Are These Really the Top 100 Romances? A Deep Dive into Goodreads' Rankings

In this episode, Laura from What to Read Next and Francesca from Under the Covers Book Blog break down the Goodreads Top 100 Romances list from the past three years. They discuss trends, surprises, snubs, and whether the list accurately represents romance readers today. They also explore how shifting reading habits and platforms like BookTok have influenced the rankings.Topics Discussed:The Impact of BookTok on the Goodreads Top 100Whether Goodreads is still relevant for tracking booksThe dominance of specific authors on the listMissing romance subgenres like historical, paranormal, and romantic suspenseUnderrepresented diverse authors and LGBTQ+ romancesThe marketing and advertising influence on the rankingsTheir personal hits and misses from the listThe List: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2887?ref=toprom25_ebBooks & Authors Mentioned:Things We Never Got Over by Lucy ScoreBook Lovers by Emily HenryThe Confidence of Wildflowers by Micalea SmeltzerThe Love Hypothesis & Love, Theoretically by Ali HazelwoodThe Deep End by Ali HazelwoodPraise by Sara CateFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosNocticadia by Keri LakeThe Graham Effect by Elle KennedyThe Dixon Rule by Elle KennedySpell Shop by Sarah Beth DurstMissing subgenres: Mafia romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and historical romanceConnect with Us:📚 Follow What to Read Next: Website | YouTube | Substack📚 Follow Under the Covers Book Blog: Website | YouTube🎥 Join us next week for a live Novel Hour episode on Galentine’s Day & Friendship ReadsJoin our What to Read Next Blog Community to get bonus book recommendations, listen to podcasts, and connect with other readers. As a podcast listener, you'll get 20% off your membership forever. Click here to sign up. (https://wtrnblog.substack.com/e3630d38) Mentioned in this episode:Advertise with UsDo you have a book or service that you want to share with our engaged audience? Check out our opportunities to sponsor with us.Advertise With Us🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners. Audible