Faith-based romantic comedies—rom-coms—are growing in popularity, prompting publishers to meet the demand for this fiction sub-genre offering clean romance, laughter, and distraction from life’s stresses.
“Great storytelling — witty banter, the perfect spark between the couple, escapist elements, and good conflict—will always be at the heart of what we want to see in the Christian rom-coms we publish,” said Elizabeth Jackson, senior acquisitions editor for Tyndale Fiction. “Beyond that, we hope readers will not only be entertained but come away feeling encouraged and uplifted in some meaningful way.”
Other publishers agree. Becky Monds, associate publisher for fiction at Thomas Nelson, adds, “rom-coms offer a great escape through laughter and love. They sweep us away from dark headlines and we’re guaranteed a happily ever after. There’s a comfort there.”
Thomas Nelson now publishes Bethany Turner, one of the original rom-com writers in the faith arena. The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck was released in October 2017 with Revell in what Turner calls “almost like an experiment. The story was a little bit edgy, including things we weren’t talking about a whole lot in Christian fiction." She got some hate mail for including "real talk about sex from a Christian perspective" but, Turner says, "through the filter of laughter and comedy, many readers were right there from the beginning. I don’t think anyone thinks twice about it anymore.
"I love that rom-coms are getting more acceptance, that more and more authors are doing them,” said Turner who has seven rom-coms to her credit, three with Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, and four with Thomas Nelson, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, which is publishing her eighth book, Wes and Addie Had Their Chance in July.
Other Thomas Nelson rom-commers include Melissa Ferguson (Meet Me in the Margins), Courtney Walsh (The Summer of Yes), Pepper Basham (Authentically, Izzy), Rachel Magee (It’s All Relative) and Kathleen Fuller (So Into You) and the house recently acquired Emma St. Clair. All have rom-coms releasing this year. “The desire for love, romance and escapism is unlikely to slow any time soon, so rom-coms will continue to play a large part in Thomas Nelson’s future,” said Monds.
Love is always popular
Jessica Sharpe, senior acquisitions editor for Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, said. "The growing popularity of clean fiction, sweet romance, closed-door romance, etc., in the general market is giving the Christian rom-com market a boost as readers looking for G- and PG-rated romances discover the authors writing in the Christian fiction space.” She sees younger readers drawn to rom-coms because of “their flirty illustrated covers and Book-Tok popularity.”
Kregel Publications’ publisher Catherine DeVries points to the COVID-19 pandemic, issues such as inflation, and world events such as wars and natural disasters as reasons for rom-com popularity. “People deeply understand how important relationships are. Rom-coms promise a light-hearted read infused with hope of what could be. We need those kinds of books today more than ever,” she said.
DeVries also highlights rom-coms’ popularity with younger readers “who may be experiencing similar situations.” She sees the subgenre as a way of introducing them to Kregel “with books that are not only enjoyable but also give them hope." Kregel has published two rom-com series: Angela Ruth Strong’s Love Off Script series and Shannon Sue Dunlap’s Love Overboard series. Strong has a new series coming that draws on her real-life experiences as a flight attendant, according to managing editor Rachel Kirsch.
Stephanie Broene, fiction acquisitions director for Tyndale Fiction, adds, “Anecdotally we’ve seen a proliferation of social media influencers promoting ‘low-spice’ or ‘no spice’ reads to help point readers toward novels that don’t have explicit sexual content.”
Tyndale’s Jackson also mentions the increase in both titles and their availability in digital formats for added growth in the category. “Rom-coms have become very accessible for consumers through library apps and sources like Kindle Unlimited, so this has also likely contributed to some of the growth,” she said. “It’s a very consumable genre with more titles being published at a rapid pace.”
And that, said Tyndale’s Broene, can create a problem of discoverability in a potentially saturated market. “Still,” she said, “we’re always on the lookout for fresh voices and hooks that stand out, and also unique twists as the genre continues to evolve.”
Tyndale will release Becca Kinzer’s First Love, Second Draft in April, following her popular Dear Henry, Love Edith in 2023 debut. Bethany House’s most popular rom-commers—Toni Shiloh, Sarah Monzon, Rebekah Millet—all have new rom-coms releasing in the next months. Shiloh (The Love Script) releases The Nature of Love in February; Monzon releases The Overdue Match in February, and Millet (Julia Monroe Begins Again) releases Kate Landry Has a Plan releases in March.
For veteran rom-commer Turner, who is working on her ninth rom-com, it’s all about the emotional connection. “We’re always seeking love and relationship, yet we’re living in a world where those things have sometimes gotten difficult and confusing,” she said. “To pick up a book and get caught up in the connection, the relationship, the laughter is important to all of us.”
