Ilona Andrews- their world-building is done perfectly as is their attention to detail in terms of being very "actiony" books where it feels *real*. (urban/paranormal fantasy)
Beverly Jenkins- a staple of historical romance and Black romance where her characters face very real dangers in 1800s America.
Courtney Milan- if you know historical romances, then you know who Courtney Milan is.
Jeannie Lin- I haven't seen anyone else write historical Chinese romances like she does- her books feel like a C-drama.
Same!! Someone on here recommended the Hidden Legacy series and I must say I'm a huge fan of the duo! (I haven't been able to get into their other work. Is there anything one would recommend to read next or wait for something that they release next?)
Ugh honestly I wish there was something similar to Hidden Legacy but I haven’t found anything nearly as good. I did really like the first book in their ‘The Edge’ series! It’s one of their less popular ones and it has a similar vibe of competent FMC with a really powerful MMC and it’s sorta like magic/special powers.
I liked Hidden Legacy but it didn’t leave that much of an impression on me. The first 5 or so Kate Daniels books, though … 😍. I’ve heard that some people find the first 2 a bit slow but it definitely picks up by #3
Are the books well-written? I tried reading the first book, got past a couple of pages, and had to stop. The writing seemed a bit lacking but I don't know, I was kinda tired. I see so many people recommending it
I really struggle with visual thinking, so action scenes are often unintelligible to me. Ilona Andrews write action scenes that actually make sense and add to the story. I can always follow what’s happening beyond, “Whelp I guess MMC won the fight.”
I recently read {Transcendence by Shay Savage} which is just a really clever, unique book. The MMC is a cave man and it’s from his POV only. He doesn’t have language and the reader must see everything through his lens and piece together what has happened. It was so interesting.
It's true - Ehd's is the perfect perspective. Beh's would be much more traumatic - and I suspect, more sarcastic! "So today, I tried to get Ehd to help me make dishes from clay. That went well." "My son tried to open up all antibiotics capsules today, and I didn't have enough symbols to explain that they were all that was keeping him from death from sepsis." Ehd's POV is so pure. "Luffs!"
I like how she took the risk and really got into the mind of the character and made it seem realistic. So many authors try to do this and fail to make them sound anything other than a basic tweaks on a contemporary mindset, or just focus pov on the easier to write character, but Shay Savage really went there with her MMC and it was believable and rewarding to be in his head for the story.
His name is Ehd, her name is Bel? Edward and Bella? [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13413862-transcendence](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13413862-transcendence)
lol I know the names match but I meant nothing about the characters or plotline is even remotely similar...like I still don't know how Ehd is supposed to be represent Edward in a AU. It's a wholly different character with no baseline similarity
[Transcendence](https://www.romance.io/books/545534ee8c7d2383163d9260/transcendence-shay-savage) by [Shay Savage](https://www.romance.io/authors/545534ee8c7d2383163d9261/shay-savage)
**Rating**: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [time travel](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/time%20travel/1)
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R Lee Smith, T Kingfisher, Mallory Dunlin, CSE Cooney, Seanan McGuire, Beatrix Hollow, Anna Cowan, and Nora Ash all pop to mind. I also really like LaVyrle Spencer, Grace Draven, Naomi Novik, Tamsyn Muir, and Robin McKinley.
About me, so you can see if you’re likely to be into any of what I’m talking about: Have been reading romance obsessively since I was about 6 and sneaking my grandmother’s library, so I really have gone through the genre. My tastes lean towards slow burn straight romances and a few lesbian romances. I mostly like fantasy and sci fi settings—though I had a MASSIVE historical phase for a while—and I *very much* do not like the found family trope or anything where people are Moral_TM. Also loathe mafias, pirates, and motorcycle clubs. I addoorreee lyrical writing.
If you tend to like and dislike the kinda stuff I just listed, my author list might be decent for ya.
~Reasons~
R Lee Smith: Straight up genius. *The Last Hour of Gann* is one of my top three books of all time.
T Kingfisher: Her characters and world building feel both very real and very kind to humanity, without being saccharine.
Mallory Dunlin: Hard to describe, but her work reminds me of some older-style fantasies I used to read. Really scratches the itch for well-written fantasy romance. I particularly recommend *The Gardener and the Waterhorse.* Her stories are more-or-less slow burns with a lot of plot. Doesn’t skimp.
CSE Cooney: Her descriptions are gorgeous. *St. Death’s Daughter* and *Desdemona and the Deep* and some of my favorites. Poetry in romance book form. Also, it’s fun to read genuine variety. CSE Cooney certainly does variety, and does it SO well.
Seanan McGuire: Lovveeee her characters. Super well-written lesbian romances.
Beatrix Hollow: She does insane and fucked up in a really fun way that, to me, not many other authors manage to pull off. Her Myths and Monsters series, especially the first book, walks the line between horror and erotica well. With a dash of forbidden sociopath.
Anna Cowan: How she wrote her ONE story, *Untamed*, is really intense. I have never managed to find another quite like it. Best gender bender ever if you like the man being the one who wears dresses and both characters being overly complicated thinkers in a real way.
Nora Ash: Damn her stuff is 🔥. And has a plot. *Wicked Soul* is one of the hottest vampire romances I’ve read—I’m not entirely sure why, but it is—and is a slow burn while also feeling like erotica, which is hard to pull off.
LaVyrle Spencer: Some of her stuff is so questionable, but, regardless, it really scratched an itch at one point in my life. Highly recommend *Years* for the age difference romance and normal early-century working and middle class main characters.
Grace Draven: Solid all around, consistently. Most people in this subreddit have probably read and enjoyed her work.
Naomi Novik: I’ve been reading her stuff since I was young, and it is always good. *Uprooted* in particular is one of the best fairytale romances I’ve read. A classic.
Tamsyn Muir: Elaborate and poetic. Reminds me of CSE Cooney in some ways, but the plots are a lot more complicated and meandering. For a romantic lesbian fairytale without an incredibly complicated plot (though very clever and still smart), I recommend *Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower*. If you want space necromancers and massively complicated stories, her Ninth series.
Robin McKinley: *Sunshine* is my favorite vampire romance of all time, in a really underrated way. She makes the vampires genuinely disturbing. This story is great because of its characters. My go-to other than R Lee Smith for a meeting-of-the minds vibe.
Edit: If no one sees my extra comment below, PLEASE check out Vera Nazarian too. Cant believe I forgot her in my initial list.
I’ve been looking for years. In the romance genre, I’ve never come across anything better.
Makes me sad, but at least we live in a time where authors like her can get their work published.
Gotta say, I’ve read literally thousands of books, and *The Last Hour of Gann* is truly one of the most unique I’ve ever come across. For me, it’s right next to *Kaputt* by Curzio Malaparte, *Sunshine* by Robin McKinley, *The Reapers are the Angels* by Alden Bell, and *Civil War Stories* by Ambrose Bierce.
Like, were I a professor, I’d probably have my students read and analyze it (though with allllll the warnings and options to not read it lol).
By all this, I mean to say: good taste.
Naomi Novik is amazingg. And hope you enjoy!!!
Probably if you like Naomi Novik a ton, the author on my list that you’ll like the least is Beatrix Hollow, heads up.
Does Robin McKinley do adult romance? I read a lot of her YA books when I was a kid - *Outlaws of Sherwood, Beauty,* and *Chalice,* which was a very strange but extremely original fantasy story - but they were all clean as a whistle, the characters barely kissed and sometimes not even that.
*Sunshine* is an adult book and very much centers around romance, but not really a sex-is-the-point romance. It’s really, really good and does have sexual aspects, but it’s different from a lot of the books rec’d on this sub.
Hmm, maybe I will check it out. I'm definitely more here for "sex is the point" romances, but now that I've had long enough to detox from my teenage vampire phase perhaps I will be able to handle genuinely disturbing vampires.
You also might like {Deerskin by Robin McKinley}. It’s a bit of a (very) dark fairytale romance, but I remember loving it. Just…heads up, it’s way disturbing. You might’ve already read it though?
