Romance Renaissance

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Yearning is so back. 

Near the end of 2020, thanks to a whole lot of free time, TikTok, loneliness, romantic comedies and reading all had a huge resurgence. Soon, bookstores all over were filled with colorful covers and sweeping romances. But how did we get here? Who was behind all these romances? And how did their stories change how people view the romantic genre? 

The History of Rom-Coms 

Romance is nothing new in the world of media, especially not in book form. Authors from all over since the 16th century have been writing romances, sweeping readers or listeners off their feet. But sometime between Shakespeare’s plays and the 21st century, romance went from being endorsed by the Queen of England to being seen as one of the least serious genres. 

Shakespearean Sonnets 

Think about Shakespeare; he wrote some of the most popular romances ever and that was nearly 500 years ago. “Romeo and Juliet” is still a best-seller, and remakes and remixes continue to be made. It’s a classic forbidden romance of whispers behind closed doors and the moments where it all goes to, well… 

Queen of Romance

Next, the queen of romance (and satire): Jane Austen. Austen had some things on her mind about the society around her. And speak, or rather write, her mind she did. Throughout her career, her witty commentary on courting and the aristocracy was central to her novels. Unfortunately, her popularity didn’t take off until much later when her memoir was published by her sister, and even later when BBC remade her book that sparked an “Austen frenzy” across the world. 

The Century for Movies

The era of romance and chick flicks has come and gone and came again. Starting with movies like “Roman Holiday”, “Gone With The Wind” and “An Affair to Remember,” romantic movies have been wildly popular since the first half of the 20th century, bringing a new aspect to romantic media. Rom-coms started to become more of a sensation with “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “When Harry Met Sally,” taking on lighthearted themes while also pulling on the heartstrings of viewers. Though sometimes viewed as silly and nonessential, this format of romantic media makes excellent commentary on society, continuing on the legacy of authors like Jane Austen.   

Selznick International Pictures

“Gone With The Wind” (1939)

Rom-Com Renaissance 

Rom-coms died out for a little in the early 2000s; neither book nor movie form was incredibly popular or mass-created. But as we were all sitting in our homes, we came crawling back to what we knew: the romance. Then came the piece de resistance, “Pride and Prejudice” (2005), or rather a resurgence of what we knew was good. Something about a good enemies-to-lovers storyline to get mainstream audiences. And no one knows that better than the authors changing how we view and consume romance. 

Original photo by Ananya Nair

Thank You Book-Tok 

Leave your attention spans at the door people. In 10 seconds, this app will tell you exactly what movie to watch, who’s the best contestant on “Dancing With The Stars” and what your next read should be. And many of today’s new authors are forever indebted to TikTok because of this.

 Starting as a little app for creative short videos, TikTok has quickly blown up so much that it now has millions of subsections, Book-Tok being one of them. A small (but ever-growing) corner of the internet entirely made of everything to do with books. During this time, and maybe because of this little corner, readers begin to explore a new side to romance. 

Penguin Publishing Group

New Authors

Authors like Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez have been bringing a whole new light to rom-coms, putting real people into real situations and having them be swept off their feet. And folks are eating it up. Both known for their swoon-worthy beach reads, these authors bring a level of realness that’s difficult to find in this genre. Their characters are messy, cringe-worthy and oh-so lovable. No matter who you are, you can find a piece of yourself within these characters.