Everyone loves a good romance.
Well, not everyone… but a huge chunk of the book-buying public does.
Romances are the ultimate fantasies because they are such an integral part of the human experience. People involved in romances are all-consumed by the experience. People who are not are occasionally consumed with getting into one… or at least getting some action.
Normal romance with human main characters is super popular for just those reasons. People want to feel the characters fall in love and either think back to when they were in love or imagine how it would be if they get the chance.
And then you throw in a werewolf, a vampire, an alien or even a ghost.
People like reading about those things too. Often they show up in suspense stories, horror, fantasy or sci-fi and people get excited about the fear they instill, the strangeness of their interactions with everyday humans and yes, the power they wield over the people they come in contact with.
Paranormal romance is enjoyed for an intriguing compote of all these reasons rolled into one.
Take your basic vampire romance novel. A woman is searching for love, or maybe she’s searching for fulfillment at work or something else and is surprised by love. Maybe she’s always been careful with her life and is suddenly intrigued by the “bad boy” that shows up in the night club.
The lure of “bad boys” is strong. You women know what I’m talking about. And what boy could be badder than one who drinks people’s blood or tears them apart when the moon is full? It’s the sense of danger that makes them exciting. The sense of on-the-edge-of-your-seat, what-will-happen-next anticipation.
Danger mixed with romance is a very potent combination. It’s the ultimate in star-crossed lovers… forbidden love.