In Charlotte Brönte’s Jane Eyre, the heroine falls in love with a man whose terrible secrets are dragged into the light. But despite these secrets, she continues to pine after this man and at the end of the novel lives out her life with him. Although we look at this novel as Gothic, romantic, even archaic, back then it was a story people fell in love with. This story provided a window to the attitudes people felt back then. This is an example of contemporary romance. 

Contemporary romances are romances that were written during the author’s time. They reflect the ideas people had then about what it meant to be in a good relationship, in a bad one, what people thought characters had to do to show their love, etc. Even now, with the plethora of romance novels (or short stories) being published, they reflect the current attitudes towards romance, most of which may sharply contrast to attitudes before. For instance, before the 1970s, women in romance novels would usually quit their careers and devote their time to their husbands and families. However, this isn’t necessarily the case anymore, with many publishers even requesting that the heroine be a strong, independent woman who just needs some backup every now and then. 

But more than that, did you know that there are also different categories of contemporary romances? There are many ideas for contemporary romances and as such there are many subcategories in contemporary romance. Below are just a few of these romances.

Medical Romances 

Typically in these stories, you have a romance that takes place in a healthcare setting. Sometimes you’ll have a doctor (usually male, usually hot) who falls in love with their patient. Sometimes, you’ll have nurses and doctors getting together while other times you’ll have two consenting partners having sex in a hospital bed. Some medical romances include The Baby Doctor by Bobby Hutchinson, Sticks and Stones by Susie Tate, and the TV show, Gray’s Anatomy. It’s safe to say that medical romances are a part of the mainstream in the romance genre. 

Cowboy Romances

Cowboy romances are very popular nowadays. In these books, the love interest, or rather the cowboy, is a man in every sense of the word. He emulates all the positive aspects of manhood, from taking care of his woman, to getting out and working hard in the burning hot sun. He knows his environment, knows how to work in it, and he’s got the rugged good looks to go with it. Most importantly, he’s got a lot of qualities that many women, regardless of background or age, are into. 

Baby Love

Baby love stories are more of a coming-of-age story with a womanly twist to them. In other words, the women in this story are pregnant, and they have to deal with that pregnancy. These stories showcase these women’s struggles, as well as how they're slowly but surely becoming reliant on their partners. This trend is being reversed, however, as there are more stories that allow women to take care of their children without relying on anyone. 

The categories don’t stop there. There are lesbian romances, comedic romances, and even vacation romances. There’s something for everyone here, which is why this specific sub-genre of romance is so versatile, regardless of the attitudes during the author’s time. However, the real beauty in contemporary romances is that love can blossom anywhere. It really doesn’t take much to find the person you’re destined for. All you have to do is get up and find them.