Find Me is an example of the romance novel, though it subverts some norms of the genre. Two required elements of the romance novel are the development of a relationship between two people and an optimistic conclusion. Though the reader doesn’t know if Oliver and Elio will work out for the long run, the novel ends optimistically because Oliver and Elio reunite and try to start a new chapter of their love story. There are several examples of a relationship building between two people; each section of the novel centers on the development of a relationship. But there is also the larger, ongoing development of the relationship between Elio and Oliver, as they hold on to their love for one another throughout time.

Romance novels, emerging in the 18th century but popularized by 19th-century English author Jane Austen, have long been a staple of literature. There are two main types of romance novels: the category romance and the single-title romance. The category romance is a series of romantic stories, whereas the single-title romance is a stand-alone. Find Me subverts this neat delineation by qualifying as both. Revisiting characters and love stories from Aciman’s acclaimed 2007 novel Call Me by Your Name, Find Me is a sequel, making it a type of category romance.