Romance is one of the most prevalent and impactful genres in literary history. Romance novels include the tragic “Romeo and Juliet” to the observant and posh “Pride and Prejudice” to the then provocative and comedic “Red and White and Royal Blue,” there is an abundance of novels to choose from as the world cozies up on Valentine’s Day and reads their feelings away.
From suicide endings to 10-plus page monologues and cross-government secret romances, the scope of what a romance novels has changed over time. But with a collection spanning classics to modern masterpieces, the diversity of selection is what makes the evolution of romance novels so impactful.
“There’s a good origin of love stories and literature,” Mari Zamora, a sales associate at Camino books, said. “Especially the most classic romance stories come from a time of repression.”
16th and 17th Century: Shakespearean Plays
Shakespeare is seen as a writer who served as a catalyst for romance writing and publishing. His plays feature passionate and robust storylines, and his poetry continues to be analyzed today. Particularly, he is famous for the 154 sonnets that he published in 1609, which include “Sonnet 18,” “Sonnet 116” and “Sonnet 130,” frequently studied in english courses
“Shakespearean sonnets to modern sonnets and the essence and emotion and the pains and the throes and the beauty and the joy is all encapsulated into those 14-line poems so beautifully,” Lisa Callendar, Advanced Placement Seminar and Literature teacher, said.
The Shakespearean tragedy is a highly sought-after tale of love and passion. The play introduces protagonists Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, who come from rival families and begin a forbidden love.
Throughout the piece, themes of grief and passion for romance fill each page. The brevity and impulse of the storyline made it a defining performance of its time, standing out for its honest and vulnerable exploration of longing and desire.
“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo,” is an infamous line that defines the play and what it means to long for love. The story would further shock the readers as both characters end their own stories through poison and a dagger, contributing to the tragic love story both characters experience as they always had to triumph and fight to be together.
1600 – “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a comedic shift from “Romeo and Juliet.” Featuring elements from Greek mythology, the play features four mythological fairies in a magical forest that creates a chaotic journey of the four lovers who go on a wild journey to fall into one another’s arms.
Featuring magic, chaos and imagination, Shakespeare once again proves love’s universality and multiple dimensions with an style shift through this experimental play.
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind” is a quote that wraps up the essential message: love comes from deep within a person, going past a surface-level perception.
19th and 20th Century: Female Author Presence and Social Commentary
In a time of wars and conflicts, there was no more time for magic and fantasy, but even through a time of social unrest, love stood strong. The socio-political state of the 1800s and 1900s was a major driving factor behind the literature being produced, even in love stories.
Through all of this, women’s voices began to enter the conversation. But the recognition was still left silent, as women had to either publish their written works anonymously (as Jane Austen did) or go under a pen name like Peggy Mitchell (Margeret Mitchell).
“One of the things that stands out to me the most is just the agency of women in those relationships,” Kristen Cullen, English Learners Department and English 10 Honors teacher, said. “And a lot of the romance at that time was built around like the complexity of the courtship.”
What set off “Pride and Prejudice” from “Romeo and Juliet” was the addition of realistic social commentary and character growth. Austen wrote about themes of social class, feminism and the titular character flaws of pride and prejudice, tied back to the passionate romance with the very unfavourable Mr. Darcy.
What makes the novel so different is a strong female lead who was not the damsel in distress; the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, is a smart and witty lead who has no problem speaking her mind and is given the room to develop as a character. In a time when women could not even attend higher education, it was revolutionary to have the female intellect Austen write and publish a story about a romance that was not dependent on a man.
“There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well,” perfectly sums up Bennet’s role as the protagonist, as she proudly wore the fact that before she could marry a man, she needed to know who the man really was, setting up her own voice to be heard.
Set in the American Civil War, but written during the Great Depression, Margaret Mitchell’s novel includes traditional gender roles and economic duress as the challenges protagonist Scarlett O’Hara faces. However, the most notable feature is Mitchell’s definition of love and how it changes throughout the story.
“Gone with the Wind” is unique due to O’Hara’s display of emotional immaturity and how it affects her relationship with people. This display of innocence and honesty was not a common theme within literary pieces at the time.
“After all, tomorrow is another day,” is one of the most iconic lines from the novel, as it opens the reader to O’Hara’ thoughts and character. O’Hara prioritizes romantic fantasy over reality, leading her to obsess over long-time crush Ashley Wilkes. Ultimately finds a love who really matches her requires a journey of emotional maturity.
21st Century: Young Adult Angst, Increased Representation
The modern-day literary scene is night and day compared to pre-2010s books, and it shows. Past all the literary devices, analytical interpretation and analysis, literature from the last 16 years continue to include those factors, but with one additional detail: fun. It is no longer about internal monologues that sound “deep” but rather exploring the fun parts of life and turning them into stories one will enjoy.
Most books mentioned are staples of high school curriculum; these next books are meant for your free time.
