Romance Recommendations (M/F, M/M, F/F)
Nov. 19th, 2024 07:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acorn_squashI've been on a romance novel-buying spree, so I thought I'd post my wish list in case anyone else needs a good comfort read. It's alphabetized by author's last name, because I like alphabetizing things, and also because when I use it to shop, it makes it easier to find the books on the shelves.
(Content warning: Some of these books may not be appropriate for children, use your best judgement, etc.)
Dade, Olivia. Spoiler Alert series. Delightful M/F romcom trilogy about actors from a terrible TV series that's definitely not Game of Thrones. They try to keep their fanfiction consumption secret, with varying success. Every book features a fat heroine; the last book features a fat couple. The hero of book 1 is dyslexic and the hero of book 2 has ADHD. Most characters are white. Content warnings.
Hall, Alexis. Arden St. Ives series. M/M billionaire romance trilogy inspired by the concept, “What if Fifty Shades was good?” I'm not a fan of the billionaire, but the side characters really stole the show, especially Arden's butch transfeminine FWB. She's a photographer and she's so cool.
Hall, Alexis. Looking for Group. Sweet, funny MMORPG-themed M/M romance. Internet slang-heavy. Lots of epistolary sections. Gender politics are somewhat dated in ways that will be apparent from the blurb. No on-page sex.
Hall, Alexis. Kate Kane series. F/F urban fantasy detective novels about a jaded fairy princess PI who's dating a hedonistic lesbian vampire. If that description isn't moving you, you're not these books' target audience. Fair warning: The main character has a Twilight-style vampire stalker ex-boyfriend who's played for laughs. LGBTQ+ characters.
Hibbert, Talia. Act Your Age, Eve Brown. M/F grumpy/sunshine rom-com about an innkeeper forced to hire an inexperienced cook on short notice. She's Black, autistic, and scatterbrained; he's white, autistic, and rigidly organized. They get along like a house on fire... eventually. Bi side characters.
Milan, Courtney. Brothers Sinister series. M/F historical romance trilogy (plus novellas) about chaotic good Victorians revealing secrets, causing change, and making waves. Features women in STEM, elaborate legal machinations, and universal suffrage. Lesbian side characters. Standalone prequel novella is available as a free e-book.
Milan, Courtney. Turner series. M/F historical romance trilogy about three secretive brothers and their interconnected childhood trauma. Intricate legal drama. Backstory is surprisingly similar to the Moon Knight TV show. Gay side characters. All characters are white.
Milan, Courtney. Wedgeford Trials series. M/F historical romance trilogy about three East Asian men determined to hide their noble backgrounds, three East Asian women intent on pursuing their careers, and the small, Asian-majority English village they fall in love in. Funny and gentle. First book is excellent but will make you hungry; second book is just as good and less likely to induce food cravings. Features sauce empires, checklists, pottery, ambulance courses, printing presses, and seed exchanges. Asexual side characters.
Sebastian, Cat. Seducing the Sedgwicks. Sweet, funny M/M historical romance trilogy. Book 1: In a gay, Gentile take on A Sound of Music, a dyslexic sea captain falls for the unconventional vicar who's been looking after his children. Book 2: Harley's godfather left him a London townhouse, a ruined reputation, and a lot of sexual trauma; when he falls in love with a kind innkeeper who wants to protect his small Black community, they find and destroy Harley's godfather's collection of blackmail material. Book 3: Loosely inspired by Stucky, a traumatized former sailor discovers that his chronically ill childhood friend is still alive, barely, and kidnaps him to the countryside to care for him.
Rai, Alisha. Modern Love series. Racially diverse M/F rom-com trilogy about love in the Internet age. Plotty and tropey, with lots of twists and turns. Founders of rival dating apps fall in love after one of them ghosts the other; a wealthy widow falls for her bodyguard after accidentally going viral; an influencer falls in love with the Bollywood star she thought she was dating online. Sapphic side characters.
Weatherspoon, Rebekah. Prolific author who's written histrom, modern, and even YA. I'm mostly interested in her sapphic romances, but if you like cowboys, she has those too.
West, Xan (aka Alexander, Corey). Deceased. Innovative author of diverse, modern polyamorous romances. Focuses on queer people, disabled people, Jews, and survivors.
(After reading this list, you may be thinking,
(Content warning: Some of these books may not be appropriate for children, use your best judgement, etc.)
