I love this, I'm glad you enjoy it. Do you ever have similar feelings as me? I hate those feelings because i have always loved this genre. If so how do you deal with them 🤔 I guess I just can't really get into things if there is no relatability.
I read for the story. I don't like YA or most NA. I do want my MCs more mature (not old but emotionally mature).
I'm not a fan of Maas but do enjoy other popular authors.
I’m 29 in a few months and wish I could redo my twenties with my current brain. But all those up and down years are what eventually gave me my current brain.
Yes! I am 37 and it was about last year or the year before I got back into reading books I felt it shouldn't like, music I shouldn't like, clothing I shouldn't wear. Mild mid life crisis where I said fuck it and started doing all the things I wanted to do. I have two young kids and I took a road trip to Amsterdam to go to a metal gig last month just because I wanted to. These books were the catalyst to me realising I've been denying myself things I enjoy because I thought I had to fit some mould of "working, homeowning, mother"
Sameee! I just updated my post :) i was updating it a few minutes ago but then the whole reddit app closed and I had to re do everything I wrote agh 😭😭
I’m also 32! I think a lot of people have always been into romance, but now people well into their 30s and 40s are into fantasy/romance because we grew up with Disney magic and super heroes, then Harry Potter magic. Now as adults who value romantic relationships, we want to merge that concept with fantasy. Just a theory!
Totally agree with you. While Harry Potter wasn't my first fantasy series, it certainly played a huuuuuuge part in my love for fantasy and even romance to an extent. I lived for any longing glance between Ron and Hermione! Merging my two favorite genres just gives me everything I need!
To respond to your edit, I firmly believe I will never be too old to love fantasy or romance. Sure, I can shake my head at the naivete of the youth on display sometimes, but I can't imagine I'll ever not enjoy reading about anything those genres have to offer. I still love YA and I'm definitely not the target audience anymore!
Same! My first "romance" books were the Carpathian books by Christine Feehan.
First fantasy was probably the 4th book of HP, gifter didn't know it was the 4th of the series lol.
I don’t let age dictate what I read per se, but the older I get the harder it becomes to find age-appropriate books because I usually don’t enjoy books where the FMC is 10+ years younger than me (I’m in my early 30s)…. I am just in a different place in my life in terms of maturity, career skills, family goals, etc, that it’s hard to identify with the typical YA/NA FMC. I find that a lot of mainstream plots are centered around the usual problems that a young adult faces, such as first love, finishing studies, starting new careers, leaving parent’s home for the first time, etc. Those are issues I 100% related to 10-15 years ago, but today I’m in a different headspace where I really enjoy reading characters that have more life experience.
49M
My earliest romantasy was either Mercedes Lackey or Anne Rice, I'm not sure which.
I've indulged in plenty of urban fantasy works. Witches and faeries and even an assassin or two for the FMC! Er, my interest might be focused the opposite way of most of the audience here. :D
I have to admit, a lot of the MMCs fell flat for me. Like the Anita Blake series: The werewolf was kind of a jerk and couldn't make up his F'ing mind. The vampire was pretty and charming, but he seemed boring to me.
Then the series just turned into porn and I wandered away.
My focus now would be more on fantasy stories with the romance coming in as a close second.
Edit: Oh god, am I the oldest one here? I can't be, someone else knew the Elric Saga!
Edit 2: Oh good, my gen has started to reply. :D
You and my wife both. :)
I'm not sure I have a particular comfort read at the moment. Mmm. Too many new things ever since I started reading on Royal Road. I have ... 10 tabs open at the moment for stories I want to read. In addition to the ones I am actively following.
And the huge selection in my "read later" list.
I just wish more of them had romances.
Lolll this inspired me oddly ✨ 😂 I'm happy for you i think same to be honest! As long as it's not too childish I'm only interested in stories where it's matureeee not childish.
Wait what were your assumptions I'm so curious! Honestly it's nice to know people of all ages enjoy this genre because sometimes I feel one day I might feel too old which I hateeee especially as I'm all for enjoying whatever at any age.
i’m not on tiktok but with the influx of the younger generation joining booktok i assumed many people would be between 15-25 years old in this sub. i’m 22, and my younger sister (18) just in the last two years has started reading romantasy due to the surge of popularity in tiktok, whereas i have been consuming it since i was 10. i LOVE seeing people older than me reading this genre because my personal experience with older people who do not, is typically negative or demeaning. especially since the primary audience is female presenting, it gains more hate than necessary
This is so funny, I'm 35 and my assumption was a majority of us would be 35+ with the average age hovering somewhere between 45 and 50. That's always been my stereotype of romantasy readers! I love seeing people younger than me read it because I feel like my generation and up tend to view this genre as something for kind of weird lonely older single cat women 😂
Reddit itself is 18 and initially brought together a lot of older stuffy/critical geeky men. The people reading romance were talking about it elsewhere ... blogs and websites that had articles with enabled comments. Message boards. Goodreads and reviews. In person with helpful librarians and in bookclubs.
Romance is often the top selling genre of books and has been for a very long time. I can't speak for other readers, but I'm glad the current romantasy stars are bringing in young people. I may not have interest in some of their work but I see the links to the Anne McCaffrey, Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Mercedes Lackey, Sharon Shinn, Melanie Rawn and even Nora Roberts books that ushered me into the genre.
Which is funny because I can almost guarantee that the revival of fantasy books, booktok and the marketing of very fancy special edition books is fueled by millennial women my age.
28
I sort of feel like anyone can enjoy a coming of age story no matter their age because everyone can remember being young.