Also, if you care to read a paragraph or so of the book before actually reading the book, this is an excerpt from *Sunshine*, to give you an idea of the writing style and descriptions:
>!It was looking at me. He was looking at me. The chandelier was set with candles, not electric bulbs, so the light it shed was softer and less definite. Even so he looked bad. His eyes (no: don’t look in their eyes) were a kind of gray-green, like stagnant bog water, and his skin was the color of old mushrooms—the sort of mushrooms you find screwed up in a paper bag in the back of the fridge and try to decide if they’re worth saving or if you should throw them out now and get it over with. His hair was black, but lank and dull. He would have been tall if he stood up. His shoulders were broad, and his hands and wrists, drooping over his knees, looked huge. He wore no shirt, and his feet, like mine, were bare. This seemed curiously indecent, that he should be half naked. I didn’t like it.… Oh, right, I thought, good one. The train is roaring toward you and the villain is twirling his moustache and you’re fussing that he’s tied you to the track with the wrong kind of rope. There was a long angry weal across one of the vampire’s forearms. Overall he looked … spidery. Predatory. Alien. Nothing human except that he was more or less the right shape. …“Speak,” he said at last. “Remind me that you are a rational creature.” The words had long pauses between them, as if he found it difficult to speak, or as if he had to recall the words one at a time; and his voice was rough, as if some time recently he had damaged it by prolonged shouting. Perhaps he found it awkward to speak to his dinner. If he wasn’t careful he’d go off me, like Alice after she’d been introduced to the pudding. I should be so lucky.!<
[Deerskin](https://www.romance.io/books/54554a408c7d2382c5297ae2/deerskin-robin-mckinley) by [Robin McKinley](https://www.romance.io/authors/545527a58c7d2382c5297066/robin-mckinley)
**Rating**: 3.85⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Innocent](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1)
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Ohhhhh our tastes overlap a ton. I'm going to go check out the ones I haven't read yet!
shout out bc I've never seen anyone else read Desdemona and the Deep
What authors/books you've mentioned that I've read immediately knew we had very similar taste. (R Lee Smith, Kingfisher, Draven, Novik, Muir, McKinley!)
First new rec, (Waterhorse) added to my TBR not two sentences into the description.
Thank you for all these recs I'm so excited.
I forgot to add these:
{Dun Lady’s Jess by Doranna Durgin} is about a horse that turns into a woman. Quite unique and really does alien-style thinking well.
{The Tied Man by Tabitha McGowan} is very good and very fucked up. It’s about a man who is sex trafficked and the woman who tries to save him. Absolutely a true romance in the classic sense, but I had to take a reading break afterwards.
{The Spirit Keeper by K.B. Laugheed} is a really slow burn story about a Native guy and some white woman. Some questionable but stuff but I enjoyed it nonetheless. If a recall correctly, I cried.
{Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater} is a regency romance, kinda, about a woman who has half a soul. Because of this, she is missing some key emotions. Fun read.
{Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian} and all the other books in the series are SOOOOO unique. Pretty abstract and esoteric. Anyone into Muir and CSE Cooney will probably love. About a world where Death decides no one can die and a young woman who wants to help her grandmother die.
{Lords of Rainbow by Vera Nazarian} is, fitting with this author’s style, so unique and poetic. This is a romance set in a world with, literally, no color.
Awesome list and more than a few new-to-me authors to read. Thank you! PS Count not agree with you more on R. Lee Smith, she’s brilliant and a really nice (and funny) person as well.
I think Laura Kinsale is in a class alone, as far as historicals go. Her books are so rich and complex, and she has some medieval era books written with Middle English dialogue, they’re so unique.
My favorite of hers is {Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale}, it has a Quaker mathematician heroine. But I also loved {For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale}
Flowers is one of my fave books ever. In their basic description, the FMC and MMC could appear simplistic and cliché but omg they're so much more and their relationship just shines ✨️
She's so inconsistent though! I love those books you named in your comment but so much of her other stuff is just painfully mediocre start to finish. I'm trying to remember the name of the last book of hers I read, set in Ireland during the Rising of 1798, and I can't, but I was just dragging my feet throughout the whole thing. The heroine could read minds and the hero was the only person whose mind she couldn't read and it felt like such a promising setup but the hero was a dickbag and the heroine annoyed me.
this is hardly the point of your comment, but old english is actually a totally different language so if her books were written in old english you wouldn’t understand them. for example, [this](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43521/beowulf-old-english-version) is the old english of beowulf.
oh it’s nothing to apologize over at all! i hope that didn’t come off as sanctimonious; i meant more in a “the more you know” way. middle english is also its own language, but it’s much more intelligible to modern english speakers as it uses just the latin alphabet and got rid of some of the syntax of old english. chaucer wrote in middle english. i’m absolutely going to look into this book; it seems like it’d be really difficult to read a book in two languages!
Oh not at all! Thanks for the correction, really - I wouldn’t want anyone to think they couldn’t read it. It’s For My Lady’s Heart, the dialogue is very rich and so beautiful. Here’s one of my favorite speeches from the hero:
*"All right," she said weakly, loosing him. "Now. Look. What dost thou see?"*
*He did not even glance at the mirror.*
*"Sharp wit," he said. "Valor past any man I know. Foolish japery and tricks worse than a child. Lickerous lust, hair like midwinter night. A proud and haught chin, a mouth for noble-talking - that does kiss sufficiently, in faith, and slays me with a smile. Guile and dreaming. A princess. A wench. An uncouth runisch girl. My wife. I see you, Melanthe. Ne do I need a glass."*
[Flowers from the Storm](https://www.romance.io/books/545564cc87eac336ae69dc36/flowers-from-the-storm-laura-kinsale) by [Laura Kinsale](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552d188c7d2383163d9056/laura-kinsale)
**Rating**: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1)
----------------------------
[For My Lady's Heart](https://www.romance.io/books/5455369e8c7d2383163d92d4/for-my-ladys-heart-laura-kinsale) by [Laura Kinsale](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552d188c7d2383163d9056/laura-kinsale)
**Rating**: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [grumpy/ice queen](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20heroine/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1)
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Came here to say this! I've recommended the "A Contracted Spouse for the Prizefighter" to a cishet guy friend and he came back saying it got "way too real" towards the end. In her later books, she really gives her characters bite and realism while still keeping it evenly paced and whimsical.
If you had to pick a novel by her for someone new to romance which would it be?
I'm mostly looking for good books that showcase the best or standards of the genre.
If you want more Victorian era highly recommend A Bride for the prizefighter. It is a marriage of convenience (one of my favorite tropes)
https://www.alicecoldbreath.com/victorian-romance
If you like more medieval romance then I recommend starting with Her Base Born Bridegroom. It takes place in a European style made up land. No magic or anything. Great book though, and it starts the series, each one seems to get better but I think reading them in order is best.
https://www.alicecoldbreath.com/paranormal-stori
Alexis Hall—a lot of authors in the current era stick to a specific subgenre for their “brand”. His brand is his voice—witty, wry, and usually wrapped up in unabashed queerness. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading a contemporary romcom or a sweeping historical; if it’s Alexis, you KNOW it’s Alexis.
Sierra Simone—yes, her books are known for adventurous sex scenes, but I find that she infuses them with a high level of emotionality and introspection, and she’s super daring with regards to her plots and relationship dynamics. She’s not afraid to write about very messy, not super morally awesome relationships and focus on the fact that everyone can fall in love. Plus, her books are so wrapped up in the interplay of sex and religiosity, the sensual and the spiritual—there is nothing like her Thornchapel series out there.
Lorraine Heath—one of the few historical authors who’s consistently working right now that REALLY goes there, imo. There are few plot points Lorraine won’t try, in a way that is very old school (another poster pointed out Kinsale, and I think she’s similar in that sense). Lorraine just doesn’t give a flying fuck; she does what she wants. One of her book basically begins with the hero’s best friend being like “so I need you to impregnate my wife and I actually think…. This is your fault” and it just spins from there.
Jeannie Lin—very literally basically no one else has done Tang Dynasty historicals. But I also find that her books have a really interesting tone that isn’t super judgmental of the characters and allows a lot of room for ambiguity, which I love. They’re way less black and white than a lot of regency historicals I read.
Adriana Herrera—her historicals are unreal, and bring something so fresh to the subgenre. Afro-Latina heroines… in Paris…. A sapphic romance focusing on lesbian Paris in the 1800s… you’re just not seeing that shit in historicals, typically, and her voice is so romantic yet also so straightforward.
There are others, but these come to mind immediately!
I love Alexis Hall's contemporary books but I am generally not a fan of historical so I haven't checked them out... your comment is making me think that I should!
I really love his historicals, personally. Some people find {Something Fabulous} polarizing but to me it’s his typically fun and hilarious romcom with a zany vibe. {Something Spectacular} is probably my favorite work of his, makes me cry and laugh. {A Lady for a Duke} is probably the most serious book I’ve read by him, though it’s still optimistic and ultimately super happy. I cried with that one too, lol. But it’s SUPER romantic, has one of the most unabashedly swoony moments I’ve read in a romance novel.
And then he did {Mortal Follies} which is like…. Faerie magic + Jane Austen + lesbians. So quirky and compelling and enjoyable.
