Fall & Winter 2025 Romance Trends: What’s Heating Up When the Weather Cools Down

You’re curled up under a blanket, tea in hand, scrolling through your TBR list and wondering, What romance novels are people falling for this season? Whether you're a reader hunting for your next favorite escape or a writer trying to spot the next big wave, knowing the pulse of romance trends can help you fall in love with the genre all over again (or write something that flies off the shelves).

So let’s pull back the covers and look at what’s trending in romance this fall and winter.

Romantasy Is Still Queen

Keyword: Romantic fantasy trend fall 2025

Fantasy worlds, ancient prophecies, brooding sword-wielders, and yes, slow-burning soulmate tension, are here to stay. Romantic fantasy (romantasy) is still the genre reigning supreme, and this season it’s even more immersive.

Readers want more than just spice. They want lore. They want drama. They want deluxe editions with sprayed edges and fan art that makes them swoon twice. If your story has magic and yearning in equal measure, this is your moment.

Writers: Consider layered worldbuilding that enhances the love story, rather than competing with it. Build stakes that require trust. Oh, and dragons are welcome, but emotional arcs come first.

Mystery + Romance = A Fall Favorite

Keyword: Romantic suspense books winter 2025

What’s cozier than solving a small-town mystery while falling in love with the local detective? Romantic suspense and mystery-infused love stories are trending hard. These stories come with both plot and emotional tension, a double whammy.

Whether it’s a haunted inn, a cursed bloodline, or a missing heirloom, readers are leaning into thrillers that keep their hearts racing for more than one reason.

Writers: Think layers. A good romantic suspense doesn’t just drop in a crime; it weaves the love story into the stakes. Every reveal should deepen the connection.

Fanfiction Retellings Go Mainstream

Keyword: Fanfic-inspired romance novels

Remember that Dramione fic you used to sneak-read under your covers? It’s probably being published this year.

Fanfiction-inspired romance is having a full-circle moment. Not just adaptations, but entire styles of fanfic, like enemies-to-lovers, soulmate AUs, and mutual pining with glorious payoff, are now the blueprint.

Books like Rose in Chains and The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy are leading this trend. It’s validation that passionate storytelling and emotionally driven plots (yes, even the angsty kind) work.

Writers: Lean into what you love. Don’t write for market trends, write the story that makes you obsessed. Because that’s exactly what fandom-trained readers want to feel.

Cozy Kink Is the New Comfort Read

Keyword: Cozy romance with spice

It’s not just pumpkin spice season, it’s pumpkin spice and smut season.

Cozy kink is the trend we didn’t know we needed. Think small-town romances, fall leaves, knit sweaters… and consent-forward spicy scenes that don’t fade to black. The charm is in the contrast, gentle on the surface, emotionally deep underneath, and just the right amount of heat.

Readers: If you’re tired of either too-soft or too-steamy, this is your lane.
Writers: Focus on emotional safety, chemistry, and real stakes. Build the tension in quiet moments as much as in the bedroom.

Sports Romance Gets a Makeover

Keyword: Inclusive sports romance novels

Sweaty, shirtless love interests aren’t going anywhere, but this time, they come with depth.

This fall/winter, sports romance is being reimagined through inclusive and body-positive lenses. Expect queer athletes, plus-size protagonists, mental health awareness, and genuine emotional growth.

Writers: Let your athlete be a whole person. Show them losing, learning, breaking down, and falling hard for someone who sees them beyond the jersey.

Feminist & Intersectional Love Stories Rise

Keyword: Diverse feminist romance books

Love stories are growing up. And thank goodness.

Readers are reaching for romances with protagonists who stand for something: women’s rights, queer visibility, immigrant experiences, mental health advocacy. Books like A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke and Unromance aren’t afraid to ask hard questions while still giving us all the feels.

Writers: You don’t need to write “issue books.” Just write layered people who care about real things. Let love be part of their purpose, not their only plot.

The Age of “Unromance”

Keyword: Unconventional romance novels

Not every story needs a ring on the last page.

The “unromance” trend features stories that look like love stories, but twist the formula. Maybe it’s about choosing yourself. Maybe it’s about ending something with grace. Maybe the ending is open, not wrapped in a bow. These books feel honest and tender. Readers love them because they get it.

Readers: If you’re looking for romance that reflects your season of life, unromance might be it.
Writers: Give yourself permission to break the rules, especially if doing so makes your story more truthful.

What This Means for You (Writer or Reader)

If you’ve been feeling stuck, reading the same billionaire trope over and over, or wondering if your story is “too different,” take a breath.

Romance is shifting. There’s room now for softer, stranger, spicier, smarter love stories. You don’t need to write what’s trendy. But knowing where the genre is heading gives you the power to make intentional choices.

Write the story you want to read this season. Chances are, someone out there is already craving it too.

Your Season of Romance Starts Now

Whether you’re falling for a broody prince, solving a murder with your sworn enemy, or finally writing that fanfic-inspired debut novel, you’re not late. You’re right on time.

So go light that candle, crack your knuckles, and let the cold weather push you closer to the page.

You’ve got stories worth telling. And this season? Romance is listening.