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A Romance Novelist's Reading Year in Review
Talia Hibbert is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. A lifelong bookworm, she’s known for haunting the local library, eating too many biscuits, and writing sexy, diverse romance novels. Her newest book, Act Your Age, Eve Brown, arrived in U.S. stores in March, and it's the third book in her Brown Sisters series.
As the year comes to a close, we asked Hibbert for her take on trends and the hottest reads of 2021. Check out her thoughts and steal her book recommendations! As always, be sure to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf.
As the year comes to a close, we asked Hibbert for her take on trends and the hottest reads of 2021. Check out her thoughts and steal her book recommendations! As always, be sure to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf.
Goodreads: What are some trends or themes you are noticing in romance this year?
Talia Hibbert: After the hell that was 2020, many of us saw 2021 as the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, that light turned out to be the toxic glow of an explosive Dumpster fire. I’ve noticed a significant decrease in my attention span this year (here’s a fun mathematical question: How many times can a thing be halved before it no longer exists?). I’ve also noticed an increase in my thirst for escapism, and I don’t think I’m alone. Luckily, the latest romance trends seem designed to fulfill those needs.
Snappy, impactful novellas like Dylan Allen’s The Daredevil are serving up steaming espresso shots of romance, drama, and joy. Similarly, short-but-hilarious Audible originals like Mia Sosa’s Sun of a Beach are perfect for those who want to laugh and swoon while folding yet another load of laundry.
In terms of content, monster romance is blowing up lately—and I have a lot of theories as to why, most of which revolve around feeling powerless in the face of an inhuman force and wanting desperately to tame it. First, Ruby Dixon’s long-standing Ice Planet Barbarians series dominated BookTok (coping with an inhospitable world and taming dudes with four arms? OK, sure, why not?). Then Morning Glory Milking Farm became a Romancelandia smash hit—and this is a book in which mothmen and humans shop at the supermarket side by side, and medical facilities only exist for hot minotaur to…actually, let me stop there.
The point is, this year, readers wanted to crack open a book and find something wildly different inside. And romance, as always, had their back.
GR: Who are some new and exciting authors you discovered in 2021?
TH: R.M. Virtues blew me away with Drag Me Up, a Hades and Persephone retelling that combined kink, consent, a delicious amount of power-coupledom, and a fascinating approach to worldbuilding that was at once fantastic and contemporary. I have another of his books, What Are the Odds? cued up on my e-reader and can’t wait to dive in.
N.G. Peltier is a writer and romance commentator I’ve admired for quite some time, so I was thrilled to read her debut novel, Sweethand, earlier in the year, and it did not disappoint. The cozy, enemies-to-lovers-handling-a-wedding romance hit every trope, conflict, and ooey-gooey moment I could’ve wished for. I am kind of desperate to read about the next couple in the series.
Finally, Xio Axelrod is far from new to the genre, but her recent rock star romance The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes introduced me to the author’s work. GWISHE revolutionized the rock star trope for me and hit those special buttons in my brain that usually only classic fanfiction can reach. This book was a compulsive read, and her backlist is no different.
GR: Looking ahead, what predictions do you have for romance in 2022? And are there any 2022 titles you can’t wait to read?
TH: I think, in 2022, our desire for escapism will creep into contemporary romance novels, resulting in a new twist on speculative story elements and a return to the noughties paranormal-rom-com vibe. Alexis Daria’s What the Hex and Ann Aguirre’s Witch Please are already kicking off the trend in style.
Therese Beharrie’s And They Lived Happily Ever After is a similarly fresh take on speculative romance: It follows a romance-writing heroine who lives out her narratives every night via dream. What happens when she writes a real-life man—her best friend’s little brother—into the love story? I highly recommend you read it and find out.
As for 2022 titles I can’t wait to read, I’ve noticed more adult romance authors giving YA romance a spin (myself included, but I’m not excited for my own book because I already know what happens). Casey McQuiston’s YA debut, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, follows a girl on her quest to hunt down the All-American prom queen who had the audacity to kiss her before mysteriously disappearing. But wait! There’s more. The prom queen also kissed her own boyfriend, plus the town’s resident bad boy. Now all three kissees must join forces to find her. Delicious, am I right?
GR: What were some of your favorite 2021 books?
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams was hilarious yet gut-wrenching, epic yet relatable, and pretty much created a new contemporary romance gold standard for me.
Reel by Kennedy Ryan is an exploration of love, creativity, and chronic illness that somehow manages to be an incredible novel, a fantastic film, and a glorious musical experience simultaneously.
Last Guard by Nalini Singh is the disability-inclusive speculative romance of my dreams, and further cemented Ms. Singh as a worldbuilding legend and the sci-fi romance GOAT.
GR: And what are some backlist books you think readers should pick up now?
A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley is a fabulous regency romp that will take you by the hand and sweep you along on a rowdy, romantic adventure.
Wolfsong by T.J. Klune broke my heart and ruined my life and reminded me of watching old romantic dramas with my grandma: I living my best life, yearning recklessly, and sobbing my guts out all at the same time.
Romance fans, tell us about your favorite books of 2021! Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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Nicole
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Nov 09, 2021 05:56AM
I absolutely ADORE Nalini Singh and Christine Feehan! Also The Love Hypothesis was hilarious, charming and such a rewarding read, would high recommend!
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The link to Alexis Daria's What The Hex goes to Rose Pressey's What The Hex instead.Great list of books here.
First off, Talia Hibbert is amazing! I take the success of Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet books to be proof that many have given up on Earth men. ;)