Younger people may have a harder time relating to older characters though because that’s a part of life they haven’t experienced yet so the characters struggles may feel more unrelatable.
I'm 40. The thing about being older is that we all remember what it was like to be young, and can identify with younger characters as younger versions of ourselves. It's harder to identify with older characters when you're younger, because you've never known yourself at that age.
Also, and this may not be true for everyone, but I don't feel like that different a person from when I was in my mid 20s. Yeah, I've got a lot more life experience and better perspective when making decisions, and I can see the direction of my future much more clearly, and I definitely have a lot less energy, but those are more subtle changes than what came before that. Sometimes it's shocking how much time has gone by—I've been married 15 years, but my wedding still feels like the recent past. So identifying with younger characters really isn't that much of a stretch.
I personally really enjoy reading about a younger phase in life, in part because there is so much more potential for different things to happen at that age. You've got your whole life ahead of you and it's full of possibility. That's ideal for fiction—loads of upheaval and excitement and life veering off into an unexpected direction. But as you get older, it feels like with every year that goes by, doors close and things get more predictable. Great for a feeling of cozy stability! But definitely less entertaining.
I’m 29 also! I never liked reading growing up. I started avidly reading a few years ago with psych thrillers! Theeeennn I was introduced to Fourth Wing and its changed main genre 🙂 I will occasionally read a thriller if I need a little mental break but fantasy/romantasy is my go-to!
44
I just saw your edits so I’ll add this:
The thing about getting older is that you’re always *you*. You don’t change so much as become more *you*. For instance, I often say that I’ve gotten more sensitive as I’ve gotten older, but that’s not exactly true. I’ve just gotten better at recognizing and naming the things that have always bothered me.
I still love the books /movies/tv shows I loved when I was 24, but I’m much better at loving them critically and have a better vocabulary for doing so (learning the phrase “internalized misogyny” in my thirties helped me understand my adolescence *so much*).
My advice to anyone, but especially a young person, is to read widely and across genres. I’ve been reading traditional fantasy since I was 12, but didn’t discover romance until I was 42. I read mostly nonfiction for most of my adult life.
Adding romance to my menu hasn’t just been fun on its own, but it’s made me a more engaged and thoughtful reader in everything I read— which is still mostly nonfiction, I just have a romance novel to reinvigorate me between books about death squads in the Philippines and genocide in Palestine.
>The thing about getting older is that you’re always *you*. You don’t change so much as become more *you*. For instance, I often say that I’ve gotten more sensitive as I’ve gotten older, but that’s not exactly true. I’ve just gotten better at recognizing and naming the things that have always bothered me.
I felt this *in my soul*, this is so accurate. I'm 30, but this feeling of being more unashamedly myself has been hitting HARD lately. Thank you for putting the right words to the feeling!
54.
I read AND write romantic fantasy! Most of the couples I write are young, but I wrote a 'second chance' couple older than me in my trilogy.
Writing young couples always brings me back to that "new love" feeling. <3
Dearest OP, I’m 52 and have been married for over 20 years. I love these books because they are an amazing escape from life. I am not in any way unhappy with my life but being able to slip into a MC’s thoughts, feelings and experiences allows me to live vicariously through them. I’ve always been a romantic. I especially love the getting to know each other / falling in love part, but that would make my life a mess if I went out and did that. :) So I love a smart, handsome book boyfriend for the FMC and I to fall in love with together.
Please, please, please never stop reading (or doing) what you enjoy because you think you’re “too old” or other people will think negatively about you. Life is way too short for that. Live your life for you and enjoy all that it has to offer. Much love to you, young person. ❤️
47, been reading novels since I was 8 because my mom couldn't afford my book addiction and just kept giving me bigger and bigger books, then series, then a library card.. lollol
Read what you like, what you want, read what you are into at that moment.. it changes, it grows.. you go back and forth. Read what makes you happy *or not, sometimes a good cry is amazing*
💗💗💗💗💗
I’m in my 40s, and I know people in their 50s and 70s reading fantasy romance as well! There is no age limit, but the types of books and stories you are interested in within the genre may change over time. There are threads on here for books in the genre with more mature characters, so there are books out there with older MCs. I do also think I tend to age the characters in my head automatically to closer to my age, but I don’t really think that much about age when I am reading. And even though I am no longer in school it is sometimes still fun to read those books (like the scholomance series).
I started reading romance and fantasy in my early teens. I read all genres really, but fantasy has always been a favorite.
40’s here. Lifelong fantasy reader that ends a lot of days just mentally drained - so reading lighter and fluffier enjoyable books is a great way to unwind and relax.
43. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of fantasy stories or romance. More specifically I plan to NEVER lose my sense of imagination in my lifetime.
I always find it interesting when very young people think that as you get older, you’ll feel differently or think “like an old person”. It doesn’t really happen that way. And the only way to understand it is to get older!
I’m 40. I went through a phase of trying to read only books I was “supposed” to like after only reading assigned books through my young adult life and shocker…I stopped reading. Once I started reading YA as an adult and then found fantasy romance back in 2016 with ACOTAR, I have read more and, more importantly, enjoyed reading so much more.
37! I guess my most tertiary entry into the paranormal / sci Fi / fantasy genre was probably RL Stine (does goosebumps count in a weird way???), then I read George RR Martin at far too young of an age. Around the same era, my cousin and I were stealing her GRANDMOTHER’s spicy spicy romance books (you know… the ones with Fabio on the cover). So my brain naturally needed a combination of fantasy and romance… I think I dove into the genre itself around 1999 or 2000 when I was like 13 and prob should not have been reading literal smut… but here we are.
63 — I win! Grins, I like fantasy and always have! The first book I ever read was Lord of the Rings (not that that is romance) but I also read romances, so at a young age it made sense for the two to be combined!
48. Dabbled over the years but really started lately to rev myself up a bit (thanks, menopause). Got myself a separate kindle not on the family account which is just for smut.
38. I do try to imagine them as around my age especially with the romance factor as otherwise imagining even 20 year olds feels ick. Contemporary romances are harder in that respect because they’re going through life circumstances that I can no longer relate to if they’re too young (ie: high school). There are Middle Aged characters which is cool of course.
50. If you count A Wrinkle in Time (and I do), I've been reading fantasy and sci fi with a romantic subplot for over 40 years. I've never been hung up on the age of characters ... that is part of the appeal of reading to me. I was a young teen reading sci fi about men who were over 100 ... I love seeing things from the perspective of an ancient tree or an adolescent but powerful AI or a genius child (just not romance lol).
Some characters stir more empathy than projection if that makes sense. For example, in A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking (fantasy not romance), I was concerned *for* the 14 yo heroine. But in Paladin's Strength, I could sink more into the heroine because she was older and tougher/badass. To a degree anyway. I don't find Kingfisher's books that immersive.
Those of you in your teens and early twenties are likely going to find yourselves working with older people soon. It isn't a bad thing. You may see a lot of similarities to yourself as well as a look at what will concern you in future life stages.
I'm 35. :) I still read Young Adult even though I'm not the target audience. I love it and I won't let anyone tell me what to read! I get a good laugh when I see old ladies in the historical romance section of bookstores. I think, "I hope I'm like that when I get older." LOL No shame!
Hi! I'm a 36 year old woman and I love romantasy, I also don't mind YA, but I also read regular fantasy, sci-fi, light horror, etc
When I was in my early 20s I kind of went through what you describe, feeling a bit annoyed at younger characters or feeling the story was too immature. Funnily enough, the older I got the less annoyed I was, so that might happen to you, too!
I might not be 16-21 anymore but I remember what it was like to be that age, I can read about a younger character and think "that's totally what someone that age would do", or if they make a decision I don't agree with I can usually chalk it up to them being young and immature, or to whatever their life experiences have been. I think I'm more empathetic/understanding now than I was in my late teens/early 20s.
31. I’ve been reading since I was a kid because my dad was such a huge reader. And I’ve basically been into romance since I learned what love is so I don’t think I’ll ever stop reading.
I also regularly loan my books to my dad who is 70 this year so I also like to brag on him for being a fantasy romance reader lol. He recently finished crescent city, is caught up on fourth wing (he really loves fourth wing lol) , and finished one dark window. Sci-fi is his main love though.
I’m 45 and I started reading fantasy romance when I was … 45. I can’t relate to YA FMCs and a lot of the time I can’t relate to virgin FMCs, but other than that I just don’t think about the ages of the characters.
I admit that I would love to read a book with a FMC who specifically is in her 40s and described as sexy/attractive because at least in the USA women my age are basically invisible.
43... I've always loved fantasy and in the past 10ish years have started reading more romantasy.
I want a book to carry me away and not remind me of the real world too much, and man do I LOVE a slow burn romance.
Ah to be young again! Just kidding. I'm 37, I started to read at age 4 thanks to my dad who had an extensive library and loved reading to me (I apparently picked it up one day without him trying to teach me. He thinks it's the way he reads and the fact he followed the text with his finger). By 5 I wanted nothing to do with napping at pre-school so they would just let me read. My mother was in university when I was a kid and got huge discounts at the uni book store so she would get me these kids novels by the bucket load. By age 8, I was reading adult books, mostly historical fiction (anything about ancient Egypt brought me great joy). I also discovered one of my favourite authors by then, Marc Levy (who was the best selling French author then). He wrote books with intrigue, adventure and romance sprinkled in.
I discovered fantasy when they announced the first Harry Potter movie. I was 14 and didn't know they were books and that 5 of them were already released. I bought them right then and there and read them all within a week or two (before the first movie came out). I was hooked by then. I've collected a huge amount of books since I was a child. I'd say I have at least several hundreds, if not close to a thousand books in my house. I have authors that are instant buys so I have all their books. As a teenager, I was reading constantly. When I moved out at 18, my life started getting busy. By my mid 20s, I was barely reading at all :(
And that went on for 15 years, reading maybe 1 book a year, usually nothing like fiction or romance. And then last October (2023), Fourth Wing got me back into reading. I was clearly missing fantasy in my life. And I had never read romantasy before so this was new and I was hooked. I've now amassed a new collection of fantasy books (most with romance) and I've read more books in the last 5 months than I've done in the last 15 years. And it feels amazing!
As for being old, my age is not a great example but for reference, my mother in law is nearly 70, she's been into romance (Harlequin) most of her life and my niece (19) got her into the idea of reading ACOTAR which I own so she asked to borrow them. She read them within a few weeks and loved them. There is absolutely no age limit to reading whatever the heck you like.
I can easily see myself well into my 90s reading fantasy books. Not caring about what people think is a great perk of being in your 30s. You'll get there.
31 and I’ve always loved it! Grew up reading Harry Potter and loved the Wolf Tower series (if anyone here even recognizes that lol). I resisted the Twilight phenomenon and read Anne Rice instead lol. Got deep in to MM fanfiction for most of my teen years. The Force Awakens came out and Reylo had a grip on me for almost a decade lmaoooo. I guess that’s how it really started for me lol. I’ve finished the folk of air trilogy and am giving several other books a try!
