Study: New York Men Are Surprisingly More Romantic Than Women

A new survey of 2,000 romance readers in the U.S. has found that men in New York are more likely to identify as romance fans than women. The survey, commissioned by ThriftBooks and conducted by Talker Research, shows that 63% of men consider themselves die-hard romance enthusiasts, compared to 60% of women.

The survey also revealed that New York’s men spend more time reading romance: on average, they dedicate 364 hours a year to the genre, while women spend 312 hours.

What Do New Yorkers Imagine When They Read Romance?

The survey asked what readers envision when they dive into a romance novel. It turns out that many people picture someone close to home. About 17% of married readers in New York said they picture their spouse as the love interest, while 21% admitted to imagining their celebrity crush. Interestingly, 7% of readers even admitted to thinking of their ex while reading.

When it comes to celebrity crushes, New York’s readers follow national trends. When the love interest is a woman, Zendaya tops the list among Gen Z readers, with Angelina Jolie being the top choice for both millennials and Gen X. For baby boomers, Halle Berry is most frequently imagined.

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For male love interests, Timothée Chalamet is the most common fantasy for Gen Z readers while Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt are top picks for millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers.

Setting Up the Perfect Romance Reading Session in New York

Creating the perfect atmosphere for a romance novel is key. The survey found that the top must-haves for a reading session are a cozy blanket (65%), a snack (46%), and a quiet house all to themselves (41%). Forty-four percent of New Yorkers prefer complete silence while reading, while 17% enjoy the sound of rainfall, and 12% like white noise.

Most readers reported spending 81 minutes on a typical romance reading session, but a staggering 85% admitted they’d stay up all night reading if the book is particularly captivating.

New Yorkers' Favorite Romance Tropes and Must-Haves

When it comes to favorite romance tropes, readers are drawn to forbidden romance (45%), friends-to-lovers (44%), and enemies-to-lovers (42%). However, they aren’t fond of love triangles (23%), office romances (22%), or fake dating (21%).

Top Romance Recommendations in New York

Some of the most recommended romance novels include modern classics like The Notebook, It Ends with Us, and Fifty Shades of Grey, along with timeless works like Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, and Wuthering Heights.

The survey also revealed the top celebrities that New Yorkers imagine when reading romance novels:

Women’s Top Celebrities

• Angelina Jolie – 26%
• Megan Fox ��� 21%
• Zendaya – 20%
• Selena Gomez – 19%
• Scarlett Johansson – 19%

Men’s Top Celebrities

• Channing Tatum – 26%
• Brad Pitt – 22%
• Chris Hemsworth – 20%
• Ryan Reynolds – 19%
• Chris Evans – 17%

Romance Reading Stats

• Average romance books read per year – 36
• Average hours spent reading romance per year – 312

As more New Yorkers embrace the world of romance novels, it’s clear that the genre is full of surprises, rich plots, and unforgettable characters.