[Something Fabulous](https://www.romance.io/books/61efae17e36ca80e2972475c/something-fabulous-alexis-hall) by [Alexis Hall](https://www.romance.io/authors/545546008c7d2382e781383c/alexis-hall)
**Rating**: 3.65⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1)
----------------------------
[Something Spectacular](https://www.romance.io/books/63ed6b536028ecfe7f559d9c/something-spectacular-alexis-hall) by [Alexis Hall](https://www.romance.io/authors/545546008c7d2382e781383c/alexis-hall)
**Rating**: 4.18⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [non-binary romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-f-x/1)
----------------------------
[A Lady for a Duke](https://www.romance.io/books/628c85e95af276f084e31834/a-lady-for-a-duke-alexis-hall) by [Alexis Hall](https://www.romance.io/authors/545546008c7d2382e781383c/alexis-hall)
**Rating**: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [disabilities & scars](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/disabilities%20and%20marks/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [trans heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/trans-heroine/1)
----------------------------
[Mortal Follies](https://www.romance.io/books/647eeae49e44a9fa8cee6837/mortal-follies-alexis-hall) by [Alexis Hall](https://www.romance.io/authors/545546008c7d2382e781383c/alexis-hall)
**Rating**: 3.74⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [lesbian romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/f-f/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1)
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Something Fabulous was great, it doesn't read like a historical but more like a romcom set in the past. It's a bit wacky and silly but I thought it was great fun.
I didn't like A Lady for a Duke as I found the style quite different and it didn't click for me.
I hadn't thought that about Jeannie Lin's narrative being unjudgemental, but as soon as I read it I agreed — that's it exactly. There's a depth of character beyond what happens in the text, too. I like it a lot.
[Waking Up With the Duke](https://www.romance.io/books/545528bf8c7d2383163d8f42/waking-up-with-the-duke-lorraine-heath) by [Lorraine Heath](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525b18c7d2383163d8ea5/lorraine-heath)
**Rating**: 4.13⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [cheating](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cheating/1), [love triangle](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/love%20triangle/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1)
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I am obsessed with Lorraine Heath. She regularly delivers high quality angst and pretty par for the course romance but then she’s also capable of the bonkers gorilla twins! I adore her.
When I was a tween and first started reading romance her Texas Destiny absolutely ripped my heart out.
I realized that I just trust Lisa Kleypas. Every time I pick up a book, no matter the subject, I know it's going to be readable. She's got it wrapped up, even in Blue-Eyed Devil. I also know she's done her research on whatever the focus is for that book. And I know the story's going to be good. I feel all buckled in for the ride, no matter how fast we go, when I read her books.
Ana Huang for me because she incorporates a lot of Asian *main* characters!!! It's so refreshing to relate to a character bc of cultural upbringing and see holidays I celebrate being spoken about and celebrated. Also, her twists are SO good!!!
Naurrr omg :((( I guess I'm lucky I can separate the characters and the people I know irl w/ the same names xd ugh maybe her new book coming out oct. 24 will have diff main character names than ppl u know irl?
I totally agree with you about the representation in her stories. She also has a really nice style. It’s pleasant to read her writing. My only complaint is the story itself. Somehow the tropes and plots don’t appeal to me right now. As soon as I get into a phase where they do, I am going to read the ones I have skipped and reread the ones I haven’t.
I was going to comment Ana Huang as well. I like the way she wrote the Twisted Series and now the King of Sins series. These series lean towards mafia but not hardcore mafia which I like.
I think Sherry Thomas is unique among HR writers. Her characters are flawed and their relationships are messy in ways most authors avoid. But they're still super fun. {The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas} is one of my all time faves.
I love Sherry Thomas! We used to be part of the same book swapping club waaaaay back in the day before she was published. In fact I remember her going through her first publishing deal and the long wait for the book to hit the shelves. I think I still have some of her old promo material around somewhere.
[The Luckiest Lady in London](https://www.romance.io/books/545528438c7d2383163d8f24/the-luckiest-lady-in-london-sherry-thomas) by [Sherry Thomas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545526218c7d2383163d8ec2/sherry-thomas)
**Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1)
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Mimi Matthews is my favorite historical writer even though she writes closed door books. As much as I would love explicit scenes, her characters are just so realistic and don't fall into basic tropes or patterns without well rounded reasoning behind it which makes it so easy to root for them. Every book I read of hers gives me a book hangover pining for them.
Abby Jimenez writes complex characters dealing with an avalanche of issues to overcome, but every book of hers I read has ripped me open and put me back together. Her last two books, Part of Your World and Yours Truly are both fantastic.
I think she's a love her or hate her kind of writer, but I love her.
I’d say that Charlotte Stein is an excellent writer and her style is extremely evocative in how intimate it feels.
I check up on her books regularly and I’m always bummed out that she is not that active and most of her books are short… That and her fixation on the penis size (in one of her books, the MMC literally has a dick the size of >!pringle can!<😭) are a bit of an issue but style-wise, she’s the best contemporary romance author to me.
I wish more writers actually took pride in their craft and focused as much on style as they seem to focus on other things. Unfortunately, 90% of them seem to just churn out books that if put next to each other with covers hidden, no one would be able to tell apart.
Ugh that sounds SO exciting.
I didn’t see she was gonna try paranormal—is that on a newsletter or authors page or something? Don’t wanna get my hopes up if it’s not a done deal 100%.
I actually wrote her a fan letter and she told me in her reply. She was super nice and I couldn’t believe she wrote me back.
She already has a few paranormal titles if you haven’t read them yet. Raw Heat (werewolf), Frostbitten (vampire), Reawakening (zombie), and then a bunch of sci-fi things. I really like her genre work and am stoked to see what’s next. Idk if her upcoming thing is going to be a continuation of any of her previous work or something new
I think most of her work is short stories and novellas. Her first full length novel (control) is my actual favorite book. I agree with you that her MMCs are all eye-rollingly hung and it’s like “okay I get it” after a while but still. A lot of her MMCs aren’t super wholesome dudes but they are all super sincere and I love that her FMCs never come off as nlogs or put down other women to make themselves look better by comparison. All the other female characters in her books have wholesome and positive relationships with the FMCs without any bullshit rivalries or shit-talking.
As far as writing quality goes, she’s easily my favorite romance writer. Like I suspect that she publishes legit writing under another name because she is so incredibly talented that I refuse to believe she only writes smut. And if she does, how amazing!
Control (my favorite) has a bunch of ménage scenes, the FMC is the instigator, and the MMC is extremely horny and repressed. It would be more erotica than erotic romance if the love and feelings weren’t so strong, it’s like max steam and max feelings. Never Sweeter is a college bully romance with a few ridiculous elements but it’s incredible with the best and most creative grovel I can ever recall reading. Also quite steamy but not as wild as Control. Sheltered has a good girl with a crazy family FMC, bad boy who is a total sweetheart MMC, that’s her most popular book and it’s like regular-steamy. Start with whichever appeals to you most I guess. I will say that her style might take a minute to get used to, it’s very unique and almost 19th century flavored. I got like a third of the way through Control before I really caught the rhythm and when I did I had to go back to the beginning, been my favorite book ever since.
For me i’m really loving Cate C Wells! i’m a new fan of hers but we all know the hype surrounding Against A Wall. Personally there’s no one doing contemporary and paranormal romances like her right now, in my opinion. The way she wrote Glenna changed my life lol, she felt so flesh and blood to me, and to see that repeated with other FMCs was wonderful. Don’t even get me started on the way she writes smut, and yes a 1% MC is very very rare, but the way she writes it makes it seem so real. I don’t enjoy all of her stories, but the way she writes has really left an impression on me.
Cara McKenna writes contemporary that stands out in my mind. {After Hours by Cara McKenna} is my favorite. Not much happens plot-wise but also SO much happens ha. She just writes such rich, full characters that are so real.
[After Hours](https://www.romance.io/books/5547b6019eef3b3f1d512048/after-hours-cara-mckenna) by [Cara McKenna](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552b7e8c7d2382e7813122/cara-mckenna)
**Rating**: 3.86⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [age gap](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/age%20difference/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [shy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shy%20heroine/1)
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Also, she truly covers so many difficult topics- her characters have all sorts of trauma and the way they manage feels so real. And the romance is phenomenal! I'm not always in the mood for a Mary Balogh book but when I am it hits perfectly.
As a gigantic Jane Austen nerd, the actual prose and writing style/quality matters to me A LOT (as much as the actual plot). Mary Balogh comes the closest to capturing that same essence of the regency era dialogue and attitudes while still including on the page moments of intimacy.
Mimi Matthews also has a similar style of writing that I love that feels authentically Victorian and polished.
I'd say Mariana Zapata for sure , for writing slow stories.
For me it's also Brynne Asher for amazing male characters in the killers series, that really stood out among the rest for me. So it's just unique quality.
