When Realms Collide: A Recap of the First-Ever Romance Fantasy Author Meetup in Chicago
I spent the afternoon with 5 romantasy authors and 200 of their dedicated readers in Chicago at the first-ever Romance Fantasy Author Meetup!
Train reads: Reading “A Queen This Fierce & Deadly” by Stacia Stark. While Stacia Stark would be present today, my copies of her books are all already signed from a previous author event I attended three weeks earlier.
I recently stumbled upon the Romance Fantasy genre in late 2024 after seeing so many influencers reading A Court Of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). As a diehard fan of the fantasy fiction genre, I wanted to give reading ACOTAR a try. Like thousands before me, I read ACOTAR once and I became hooked. The more of the ACOTAR book series I read, I realized that the Fantasy Romance genre is incredibly diverse, full of dynamic tropes, omitting nothing. From standalone novels to interconnected series in one universe, the romantic fantasy genre may appease to every reader.
What makes the genre so special to me is that it offers the escapism and adventure I crave and enjoy so much. After a long day at my 9 to 5 job, I can’t wait to get home, put on my cozy pajamas, and cuddle with my dogs under blankets and read.
I learned that the Romantasy Meetup hosted by author K.F Breene was the first of its kind and would be held in Chicago, I thought it would be a fun author event to attend. I was very pleased to have been able to receive a ticket this extremely limited event and even more thrilled to learn there would be five authors in attendance as well!
The authors in attendance would be:
Stacia Stark
K.F. Breene
C.N. Crawford
L.J. Andrews
Melissa Roerich
Shannon Mayer
As someone who is new to the Romantasy book genre and reading community, I was delighted when I realized all five authors had books on my “To Be Read” list.
Here’s my firsthand experience at the first ever Romance Fantasy Author Meetup in Chicago.
The Atmosphere and Experience
An interior photo of the bar area at Maggiano’s Little Italy.
Patiently waiting for the Romantasy Author Meetup to begin.
The event was held at Maggiano’s Little Italy Banquet Center located in the historic River North neighborhood of Chicago. I’m lucky enough to live in the south suburbs of Chicago and so I was able to take a quick 54 minute Metra train ride right into downtown. I then walked 18 minutes from Millenium Station to the venue. It rained that morning, but the rain clouds moved away, opening up to beautiful sunny skies. I had arrived early and decided to have a quick glass of wine at the bar inside of the main restaurant while waiting for the event to begin in the banquet area. The bar was full of dark wooden paneling and pale ecru walls. Soft lights were glowing on tables in the shade of surrounding buildings. The overall vibe of Maggiano’s was cozy, dark, and traditional.
As soon as I stepped outside to stand in line for entry, my first impression was “wow, there’s a lot of dedicated fans.”
The line waiting to get into the Romantasy Author Meetup wrapped around the city block.
The line to get into Maggiano’s Banquet space wrapped around the city block. The event was to begin at noon and go until 4pm. After signing in, I visited the bar for a glass of cabernet and grabbed a few stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta hors d’oeuvres. With a glass of wine in one hand and a plate full of snacks in another, I walked into the main room where everyone sat at large round tables. Seating was not assigned, and since I was towards the back of the line to enter the event, there were very few available unclaimed chairs. As I scanned the room looking for any open chair, I had to laugh out loud for I felt as if it was my first day at a new school and I didn’t have any friends to sit with at lunch time.
I found a seat at a corner table and settled in with a lovely group of women.
I took a sip of wine and looked around. There were 200 of us book lovers gathered to celebrate the authors and we had only four hours. In addition to being able to meet all five authors, and have them sign a few of their works, there were several cosplay contests. The general theme was “Black muumuus” in any way that you wanted to represent your version of a black muumuus. Additional cosplay categories were “Winged Beings,” “Bounty Hunters/Assassins,” “Beings that Burn,” “Weird & Wacky,” and "Glitz & Glamour.” People certainly understood the assignment and showed up in an array of wonderfully handmade costumes portraying beloved characters within the authors’ universes.
It was quite an experience to be in the same room with so many other book fans. The people I sat with were ARC Readers (people who receive Advance Reader Copies of books for review), a professional cosplayer, a book editor, and an architect. Together we gossiped and shared our love of reading romantasy books.
I loved the French chandeliers that hung in the banquet space. It must have been a daunting task to hang them as each one has to be incredibly heavy.
From Pen to Person: The Authors Who Made It Happen
The Romantasy Authors in attendance were:
Stacia Stark
K.F. Breene
C.N. Crawford
L.J. Andrews
Melissa Roerich
Shannon Mayer was originally planned to attend, but unfortunately had to back out of the event, but I’m looking forward to hopefully see her at a future event.
Attendees for this event were allowed to bring books and items for the authors to sign at the Chicago book event. The amount of items we were allowed to bring for signing was limited to what you could fit in a reasonable tote bag or carry in your arms.
There was one author I was particularly excited to meet at the event and that was author L.J. Andrews. She just released a reprint of “The Ever King” and at the time this blog is published, “The Ever Queen” will be re-released as well! I’ve been pining to read her series, The Broken Kingdoms, as soon as I finish my physical To Be Read list (which, for the record, is only three books). I plan to purchase the full series in one of her beautiful hardcover editions, but I haven’t decided just which edition to get.
What was most memorable about meeting LJ Andrews was how kind she was. She was very enthusiastic to meet each of us and was still able to engage in quick conversations even though her time to visit our table was very limited.
It was so exciting being able to meet author LJ Andrews and watch her sign my tote bag and copy of her re-released book, “The Ever King.”
Personal Reflections & Takeaways
A reflective train train ride home full of reliving the events of the day.
Alas, it was time for me to leave. Time had paced itself incredibly well and I was able to acquire three of the five authors signatures, but I was not able to get the other two authors’ signatures. We had run out of time at the banquet space. The authors and attendees were relocating to the hotel across the street where everyone was staying to get their missing autographs. I simply ran out out time and needed to make my way back to the train station. I said my good-byes to my new friends and headed off to catch my train.
During my ride back home, I realized there was a part of me who had always been in love with the process of reading and living a “bookish” lifestyle.
At the heart of this romance fantasy author event, I felt inspired to be surrounded by like-minded book lovers; it was an experience I’ll never forget. From learning how some people became ARC readers, to how many books are read in a month, favorite apps of book aficionados to endless book recommendations. I felt I had found a new community to be a part of and I was happy to be there.
I hope to attend future book meetups, midnight releases, and even perhaps join a local book club. Have you ever been to a romance fantasy book meetup? Let me know in the comments below!
Stay Enchanted,
Cassandra