Romance novels allow us to escape from our daily lives and delve into a world of torrid love stories in exotic settings. There are several sub-genres of romance novels, including historical romance, time travel romance, and romantic suspense. Romance books are written by authors working in a genre that they know is meant for mass consumption. For this reason, bargain romance books are available, plentiful and inexpensive. Bargain romance books are offered by nearly every publishing house. Be it through discounting new titles or reducing prices on their existing catalog, readers can always find a good deal in romance books. While they are certainly popular, only a select few authors routinely hit the bestseller lists (Johanna Lindsey, Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux, etc.). However, many of the romance paperback lines offer new titles every month that voracious readers can devour while waiting for the newest headliner from her favorite mainstream romance novelist. Bargain romance books are nearly always published in paperback form. Although trade paperbacks have begun to appear within the romance genre, mass markets are still the most popular form for romance. This is good news for readers, since mass markets haven't yet cracked the $10 threshold, as have trade paperbacks. Romance books are an oft-maligned subset of literature, but their appeal is undeniable. In recent years, more and more romance novelists have become part of the mainstream, and it's not uncommon for a new Catherine Coulter novel to top the New York Times bestseller list. Although the days of Barbara Cartland are gone in terms of the modern publishing world, bargain romance books abound online for readers who want to revisit the Gothic craze of the '70s or the romantic suspense espionage novels of the '80s and '90s. |