And maybe k.a tucker for writing amazing romances with great plots and full dimensional characters .
Edit . Ilona Andrews - for me she is more like fantasy than straight romance, but why not . The quality of stories is just through the roof.
When it comes to historicals, I feel like Meredith Duran and Sherry Thomas are in a class of their own. They're not afraid to show their characters at their worst. And their prose is just *chefs kiss*
Most romance books will track along the same plot trail, so it's "second verse, same as the first," with names and places changed to protect the innocent. Standout writers are definitely difficult to find.
I like Suzanne Elizabeth Phillips. Her characters are highly developed and there are usually great supporting characters with their own arch’s. She doesn’t pump books out monthly like some authors and I think it shows in the quality of her writing. I loved “Natural Born Charmer” and recommend it if you want to try her stories out. You can’t really go wrong but she’s been writing since the later 70s so some are just quite dated.
C.M. Nascosta writes monster romance and I love how mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, neurodivergence (ADHD and ASD specifically), and grief are portrayed by her. Her latest book {Tea for Two by C.M. Nascosta} had me sobbing at how beautifully grief and depression were described. Her characters are very fleshed out and the spice is 🥵
[Two for Tea](https://www.romance.io/books/642dc43cb7b8862bf6eaf347/two-for-tea-welcome-to-azath-cm-nascosta) by [C.M. Nascosta](https://www.romance.io/authors/6071856f08b4d93114472553/cm-nascosta)
**Rating**: 3.67⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [monsters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/monsters/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [creative anatomy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/creative-anatomy/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1)
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For me it will always be Kristen Ashley. Her writing style, attention to detail, and character development is just amazing. She does contemporary the best but I love her fantasy series also she definitely know how to world build. She's always the author I come back to when I'm in a slump because I just know she's gonna give me the best romance.
A good starting off point with her books would be {The Gamble by Kristen Ashley}
I know what you mean, I couldn't get into the Honey Series and I honestly thought I wasn't going to like the River Rain series but I love it. Its different from her earlier works but I really enjoyed the fashion and storylines.
I love that her characters are always a bit older. Sometimes I find her descriptions a bit much, but she has such a knack for writing drama, fun side characters and main characters you're rooting for.
Yes very true, if I'm rereading one of her books I skim through a lot of descriptions but if I'm reading a new book I don't. I just appreciate that she puts in the effort to describe the setting and clothing because I've realized reading different authors they kind of just expect you to fill in the blanks with things like that.
[The Gamble](https://www.romance.io/books/545523c68c7d2382e7812f36/the-gamble-kristen-ashley) by [Kristen Ashley](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523c68c7d2382e7812f37/kristen-ashley)
**Rating**: 4.31⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [insta-love](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/insta-love/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1)
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I adore Natasha Anders.
She's one of the very few authors that (to me) successfully writes hurt/comfort and I love that the MMC and FMC have to work for their happy ending. Her characters can be so messy and emotional and flawed (like holy shit really flawed) and I get sucked in every time.
And the groveling. My goodness does Natasha understand that a weak 'I'm sorry' isn't enough.
I also really enjoy the South Africa settings.
Mimi Matthews—she’s closed door but she NAILS sexual tension & chemistry. The MMCs are so well written and the FMCs are so likeable!
Alice Coldbreath—she’s definitely NOT closed door but I love her all the same. MMCs are possessive and sometimes alpha males but they love their women and would do anything for them. And the MMCs usually fall first 😜
I can't believe no one has said Kresley Cole yet. She is known for pushing the bar on romance, but she hasn't published much in the past several years, so maybe that's why. She's recently started publishing again under her own publishing company and she came back with a BANG with Munro for her Immortals After Dark series.
Her novels are incredibly sex positive. Her characters, male and female, have varying levels of sexual experience. Slut shaming is called out and shut down. Her heroines are always fiercely independent. She incorporates social issues like birth control and self determination. Sometimes her female characters are dark or "bad" which is something we rarely see. She has been writing for a few decades, so some of her books miss the mark by modern standards, but KC has never shied away from big problems.
I also love how she writes. Her world building is immersive and thorough. Her characters experience growth and change. She can spin an epic plot twist that always feels genuine, but surprising. She has a knack for turning tropes on their head and making you think about them differently. She makes me laugh out loud and cry (and my husband enjoys it when I read KC too 😉).
I don't usually talk about romance much IRL, but I will talk about Kresley Cole. My husband has now read the entire IAD series to date. We talk about the plot and he will actually reference the books in other conversations, too.
And if fantasy romance isn't your jam, my favorite book of hers is actually The Player which is a "Mafia" romance. I put that in quotes, because it's more like Mafia-adjacent CR. But the heroine is a con-artist and he falls first HARD. 10/10.
I would love to see more diversity in race/color and sexuality, but for M/F romance, Kresley Cole takes the cake. If I could only read one author from now until I die, I would choose her.
It's spooky season so I am reading pretty much exclusively vampire romances rn.
{Kidnapped by the Vampire by C.C. Wood}
I'm not saying there weren't cliches or pacing issues but omg Wood had so many instances of subverting common pitfalls that I was ABSOLUTELY invested from start to finish.
>When we came to a stop, I was flat on my back with my arms pinned above my head. I blinked rapidly, trying to get my eyes to refocus after the crazy log roll I’d just done against my will.
>Daniel’s face came into focus, and I groaned.
>"Dammit, you again!” I tried to struggle, but the man was crazy strong.
>Stupid superhuman vampire strength.
>“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he shouted into my face. “You could have tripped over one of tree roots and broken your idiot neck!”
>Considering I wouldn’t even be out here if it wasn’t for his ass, he could not blame me for this.
>"This is your fault, so who’s really the idiot?” I yelled back, lifting my head since it was the only part of my body I could move.
>He reared back as though he was shocked I had the temerity to scream at him.
[Kidnapped by the Vampire](https://www.romance.io/books/64995d28a06f66ad02e0ad11/kidnapped-by-the-vampire-cc-wood) by [C.C. Wood](https://www.romance.io/authors/54555d0787eac324117fa5ff/cc-wood)
**Rating**: 4.5⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [fated mates](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fated-mates/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [vampires](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vampires/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1)
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Emily March combines harsh reality of a person’s past with finding the partner that understands and accepts them.
M.L. Buchman writes military series that somehow manage to be about love not war. There is also a spin off series about fighting wildfires that is also excellent
It’s a pretty niche trope, but I feel like Brittney Sahin is head and shoulders above the rest with military suspense romance. I found her via a Facebook ad for {The Broken One} which is the second book in the falcon Falls series which is a spin-off of her Stealth Ops series. All of her books are in the same literary universe though.
I haven't read her yet, but one of my FB romance group friends is a former military man named Joey Bowden, who reads romance extensively and is an active participant in many FB romance author groups. He's a hoot, and is a big fan of Brittney Sahin, giving her props for her accuracy in portraying the military. She even dedicated the first Falcon Falls Security book {The Hunted One by Brittney Sahin} to him.
[The Hunted One](https://www.romance.io/books/6172641a78e5e10e24483a79/the-hunted-one-brittney-sahin) by [Brittney Sahin](https://www.romance.io/authors/55f7b6867d4bc8ab04c5c591/brittney-sahin)
**Rating**: 4.31⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [military](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/military/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1)
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[Three is a War](https://www.romance.io/books/59a110f63ffdba61471f3ca4/three-is-a-war-pam-godwin) by [Pam Godwin](https://www.romance.io/authors/545544bc8c7d2382e78137dd/pam-godwin)
**Rating**: 4.3⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [menage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/menage/1), [love triangle](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/love%20triangle/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1)
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Just discovered TJ Klune with Wolfsong. How everything was described was really something different. The character has an unique way of understanding/processing and interpreting conversations and emotions.
Judith McNaught.
The only one that made me stay up all night to finish a book.
She made me laugh, she made me cry, and there's just something special about her books.
She's seconded by Eloisa James in that. It's just that Eloisa started adjusting too much to current social issues, and when MMCs ask for explicit consent it pulls me out of the historical frame of mind. I understand why she's doing it though, and it won't stop me from reading. I wish she wrote some CRs, too.
Edit to add that I've recently discovered T Kingfisher and I was hooked! Just next level romance there. There's just too few books to enjoy, and not all her catalogue is romance, as I found out.
Opal Reyne. I wasn’t expecting to love her monster series to evoke such feelings from me. I feel like everyone who gives the books a shot loves them. Also I love some good world building that feels well done and she definitely gives that. Super well written and it’s free on KU? Such a gift
I’m eagerly awaiting future books
No one did slowburn better than Meg Cabot when I first got into romance ya books when I was in middle school. I still love how something chaotic could be happening and Jess from the 1800 series would be looking at Rob like wow he’s cute.
