Category Romances by Jane from Dear Author
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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