Contemporary romance novels may, in turn, be categorized into several subgenres, sometimes mixing with other main subgenres of romance novels. Subgenres include: • General contemporary romance • Contemporary romantic suspense • Christian romance • Contemporary
fantasy romance • Contemporary
paranormal romance • Medical romance •
Cowboy contemporary romance • Glamour and jet set • Humorous contemporary romance • International lovers • Love in the workplace • Vacation love • Lesbian romance • Male/Male romance • Amnesia, that is
memory loss, often includes some former relationship • "
Bonkbusters", a subgenre of commercial romance novels from the 1970s and 1980s.
Contemporary romantic suspense The subgenre of contemporary romantic suspense consists of literary works that feature both elements of romance and suspense.
Christian romance This subgenre is also referred to as inspirational romance, often including themes and characters dealing with the Christian faith.
Contemporary paranormal romance The subgenre of contemporary paranormal romance consists of literary works that feature both elements of romance and the supernatural.
Medical romance Medical romance novels may generally be regarded as a subcategory of contemporary romance, as well as of
medical fiction, but has their type of setting and characters, although they yet can be as multifarious as any other subgenre. The setting usually involves a medical workplace, often the
emergency department, but also
airborne medicine,
family medicine and
obstetrics and gynecology. Regarding characters, the central male protagonists (heroes) are almost always
medical doctors, mostly
emergency physicians,
primary care physicians or
surgeons, and sometimes
obstetricians/
neonatologists or
pediatricians. The female protagonists (heroines) are mostly medical doctors but also often nurses, working in primary care, obstetrics/neonatology, training or
residency programs, surgery,
anesthesiology or emergency medicine. The doctors are almost always ingenious, the men usually tallish, husky and chiseled, while nurses are strong but caring. Patients bring a lot of potential for subplots. They mostly get completely recovered, regardless of the severity of their injury or disease. Almost no plot, however, includes a doctor-patient or nurse-patient relationship, since it is a code for professional healthcare workers to avoid intimate relationships with patients, as a part of a professional
doctor-patient relationship. The plot often includes
pregnancy and children.
Lesbian romance This subgenre is an important part of literature and has been prevalent since the mid-1700s . The lesbian romance genre is often a subgenre of broader genres such as BDSM romance, paranormal romance, coming-of-age romance, fantasy romance, and inspirational romance. ==Critical reception==