‘That warm, fuzzy feeling’: Why I’m on fire for sport romance trend
In the wild world of niche romance, there’s a genre that keeps trending – even though most people associate the environment with clashing more than pashing.
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There has never been a better time to be a romance reader.
In the last few years, the genre has exploded in popularity. Romance books are no longer buried at the back of the bookstore and people now loudly and proudly share their latest romantic reads from a wide variety of subgenres.
There are rom-coms, cottage core, romantasy (especially with dragons), dark romance, billionaire romance, historical romance and more.
For me? I’m all about sports romance – yes, it’s a thing – and one sport in particular.
When you live in Australia, ice hockey doesn’t often come to mind. Yet stories set on the ice currently have readers all over the world hooked. This booming subgenre is constantly trending and has even inspired professional teams and players to join in the fun on social media. I too fell hard and fast for this latest romance craze, but I realised something was missing. Where were the stories both adults and teens could relate to?
Whether you’re a reader who likes a slow burn or prefer a love interest who literally rides a fire-breathing dragon you’re likely to find a generous helping of spice has been added to raise the temperature even further. Hockey romance is no different.
‘Chasing that warm, fuzzy feeling’
But what if you’re just looking to have your heart warmed? Like being hugged by an old friend or pulling a blanket over yourself as you settle down for a night on the couch watching your favourite early 00s movie (10 Things I Hate About You, if you’re asking).
Chasing that warm, fuzzy feeling is the reason I started writing young adult rom-coms. I love stories that are fast-paced, fun and guaranteed to make you smile. And while the main characters in these books are teens, they’re not exclusively for teenage readers. Young adult romance can supply adults with a different kind of kick – that hit of nostalgia reminding you of a simpler time when anything was possible. This is what inspired me to give ice hockey romance the young adult treatment in my latest novel, Rival Darling.
The story follows Violet, a seventeen-year-old who has sworn off dating jocks after she’s left heartbroken by her hockey player boyfriend. To prove she’s over her ex, she starts a fake relationship with the misunderstood bad-boy of her high school’s rival hockey team, Reed Darling. As you might expect from a teenage relationship, especially a fake one, it doesn’t quite go the way Violet expects.
They say write what you know. And while no cute hockey players offered to be my fake boyfriend in high school, I certainly enjoyed and endured my fair share of teenage dating drama. I think we all did.
And that’s the beauty of young adult romance. It lets you bask in the highs and lows of young love and return to those moments that, for better or worse, you can only experience once in life.
Thrilling firsts: You never forget the first time you went on a date, your first kiss or your first heartbreak. Everything is exciting and new. Though, to this day, I’ve never been as nervous as I was ahead of my first date.
Big romantic gestures: These aren’t just for movies. Long love letters. Personalised playlists. Being serenaded by your crush and a full marching band in front of your entire soccer team – okay, maybe that one was Heath Ledger.
The emotional ride: The ups and downs hit harder as a teenager. Your first crush felt like true love, and your first betrayal felt like the end of the world.
The drama: Did your crush like your post? Did they wave at you or were they looking at someone else? What did they really mean when they ended that text with a heart emoji?
Teenage relationships are messy, chaotic and unpredictable in the most wonderful way. Whether you’re looking back and reawakening your inner teenager, or you’re living those special years right now, it’s something we can all relate to. And what better way to revisit the magic, giddy excitement and boundless optimism of young love than in the books we read – with a few hot hockey players thrown in too, of course.
Rival Darling by Alexandra Moody is out now, published by Farshore Fiction. Share your fave romance genres, titles and talents at THE SUNDAY BOOK CLUB on Facebook.
Originally published as ‘That warm, fuzzy feeling’: Why I’m on fire for sport romance trend
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