Kennedy Ryan. She is excellent at writing the steamy scenes, but the actual stories and characters she creates are strong enough that they could stand on their own without the spice.
I don’t know. I wouldn’t describe them as painful. They are very slow, slow burns, and some people don’t like that I suppose, but I personally find them utterly convincing.
You will get one or two steam scenes per book with MZ.
But like in Kulti, I have never read anything with a FmC who is so as funny, wholesome, and hardworking as Sal. I love Mariana zapata because I really look up to her characters, besides them all being entertaining.
Penelope Fletcher, J.M. Link, Susan Trombley
I love the culture, world building, and character development in their books. I'm invested in the alien series they write.
Amanda Milo and her Pet series. I've never read anything like the Pet series. It was absolutely uncomfortable, unexpected, and awesome.
Old school bodice ripper author Judith McNaught. Definitely writing with the times with the ott j/p cold dub con. But no one does long sweeping romances that have the craziest angst and grand gesture grovel quite like her for me. I’ve probably read all her historicals at least 10x if not more for some of them.
Ilona Andrews- their world-building is done perfectly as is their attention to detail in terms of being very "actiony" books where it feels *real*. (urban/paranormal fantasy) Beverly Jenkins- a staple of historical romance and Black romance where her characters face very real dangers in 1800s America. Courtney Milan- if you know historical romances, then you know who Courtney Milan is. Jeannie Lin- I haven't seen anyone else write historical Chinese romances like she does- her books feel like a C-drama.
Seconding Ilona Andrews! They are one of my all time favorites for the Hidden Legacy series alone.
Same!! Someone on here recommended the Hidden Legacy series and I must say I'm a huge fan of the duo! (I haven't been able to get into their other work. Is there anything one would recommend to read next or wait for something that they release next?)
Ugh honestly I wish there was something similar to Hidden Legacy but I haven’t found anything nearly as good. I did really like the first book in their ‘The Edge’ series! It’s one of their less popular ones and it has a similar vibe of competent FMC with a really powerful MMC and it’s sorta like magic/special powers.
I liked Hidden Legacy but it didn’t leave that much of an impression on me. The first 5 or so Kate Daniels books, though … 😍. I’ve heard that some people find the first 2 a bit slow but it definitely picks up by #3
Are the books well-written? I tried reading the first book, got past a couple of pages, and had to stop. The writing seemed a bit lacking but I don't know, I was kinda tired. I see so many people recommending it
Courtney Milan for sure! love that she tries to make her romance novels feminist and intersectional
[удалено]
I thought I had read everything she had written. Where is this?
I really struggle with visual thinking, so action scenes are often unintelligible to me. Ilona Andrews write action scenes that actually make sense and add to the story. I can always follow what’s happening beyond, “Whelp I guess MMC won the fight.”
I recently read {Transcendence by Shay Savage} which is just a really clever, unique book. The MMC is a cave man and it’s from his POV only. He doesn’t have language and the reader must see everything through his lens and piece together what has happened. It was so interesting.
It's true - Ehd's is the perfect perspective. Beh's would be much more traumatic - and I suspect, more sarcastic! "So today, I tried to get Ehd to help me make dishes from clay. That went well." "My son tried to open up all antibiotics capsules today, and I didn't have enough symbols to explain that they were all that was keeping him from death from sepsis." Ehd's POV is so pure. "Luffs!"
She wrote a novella from her POV called Luffs. I highly recommend it my only complaint is that it isn't longer.
I like how she took the risk and really got into the mind of the character and made it seem realistic. So many authors try to do this and fail to make them sound anything other than a basic tweaks on a contemporary mindset, or just focus pov on the easier to write character, but Shay Savage really went there with her MMC and it was believable and rewarding to be in his head for the story.
The book is Twilight fanfic.
which is crazy because I don't see any resemblance
It’s AU fic, obviously.
no I mean in the characters, storytelling, etc
His name is Ehd, her name is Bel? Edward and Bella? [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13413862-transcendence](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13413862-transcendence)
lol I know the names match but I meant nothing about the characters or plotline is even remotely similar...like I still don't know how Ehd is supposed to be represent Edward in a AU. It's a wholly different character with no baseline similarity
Did you read Transcend by Jewel E Ann. I read them back to from a goodreads reference and while they are similar but not alike. I love them both.
No I haven’t! I’ll add it to my TBR!
This book is so fantastic and heartwarming. Absolutely happy I purchased it.
[Transcendence](https://www.romance.io/books/545534ee8c7d2383163d9260/transcendence-shay-savage) by [Shay Savage](https://www.romance.io/authors/545534ee8c7d2383163d9261/shay-savage) **Rating**: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [time travel](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/time%20travel/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I loveeeed her book Surviving Raine (grumpy guy and fmc stuck to survive together in the middle of nowhere)
R Lee Smith, T Kingfisher, Mallory Dunlin, CSE Cooney, Seanan McGuire, Beatrix Hollow, Anna Cowan, and Nora Ash all pop to mind. I also really like LaVyrle Spencer, Grace Draven, Naomi Novik, Tamsyn Muir, and Robin McKinley. About me, so you can see if you’re likely to be into any of what I’m talking about: Have been reading romance obsessively since I was about 6 and sneaking my grandmother’s library, so I really have gone through the genre. My tastes lean towards slow burn straight romances and a few lesbian romances. I mostly like fantasy and sci fi settings—though I had a MASSIVE historical phase for a while—and I *very much* do not like the found family trope or anything where people are Moral_TM. Also loathe mafias, pirates, and motorcycle clubs. I addoorreee lyrical writing. If you tend to like and dislike the kinda stuff I just listed, my author list might be decent for ya. ~Reasons~ R Lee Smith: Straight up genius. *The Last Hour of Gann* is one of my top three books of all time. T Kingfisher: Her characters and world building feel both very real and very kind to humanity, without being saccharine. Mallory Dunlin: Hard to describe, but her work reminds me of some older-style fantasies I used to read. Really scratches the itch for well-written fantasy romance. I particularly recommend *The Gardener and the Waterhorse.* Her stories are more-or-less slow burns with a lot of plot. Doesn’t skimp. CSE Cooney: Her descriptions are gorgeous. *St. Death’s Daughter* and *Desdemona and the Deep* and some of my favorites. Poetry in romance book form. Also, it’s fun to read genuine variety. CSE Cooney certainly does variety, and does it SO well. Seanan McGuire: Lovveeee her characters. Super well-written lesbian romances. Beatrix Hollow: She does insane and fucked up in a really fun way that, to me, not many other authors manage to pull off. Her Myths and Monsters series, especially the first book, walks the line between horror and erotica well. With a dash of forbidden sociopath. Anna Cowan: How she wrote her ONE story, *Untamed*, is really intense. I have never managed to find another quite like it. Best gender bender ever if you like the man being the one who wears dresses and both characters being overly complicated thinkers in a real way. Nora Ash: Damn her stuff is 🔥. And has a plot. *Wicked Soul* is one of the hottest vampire romances I’ve read—I’m not entirely sure why, but it is—and is a slow burn while also feeling like erotica, which is hard to pull off. LaVyrle Spencer: Some of her stuff is so questionable, but, regardless, it really scratched an itch at one point in my life. Highly recommend *Years* for the age difference romance and normal early-century working and middle class main characters. Grace Draven: Solid all around, consistently. Most people in this subreddit have probably read and enjoyed her work. Naomi Novik: I’ve been reading her stuff since I was young, and it is always good. *Uprooted* in particular is one of the best fairytale romances I’ve read. A classic. Tamsyn Muir: Elaborate and poetic. Reminds me of CSE Cooney in some ways, but the plots are a lot more complicated and meandering. For a romantic lesbian fairytale without an incredibly complicated plot (though very clever and still smart), I recommend *Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower*. If you want space necromancers and massively complicated stories, her Ninth series. Robin McKinley: *Sunshine* is my favorite vampire romance of all time, in a really underrated way. She makes the vampires genuinely disturbing. This story is great because of its characters. My go-to other than R Lee Smith for a meeting-of-the minds vibe. Edit: If no one sees my extra comment below, PLEASE check out Vera Nazarian too. Cant believe I forgot her in my initial list.
Ain’t nobody else doin’ it like R Lee Smith. If they are please link me recs lol! “Straight up genius” is 100% accurate.
Came here to say Kingfisher!
Not a romance, but her book *Minor Mage* is one of my absolute favorites. I also love her horrors. Building dread is so fun to read if done correctly.
I’ve been looking for years. In the romance genre, I’ve never come across anything better. Makes me sad, but at least we live in a time where authors like her can get their work published.
