I agree that if its romance, it should be shelved under romance. I haven't been in a book store though in many many years and even back then I didn't really find a large enough selection in romance anyway. And you got the side looks.
It was much better in used book stores and libraries thankfully.
But I read ebooks exclusively now and a book can be in more than one shelf now. But if its still not under "Romance" I won't see it. If I am looking for a romance, that is where I look. No matter the skin color of the characters or orientation for that matter.
I see some readers now with online presence being closer to their authors. For me its the opposite. With so many more authors and so many more pen names, I have no clue really who is on the other side of those words. I can't even tell if its a man pretending to be a woman. And again, I don't search out authors, I do not want any personal connection to them. I never was into that. I just want to read the books. Now given I read more historical than anything else I think by default there have been mostly white characters. Not saying there haven't been non white characters in history in those countries I often read about, but I do love me some lordlings.
But then are we talking about characters or different ethnic and racial back round or authors. Or both.
If they are there and I like the blurb or theme, I'll read it. I like certain themes, tropes or whatever its called and I don't like others. That isn't going to change.
Like Blossom I prefer contempo stuff to be RS or some thing. I don't read straight up CR much. I like the suspense part. Probably why I also like historical romance with some mystery woven in or just straight up historical mysteries.
I am still struggling with paranormal. As I lean more towards urban fiction there as so much romance is shifter stuff which for some reason outside of UF doesn't interest me. There has be be some other themes for paranormal. I do like the vampires, but I have to read the older stuff to get that. I don't see much new stuff there. Other than YA which I don't read at all.
My head is starting to hurt with all of this. I just want to find a book, hoping its a good one, read it and be happy when it is. I am pretty simple on that front. I just want to read all the good books.
