Romantasy Event - Romantasy vs Fantasy With Romance

What is the difference between Romantasy and Fantasy with Romance?

Simply put in a Romantasy book, the romance is pivotal to the plot. In a Fantasy with Romance, the romance is an extra layer to the story. Much in the same way that Paranormal Romance focuses on the romance element too. 
Your Romantasy novel can contain all the usual romantic tropes, but is set in a fantasy setting or features fantasy creatures in a real world setting.
Some of the most popular examples are Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black. 
It was only a few of years ago that Romantasy properly took off, mostly thanks to Maas. While her A Court of Thorns and Roses series does get mixed reviews, there is no doubt that it really pushed the genre into the spotlight. Many Romantasy books followed from both published and indie authors. So what else can we expect from these books?

• Many of these books will contain spice, after all, where will the characters go with all that sexual tension? But it is not necessary to have spice in your book if you prefer a clean book.

• One of the most popular creatures featured in these books are the Fae. Setting a story in the Fae Realm allows for great world building and the Fae can have all sorts of abilities. 
• A trope that is on the rise is the fake marriage or relationship where the main character must pretend to be with the romantic interest. They may not get on in the beginning, but it usually leads to them falling for each other.
  
• A lot of Romantasy books contain darker elements. Given the fantasy element there is often a lot of conflict such as - wars, kidnapping, political issues within the world or assassins. Due to these issues sweet romance doesn't really fit. 

If you choose to try your hand at Romantasy, be sure to read widely within the genre and see what is popular right now. Try to find a new angle or try something new that fewer writers are offering. On the other hand, if your focus is the fantasy world, the issues within and romance comes in second, then you are writing a fantasy book with romance. 

Happy writing!