Why the Goodreads Top 100 Romance List Doesn’t Reflect All Romance Genres
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Every year, Goodreads releases its Top 100 Romances list, a collection of the most popular books based on reader shelves, reviews, and ratings. But does it truly represent the full breadth of the romance genre, or is it just another popularity contest driven by BookTok hype?
We recently discussed this list in-depth on our YouTube live show, and we had thoughts—lots of them. While some books absolutely deserve their spot, others felt like filler, and many key romance subgenres were completely overlooked.
Let’s break down the biggest trends, glaring omissions, and what we’d change about this year’s Goodreads Top 100 Romances.
The Goodreads Effect: Popularity vs. True Representation
If you’ve followed Goodreads lists over the years, you’ve likely noticed a pattern:
- The most visible books on social media tend to dominate.
- Multiple books from the same author or series take up space, limiting variety.
- Goodreads is owned by Amazon, and we can’t ignore the impact of advertising and sales influence on rankings.
This raises an important question: Are romance readers still using Goodreads?
Many longtime readers have moved to StoryGraph, private Airtable trackers, or even Substack communities to log their reading. If the most engaged romance readers aren’t actively rating and reviewing on Goodreads, it’s no surprise the list skews heavily toward trending books rather than a true representation of the genre.
The Trends We Noticed in the Top 100
1. BookTok’s Influence is Everywhere
It’s clear that BookTok has completely reshaped the romance landscape. Authors like Lauren Asher, Elsie Silver, Sara Cate, and Lucy Score have gained massive followings, and their books were all over the list.
2. Multiple Entries from the Same Series
We love seeing our favorite authors succeed, but do we really need three or four books from the same series on a top 100 list? This takes away spots from other deserving books. A “one book per author” rule would create more variety.
3. The Romantasy Boom
Fantasy romance (a.k.a. romantasy) has surged in popularity, but should these books be separated from traditional romance? Books like Fourth Wing and Rachel Gillig’s works dominated, but they’re more fantasy with romantic elements rather than core romance novels. If romantasy continues to take over, should Goodreads create a separate list for romantasy vs. romance?
4. Contemporary Romances Are Either Dark or Fluffy
Two major categories took over this year’s list:
- Dark romance (high heat, taboo, morally grey characters).
- Fluffy rom-coms (low-stakes, cute banter, predictable plots).
Where’s the in-between? The emotionally complex, slow-burn stories?
What Made the List That We Loved
Not all of our discussion was about what’s missing—some books deserved their spot:
- Lucy Score’s Things We Never Got Over – A Kindle Unlimited sensation that genuinely dominated sales.
- Julie Whelan’s Thank You for Listening – A romance that also highlights the audiobook industry, made even better by Whelan’s narration.
- Sara Cate’s Praise – A spicy indie book that went viral and changed the game for self-published romance.
These books earned their place through a mix of reader love, viral marketing, and strong storytelling.
The Glaring Omissions
While some books showed up multiple times, other entire subgenres were left out.
1. Where Are the Historical Romances?
It’s shocking that not a single historical romance made the cut. Where’s Lisa Kleypas, Tessa Dare, or Beverly Jenkins? These authors consistently deliver bestselling, critically acclaimed books, yet their absence suggests Goodreads favors modern trends over genre longevity.
2. Paranormal Romance? Nowhere to Be Found.
Vampires, shifters, and supernatural love stories have a loyal readership, but J.R. Ward, Kresley Cole, and Nalini Singh were completely ignored. Why?
3. Romantic Suspense Was Completely Overlooked
No Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb)? No Catherine Cowles? Romantic suspense blends thrills with love stories, yet it was missing from the list.
4. Diversity Issues
The list heavily favored white, straight, traditionally published authors. While Kennedy Ryan and Ana Huang made appearances, the lack of Black, queer, or Latinx authors was frustrating, especially when many of these authors have delivered highly rated, bestselling books.
5. Mafia Romance Was Absent
Mafia romance is booming on Kindle Unlimited, yet it was missing entirely. Where’s Sophie Lark, Cora Reilly, or Amo Jones?
6. Where Are the Romantic Mystery Rom-Coms?
A growing niche, romantic mysteries blending true crime elements (think Finley Donovan and Veronica Speedwell) were completely ignored.
What We’d Change About the Goodreads Top 100
1. One Book Per Author
Instead of three books from the same series, let’s allow space for more variety.
2. Clearer Genre Separation
- Romantasy needs its own list.
- Women’s fiction shouldn’t be mixed in.
- Paranormal, romantic suspense, and historical romance deserve more representation.
3. More Diverse Representation
There are so many incredible queer, Black, and Latinx romance authors who deserve spots on this list.
4. Recognizing More Kindle Unlimited Stars
The Kindle Unlimited market is massive, yet only the most mainstream indie authors make the cut. It’s time to highlight more hidden gems!
Final Thoughts: The List Needs a Revamp
The Goodreads Top 100 Romance list reflects what’s trending, but it doesn’t capture the full scope of romance. Readers looking for historicals, romantic suspense, or diverse stories are being left out of the conversation.
So here’s our challenge to you:
- Which books from the Goodreads Top 100 did you love?
- Which books do you think were missing?
- What romance subgenres deserve more attention?
Drop your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear your take!