2005-2008: The “Twilight Saga” (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn)
“Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer created the Young Adult genre of romance, curating a consistent aesthetic, theme, character tropes and conflicts for people to cry over. The majority of people classify Twilight as cringeworthy, but some readers would call it a masterpiece for the modern teenager (I am ‘some readers’).
Set in a cold, small town in Washington, protagonist Bella Swan navigates her love life as she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire that has “skin of a killer.” The paranormal romance between Cullen and Swan was a cultural reset. And, what better way to stir the pot than to add another love interest: shapeshiftable werewolf and human hybrid, Jacob Black.
The fight between Black and Cullen over Swan was full of confrontation and drama, and it kept the storyline alive across four lengthy books. The angst behind the character descriptions and monologues practically define the series. The series was one of the first to touch the hearts of people around the world, selling 160 million copies across the whole series as of 2021.
“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb,” Cullen said as he described his relationship with Swan. What’s not to love?
2008-2010 – “The Hunger Games” Trilogy
Following a similar love-triangle theme as seen in “Twilight,” “The Hunger Games” was another series that captivated readers all over the world. Set in a dystopian world where an annual “Hunger Games” — a violent game show featuring 24 teenagers from all over the fictional nation of Panem — occurs, Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne find a way to flirt through the troubles of the brooding dystopian life they live in. When Katniss is chosen to compete in the Hunger Games alongside Peeta Mellark, love may be the singular reason both survived the games.
A high-stakes set of books that left readers on the edge of their seats as they witnessed the many battles and challenges faced by the protagonist, it nearly defined the early 2010s. The book included themes of poverty, trauma and political unrest as key parts of the novel. Both Everdeen and Mellark fought oppression and eventually fell for one another.
“You love me, real or not real,” Mellark asks Everdeen. “Real,” she responds. The plot dissects the strength of love and how it is always present, even when a spear is thrown at you, or in the middle of a burning forest.
Past dystopian and fantasy sub-genres, the modern literature scene has brought a “change in inclusivity” according to Cullen.
“We also get to see literature now with relationships that are not just a man-woman relationship,” Cullen said. “We get to see more multicultural relationships. We get to see more nuanced, dynamic relationships.”
Uniform stories no longer fulfilled audiences; the world progresses alongside with authors and what they write.
“The whole literature scene in general is definitely moving towards … inclusivity, and really, ultimately, that is all about what sells,” Callendar said. “And so people want to buy books and read stories where they see themselves reflected. And that would be people of color, people of different sexualities, different cultures as well and how love is represented in those cultures.”
Made popular by its cinematic adaptation ofthe same name from director John M. Chu in 2018, the novel is a modern classic, feeding diversity in the literary scene. Major works like “The Great Gatsby” and “Around the World in Eighty Days” demonstrate how literature can perpetuate racial stereotypes, including those applied to Asian characters.
“Crazy Rich Asians” is a very modern love story that dismantles racial stereotypes. Protagonist Rachel Chu is a successful-self made Chinese-American economics professor at New York University who is in a relationship with ultra-wealthy Singaporean Nick Young, a history professor at NYU. Young keeps his wealth private so he can attract the right woman with the right intentions, who ends up being Chu.
The relationship struggles through social class barriers, as Chu tries to get the approval of the family matriarch, Eleanor Young. Despite the novel ending with Young still disapproving of Chu, Chu and Young’s relationship mends and remains strong, as a culturally defining moment in modern portrayal of relationships.
“Love is a luxury,” as stated by Young, is a near-perfect synopsis for the novel.
2019 – “Red, White and Royal Blue”
“Red, White and Royal Blue,” written by Casey McQuiston, is one of those romances that is pure fun. The plot features the son of the U.S. president and the Prince of England, who both fall in love. Alexander Clairemont-Diaz and Prince Harry navigate their complicated relationship between country lines, and fighting the press as they are very high-profile figures.
McQuiston unapologetically writes a gay love story without any stereotypes and addresses the political unrest against the LGBTQIA+ community. The book defines the progression of society as it opens up to a concept that was once stigmatized.
“History, huh? But we could make some,” is exactly what the book did, as it was not advertised based on labels, but rather based on the fact that it was a love story.
“Some people might say that [inclusivity in literature is] kind of oversaturated now, it’s too much, but I think that they really shouldn’t listen to that,” Zamora said. “And it’s never too much. I think that it’s necessary to tell every story.”
As the pages of romance books stack up through time, one factor that defines them is the social climate. Romance writing ranges from the beginnings of comedic theater, to Victorian courtship, to supernatural and fantastical connections, in a reflection of how the world is moving and what society thinks and values. The lines of words on each page paint a bigger picture of the current trends and thoughts of society.
Viktoria Kiss • Feb 15, 2026 at 12:14 am
Great job, Chris! Super interesting read