There are a couple of non-romance subgenres that are often grouped into the romance genre or referred to generally as women's fiction. They are closely related to romance but only feature some elements of romance on the side, but not the main attraction. The difference is seen in the story structure and theme, and often, happily ever after is not guaranteed. Here are four related romance genres you may encounter or even focus on in your journey to crafting a romance novel.

1. Chick lit. Chick lit is very focused on the lives of heroines in their twenties and is often narrated from the first-person point of view. The primary theme is usually about dealing with men drama in the lives of these young women. But mostly, the trials and triumphs of the heroine's entire life are the larger focus of the plot, and a happy ending with marriage is not guaranteed. So, here, romance is a feature, not the entire package. Popular examples include Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote and Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann.

2. Erotica. Romances can be sexy, too sexy, but they still include the elements of sympathetic main characters, emotional suspense and happily ever after. Erotica is more focused on the sexual relationship in its explicit form with no guise of an emotional relationship that leads to happily ever after. It may have interesting characters and an actual plot, but the sole aim is to explore sexuality in graphic detail at great length. It can include kinks and multiple partners, which other romances won't include. Examples include Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth, Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill, and Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson.

3. Young Adult. Young adult tells stories about teenagers, and often they involve romance. It usually has to do with problems of first love, together with the trials of adolescence. Unlike romances, there's no guarantee of happily ever after. The issue of relationship is dealt with as part of the process of teenage development, a phase the characters have to go through on their journey to adulthood. The target audience is obviously teenagers in high school or in their freshman or sophomore year in college. Even if the young couples are committed to staying together forever, the likelihood of such, given their age, is not as much as it is with adult couples in their twenties or thirties. Contemporary examples include The Fault in our Star by John Green, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, and To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Hann.

4. Multi-generational Novels and Family Sagas. These stories cover the lives and love of many generations of the same generation in slightly different ways. They are more about family tales and the saga involved in marriage, childbearing, raising a family, dealing with in-laws, uncles, cousins and grandparents. The grand theme is usually to extol family values and the beatitudes of having your family with you through highs and lows. Then, the issues of emotional relationships are obviously inevitable. Trying to make a marriage work and children in a family experiencing love for the first time can be the features of a family saga, but they are not the main dish. The complete package includes strongly drawn characters dealing with birth, death, economic fluctuations, growth in marriage, and emotional relationships. Classic examples include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, Digging to America by Anne Tyler, Empire Falls by Richard Russo, and Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald.