Romance Trailblazers

• Kathleen E. Woodwiss - The Flame and the Flower - 1972 - First modern romance
• Anne Hampson - Gates of Steel - 1973 - Harlequin Presents #1
• Gordon Merrick - Forth into Light - 1974 - Early gay romance series
• Patricia Nell Warren - The Front Runner - 1974 - First gay romance to receive breakout mainstream success
• Ann Allen Shockley - Loving Her - 1974 - First biracial lesbian romance
• Judy Blume - Forever - 1975 - Seminal young adult romance
• Jane Wilby - Eleanor and the Marquis - 1977 - Harlequin Masquerade #1
• Janette Oke - Love Comes Softly - 1979 - First modern inspirational romance
• Abra Taylor - End of Innocence - 1980 - Harlequin Superromance #1
• Rosalind Welles - Entwined Destinies - 1980 - First own voices category romance; edited by Vivian Stephens
• Vincent Virga - Gaywyck - 1980 - Early gay historical romance
• Amii Lorin (Joan Hohl) - The Tawny Gold Man - 1980 - Candlelight Ecstasy #1
• Susanna Collins - Flamenco Nights - 1981 - Berkley/Jove Second Chance at Love #1
• Marisade Zavala - Golden Fire, Silver Ice - 1981 - First own voices Latinx romance; edited by Vivian Stephens
• Dorothy Francis - New Boy in Town - 1981 - Silhouette First Love #1
• Nancy Garden - Annie on My Mind - 1982 - Early young adult lesbian romance
• Stephanie James - Corporate Affair - 1982 - Silhouette Desire #1
• Tracy West - Lesson in Love - 1982 - First own voices Silhouette young adult romance
• Ann Shockley - Say Jesus and Come to Me - 1982 - First black lesbian romance
• Lia Sanders - The Tender Mending - 1982 - Own voices romance by Angela Jackson & Sandra Jackson-Opoku; edited by Vivian Stephens
• Kristin James (Candace Camp) - Dreams of Evening - 1983 - Silhouette Intimate Moments #1
• Sandra Brown - Heaven's Price - 1983 - Loveswept #1
• Sandra Brown - . Tomorrow's Promise - 1983 - Harlequin American #1
• Elda Minger - Untamed Heart - 1983 - First contemporary romance with a condom on page
• Rebecca Flanders - The Key - 1984 - Harlequin Intrigue #1
• Sandra Kitt - Rites of Spring - 1984 - First book by a black author to be published by Harlequin; edited by Vivian Stephens
• LaVyrle Spencer - Spring Fancy - 1984 - Harlequin Temptation #1
• Sandra Kitt - Adam and Eva - 1985 - First own voices Harlequin romance; edited by Vivian Stephens
• Inga Dunbar - Rose Royale - 1986 - Harlequin Historical #1
• Jayne Ann Krentz - Sweet Starfire - 1986 - Early space romance
• Rita Clay Estrada - The Ivory Key - 1987 - First paranormal romance
• Rochelle Alers - Careless Whispers - 1988 - Referenced in LaQuette's speech
• Kristin James (Candace Camp) - Satan's Angel - 1988 - Harlequin Historical (Line 2) #1
• Eva Rutland - Matched Pair - 1989 - Harlequin Regency #1
• Donna Hill - Rooms of the Heart - 1990 - Referenced in LaQuette's speech
• Francine Rivers - Redeeming Love - 1991 - Seminal inspirational text
• Lorna Michaels - Season of Light - 1992 - First own voices Jewish contemporary romance
• Joyce McGill - Unforgivable - 1992 - First own voices Silhouette Intimate Moments
• Lisa Kleypas - Dreaming of You - 1993 - Popularization of the non-aristocratic hero in historical romance
• Heather Graham Pozzessere - The Last Cavalier - 1993 - Silhouette Shadows #1
• Leslie Feinberg - Stone Butch Blues - 1993 - First genderqueer mainstream fiction with romantic elements
• Francis Ray - Forever Yours - 1994 - Arabesque #2
• E. Lynn Harris - Invisible Life - 1994 - Seminal own voices black gay romance