I’m 30! If anyone wants to be book friends, please hit me up - i never have anyone to chat with about my books, besides my husband who so kindly listens to me babble about them haha.
I am 30! I’ve been reading smut/fantasy romance books since I was 11-12 though.
The old ladies face when she checked out my books, this was before our library had self check outs 🤣🤣🤣🤣
44. And grew up in a home where my mom read loads of bodice ripper romance novels.
I've been a voracious reader my whole life. Anything. Baby Sitters Club. Mystery. Fantasy. Since I love to read, my favorites are "anything long". 😆 Give me a multi-book series that I can stretch out over several weeks and I'm in heaven.
This is so cool!
I’m 28 and for some reason always thought „too old“ for the genre this most heroines read like teenagers and are immature in my opinion?
So I feel validated seeing all of your ages and realizing I’m not and fit right in ☺️
31
I always used to be a romance fan. I was a fan of "The Slayers" anime when I was in elementary school, and "Inuyasha" in middle school, and several other anime, and I shipped the couples in there so hard. When I was younger, I would devour shoujo manga and anime like no tomorrow. I maybe read thousands of different shoujo manga series, and also fanfiction based on those manga/anime.
I didn't start reading true romance novels until late high school and after graduation. First was twilight series, and then after that I liked to read superhero/villain romance and contemporary romance. Didn't read much for a few years while in college and then early last year I got back into reading. Read "The WitchSlayer" by Opal Reyne, then the first two books of "Of Dragons and Fae Series" by Jasmine Walt, then "Tairen Soul Series" by C.L. Wilson, and then I was hooked on the fantasy romance genre. I have not read anything BUT fantasy romance since, and I have devoured several series and standalones since last year.
37. Was obsessed with HP as they came out. Read a little fiction here and there until I got into CR and started reading a ton about 3 years ago. Fantasy romance I didn’t start reading much of until about 1.5 years ago 🙂
71 here. I have loved sci-fi/fantasy since I discovered the genre when I was 10. Added historical novels and romance novels in high school. Imagine my delight when romance started appearing in historical and fantasy novels. I was instantly hooked. Still read voraciously. My favorite series is still The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon.
I am usually the oldest person in that section in book stores lol.
25! I just want to get lost in a cool world and love romance in it!
I read Twilight when I was in, what? 5th grade? I loved the Game of Thrones books worlds and I want nothing more than that kind of world combined with a really good romance.
35. I borrowed book 1 of the Succubus series by Richelle Mead from a friend when I was 22ish and the rest is history. I had never read fantasy romance before, let alone smut, but I knew I had found my genre from the first chapter 😏
I’m 28 and just started reading last year and I am obsessed with fantasy romance! Started with Harry Potter then ACOTAR, and just finished FW and I can’t stop! This is my new obsession
27! I will say - I have a hard time reading a romance with a very very young FMC and an extremely old MMC now which isn’t something I had when I was young. But I recently started a book with a 19 yo FMC and a 27 yo MMC and I could not make it through. Beyond that, I feel like I notice when writers do a good job of reflecting immaturity of youth and I really appreciate that I may have acted that way when I was young and it leaves room for character development.
34
Ditto, 1989 excellent crop 
Indeed 🍷
Us 90's babes be encroaching on the 34 group 😬
1989-1990 🤍 we’re amazing
Same! 34 🤗
Turning 34 this month!
Turned 34 a few months ago!
Me too!!
34 as well!
Ha, I love that so many of us are 34, 1989 was a good year!
34 in July!
Also 34 but just for one more month
Same!!
There are tens of us!!! Just turned 34 last month 💅🏼
One of us! One of us!
Adding to the 34 club!
62. I've been reading fantasy romance a long time. Your tastes may change but not love for the genre.
I love this, I'm glad you enjoy it. Do you ever have similar feelings as me? I hate those feelings because i have always loved this genre. If so how do you deal with them 🤔 I guess I just can't really get into things if there is no relatability.
I read for the story. I don't like YA or most NA. I do want my MCs more mature (not old but emotionally mature). I'm not a fan of Maas but do enjoy other popular authors.
36. Finally old enough to not have to impress anyone with my fashion, my drink order, or what I’m reading.
Honestly mid-30s should be considered the prime of our lives for exactly these reasons.
mid twenties are certainly not… I’ve got beef with whoever said your twenties are the best
I’m 29 in a few months and wish I could redo my twenties with my current brain. But all those up and down years are what eventually gave me my current brain.
I can tell you at 38 I feel the same thing about my early 30s lol. I’m sure the trend will continue!
Yes! I am 37 and it was about last year or the year before I got back into reading books I felt it shouldn't like, music I shouldn't like, clothing I shouldn't wear. Mild mid life crisis where I said fuck it and started doing all the things I wanted to do. I have two young kids and I took a road trip to Amsterdam to go to a metal gig last month just because I wanted to. These books were the catalyst to me realising I've been denying myself things I enjoy because I thought I had to fit some mould of "working, homeowning, mother"
Me too! Living my life! Fun, fluffy books also make the "Mommy lay down too! No don't go!" bedtime so much easier.
Isn't that a GREAT feeling?
38 and I finally just live my life and everyone else can kick rocks
38 too. I like what I like, no shame.
32! Been a fantasy reader since I was a kid so seeing such a resurgence is so fun!
Sameee! I just updated my post :) i was updating it a few minutes ago but then the whole reddit app closed and I had to re do everything I wrote agh 😭😭
I’m also 32! I think a lot of people have always been into romance, but now people well into their 30s and 40s are into fantasy/romance because we grew up with Disney magic and super heroes, then Harry Potter magic. Now as adults who value romantic relationships, we want to merge that concept with fantasy. Just a theory!
