Most romance readers prefer a particular heat level in romance. These levels range from inspirational, where there is no intimate contact below the neck, to sweet, aka “behind closed doors,” where intimacy occurs, but the reader uses her imagination. Next is sensual where romantic scenes are more detailed, but not as numerous as spicy, where heat level is high and intimate scenes are frequent. Finally, erotica, which burns up the pages (and the romance market).
When I was having coffee with my editor, Julie Sturgeon, we had a conversation about these levels. She suggested that readers will read “down” according to heat level, but seldom “up.” That is, inspirational or sweet romance readers don’t want to read above their heat level, and starting a book that, unknown to them, leads to more explicit scenes can be upsetting. Romance readers who usually choose higher heat levels often enjoy any romance at or below their comfort level. So, an erotica reader may really enjoy a sweet or inspirational story.
Now to my dilemma. Love’s Courage was born of my first two novels, Love’s Destiny and Love’s Spirit. Both are rated sensual on Amazon, so there are detailed romantic scenes, though not erotic. Andrew is the younger brother of Emily, the heroine in my first two books. He meets Jenny in Love’s Spirit, and they fall in love—and they wanted their own story. So, I wrote their story just as they revealed it to me. Ideally, it would match the heat level of the first two so readers would know what to expect. Alas, while it is romantic, it is not technically a romance. It is a historical saga with romantic elements.
Aha, you say. So what?
So, how do I market it? When I planned the book, I hired Steven Novak to create a cover that complimented the cover Simon & Schuster created for The Brentwood Saga, the bundle of my first two books. I love the cover of Love’s Courage, but it unmistakably shouts “romance.” The good news is, Love’s Courage is not at the sensual level, so all readers can enjoy it. Will I mislead romance readers who are looking for the conventions and “beats” of a romance? Will historical fiction fans pass on it because the cover looks too much like a romance?
Well, based on early reviews, Love’s Courage is grabbing readers’ attention. InD’Tale Magazine awarded it a five-star review: “This historical romance set during the American Revolution is absolutely breathtaking! … No reader, especially American Revolution buffs, will be able to put this book down.”
During a recent audiobook tour, a review from BookTalk with Eileen said, “Meyette captures the angst and the evil which permeates times like these. [Amy] McFadden [narrator] takes the story to a whole different level with her emotional portrayal of the characters. When Andrew says Jenny’s name, with such love and reverence, it carves into my heart just a little more.”
Another reviewer, The Maiden’s Court, said, “This is the kind of historical romance that I enjoy most: hearty in historical detail and atmospheric world building, with the romance added in as is fitting to the story.”
Based on these reviews, Love’s Courage passes as a historical romance though it seems like a square peg that doesn’t fit in the round hole. I’ll continue to market it as a historical romance, but will include historical fiction, historical saga, and women’s fiction.
Bottom line, I love Jenny and Andrew’s story, and, apparently, so do many readers. I’ll do the best marketing job I can for them so others can enjoy their journey to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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