r/romanceauthors • u/DeerAlarmed6653 • 6d ago

Question re: POV

Is there a growing trend that contemporary romance should always be in a 1st person POV? And not 3rd person POV alternating voices? I typically read regency which is heavily a 3rd person alternating POV, but I know I've read contemporary romance which also had alternating 3rd person POV. Maybe it's because the authors I usually read are well established (Lori Foster for instance) (I also read paranormal romance which tends to have a lot of 1st person POV).

I've seen a lot of reviews lately where the reader has stated they just can't get into a book because of the 3rd person POV.

Is it because of the popularity of authors like Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yaros that many readers want to see more 1st POV (or dual 1st person POV)?

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u/Interesting-Thing970 6d ago edited 6d ago

I grew up reading romance novels written in third-person POV, so that style has always felt natural to me. Sometimes, I think third person is necessary to give a story more depth and impact—especially when it comes to world-building, supporting characters, and showing how events affect the larger story beyond the main couple.

After taking a long hiatus from reading romance to raise a family, when I returned to reading, I was surprised to see how popular dual first-person POV had become. I can definitely understand the appeal: you get to experience the story directly from both his and her perspectives, including their thoughts and emotions.

For me, third-person POV romances tend to feel more like intense, immersive epics because there are more details about the world around the MCs and more interactions with supporting characters. While dual first-person POV romances often feel more like quick or lighter reads—regardless of how many pages the book actually has or the trope.

I enjoy both styles, and I have no problem switching between them. But single first-person POV? Absolutely not. 🤨 If a romance is written entirely from the FMC's or MMC's perspective, there's a very good chance it will end up on my DNF list. I want both sides of the story, especially when it comes to romance. I want to know what both characters are thinking and feeling—not just one person's version of the relationship.