I've only recently become a reader of romances and chick-lit. What sold me are those lovely cross-over books that I call "mysterious romances" or "romantic mysteries". I'm not too keen on the Harlequin, Silhouette, Avalon and such romances, though I'll admit to reading a couple of those as well. I'm also new to what my book swappers call "PUF" -- paranormal & urban fiction. These aren't always romances, though many of them definitely are.
By the way, Romance Writers of America has a list of all the new releases every month. Check it out at
http://www.rwanational.org/cs/author...rrent_releases