Men who read romance novels find community in an often overlooked interest
Some men who read romance fiction are sharing their interest in online forums, challenging the assumption that the genre is mainly read by women. Paul, a 28-year-old partially sighted school maintenance worker, reads five or six romance novels each month, including books that combine romantic plots with fantasy or horror elements.
Men who read romance fiction are discussing their interest in online forums, despite an assumption that straight men are not interested in the genre. The discussions include readers who use romance novels as a way to relax and who are drawn to stories that combine romance with fantasy or horror.
Paul, a 28-year-old school maintenance worker, reads five or six romance novels a month. After work, he uses a Kindle to read, allowing him to adjust the font size because he is partially sighted.
His recent reading included Love Bytes, a novel about an eight-foot-tall werewolf woman who runs a successful artificial-intelligence company and falls in love with a ballroom instructor. Paul first became interested in romance fiction through what he describes as its “more traditional” side, including the Regency romance series Bridgerton.
Paul said he felt particularly connected to the first Bridgerton novel because its main character has a speech impediment that he must work through. He said he does not typically encounter disabled protagonists in the books he reads.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What assumptions about romance readers shape how men describe or conceal their interest in the genre?
How do online forums change the risks and rewards of sharing a reading preference that is treated as unusual?
Whose experiences are still missing from discussions about representation in romance fiction?
How might accessibility features affect which readers can participate in contemporary book communities?
What would change if romance publishing marketed its readership less through gendered expectations?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · SEPTEMBER 2026