Dark Lies was awesome! As was Pam Palmers Dark Gate! I guess I read a lot more catergory that I thought I did *g*
Mary-Theresa
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 2:26 pm:
I love seeing the celebration of category romance here! As a long-time fan, I know how hard it is to give readers what they want–and how completely satisfying a category romance can be for a reader. Now as an executive editor with Silhouette as well as a reader I still get to share in the joy and satisfaction.
I love the excitement being generated here, and recommend you also try out the http://www.eHarlequin.com web site. The forums, the book challenge and just asking questions will give you some great new authors and lines to try.
For some specific authors, I can recommend tons, depending on the mood and line you like.
But I had asked some editors for favorites being published in February, and so you might enjoy these…
Harlequin Intrigue: Guardian Angel by Debra Webb, Under His Skin by Rita Herron, Newborn Conspiracy by Delores Fossen
Harlequin Romance: ENGLISH LORD,ORDINARY LADY – Fiona Harper This is an irresistibly romantic novel, it has it all! A huge aristocratic manor, a gorgeous lord and a little girl who runs around with fairy wings – If you have a hard heart…this book will melt it!
Silhouette Desire: DANTE’S BLACKMAILED BRIDE by Day Leclaire. #1 in The Dante Legacy, juicy concept, great pacing
Silhouette Special Edition: VALENTINE’S SECRET CHILD by Christine Rimmer (A BRAVO FAMILY TIES) and A MOTHER IN THE MAKING by Lilian Darcy
Keep reading series!
Buffie
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 2:48 pm:
I have just started reading category romance, thanks to author JacquieD. I really didn’t know what I was missing. So now I plan on venturing out. I have read several of JacquieD’s Blaze books, and I have read one by Tawny Weber too. Now the sky’s the limit!
Maria
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 2:57 pm:
I just posted on our board in response to a very good point author Kathleen OReilly made – there is so much to choose from! IMO that’s what makes Harlequin brilliant – the choices of lines. There is something for everyone.
Geri Krotow
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 3:16 pm:
I grew up reading category romance, so when I decided to begin my writing career and studied the market, it was a no-brainer to seek publication via category. It was the one place I knew my story would be treated well and be able to be distributed to so many readers.
These stories are “quick-enough” reads for the wife in the waiting room, who can’t think about losing her husband to the surgery he’s having. Or for the harried single Mom who just needs to read a chapter or two after the kids are down for the night.
They’re also wonderful stories in and of themselves. My favorite category authors include Debbie Macomber, Ann DeFee, Linda Barrett, Linda Cardillo, and Merline Lovelace.
keoweegirl
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 3:42 pm:
Macomber was one of the first (maybe the very first) Harlequin authors I read. I remember picking up her book, THE PLAYBOY AND THE WIDOW back in the 80s. I discovered Nora Roberts in 1992 when I bought ALL THE POSSIBILITIES, the Silhouette story of Alan MacGregor and Shelby Campbell. Harlequin lines have introduced me to so many wonderful authors over the years and continue to do so today.
Kim
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 3:51 pm:
Hi Geri!!! *waves madly*
Want to drop us any tidbits as to what’s next for you?
Malle
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 4:28 pm:
I read category romances as a teenager and then didn’t for a number of years. In 1989 I was working for a book wholesaler (I drove a van and delivered book shipments to various retailers) when I got hooked back on category. I distinctly remember reading Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz and Jennifer Green in category — loving the stories and thinking to myself I wanted to work at Harlequin as an editor, which I then did. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with so many talented women and love being able to share these wonderful stories with women around the world. I enjoy many of the authors mentioned. An author I particularly recommend is Sarah Mayberry who writes for Blaze. She has a February released called BURNING UP. She had a trilogy last year set around a soap opera and when I finished the series I thought this is how good contemporary category romance can be!
The miniseries was called Secret Lives of Daytime Divas and one of the books is called All Over You. I know you can find all the titles as eBooks.
Kimberly Van Meter
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 7:07 pm:
This is such a wonderful discussion. I couldn’t agree more with everything that’s already been said. I cut my teeth on Bethany Campbell’s A THOUSAND ROSES and I still have it on my keeper shelf. I realized I wanted to write romance and Harlequin specifically much later but I feel blessed each and every day that I can say I am a Harlequin author. It carries with it a certain level of prestige and I can’t help but be proud. I’m always introducing readers to the world of category romance and they always say the same thing, “I didn’t realize they’d be so good!” and isn’t that the biggest compliment? I’ve even hooked a few men and turned them into fans. Okay, so favorite books? Well, I really enjoyed MY NAME IS NELL, by Laura Abbott; nearly anything by Brenda Novak but I really loved BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY; and Debra Salonen’s WONDERS NEVER CEASE…you know it’s hard to narrow them down! And of course, my current release is close to my heart I confess.
