Amazon Books has unveiled its list of European cities that purchased the most romance novels per capita during 2023, based on both print and eBooks.
In a study carried out by Amazon Books in the UK, Italy and Germany, the most romantic cities were revealed to be Bristol, Siena, and Potsdam.
Known for romantic hotspots like Clifton Observatory, as well as the 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 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.
Author Colleen Hoover dominated the list, taking the top spot for romance authors in all of the top 15 cities and also had six books in the UK’s favourite 15 romance novels list. 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.
Siena, in the province of Tuscany, which came third last year, is now number one in the new top 10 Italian cities which love reading romance. Whether it is the striking colours of the city's roofs and building facades, or its timeless charm, the city's inhabitants didn’t give up on romance. The city of the sun, Cagliari, features in second place, while Pavia comes in at third place, with a remarkable leap forward from last year of no less than seven positions.
In Italy, the romantic novel that was most read in 2023 is Dammi mille baci by Tillie Cole, the story of Poppy Litcheld who, at the age of nine, decides to embark on the greatest adventure of her life: collecting a thousand kisses that will make her heart burst. In second place is Erin Doom's acclaimed novel Fabbricante di lacrime. It starts with us / Siamo noi l'inizio di tutto by Colleen Hoover came in third place: an intense story in which the protagonist reunites with her first love. Le sette sorelle, the latest volume of the popular saga, came in at number four, and rounding off the top five most popular books is Felicia Kingsley's Innamorati pazzi, starring Blake and Summer, who stole the hearts of readers.
The German city of love is Potsdam, as this is where the most romance stories were read in 2023, closely followed by Wolfsburg in second place, and Paderborn in third place. Lucinda Riley dominates the list with her Seven Sisters series and takes first place, alongside romance novels by German writers Sibylle Weischenberg and Jette Hansen.
Amazon offers a variety of ways to read romance for those looking to get in the mood this Valentine’s Day, with our subscription services Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading providing access to thousands of authors of romantic fiction.
The most romantic cities in the UK, according to Amazon Books UK, based on those that purchased the most romantic fiction (per capita) in 2023:
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Sheffield
- Nottingham
- Cardiff
- Liverpool
- Coventry
- Glasgow
- Southampton
- Belfast
- Newcastle
- London
- Leeds
- Birmingham
- Manchester
The top 10 most romantic Italian cities:
- Siena
- Cagliari
- Pavia
- Vicenza
- Trieste
- Gallarate
- Milan
- Sanremo
- Padua
- Verona
The top 10 most romantic German cities:
- Potsdam
- Wolfsburg
- Paderborn
- Mainz
- Moers
- Oldenburg
- Bergisch Gladbach
- Karlsruhe
- Erlangen
- Wuerzburg
- Brunswick
- Munich
- Jena
- Aachen
- Muenster