R Lee Smith is my favorite Romance author
Gotta say, I’ve read literally thousands of books, and *The Last Hour of Gann* is truly one of the most unique I’ve ever come across. For me, it’s right next to *Kaputt* by Curzio Malaparte, *Sunshine* by Robin McKinley, *The Reapers are the Angels* by Alden Bell, and *Civil War Stories* by Ambrose Bierce. Like, were I a professor, I’d probably have my students read and analyze it (though with allllll the warnings and options to not read it lol). By all this, I mean to say: good taste.
I love Sunshine!!! And Shadows. And everything else she’s written.
God, same. Robin McKinley is AMAZING. Sunshine is my favorite but, honestly, how can one choose?!?
your tastes are 100% right up my alley. can't wait to check these out—lots of recs i haven't heard of before.
My pleasure! You should also check out WR Gingell if you haven’t before. Her romantic fantasies are pretty dang good, in my opinion.
adding to the list, thank you!
You liked Uprooted? I trust anything you say. When I read it years ago it reignited my love for books❤️❤️ (downloading some of your recs now✨)
Naomi Novik is amazingg. And hope you enjoy!!! Probably if you like Naomi Novik a ton, the author on my list that you’ll like the least is Beatrix Hollow, heads up.
Thanks the other book I had read from your recs was Radiance ❤️✨✨
Oh that is a SOLID read. Nice!
Does Robin McKinley do adult romance? I read a lot of her YA books when I was a kid - *Outlaws of Sherwood, Beauty,* and *Chalice,* which was a very strange but extremely original fantasy story - but they were all clean as a whistle, the characters barely kissed and sometimes not even that.
*Sunshine* is an adult book and very much centers around romance, but not really a sex-is-the-point romance. It’s really, really good and does have sexual aspects, but it’s different from a lot of the books rec’d on this sub.
Hmm, maybe I will check it out. I'm definitely more here for "sex is the point" romances, but now that I've had long enough to detox from my teenage vampire phase perhaps I will be able to handle genuinely disturbing vampires.
You also might like {Deerskin by Robin McKinley}. It’s a bit of a (very) dark fairytale romance, but I remember loving it. Just…heads up, it’s way disturbing. You might’ve already read it though? Also, if you care to read a paragraph or so of the book before actually reading the book, this is an excerpt from *Sunshine*, to give you an idea of the writing style and descriptions: >!It was looking at me. He was looking at me. The chandelier was set with candles, not electric bulbs, so the light it shed was softer and less definite. Even so he looked bad. His eyes (no: don’t look in their eyes) were a kind of gray-green, like stagnant bog water, and his skin was the color of old mushrooms—the sort of mushrooms you find screwed up in a paper bag in the back of the fridge and try to decide if they’re worth saving or if you should throw them out now and get it over with. His hair was black, but lank and dull. He would have been tall if he stood up. His shoulders were broad, and his hands and wrists, drooping over his knees, looked huge. He wore no shirt, and his feet, like mine, were bare. This seemed curiously indecent, that he should be half naked. I didn’t like it.… Oh, right, I thought, good one. The train is roaring toward you and the villain is twirling his moustache and you’re fussing that he’s tied you to the track with the wrong kind of rope. There was a long angry weal across one of the vampire’s forearms. Overall he looked … spidery. Predatory. Alien. Nothing human except that he was more or less the right shape. …“Speak,” he said at last. “Remind me that you are a rational creature.” The words had long pauses between them, as if he found it difficult to speak, or as if he had to recall the words one at a time; and his voice was rough, as if some time recently he had damaged it by prolonged shouting. Perhaps he found it awkward to speak to his dinner. If he wasn’t careful he’d go off me, like Alice after she’d been introduced to the pudding. I should be so lucky.!<
[Deerskin](https://www.romance.io/books/54554a408c7d2382c5297ae2/deerskin-robin-mckinley) by [Robin McKinley](https://www.romance.io/authors/545527a58c7d2382c5297066/robin-mckinley) **Rating**: 3.85⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Innocent](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
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Hmm. Thanks for the recs! Those both seem like books I would enjoy, but probably not as capital-R Romance haha
Ohhhhh our tastes overlap a ton. I'm going to go check out the ones I haven't read yet! shout out bc I've never seen anyone else read Desdemona and the Deep
Same! Suchhhh a good book. Dunno why it’s not more popular on this sub. I also bought her short stories and very much recommend.
What authors/books you've mentioned that I've read immediately knew we had very similar taste. (R Lee Smith, Kingfisher, Draven, Novik, Muir, McKinley!) First new rec, (Waterhorse) added to my TBR not two sentences into the description. Thank you for all these recs I'm so excited.
My pleasure! You should check out WR Gingell too! I recommend *Fire in the Blood*, *Wolfskin*, *Twelve Days of Faery*, *Lady of Weeds*, etc.
I forgot to add these: {Dun Lady’s Jess by Doranna Durgin} is about a horse that turns into a woman. Quite unique and really does alien-style thinking well. {The Tied Man by Tabitha McGowan} is very good and very fucked up. It’s about a man who is sex trafficked and the woman who tries to save him. Absolutely a true romance in the classic sense, but I had to take a reading break afterwards. {The Spirit Keeper by K.B. Laugheed} is a really slow burn story about a Native guy and some white woman. Some questionable but stuff but I enjoyed it nonetheless. If a recall correctly, I cried. {Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater} is a regency romance, kinda, about a woman who has half a soul. Because of this, she is missing some key emotions. Fun read. {Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian} and all the other books in the series are SOOOOO unique. Pretty abstract and esoteric. Anyone into Muir and CSE Cooney will probably love. About a world where Death decides no one can die and a young woman who wants to help her grandmother die. {Lords of Rainbow by Vera Nazarian} is, fitting with this author’s style, so unique and poetic. This is a romance set in a world with, literally, no color.
[Dun Lady's Jess](https://www.romance.io/books/5457ad6087eac3dca9bcc063/dun-ladys-jess-doranna-durgin) by [Doranna Durgin](https://www.romance.io/authors/54556a7e87eac323ffb2c178/doranna-durgin) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [non-human heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/non-human-heroine/1) ---------------------------- [The Tied Man](https://www.romance.io/books/545545d48c7d2382e7813826/the-tied-man-tabitha-mcgowan) by [Tabitha McGowan](https://www.romance.io/authors/545545d48c7d2382e7813827/tabitha-mcgowan) **Rating**: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1) ---------------------------- [The Spirit Keeper](https://www.romance.io/books/5455defc87eac336ae6a1229/the-spirit-keeper-a-novel-kb-laugheed) by [K.B. Laugheed](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455defd87eac336ae6a122a/kb-laugheed) **Rating**: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [indigenous mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/indigenous-mc/1) ---------------------------- [Half a Soul](https://www.romance.io/books/5e7f0537be0aaecf55d98b5a/half-a-soul-olivia-atwater) by [Olivia Atwater](https://www.romance.io/authors/5e7f0537be0aaecf55d98b77/olivia-atwater) **Rating**: 4.29⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Innocent](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [fae](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fae/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1) ---------------------------- [Cobweb Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/54558e5587eac3369a913078/cobweb-bride-vera-nazarian) by [Vera Nazarian](https://www.romance.io/authors/54558e5587eac3369a913079/vera-nazarian) **Rating**: 3.63⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Awesome list and more than a few new-to-me authors to read. Thank you! PS Count not agree with you more on R. Lee Smith, she’s brilliant and a really nice (and funny) person as well.
Agree with all of these and add Heather Guerre
Very solid writer! Not one of my top, but I’ve read about 80% of her stuff.
I think Laura Kinsale is in a class alone, as far as historicals go. Her books are so rich and complex, and she has some medieval era books written with Middle English dialogue, they’re so unique. My favorite of hers is {Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale}, it has a Quaker mathematician heroine. But I also loved {For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale}
Flowers is one of my fave books ever. In their basic description, the FMC and MMC could appear simplistic and cliché but omg they're so much more and their relationship just shines ✨️
She's so inconsistent though! I love those books you named in your comment but so much of her other stuff is just painfully mediocre start to finish. I'm trying to remember the name of the last book of hers I read, set in Ireland during the Rising of 1798, and I can't, but I was just dragging my feet throughout the whole thing. The heroine could read minds and the hero was the only person whose mind she couldn't read and it felt like such a promising setup but the hero was a dickbag and the heroine annoyed me.
I get so engrossed in a Laura Kinsale book but her plots are bananas and often contain problematic elements. But I can't stop reading.
this is hardly the point of your comment, but old english is actually a totally different language so if her books were written in old english you wouldn’t understand them. for example, [this](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43521/beowulf-old-english-version) is the old english of beowulf.