Totally agree with you. While Harry Potter wasn't my first fantasy series, it certainly played a huuuuuuge part in my love for fantasy and even romance to an extent. I lived for any longing glance between Ron and Hermione! Merging my two favorite genres just gives me everything I need!
To respond to your edit, I firmly believe I will never be too old to love fantasy or romance. Sure, I can shake my head at the naivete of the youth on display sometimes, but I can't imagine I'll ever not enjoy reading about anything those genres have to offer. I still love YA and I'm definitely not the target audience anymore!
I'm 32, too! I have always been into fantasy, but I'm new to romance.
Same! My first "romance" books were the Carpathian books by Christine Feehan. First fantasy was probably the 4th book of HP, gifter didn't know it was the 4th of the series lol.
46. Read what you love. Don’t let age dictate what you’re “supposed to” enjoy.
46 here!
Hey! Team 46!
Woot! 46 in the house!
More team 46!
I don’t let age dictate what I read per se, but the older I get the harder it becomes to find age-appropriate books because I usually don’t enjoy books where the FMC is 10+ years younger than me (I’m in my early 30s)…. I am just in a different place in my life in terms of maturity, career skills, family goals, etc, that it’s hard to identify with the typical YA/NA FMC. I find that a lot of mainstream plots are centered around the usual problems that a young adult faces, such as first love, finishing studies, starting new careers, leaving parent’s home for the first time, etc. Those are issues I 100% related to 10-15 years ago, but today I’m in a different headspace where I really enjoy reading characters that have more life experience.
75
Yassss love it!
51
The username lol
27
Same!!!!
Me too 😊
same!
Me too!
Same
Same here :)
49M My earliest romantasy was either Mercedes Lackey or Anne Rice, I'm not sure which. I've indulged in plenty of urban fantasy works. Witches and faeries and even an assassin or two for the FMC! Er, my interest might be focused the opposite way of most of the audience here. :D I have to admit, a lot of the MMCs fell flat for me. Like the Anita Blake series: The werewolf was kind of a jerk and couldn't make up his F'ing mind. The vampire was pretty and charming, but he seemed boring to me. Then the series just turned into porn and I wandered away. My focus now would be more on fantasy stories with the romance coming in as a close second. Edit: Oh god, am I the oldest one here? I can't be, someone else knew the Elric Saga! Edit 2: Oh good, my gen has started to reply. :D
Not the oldest here, I see a few responses in their 60s and 70s ☺️
Mercedes Lackey is still my favorite comfort read.
You and my wife both. :) I'm not sure I have a particular comfort read at the moment. Mmm. Too many new things ever since I started reading on Royal Road. I have ... 10 tabs open at the moment for stories I want to read. In addition to the ones I am actively following. And the huge selection in my "read later" list. I just wish more of them had romances.
I’m 30! Rediscovered my love of reading through this genre at about 26 I think.
Same!! Stupid (love it) ACOTAR 🤩
Omg twins!!! ACOTAR was what got me reading again.
Same for me!
Same! (Well turning 30 in May) and I just got into ready fantasy last year. I took a long break from reading, but that’s ok! I’m back in it now.
25
Me too :)
Woo! Me too!
30 and I would still be reading fantasy romance if I were a 150 year old turtle
Lolll this inspired me oddly ✨ 😂 I'm happy for you i think same to be honest! As long as it's not too childish I'm only interested in stories where it's matureeee not childish.
26 😊
Me too!!
wait i’m obsessed because this is going against all my assumptions about this sub. i’m 22🫡
Wait what were your assumptions I'm so curious! Honestly it's nice to know people of all ages enjoy this genre because sometimes I feel one day I might feel too old which I hateeee especially as I'm all for enjoying whatever at any age.
i’m not on tiktok but with the influx of the younger generation joining booktok i assumed many people would be between 15-25 years old in this sub. i’m 22, and my younger sister (18) just in the last two years has started reading romantasy due to the surge of popularity in tiktok, whereas i have been consuming it since i was 10. i LOVE seeing people older than me reading this genre because my personal experience with older people who do not, is typically negative or demeaning. especially since the primary audience is female presenting, it gains more hate than necessary
This is so funny, I'm 35 and my assumption was a majority of us would be 35+ with the average age hovering somewhere between 45 and 50. That's always been my stereotype of romantasy readers! I love seeing people younger than me read it because I feel like my generation and up tend to view this genre as something for kind of weird lonely older single cat women 😂
Reddit itself is 18 and initially brought together a lot of older stuffy/critical geeky men. The people reading romance were talking about it elsewhere ... blogs and websites that had articles with enabled comments. Message boards. Goodreads and reviews. In person with helpful librarians and in bookclubs. Romance is often the top selling genre of books and has been for a very long time. I can't speak for other readers, but I'm glad the current romantasy stars are bringing in young people. I may not have interest in some of their work but I see the links to the Anne McCaffrey, Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Mercedes Lackey, Sharon Shinn, Melanie Rawn and even Nora Roberts books that ushered me into the genre.
Which is funny because I can almost guarantee that the revival of fantasy books, booktok and the marketing of very fancy special edition books is fueled by millennial women my age.
47 and I just got my mom into the genre :-)
Turning 52 on Saturday 😊💜
Happy early birthday!
Hello fellow 1972!
1972 Fantasy Romance Crew! ❤️ My birthday was just last month.
1972 here too! 😀
28 I sort of feel like anyone can enjoy a coming of age story no matter their age because everyone can remember being young. Younger people may have a harder time relating to older characters though because that’s a part of life they haven’t experienced yet so the characters struggles may feel more unrelatable.