• Beverly Jenkins - Night Song - 1994 - First black own voices historical romance
• Sandra Kitt - Serenade - 1994 - Arabesque #1
• Sandra Kitt - The Color of Love - 1995 - Referenced in LaQuette's speech
• Alina Adams - The Fictitious Marquis - 1995 - First own voices Jewish historical romance
• Zane - Addicted - 1998 - The first black erotic romance to receive mainstream success
• Gwynne Forster - Beyond Desire - 1999 - Referenced in LaQuette's speech
• Gloria Alvarez - Desert Kiss/Besos en el Desierto - 1999 - Encanto First Class; published by Kensington, these titles were published in both English and Spanish in the same book
• Elaine Alberro - Forever True/Solo Tuya - 1999 - Encanto First Class; published by Kensington, these titles were published in both English and Spanish in the same book
• Caridad Scordato - Now and Always/Para Siempre - 1999 - Encanto First Class; published by Kensington, these titles were published in both English and Spanish in the same book
• Hebby Roman - Summer Dreams/Suenos de Verano - 1999 - Encanto First Class; published by Kensington, these titles were published in both English and Spanish in the same book
• L. A. Banks - The Forsaken - 2000 - Early own voices black paranormal romance
• Sharon Ewell Foster - Passing by Samaria - 2000 - First black own voices inspirational; double RITA finalist
• Julie Leto - Exposed - 2001 - Harlequin Blaze #2
• Vicki Lewis Thompson - Notorious - 2001 - Harlequin Blaze #1
• Radclyffe - Safe Harbor - 2001 - Lesbian romance
• Lisa Kleypas - Suddenly You - 2001 - Early historical fat representation
• Tanuja Desai Hidier - Born Confused - 2002 - First South Asian young adult romance
• Tess Gerritsen - The Surgeon - 2002 - Chinese American author and RITA winner
• Mary B. Morrison - Never Again Once More - 2003 - Referenced in LaQuette's speech
• Jennifer Crusie - Bet Me - 2004 - Early contemporary fat representation
• Eve Vaughn - A Night to Remember - 2004 - Referenced in LaQuette's speech
• Jade Lee - Desperate Tigress - 2005 - Early own voices historical romance
• Brenda Jackson - Solid Soul - 2006 - Harlequin Kimani #1
• Lindsay McKenna - Unforgiven - 2006 - Harlequin Nocturne #1
• Koko Brown - Charmed - 2008 - Referenced in LaQuette's speech
• Brenda Jackson - Irresistible Forces - 2008 - First black romance to hit the New York Times list
• Jeannie Lin - Buttefly Swords - 2010 - Early own voices Asian historical romance
• Damon Suede - Hot Head - 2011 - First own voices M/M romance to be named to Goodreads Best of the Year list
• Benjamin Alire Saenz - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - 2012 - Seminal own voices Latinx queer romance
• Barbara Freethy - On a Night Like This - 2013 - Amazon's Bestselling Author of All Time
• E.E. Ottoman - Your Happy End - 2013 - First own voices transgender romance
• Tiffany Reisz - The Saint - 2015 - First own voices queer author to win a RITA Award
• Weina Dai Randel - The Moon in the Palace - 2017 - First own voices Chinese RITA Award winner
• Piper J. Drake - Total Bravery - 2018 - First own voices Thai (Southeast Asian) romance
• M. Malone - Bad Blood - 2019 - First black author to win a RITA Award. Shares milestone with Kennedy Ryan
• Kennedy Ryan - Long Shot - 2019 - First black author to win a RITA Award. Shares milestone with M. Malone
• Nisha Sharma - My So-Called Bollywood Life - 2019 - First South Asian author to win a RITA Award