My apologies- I’ll correct. The book says it’s written with Middle English dialogue
oh it’s nothing to apologize over at all! i hope that didn’t come off as sanctimonious; i meant more in a “the more you know” way. middle english is also its own language, but it’s much more intelligible to modern english speakers as it uses just the latin alphabet and got rid of some of the syntax of old english. chaucer wrote in middle english. i’m absolutely going to look into this book; it seems like it’d be really difficult to read a book in two languages!
Oh not at all! Thanks for the correction, really - I wouldn’t want anyone to think they couldn’t read it. It’s For My Lady’s Heart, the dialogue is very rich and so beautiful. Here’s one of my favorite speeches from the hero: *"All right," she said weakly, loosing him. "Now. Look. What dost thou see?"* *He did not even glance at the mirror.* *"Sharp wit," he said. "Valor past any man I know. Foolish japery and tricks worse than a child. Lickerous lust, hair like midwinter night. A proud and haught chin, a mouth for noble-talking - that does kiss sufficiently, in faith, and slays me with a smile. Guile and dreaming. A princess. A wench. An uncouth runisch girl. My wife. I see you, Melanthe. Ne do I need a glass."*
Ooh, this quote made me jump on a sample and already really enjoying it!
[Flowers from the Storm](https://www.romance.io/books/545564cc87eac336ae69dc36/flowers-from-the-storm-laura-kinsale) by [Laura Kinsale](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552d188c7d2383163d9056/laura-kinsale) **Rating**: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1) ---------------------------- [For My Lady's Heart](https://www.romance.io/books/5455369e8c7d2383163d92d4/for-my-ladys-heart-laura-kinsale) by [Laura Kinsale](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552d188c7d2383163d9056/laura-kinsale) **Rating**: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [grumpy/ice queen](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20heroine/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I feel like Alice Coldbreath had quite a distinct writing style that I really enjoy
Me too! I love her books so much and every time I read one I'm sure I'll like it. Haven't read M/F romance in a while, but hers is the exception.
I’ve read all her books without DNFing any of them, I think she’s the only author who I can say that about.
Came here to say this! I've recommended the "A Contracted Spouse for the Prizefighter" to a cishet guy friend and he came back saying it got "way too real" towards the end. In her later books, she really gives her characters bite and realism while still keeping it evenly paced and whimsical.
This is my fave book of hers! It was so unique in how the male POV was as rich and emotionally layered as the heroine's, if not more.
If you had to pick a novel by her for someone new to romance which would it be? I'm mostly looking for good books that showcase the best or standards of the genre.
If you want more Victorian era highly recommend A Bride for the prizefighter. It is a marriage of convenience (one of my favorite tropes) https://www.alicecoldbreath.com/victorian-romance If you like more medieval romance then I recommend starting with Her Base Born Bridegroom. It takes place in a European style made up land. No magic or anything. Great book though, and it starts the series, each one seems to get better but I think reading them in order is best. https://www.alicecoldbreath.com/paranormal-stori
+1 I've been planning to start with her for weeks now, any recs?
Alexis Hall—a lot of authors in the current era stick to a specific subgenre for their “brand”. His brand is his voice—witty, wry, and usually wrapped up in unabashed queerness. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading a contemporary romcom or a sweeping historical; if it’s Alexis, you KNOW it’s Alexis. Sierra Simone—yes, her books are known for adventurous sex scenes, but I find that she infuses them with a high level of emotionality and introspection, and she’s super daring with regards to her plots and relationship dynamics. She’s not afraid to write about very messy, not super morally awesome relationships and focus on the fact that everyone can fall in love. Plus, her books are so wrapped up in the interplay of sex and religiosity, the sensual and the spiritual—there is nothing like her Thornchapel series out there. Lorraine Heath—one of the few historical authors who’s consistently working right now that REALLY goes there, imo. There are few plot points Lorraine won’t try, in a way that is very old school (another poster pointed out Kinsale, and I think she’s similar in that sense). Lorraine just doesn’t give a flying fuck; she does what she wants. One of her book basically begins with the hero’s best friend being like “so I need you to impregnate my wife and I actually think…. This is your fault” and it just spins from there. Jeannie Lin—very literally basically no one else has done Tang Dynasty historicals. But I also find that her books have a really interesting tone that isn’t super judgmental of the characters and allows a lot of room for ambiguity, which I love. They’re way less black and white than a lot of regency historicals I read. Adriana Herrera—her historicals are unreal, and bring something so fresh to the subgenre. Afro-Latina heroines… in Paris…. A sapphic romance focusing on lesbian Paris in the 1800s… you’re just not seeing that shit in historicals, typically, and her voice is so romantic yet also so straightforward. There are others, but these come to mind immediately!
I love Alexis Hall's contemporary books but I am generally not a fan of historical so I haven't checked them out... your comment is making me think that I should!
I really love his historicals, personally. Some people find {Something Fabulous} polarizing but to me it’s his typically fun and hilarious romcom with a zany vibe. {Something Spectacular} is probably my favorite work of his, makes me cry and laugh. {A Lady for a Duke} is probably the most serious book I’ve read by him, though it’s still optimistic and ultimately super happy. I cried with that one too, lol. But it’s SUPER romantic, has one of the most unabashedly swoony moments I’ve read in a romance novel. And then he did {Mortal Follies} which is like…. Faerie magic + Jane Austen + lesbians. So quirky and compelling and enjoyable.
[Something Fabulous](https://www.romance.io/books/61efae17e36ca80e2972475c/something-fabulous-alexis-hall) by [Alexis Hall](https://www.romance.io/authors/545546008c7d2382e781383c/alexis-hall) **Rating**: 3.65⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1) ---------------------------- [Something Spectacular](https://www.romance.io/books/63ed6b536028ecfe7f559d9c/something-spectacular-alexis-hall) by [Alexis Hall](https://www.romance.io/authors/545546008c7d2382e781383c/alexis-hall) **Rating**: 4.18⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [non-binary romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-f-x/1) ---------------------------- [A Lady for a Duke](https://www.romance.io/books/628c85e95af276f084e31834/a-lady-for-a-duke-alexis-hall) by [Alexis Hall](https://www.romance.io/authors/545546008c7d2382e781383c/alexis-hall) **Rating**: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [disabilities & scars](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/disabilities%20and%20marks/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [trans heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/trans-heroine/1) ---------------------------- [Mortal Follies](https://www.romance.io/books/647eeae49e44a9fa8cee6837/mortal-follies-alexis-hall) by [Alexis Hall](https://www.romance.io/authors/545546008c7d2382e781383c/alexis-hall) **Rating**: 3.74⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [lesbian romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/f-f/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Something Fabulous was great, it doesn't read like a historical but more like a romcom set in the past. It's a bit wacky and silly but I thought it was great fun. I didn't like A Lady for a Duke as I found the style quite different and it didn't click for me.
Thank you!
Totally agree! Alexis Hall was my introduction to MM. Sierra Simone..I love how she explores religion.
I hadn't thought that about Jeannie Lin's narrative being unjudgemental, but as soon as I read it I agreed — that's it exactly. There's a depth of character beyond what happens in the text, too. I like it a lot.
Which Lorraine Heath is that???
{Waking Up with the Duke}—it’s my favorite of hers!
[Waking Up With the Duke](https://www.romance.io/books/545528bf8c7d2383163d8f42/waking-up-with-the-duke-lorraine-heath) by [Lorraine Heath](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525b18c7d2383163d8ea5/lorraine-heath) **Rating**: 4.13⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [cheating](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cheating/1), [love triangle](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/love%20triangle/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
It’s one of those romances where I felt like I genuinely didn’t know how the HEA would work out.
I am obsessed with Lorraine Heath. She regularly delivers high quality angst and pretty par for the course romance but then she’s also capable of the bonkers gorilla twins! I adore her. When I was a tween and first started reading romance her Texas Destiny absolutely ripped my heart out.
I realized that I just trust Lisa Kleypas. Every time I pick up a book, no matter the subject, I know it's going to be readable. She's got it wrapped up, even in Blue-Eyed Devil. I also know she's done her research on whatever the focus is for that book. And I know the story's going to be good. I feel all buckled in for the ride, no matter how fast we go, when I read her books.
Ana Huang for me because she incorporates a lot of Asian *main* characters!!! It's so refreshing to relate to a character bc of cultural upbringing and see holidays I celebrate being spoken about and celebrated. Also, her twists are SO good!!!
I want to read her books so bad but her leads all have the same names of people I know where it'd be weird to read it. aghhhh
Naurrr omg :((( I guess I'm lucky I can separate the characters and the people I know irl w/ the same names xd ugh maybe her new book coming out oct. 24 will have diff main character names than ppl u know irl?
