London, 5th February, 2024 – This Valentine’s Day, Amazon Books UK has revealed that Bristol is the most romantic city in the UK, followed by Edinburgh and Sheffield. The news comes as Amazon UK unveils its list of UK cities that purchased the most romance novels per capita during 2023, based on both print and eBooks.
Known for romantic hotspots like Clifton Observatory, as well as the friendly phrase Alright my luvver, Amazon Books UK data shows that Bristolians buy and read more romance novels (per capita) than any other UK city. Meanwhile, with its romantic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and the Arthur’s Seat, and home to the great Robert Burns, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Scottish capital Edinburgh took second place.
Northern Irish and Welsh capital cities, Belfast and Cardiff, also appeared in the list, notably above London, which ranked twelfth. Despite being stereotypically less friendly and loving than its Northern counterparts, London did however still beat the country’s next largest city, Manchester, which finished fifteenth on the list.
The most romantic cities in the UK (per capita) are, according to Amazon Books UK:
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Sheffield
- Nottingham
- Cardiff
- Liverpool
- Coventry
- Glasgow
- Southampton
- Belfast
- Newcastle
- London
- Leeds
- Birmingham
- Manchester
Colleen Hoover dominated the list, taking the top spot for romance authors in all of the top 15 cities and also having five books in the UK’s favourite 15 romance novels list. Following the “CoHo” hype that swept through the TikTok community during lockdown, when Hoover offered five of her digital books free of charge, the American author continues to dominate the romance space. Hoover has been a hot topic of conversation on BookTok ever since, proving the ongoing power of the platform to transform backlists into bestsellers. Her 2016 title It Ends with Us was the most popular romance title in the UK in 2023, but the likes of It Starts with Us and Reminders of Him were also in the top ten.
Amazon offers a variety of ways to read romance for those looking to get in the mood this Valentine’s Day, with its reading subscription services Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading providing access to thousands of authors of romantic fiction, including Colleen Hoover and Amanda Prowse.
Lisa de Meyer, UK Books Country Manager at Amazon.co.uk commented “While Brits often get a bad name for their guarded emotions, it’s clear that we’re a nation of romantics at heart. It’s great to see the wide range of romance titles and authors who have proved popular in the last year, from celeb names like Dolly Parton to big hitters Jojo Moyes, and Amazon Publishing’s Amanda Prowse.
We’re also continuing to see the power of BookTok in driving bestsellers when it comes to romantic reads, with Colleen Hoover sitting at the top of our bestseller list along with Ana Huang enjoying success from the the TikTok hype.“
Alongside Hoover’s cult classics, the UK’s 15 favourite romance titles were by an all-female cast of authors, including Evie Wood’s charming tale of a vanishing book store, The Lost Bookshop, and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and The Six, the inspiration behind Amazon Prime Video’s 2023 award winning adaptation.
The Top 15 bestselling romance novels on Amazon Books UK:
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
- The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
- It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
- Promise Me by Jill Mansell
- Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
- Picking up the Pieces by Amanda Prowse
- Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
- Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes
- Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton
- The Little Cottage on the Hill by Emma Davies
- Never Never by Colleen Hoover
- The House at Magpie Cove by Kennedy Kerr
- Twisted Love by Ana Huang
- Enemies With Benefits by Roxie Noir
For more inspiration this Valentine’s Day, visit Amazon Editor’s Choice for more romantic read recommendations – amazon.co.uk/amazoneditorschoice.
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