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A long long time ago in internet years (read: a few months ago), an article came out exploring the new trend of "cozy kink" in romance fiction. And how this type of romance is the result of algorithms, and the books themselves lack substance.
I'm not going to link to the article itself, because February brings with it enough bummer articles offering scathing critiques of the romance genre.
But I am going to address the meaning of cozy and kink and when the terms do and don't go together in the romance genre, because I know romance terms are confusing (as evidenced by typing in the words cozy kink into Google, and coming upon multiple posts from people asking what the heck cozy kink is).
And, because I consider myself a Romance Genre Defender, I'm also going to refute the idea that cozy romances are the result of algorithms. Not to "well actually," but well, actually, they have in fact been around for a pretty long time.
As is so often the case with my blog articles, we're starting with definitions.
What does "cozy" mean, in the context of the romance genre?
A cozy romance is a romance that's lower in angst, meaning that while the characters will struggle on their way to getting together, there usually aren't really big internal obstacles in their way, and if there are, they'll talk them out and support each other through them rather than walking out or doing the classic third act break-up.
A cozy romance is also usually lower in stakes, aka what the characters have to give up to be together. This makes for a more comforting story, where the reader doesn't have to see the characters go through too much strife, making it a perfect book to pick up when readers want comfort.
And while cozy romances are often set in small towns, they don't have to be. They can be set anywhere real or imagined, be about any kind of main character (from angels to orcs), and they don't need to mention cinnamon rolls at all. The coziness comes from the plot and the people, rather than the setting, though the setting can certainly help, which is why so many cozy romances involve snow storms, coffee shops, and tight-knit, quirky communities.
Now, on to the kink of it all.
What does "kink" mean, in the context of the romance genre?
Kink describes a specific sexual taste—lactation, breeding, praise, exhibitionism, to name a few—outside of what the usual oral and penetrative sex you'll usually find in a romance novel (though the type of sex we're seeing in romance is changing all the time). There's lactation kink, breeding kink, praise kink, and many, many more.
There is not, however, a cozy kink. Because "cozy" doesn't define a specific sexual taste or predilection. It describes a vibe.
Now, can cozy romances be kinky? Yes. And can kinky romances be cozy? Also yes. But there is no cozy kink, as it were.
Are cozy (and cozy kinky) romances new?
Look, nothing in romance is truly new. This is a genre that's been around for a long time. We've already had romantasy, but by another name. We've had monster romance before, too. It's a bit like fashion; there's constant innovation, but the innovation is recycling trends and themes we've seen before and making them feel new again.
So no, cozy and cozy, kinky romances are not new. Cozy romance has been around for YEARS. In the UK Rachael Lucas, Sue Moorcroft, Philippa Ashley, Talia Hibbert, and many other authors have been gifting us with a steady influx of them since the early 00s. In the US, readers are blessed with Naima Simon's Rose Bend series, Molly Harper's Half-Moon Hollow series, Rebekkah Weatherspoon's Rafe, Alexandria House's St. Louis Sires series, most of Olivia Dade's books, and so, so, so many more.
And, for the record, cozy, kink romances have been around for a while, too. Playing Knotty by Elia Winters is from 2015, explores the bondage kink, and is a low stakes late-bloomer romance. Morning Glory Milking Farm, from 2021, is one of the sweetest love stories I've ever read, a slow-burn about two characters who take their time getting to know each other and feel comfortable with each other, and includes the size difference and cumplay kinks.
Now, do all of these authors market their cozy romances as cozy romances? Not necessarily, partly because book marketing language is constantly changing, and the popularity of the term "cozy" as applied to romance is fairly new. But the reason readers flock to these authors and their series for is for the comforting literary balm they provide. Or, cozy vibes, by another name.
Are cozy (and cozy and kinky) romances the result of algorithms?
What a depressing, reductive way of thinking of a type of book. And also, the answer is no. Cozy romance novels have, as I said above, existed for years, before algorithms ruled our lives and served us the same ad for productivity software 15 times in a row (looking at you, YouTube).
Even if an author does market research, notices a trend of cozy books selling well, and decides to write one themselves, that's not the algorithm making that decision for them. They're basing that decision on 1. what they want to write and 2. what is selling well (considerations most authors have to take into account), and while book sales are affected by algorithms on social media, and search results for books on Amazon are based on algorithms, the author themselves isn't letting the algorithm directly control their creative decisions, especially in the case of independent authors, who aren't beholden to publishing houses and what they think will sell.
So there you have it. Cozy kink isn't a thing, but cozy romance novels, kinky romance novels, and romance novels that are cozy and kinky, are. And romance authors aren't getting their book ideas based solely on algorithms. If I had to guess, I'd say we're seeing more cozy romances because the world is scary, and we all need comfort. And what genre is more comforting than romance?
Answer: none.
And the kink of it all? Kink is really just another way of connecting the characters, showing them bonding (apologies for the terrible bondage pun) over a shared interest they can explore in, and in some cases out, of the bedroom.
Until next blog post, happy reading and writing!