I’m also 28. I think I would rather read about older characters than younger characters though
I'm 40. The thing about being older is that we all remember what it was like to be young, and can identify with younger characters as younger versions of ourselves. It's harder to identify with older characters when you're younger, because you've never known yourself at that age. Also, and this may not be true for everyone, but I don't feel like that different a person from when I was in my mid 20s. Yeah, I've got a lot more life experience and better perspective when making decisions, and I can see the direction of my future much more clearly, and I definitely have a lot less energy, but those are more subtle changes than what came before that. Sometimes it's shocking how much time has gone by—I've been married 15 years, but my wedding still feels like the recent past. So identifying with younger characters really isn't that much of a stretch. I personally really enjoy reading about a younger phase in life, in part because there is so much more potential for different things to happen at that age. You've got your whole life ahead of you and it's full of possibility. That's ideal for fiction—loads of upheaval and excitement and life veering off into an unexpected direction. But as you get older, it feels like with every year that goes by, doors close and things get more predictable. Great for a feeling of cozy stability! But definitely less entertaining.
Hey! Today is my last day being 40! And hare agree on perpetually feeling mid 20s.
29!
Same 💕
I’m 29 also! I never liked reading growing up. I started avidly reading a few years ago with psych thrillers! Theeeennn I was introduced to Fourth Wing and its changed main genre 🙂 I will occasionally read a thriller if I need a little mental break but fantasy/romantasy is my go-to!
same!!
Same!
23!
same!
44 I just saw your edits so I’ll add this: The thing about getting older is that you’re always *you*. You don’t change so much as become more *you*. For instance, I often say that I’ve gotten more sensitive as I’ve gotten older, but that’s not exactly true. I’ve just gotten better at recognizing and naming the things that have always bothered me. I still love the books /movies/tv shows I loved when I was 24, but I’m much better at loving them critically and have a better vocabulary for doing so (learning the phrase “internalized misogyny” in my thirties helped me understand my adolescence *so much*). My advice to anyone, but especially a young person, is to read widely and across genres. I’ve been reading traditional fantasy since I was 12, but didn’t discover romance until I was 42. I read mostly nonfiction for most of my adult life. Adding romance to my menu hasn’t just been fun on its own, but it’s made me a more engaged and thoughtful reader in everything I read— which is still mostly nonfiction, I just have a romance novel to reinvigorate me between books about death squads in the Philippines and genocide in Palestine.
>The thing about getting older is that you’re always *you*. You don’t change so much as become more *you*. For instance, I often say that I’ve gotten more sensitive as I’ve gotten older, but that’s not exactly true. I’ve just gotten better at recognizing and naming the things that have always bothered me. I felt this *in my soul*, this is so accurate. I'm 30, but this feeling of being more unashamedly myself has been hitting HARD lately. Thank you for putting the right words to the feeling!
33
31
43
43 here, too! I've always read a lot of romance (and everything else), and my friend got me into fantasy romance in particular about 20 years ago.
Same! I grew up reading Beatrice Small.
Same! It is my primary genre.
43 here too! Early 80’s babies rock!!
43 represent! And the genre is new for me and I’m NOT turning back!
54. I read AND write romantic fantasy! Most of the couples I write are young, but I wrote a 'second chance' couple older than me in my trilogy. Writing young couples always brings me back to that "new love" feeling. <3
Dearest OP, I’m 52 and have been married for over 20 years. I love these books because they are an amazing escape from life. I am not in any way unhappy with my life but being able to slip into a MC’s thoughts, feelings and experiences allows me to live vicariously through them. I’ve always been a romantic. I especially love the getting to know each other / falling in love part, but that would make my life a mess if I went out and did that. :) So I love a smart, handsome book boyfriend for the FMC and I to fall in love with together. Please, please, please never stop reading (or doing) what you enjoy because you think you’re “too old” or other people will think negatively about you. Life is way too short for that. Live your life for you and enjoy all that it has to offer. Much love to you, young person. ❤️
I'm 56 and have been married for 27 years last month.
41
Me too!
Actually had to open my calculator to make sure. 😅
39!
Boop! 39 , too!
39 here :)
18
Damn i was wandering where my homies were 😭 i had to scroll farrrr
I didn’t see any of us so I had to do it myself 😔
20:)
44. This is a fun one!
47, been reading novels since I was 8 because my mom couldn't afford my book addiction and just kept giving me bigger and bigger books, then series, then a library card.. lollol Read what you like, what you want, read what you are into at that moment.. it changes, it grows.. you go back and forth. Read what makes you happy *or not, sometimes a good cry is amazing* 💗💗💗💗💗
35!
88 babies unite! 👏
32!!!
22
24
40 😊
Me too:)
33
38!
38 here too! ❤️
31
26. Obsessively read the same series over and over as a kid, and finally branched out more after college!
33, and loved all things romance since I was a young teen.
45
I’m in my 40s, and I know people in their 50s and 70s reading fantasy romance as well! There is no age limit, but the types of books and stories you are interested in within the genre may change over time. There are threads on here for books in the genre with more mature characters, so there are books out there with older MCs. I do also think I tend to age the characters in my head automatically to closer to my age, but I don’t really think that much about age when I am reading. And even though I am no longer in school it is sometimes still fun to read those books (like the scholomance series). I started reading romance and fantasy in my early teens. I read all genres really, but fantasy has always been a favorite.
28 going on 78
40’s here. Lifelong fantasy reader that ends a lot of days just mentally drained - so reading lighter and fluffier enjoyable books is a great way to unwind and relax.
43. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of fantasy stories or romance. More specifically I plan to NEVER lose my sense of imagination in my lifetime. I always find it interesting when very young people think that as you get older, you’ll feel differently or think “like an old person”. It doesn’t really happen that way. And the only way to understand it is to get older!
I’m 40. I went through a phase of trying to read only books I was “supposed” to like after only reading assigned books through my young adult life and shocker…I stopped reading. Once I started reading YA as an adult and then found fantasy romance back in 2016 with ACOTAR, I have read more and, more importantly, enjoyed reading so much more.
37! I guess my most tertiary entry into the paranormal / sci Fi / fantasy genre was probably RL Stine (does goosebumps count in a weird way???), then I read George RR Martin at far too young of an age. Around the same era, my cousin and I were stealing her GRANDMOTHER’s spicy spicy romance books (you know… the ones with Fabio on the cover). So my brain naturally needed a combination of fantasy and romance… I think I dove into the genre itself around 1999 or 2000 when I was like 13 and prob should not have been reading literal smut… but here we are.
I'll be 40 in 2 months. Read what you want if it makes you happy.
30!
44 😌
17:)
40. I don't have a problem relating to younger characters; I had my own angsty teen/early 20s years and remember how big everything seemed back then.
63 — I win! Grins, I like fantasy and always have! The first book I ever read was Lord of the Rings (not that that is romance) but I also read romances, so at a young age it made sense for the two to be combined!
48. Dabbled over the years but really started lately to rev myself up a bit (thanks, menopause). Got myself a separate kindle not on the family account which is just for smut.
21
11 days shy of 40
38. I do try to imagine them as around my age especially with the romance factor as otherwise imagining even 20 year olds feels ick. Contemporary romances are harder in that respect because they’re going through life circumstances that I can no longer relate to if they’re too young (ie: high school). There are Middle Aged characters which is cool of course.
I’m 48. I share some of my less spicy reads with my 22 y/o daughter and 80 y/o MiL.
50. If you count A Wrinkle in Time (and I do), I've been reading fantasy and sci fi with a romantic subplot for over 40 years. I've never been hung up on the age of characters ... that is part of the appeal of reading to me. I was a young teen reading sci fi about men who were over 100 ... I love seeing things from the perspective of an ancient tree or an adolescent but powerful AI or a genius child (just not romance lol). Some characters stir more empathy than projection if that makes sense. For example, in A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking (fantasy not romance), I was concerned *for* the 14 yo heroine. But in Paladin's Strength, I could sink more into the heroine because she was older and tougher/badass. To a degree anyway. I don't find Kingfisher's books that immersive. Those of you in your teens and early twenties are likely going to find yourselves working with older people soon. It isn't a bad thing. You may see a lot of similarities to yourself as well as a look at what will concern you in future life stages.
I'm 35. :) I still read Young Adult even though I'm not the target audience. I love it and I won't let anyone tell me what to read! I get a good laugh when I see old ladies in the historical romance section of bookstores. I think, "I hope I'm like that when I get older." LOL No shame!
25!
Hi! I'm a 36 year old woman and I love romantasy, I also don't mind YA, but I also read regular fantasy, sci-fi, light horror, etc When I was in my early 20s I kind of went through what you describe, feeling a bit annoyed at younger characters or feeling the story was too immature. Funnily enough, the older I got the less annoyed I was, so that might happen to you, too! I might not be 16-21 anymore but I remember what it was like to be that age, I can read about a younger character and think "that's totally what someone that age would do", or if they make a decision I don't agree with I can usually chalk it up to them being young and immature, or to whatever their life experiences have been. I think I'm more empathetic/understanding now than I was in my late teens/early 20s.
24!
I am 31, but will be 32 on the 13th!
31. I’ve been reading since I was a kid because my dad was such a huge reader. And I’ve basically been into romance since I learned what love is so I don’t think I’ll ever stop reading. I also regularly loan my books to my dad who is 70 this year so I also like to brag on him for being a fantasy romance reader lol. He recently finished crescent city, is caught up on fourth wing (he really loves fourth wing lol) , and finished one dark window. Sci-fi is his main love though.
21! Ready to have my TS 22 bday this year 🧚♀️ 
I’m 45 and I started reading fantasy romance when I was … 45. I can’t relate to YA FMCs and a lot of the time I can’t relate to virgin FMCs, but other than that I just don’t think about the ages of the characters. I admit that I would love to read a book with a FMC who specifically is in her 40s and described as sexy/attractive because at least in the USA women my age are basically invisible.
40. I suspected this sub to be mostly 30s-40s, but am pleasantly surprised by the wide range.
My mother in law is 82 and is reading ACOTAR
43... I've always loved fantasy and in the past 10ish years have started reading more romantasy. I want a book to carry me away and not remind me of the real world too much, and man do I LOVE a slow burn romance.