Great discussion! Keep it coming!
Jane
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 9:24 pm:
Wow – so many category fans. That’s great. I am writing down people’s recommendations. As for men fans, I read an article about how Mills and Boon is huge with men in India.
There is something for everyone. I definitely have a growing list of favorites myself.
Kimberly Van Meter
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 9:40 pm:
P.S. Thanks Sarah for picking my reader mail! My jaw dropped to the floor and there was much squealing in delight going on in my small office. Too freaking cool…
Isabel Swift
on Jan 17th, 2008
@ 10:47 pm:
It is such a pleasure to see Series/Category romance celebrated. I have long been a romance readers, though I came in through the Jane Austen/Regency Romance “door,” I love contemporary series too. It is a demanding form, requiring focus, skill, creativity, originality, a keen understanding of their customer and mastery of the genre. As people have noted, the authors that have excelleled in category have gone on to excell elsewhere.
If they were poetry, category romance would be the sonnet–a clear structure and set of expectations that need to be met, but if you accept the challenge, the sky is the limit. People have been able to write some pretty amazing poetry with an ABBA/CDDC/EFFE/GG, first 8 lines ask a question, last 6 answer it. Delivering on those expectations is hard, but amazingly, countless authors do it–many mentioned above. Just missed my subway stop reading a Cate Dermody Bombshell (love her Luna’s as CE Murphy). Those ads with the woman in the bathtub on the subway illustrating how a category romance just sweeps you away? That’s me!
C.E. Murphy
on Jan 18th, 2008
@ 3:11 pm:
*hee hee hees at Isabel* I’d say I’m sorry you missed your stop, except, well, I’m not very.
Glad you’re enjoying the books! 
-Catie
Faye
on Jan 19th, 2008
@ 4:39 pm:
Ever want to star in your very own romance novel? Here is a great gift idea for ramance novel buffs that is quick and easy but very fun and different. At http://www.yournovel.com you and your sweetie can star in your very own customized, wild or mild, romance novel. I have purchased these for many occasions and couples… they are always a hit. Great Valentine’s Day gift.
Ruby55
on Jan 22nd, 2008
@ 8:15 pm:
I like reading category romances for, what I’d call, a quick fix when I want a quick diversion from the humdrum or too-crisis-laden areas of my life. Other books are sometimes too long to get a solution or else, I get too involved in a book and want to keep reading for far too long a time.
The most memorable quick read of the last year or two was Loreth Anne White’s SEDUCING THE MERCENARY. I’ve enjoyed all of her books but this book had a unique setting and hero, and the people of the “country” in this novel are well-delineated. I learned a lot about Africa and I believe that it is very important for us to go beyond the boundaries of our fiction comfort zone to discover what may be/is going on in the rest of the world. And yes, the cover may be shocking for some: a black man and a white woman, the hero and heroine of this remarkable story.
Ruby55
on Jan 22nd, 2008
@ 8:42 pm:
Harlequins were definitely my first romances, too. In fact, I grew up in the city which was the cradle of Harlequins, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I discovered them about 6 years or so after they saw the light of day and for some time they were the only books I read until I got into my father’s historical novels by writers like Anya Seton, Thomas B. Costain, Frank G. Slaughter, Gwen Bristow, Elswyth Thane, and others.
I still enjoy those because I also love history, but for a quick, usually enjoyable read, I’ll go to the category romances.
Ruby55
on Jan 22nd, 2008
@ 9:12 pm:
BTW, just in case anyone’s looking, Jayne Ann Krentz wrote her Candlelight Ecstasies as Jayne Castle. She wrote for the Silhouette Romance, Desire and Inimate Moments lines as Stephanie James, and for Harlequin Temptation as Jayne Ann Krentz.
JessOfTheWind
on Jan 29th, 2008
@ 11:03 am:
I’m a category fan, but only some of the time. There’s something to be said for a popcorn-read that can give you all the emotional moments without a serious time investment. For me, it’s about one in ten reads that need to be short and sweet.
The rest of the time I am allllll about the journey. Right now my pick is Susan Wiggs and the Lakeshore Chronicles. There’s a new one set to come out in the next few weeks (snowfall at willow lake?) and I can’t wait to plunge back into the wonderful world she creates between the pages.
Catherine
on Jan 18th, 2009
@ 11:27 am:
LOVE categories! But I’ve got a problem. I was reading one in the store, was in
a hurry, put it back intending to pick it up next time I went and when I went
back it was gone. THis happened some time ago and the author’s name
was Claire something (or that could have been the last name). Point is,
the clerk told me they don’t keep categories longer than ONE MONTH! ??
If they don’t sell out, they’re thrown out! Is that true? Does anyone know
how long their shelf life is—especially if it’s a new or unknown (yet) author?