I and my rockstar romance author colleagues were thrilled when Amazon finally gave us our very own Rockstar Romance category—but it didn’t take long for that list to become polluted with books that didn’t belong, including books in other subgenres of romance such as MC, bully/academy, various sports, and more. But thinking about that led me to a topic I’ve meant to talk about for a long time:
What exactly is a rockstar romance?
The answer might seem like a no brainer. Duh! It’s a romance novel with a rockstar as one of the main characters.
Ah, yes. But I tend to be a bit more inclusive. I also consider country music, pop star, hip hop, boy band, and others to be in this genre. Here’s why:
- Regardless of the actual music being highlighted in the story, these other books feature the same elements that rocker romance does: characters struggling to get to the top or, once they’re there, dealing with fame. Their lives are about music and about baring their souls through their music to their fans. They perform for live audiences, often go on tour, record their music, etc. My only considerations when deciding if I would include a book in the rockstar romance category are these: Is it a romance? Is one of the main characters in the music industry (or an indie musician) in some way?
- Let’s say we “kicked out” all these other music books that weren’t actually about rock stars. Where would they go? How would readers find them? I promise that bookstores (most notably Amazon) aren’t going to be any more granular with this category than they already are. I argue that these books fit, regardless of the type of music being featured. If you had to–most of the time–you could substitute your favorite music genre for the genre being “played“ in the book.
The bottom line is this: if you like rock star romance, you aren’t going to hate a country music romance. While the feel of the book might be slightly different, I have no doubt that all the elements you love about the genre are going to appear in those other books as well. So I will continue to include all these books in my rockstar romance lists and promotions, because that’s where they belong!
What do YOU think? How do you feel about other music genres being included in the Rockstar Romance category? Let me know in the comments section!
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