The Cinnamon Bun Book Store falls into the genre of contemporary romance. Although the novel deals with serious subjects, such as complicated family dynamics, loneliness, and self-doubt, it is underpinned by lighthearted and comedic moments. Contemporary romances are categorized by their happy endings and familiar plotlines, but they often introduce more literary elements than traditional romance novels by focusing on the main characters’ personal growth and the obstacles they must overcome to achieve their happy ending. As in The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, most contemporary romance heroines and heroes are flawed; these narratives often show protagonists helping each other not only overcome barriers to becoming romantically involved but also learn to be better, happier people.

Just as contemporary romance novels rely on familiar narrative structures, they also often feature tropes, archetypes, and common situations, such as enemies-to-lovers relationships, marriage-of-convenience plotlines, and quaint settings. The Cinnamon Bun Book Store uses many conventions typical of contemporary romance novels, including the forced proximity trope, in which continually being in the same settings and situations forces Hazel and Noah to confront the feelings that they had been trying to avoid. Secret dating is another common romance convention used in The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, where pretending not to have feelings for one another makes Hazel and Noah reconsider what those feelings really are.