[Note from Frolic: We are so excited to have author Jenn Burke guest post on the site today. Take it away Jenn!]
A few years ago, someone in publishing declared the paranormal romance genre dead. Vampires had lost their teeth, werewolves’ beasts were too tame, and readers were done with all of it.
Not so much, as it turns out.
In my experience, everything that’s old becomes new again eventually. Paranormal romance might have been tired when that declaration was made, but all it takes is someone with a fresh take on a worn trope to make it new again. And such statements never take into account that a lot of “old” tropes are white, cis-centric and heteronormative. Authors and readers from diverse cultures and backgrounds deserve a chance to tell their own stories without critics disparaging the tropes they choose.
So, yes—paranormal romance remains as popular as ever, thanks in part to some books that are eagerly turning traditional tropes on their heads. Here are a few I particularly enjoyed and strongly recommend!
Werewolves? More like wornwolves, am I right?
I love stories about werewolves as much as the next girl, but sometimes it’s just the same old, same old. Not that there’s anything wrong with that—werewolf stories are a tradition in romance for a reason.