Guest post written by Accidentally Wedded to a Werewolf author Isabelle Taylor
Isabelle Taylor writes sweet, steamy fantasy romance. She works in a bookstore in New Zealand and has a Creative Writing Masters from the International Institute of Modern Letters.
About Accidentally Wedded to a Werewolf: The grumpy-sunshine appeal of It Happened One Summer meets the cozy fantasy vibes of The Baby Dragon Cafe in this utterly charming, spicy, Alaska-set fated-mates romance. Read an excerpt here!
“Cozy Fantasy Romance” is (debatably) a new genre classification. But what IS it, and why is it having a Moment?
In a very broad overview, cozy fantasy romance is romance that’s based in a fantasy world, with low stakes and a focus on community. Its purpose is to charm, delight and comfort. Cozy Fantasy Romance has been having a MOMENT in publishing, both indie and trad. But why is that?
Particular genres surge in popularity for many reasons, but you can track most of them back to societal concerns. For instance, it can be argued that billionaire romance boomed during the 2008 financial crisis, because billionaire romance represents, among other things, the luxury of not having to worry about anything money-related. The “softboy” hero has arisen in popularity as a pushback against the traditional “alpha” hero, which represents readers’ desire to read about men who, you know… feel emotions. Maybe they even CRY, and they don’t have to punch a wall about it! Whaaaat?
So what does cozy fantasy romance “represent” to the wider world? What do modern readers get out of this, and why is it having such a moment?
In my professional opinion, it’s because the world is getting scarier at a rapid pace. And because cozy fantasy romance focuses on such low stakes, it provides the perfect magical escape without having to worry if the characters will make it out alive. Sometimes you just want to get swept away in a feelgood story about a grumpy small-town werewolf who falls in love with a spoiled human heiress when she tries to get a room at his adorable family-run inn, you know?
Speaking of…
I have a cozy fantasy romance series now out with Harlequin, starting with Accidentally Wedded to a Werewolf. I wrote the Claw Haven series because I write dark, intense, violent stories under my other pen name, and although I do love the darkness, I wanted something soft and sweet to refresh my palate. And hence Claw Haven was born: a snowy small town in Alaska where monsters go for some peace and quiet. And, of course, to fall in love with plucky human heroines. There are werewolf innkeepers and orc mechanics and dragon bakers, to name a few. There are also psychic bonds and fated mates, because I wanted some magic to sprinkle into my fantasy romance. Why not, right? The more escapism, the better.
Cozy fantasy romance provides a soft, warm and deeply comforting door into a world where the highest stakes you have to worry about revolve around baking competitions and the success of adorable small businesses. (With a few exceptions, like the wildly popular Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, which involves lesbian pirates and a decent amount of high stakes sword fights and royal politics, while still managing to be cozy as curling up by the fireplace with a mug of steaming tea). In these worrying times, that’s exactly what a lot of readers need right now.
