I have been going over the data from all of AAR’s Top 100 Romance polls. My goal is to get a sense of what romances readers have most loved overy the years. Here is some initial data (I hope I’ve counted right–it’s a lot of books!)

• All About Romance  did eight polls over an almost thirty year period. They were done in: 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2018, and 2026.
• The first six polls are ranked lists. The last 2 polls, 2018 and 2026, are unranked.
• Only three titles ever hold the top position in the ranked polls:
  • A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux in 1998
  • Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase in 2000, 2007, 2010, and 2013
  • Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale in 2004
• Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase is the only title to finish #1 more than once. It does so four times.
• Twelve titles appear in all 8 polls:
  • Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
  • Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
  • Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
  • It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
  • Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
  • MacKenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard
  • Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
  • Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Ravished by Amanda Quick
  • The Bride by Julie Garwood
  • The Secret by Julie Garwood
• Of those twelve continuous titles, two are by Julie Garwood, two are by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and the remaining eight are by eight different authors.
• The earliest-published title in that continuous group is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813). The most recent titles in that group are from 1995: Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, and Naked in Death by J.D. Robb.
• A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux is ranked #1 in 1998, but it does not appear in 2018 or 2026.
• Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale appears in all eight polls and reaches #1 once, in 2004.
• Naked in Death by J.D. Robb appears in all eight polls.
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon appears in all eight polls.
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen appears in all eight polls.
• MacKenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard appears in all eight polls.
• Georgette Heyer is absent from 1998 and present in every poll from 2000 onward, which means she appears in seven of the eight polls.
• Julia Quinn appears in all eight polls. In 1998, the titles are Minx by Julia Quinn, Dancing at Midnight by Julia Quinn, and Splendid by Julia Quinn.
• The Duke and I by Julia Quinn first appears in 2000 and is still present in 2026.
• The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn first appears in 2004 and is still present in 2026.
• Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn appears in 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2018, but not in 2026.
• Courtney Milan first appears in 2013 with Unveiled by Courtney Milan and The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan. She is also present in 2018 and 2026.
• Tessa Dare first appears in 2013 with A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare. In 2026, she has four titles:
  • A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare
  • Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare
  • Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
  • The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare
• K.J. Charles first appears in 2018 with A Gentleman’s Position by K.J. Charles and A Seditious Affair by K.J. Charles. In 2026, the K.J. Charles titles are A Seditious Affair by K.J. Charles and Band Sinister by K.J. Charles.
• Lucy Parker first appears in 2018 with Act Like It by Lucy Parker. In 2026, she has two titles: Act Like It by Lucy Parker and Pretty Face by Lucy Parker.
• Emily Henry first appears in 2026 with two titles: Book Lovers by Emily Henry and Funny Story by Emily Henry.
• Ali Hazelwood first appears in 2026 with two titles: Bride by Ali Hazelwood and Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood.
• Mia Vincy first appears in 2026 with two titles: A Dangerous Kind of Lady by Mia Vincy and A Wicked Kind of Husband by Mia Vincy.
• Lisa Kleypas has one title in 1998: Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas.
• Lisa Kleypas has twelve titles in 2026:
  • Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
  • Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
  • Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
  • Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
  • Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
  • It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
  • Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
  • Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas
  • Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
  • Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
  • Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
  • Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas
• Jude Deveraux is present in 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2013, but not in 2018 or 2026.
• Kathleen Woodiwiss is present in 1998 and 2000, but not in any of the later polls.
• Johanna Lindsey is present in 1998 only.
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is present in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2018, and 2026, but not in 1998 or 2000.
• Persuasion by Jane Austen is present in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2018, and 2026, but not in 1998, 2000, or 2004.
• Romantic suspense or closely related suspense titles are present in every poll. One title that makes that visible across the full span is Naked in Death by J.D. Robb, which appears in all eight polls.
• In 1998, the poll includes seven In Death titles by J.D. Robb:
  • Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
  • Glory in Death by J.D. Robb
  • Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
  • Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb
  • Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb
  • Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb
  • Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb
• Time-travel romance is present in every poll. The clearest continuous example is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, which appears in all eight polls.
• The later polls include books published after 2018. In 2026, examples include Book Lovers by Emily Henry, Funny Story by Emily Henry, Bride by Ali Hazelwood, and We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian.
• The 2026 list includes titles first published across a span of more than 200 years, from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) to 2020s titles such as Funny Story by Emily Henry and Bride by Ali Hazelwood.