Gothic Romance

This is a genre that you don't see much of today unless you spend a lot of time in used book stores. These books were more popular in previous decades. That's not to say Gothic romances aren't being published, but they're often published as romantic suspense instead. The typical Gothic romance combines moody atmosphere and suspense with a brooding hero and a heroine is unsure of whether she can trust the hero. For example, the heroine might wonder if the rumors about the hero killing his first wife are true. In some Gothics, the heroine had to decide between two men -- often a fair, charming man and a dark, brooding one. Of course, the charming man turned out to be the psychopathic killer, and the brooding man saved her.