Dade, Olivia. Spoiler Alert series. Delightful M/F romcom trilogy about actors from a terrible TV series that's definitely not Game of Thrones. They try to keep their fanfiction consumption secret, with varying success. Every book features a fat heroine; the last book features a fat couple. The hero of book 1 is dyslexic and the hero of book 2 has ADHD. Most characters are white. Content warnings.
Hall, Alexis. Arden St. Ives series. M/M billionaire romance trilogy inspired by the concept, “What if Fifty Shades was good?” I'm not a fan of the billionaire, but the side characters really stole the show, especially Arden's butch transfeminine FWB. She's a photographer and she's so cool.
Hall, Alexis. Looking for Group. Sweet, funny MMORPG-themed M/M romance. Internet slang-heavy. Lots of epistolary sections. Gender politics are somewhat dated in ways that will be apparent from the blurb. No on-page sex.
Hall, Alexis. Kate Kane series. F/F urban fantasy detective novels about a jaded fairy princess PI who's dating a hedonistic lesbian vampire. If that description isn't moving you, you're not these books' target audience. Fair warning: The main character has a Twilight-style vampire stalker ex-boyfriend who's played for laughs. LGBTQ+ characters.
Hibbert, Talia. Act Your Age, Eve Brown. M/F grumpy/sunshine rom-com about an innkeeper forced to hire an inexperienced cook on short notice. She's Black, autistic, and scatterbrained; he's white, autistic, and rigidly organized. They get along like a house on fire... eventually. Bi side characters.
Milan, Courtney. Brothers Sinister series. M/F historical romance trilogy (plus novellas) about chaotic good Victorians revealing secrets, causing change, and making waves. Features women in STEM, elaborate legal machinations, and universal suffrage. Lesbian side characters. Standalone prequel novella is available as a free e-book.
Milan, Courtney. Turner series. M/F historical romance trilogy about three secretive brothers and their interconnected childhood trauma. Intricate legal drama. Backstory is surprisingly similar to the Moon Knight TV show. Gay side characters. All characters are white.
Milan, Courtney. Wedgeford Trials series. M/F historical romance trilogy about three East Asian men determined to hide their noble backgrounds, three East Asian women intent on pursuing their careers, and the small, Asian-majority English village they fall in love in. Funny and gentle. First book is excellent but will make you hungry; second book is just as good and less likely to induce food cravings. Features sauce empires, checklists, pottery, ambulance courses, printing presses, and seed exchanges. Asexual side characters.
Sebastian, Cat. Seducing the Sedgwicks. Sweet, funny M/M historical romance trilogy. Book 1: In a gay, Gentile take on A Sound of Music, a dyslexic sea captain falls for the unconventional vicar who's been looking after his children. Book 2: Harley's godfather left him a London townhouse, a ruined reputation, and a lot of sexual trauma; when he falls in love with a kind innkeeper who wants to protect his small Black community, they find and destroy Harley's godfather's collection of blackmail material. Book 3: Loosely inspired by Stucky, a traumatized former sailor discovers that his chronically ill childhood friend is still alive, barely, and kidnaps him to the countryside to care for him.
Rai, Alisha. Modern Love series. Racially diverse M/F rom-com trilogy about love in the Internet age. Plotty and tropey, with lots of twists and turns. Founders of rival dating apps fall in love after one of them ghosts the other; a wealthy widow falls for her bodyguard after accidentally going viral; an influencer falls in love with the Bollywood star she thought she was dating online. Sapphic side characters.
Weatherspoon, Rebekah. Prolific author who's written histrom, modern, and even YA. I'm mostly interested in her sapphic romances, but if you like cowboys, she has those too.
West, Xan (aka Alexander, Corey). Deceased. Innovative author of diverse, modern polyamorous romances. Focuses on queer people, disabled people, Jews, and survivors.
(After reading this list, you may be thinking,
Hey, I know from your fanfiction consumption that you prefer F/F to anything else! What gives?The answer is that it is harder to find sapphic romance than M/M or M/F, because there's a smaller commercial market for it. Also, I already own a bunch of my favorite sapphic books: Annie On My Mind, One Last Stop (link, but I recommend not reading the blurb to avoid spoilers), Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure, Dykes to Watch Out For, and The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde. Maybe I'll make a post about them sometime.)
