For Covers of the Week #120, Sweet Savage Flame is featuring some paranormal romance novel covers from the 1990s in honor of our month-long Halloween celebration.
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The Theme: Paranormal Romances
We continue our Spooktober celebration with some paranormal romance covers from the 1990s.
Although Gothic romance fell in popularity in the 1970s, romance readers still enjoyed stories with preternatural elements.
During the 1980s, some authors experimented with writing about the supernatural and paranormal. They explored alternate worlds, ghosts, and other psychic phenomena. Many books during that time also tackled the topic of reincarnation. Two bestsellers that contributed to the popularity of time travel romance were Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor published in 1988 and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander from 1991.
Paranormal romances—also known as PNR—gained immense fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the 1990s, the genre saw the release of the first vampire romances where the undead protagonists had HEAs.
Then, in 1993, Silhouette launched its PNR-themed Shadows line. However, it was discontinued in 1996 after releasing only 66 books.
Several years later, romance novels with supernatural themes such as vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and shapeshifters gained massive fandoms and sold like hotcakes. As a result, the paranormal romance (PNR) genre surpassed historical romance, becoming the most sought-after type of romance novel.
Although paranormals have lost some of their popularity in recent years, it’s only a matter of time before they experience a resurgence, or, in other words, reincarnate.
The Covers
For the week of Monday, October 23, to Sunday, October 29, 2023, we’re celebrating the spooky season of Halloween with these four paranormal romance novel covers.
The Covers
Your Opinion
What do you think of this week’s theme? Which of our selections do you like the best, and what about them appeals to you?
Do you have suggestions or requests for future Covers of the Week themes you’d like to see on Sweet Savage Flame? Let us know, and we’ll do our best to create a gallery of stunning art!
Please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.
Oh, those red flowers and a bat flying over the moon. .. Gorgeous! Need to check that one…