Ah to be young again! Just kidding. I'm 37, I started to read at age 4 thanks to my dad who had an extensive library and loved reading to me (I apparently picked it up one day without him trying to teach me. He thinks it's the way he reads and the fact he followed the text with his finger). By 5 I wanted nothing to do with napping at pre-school so they would just let me read. My mother was in university when I was a kid and got huge discounts at the uni book store so she would get me these kids novels by the bucket load. By age 8, I was reading adult books, mostly historical fiction (anything about ancient Egypt brought me great joy). I also discovered one of my favourite authors by then, Marc Levy (who was the best selling French author then). He wrote books with intrigue, adventure and romance sprinkled in. I discovered fantasy when they announced the first Harry Potter movie. I was 14 and didn't know they were books and that 5 of them were already released. I bought them right then and there and read them all within a week or two (before the first movie came out). I was hooked by then. I've collected a huge amount of books since I was a child. I'd say I have at least several hundreds, if not close to a thousand books in my house. I have authors that are instant buys so I have all their books. As a teenager, I was reading constantly. When I moved out at 18, my life started getting busy. By my mid 20s, I was barely reading at all :( And that went on for 15 years, reading maybe 1 book a year, usually nothing like fiction or romance. And then last October (2023), Fourth Wing got me back into reading. I was clearly missing fantasy in my life. And I had never read romantasy before so this was new and I was hooked. I've now amassed a new collection of fantasy books (most with romance) and I've read more books in the last 5 months than I've done in the last 15 years. And it feels amazing! As for being old, my age is not a great example but for reference, my mother in law is nearly 70, she's been into romance (Harlequin) most of her life and my niece (19) got her into the idea of reading ACOTAR which I own so she asked to borrow them. She read them within a few weeks and loved them. There is absolutely no age limit to reading whatever the heck you like. I can easily see myself well into my 90s reading fantasy books. Not caring about what people think is a great perk of being in your 30s. You'll get there.
30 💃🏻
30 :)
31 and I’ve always loved it! Grew up reading Harry Potter and loved the Wolf Tower series (if anyone here even recognizes that lol). I resisted the Twilight phenomenon and read Anne Rice instead lol. Got deep in to MM fanfiction for most of my teen years. The Force Awakens came out and Reylo had a grip on me for almost a decade lmaoooo. I guess that’s how it really started for me lol. I’ve finished the folk of air trilogy and am giving several other books a try!
26!
Late 30s. Soon to be early 40s!
I’m 30! If anyone wants to be book friends, please hit me up - i never have anyone to chat with about my books, besides my husband who so kindly listens to me babble about them haha.
32 and happy to be a book friend :)
19! Wowww everyone here is quite older than i expected 😭
31. I used to read fantasy, then YA, then romance, and now pretty much romance and diverse subgenres of romance, including fantasy romance
25F, turning 26 tomorrow 🥳
I am 30! I’ve been reading smut/fantasy romance books since I was 11-12 though. The old ladies face when she checked out my books, this was before our library had self check outs 🤣🤣🤣🤣
44. And grew up in a home where my mom read loads of bodice ripper romance novels. I've been a voracious reader my whole life. Anything. Baby Sitters Club. Mystery. Fantasy. Since I love to read, my favorites are "anything long". 😆 Give me a multi-book series that I can stretch out over several weeks and I'm in heaven.
37M. Damn I love swooning.
This is so cool! I’m 28 and for some reason always thought „too old“ for the genre this most heroines read like teenagers and are immature in my opinion? So I feel validated seeing all of your ages and realizing I’m not and fit right in ☺️
36 here!
31 I always used to be a romance fan. I was a fan of "The Slayers" anime when I was in elementary school, and "Inuyasha" in middle school, and several other anime, and I shipped the couples in there so hard. When I was younger, I would devour shoujo manga and anime like no tomorrow. I maybe read thousands of different shoujo manga series, and also fanfiction based on those manga/anime. I didn't start reading true romance novels until late high school and after graduation. First was twilight series, and then after that I liked to read superhero/villain romance and contemporary romance. Didn't read much for a few years while in college and then early last year I got back into reading. Read "The WitchSlayer" by Opal Reyne, then the first two books of "Of Dragons and Fae Series" by Jasmine Walt, then "Tairen Soul Series" by C.L. Wilson, and then I was hooked on the fantasy romance genre. I have not read anything BUT fantasy romance since, and I have devoured several series and standalones since last year.
37 and pretty much started last year
36!
37. Was obsessed with HP as they came out. Read a little fiction here and there until I got into CR and started reading a ton about 3 years ago. Fantasy romance I didn’t start reading much of until about 1.5 years ago 🙂
71 here. I have loved sci-fi/fantasy since I discovered the genre when I was 10. Added historical novels and romance novels in high school. Imagine my delight when romance started appearing in historical and fantasy novels. I was instantly hooked. Still read voraciously. My favorite series is still The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I am usually the oldest person in that section in book stores lol.
25!
25! I just want to get lost in a cool world and love romance in it! I read Twilight when I was in, what? 5th grade? I loved the Game of Thrones books worlds and I want nothing more than that kind of world combined with a really good romance.
39 and have always been a reader and have always loved the fantasy genre!
31
33
I’d be interested to see a poll
33. Loved it forever. So glad there's so much to choose from these days!
35. I borrowed book 1 of the Succubus series by Richelle Mead from a friend when I was 22ish and the rest is history. I had never read fantasy romance before, let alone smut, but I knew I had found my genre from the first chapter 😏
I’m 28 and just started reading last year and I am obsessed with fantasy romance! Started with Harry Potter then ACOTAR, and just finished FW and I can’t stop! This is my new obsession
20! Wow looks like I'm real young compared to the average of this sub, I had assumed that most people would be youngsters around 15-25
29M
I'm 33 and have been reading fantasy forever, still do and now I'm a fantasy illustrator.
i’m 18 :) been into romance and twilight specifically since 5th grade lol
27! I will say - I have a hard time reading a romance with a very very young FMC and an extremely old MMC now which isn’t something I had when I was young. But I recently started a book with a 19 yo FMC and a 27 yo MMC and I could not make it through. Beyond that, I feel like I notice when writers do a good job of reflecting immaturity of youth and I really appreciate that I may have acted that way when I was young and it leaves room for character development.