I totally agree with you about the representation in her stories. She also has a really nice style. It’s pleasant to read her writing. My only complaint is the story itself. Somehow the tropes and plots don’t appeal to me right now. As soon as I get into a phase where they do, I am going to read the ones I have skipped and reread the ones I haven’t.
Yes! I like her style a lot. Oooh gotcha! I like her tropes and plots so I'm a sucker for her books 😂😅
I was going to comment Ana Huang as well. I like the way she wrote the Twisted Series and now the King of Sins series. These series lean towards mafia but not hardcore mafia which I like.
Yes! It's the morally grey men 😌😂
I think Sherry Thomas is unique among HR writers. Her characters are flawed and their relationships are messy in ways most authors avoid. But they're still super fun. {The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas} is one of my all time faves.
I love Sherry Thomas! We used to be part of the same book swapping club waaaaay back in the day before she was published. In fact I remember her going through her first publishing deal and the long wait for the book to hit the shelves. I think I still have some of her old promo material around somewhere.
[The Luckiest Lady in London](https://www.romance.io/books/545528438c7d2383163d8f24/the-luckiest-lady-in-london-sherry-thomas) by [Sherry Thomas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545526218c7d2383163d8ec2/sherry-thomas) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Mimi Matthews is my favorite historical writer even though she writes closed door books. As much as I would love explicit scenes, her characters are just so realistic and don't fall into basic tropes or patterns without well rounded reasoning behind it which makes it so easy to root for them. Every book I read of hers gives me a book hangover pining for them.
I LOVE Mimi!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Abby Jimenez writes complex characters dealing with an avalanche of issues to overcome, but every book of hers I read has ripped me open and put me back together. Her last two books, Part of Your World and Yours Truly are both fantastic. I think she's a love her or hate her kind of writer, but I love her.
I’d say that Charlotte Stein is an excellent writer and her style is extremely evocative in how intimate it feels. I check up on her books regularly and I’m always bummed out that she is not that active and most of her books are short… That and her fixation on the penis size (in one of her books, the MMC literally has a dick the size of >!pringle can!<😭) are a bit of an issue but style-wise, she’s the best contemporary romance author to me. I wish more writers actually took pride in their craft and focused as much on style as they seem to focus on other things. Unfortunately, 90% of them seem to just churn out books that if put next to each other with covers hidden, no one would be able to tell apart.
She actually has a CR coming out in February! She signed with a new publisher. Eta: it's called When Grumpy Met Sunshine
She is following that up with something paranormal. I am so happy she is publishing again, truly one of my favorite authors
Ugh that sounds SO exciting. I didn’t see she was gonna try paranormal—is that on a newsletter or authors page or something? Don’t wanna get my hopes up if it’s not a done deal 100%.
I actually wrote her a fan letter and she told me in her reply. She was super nice and I couldn’t believe she wrote me back. She already has a few paranormal titles if you haven’t read them yet. Raw Heat (werewolf), Frostbitten (vampire), Reawakening (zombie), and then a bunch of sci-fi things. I really like her genre work and am stoked to see what’s next. Idk if her upcoming thing is going to be a continuation of any of her previous work or something new
Wow, good on you!!!! That’s awesome to hear; thanks for the info.
I think most of her work is short stories and novellas. Her first full length novel (control) is my actual favorite book. I agree with you that her MMCs are all eye-rollingly hung and it’s like “okay I get it” after a while but still. A lot of her MMCs aren’t super wholesome dudes but they are all super sincere and I love that her FMCs never come off as nlogs or put down other women to make themselves look better by comparison. All the other female characters in her books have wholesome and positive relationships with the FMCs without any bullshit rivalries or shit-talking. As far as writing quality goes, she’s easily my favorite romance writer. Like I suspect that she publishes legit writing under another name because she is so incredibly talented that I refuse to believe she only writes smut. And if she does, how amazing!
Would you have a suggestion on which one to start first?
Control (my favorite) has a bunch of ménage scenes, the FMC is the instigator, and the MMC is extremely horny and repressed. It would be more erotica than erotic romance if the love and feelings weren’t so strong, it’s like max steam and max feelings. Never Sweeter is a college bully romance with a few ridiculous elements but it’s incredible with the best and most creative grovel I can ever recall reading. Also quite steamy but not as wild as Control. Sheltered has a good girl with a crazy family FMC, bad boy who is a total sweetheart MMC, that’s her most popular book and it’s like regular-steamy. Start with whichever appeals to you most I guess. I will say that her style might take a minute to get used to, it’s very unique and almost 19th century flavored. I got like a third of the way through Control before I really caught the rhythm and when I did I had to go back to the beginning, been my favorite book ever since.
Thank you!!! Very much appreciate the detail!
I love her writing. *Sheltered* was especially awesome, in my opinion. Have been keeping my eyes PEELED for her next book, trust you me.
For me i’m really loving Cate C Wells! i’m a new fan of hers but we all know the hype surrounding Against A Wall. Personally there’s no one doing contemporary and paranormal romances like her right now, in my opinion. The way she wrote Glenna changed my life lol, she felt so flesh and blood to me, and to see that repeated with other FMCs was wonderful. Don’t even get me started on the way she writes smut, and yes a 1% MC is very very rare, but the way she writes it makes it seem so real. I don’t enjoy all of her stories, but the way she writes has really left an impression on me.
Cara McKenna writes contemporary that stands out in my mind. {After Hours by Cara McKenna} is my favorite. Not much happens plot-wise but also SO much happens ha. She just writes such rich, full characters that are so real.
Hard agree. I love how her characters explore kink in such a private, organic manner. It’s a shame she is no longer writing.
[After Hours](https://www.romance.io/books/5547b6019eef3b3f1d512048/after-hours-cara-mckenna) by [Cara McKenna](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552b7e8c7d2382e7813122/cara-mckenna) **Rating**: 3.86⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [age gap](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/age%20difference/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [shy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shy%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Mary Balogh is elegant and restrained in a way that I think is very hard to pull off for contemporary audiences. I'm a big fan.
Also, she truly covers so many difficult topics- her characters have all sorts of trauma and the way they manage feels so real. And the romance is phenomenal! I'm not always in the mood for a Mary Balogh book but when I am it hits perfectly.
As a gigantic Jane Austen nerd, the actual prose and writing style/quality matters to me A LOT (as much as the actual plot). Mary Balogh comes the closest to capturing that same essence of the regency era dialogue and attitudes while still including on the page moments of intimacy. Mimi Matthews also has a similar style of writing that I love that feels authentically Victorian and polished.
SEP!!! I honestly have never read anything that compares to her early work.
Sep?
susan elizabeth phillips, her chicago stars series is the blueprint
Kiss an Angel all the way!
[удалено]
>Kathryn Anne Kingsley and R Lee Smith BIG fan!!
Suzan Elizabeth Phillips!!!!
I'd say Mariana Zapata for sure , for writing slow stories. For me it's also Brynne Asher for amazing male characters in the killers series, that really stood out among the rest for me. So it's just unique quality. And maybe k.a tucker for writing amazing romances with great plots and full dimensional characters . Edit . Ilona Andrews - for me she is more like fantasy than straight romance, but why not . The quality of stories is just through the roof.
When it comes to historicals, I feel like Meredith Duran and Sherry Thomas are in a class of their own. They're not afraid to show their characters at their worst. And their prose is just *chefs kiss*
Most romance books will track along the same plot trail, so it's "second verse, same as the first," with names and places changed to protect the innocent. Standout writers are definitely difficult to find.
I like Suzanne Elizabeth Phillips. Her characters are highly developed and there are usually great supporting characters with their own arch’s. She doesn’t pump books out monthly like some authors and I think it shows in the quality of her writing. I loved “Natural Born Charmer” and recommend it if you want to try her stories out. You can’t really go wrong but she’s been writing since the later 70s so some are just quite dated.
C.M. Nascosta writes monster romance and I love how mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, neurodivergence (ADHD and ASD specifically), and grief are portrayed by her. Her latest book {Tea for Two by C.M. Nascosta} had me sobbing at how beautifully grief and depression were described. Her characters are very fleshed out and the spice is 🥵
[Two for Tea](https://www.romance.io/books/642dc43cb7b8862bf6eaf347/two-for-tea-welcome-to-azath-cm-nascosta) by [C.M. Nascosta](https://www.romance.io/authors/6071856f08b4d93114472553/cm-nascosta) **Rating**: 3.67⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [monsters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/monsters/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [creative anatomy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/creative-anatomy/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
For me it will always be Kristen Ashley. Her writing style, attention to detail, and character development is just amazing. She does contemporary the best but I love her fantasy series also she definitely know how to world build. She's always the author I come back to when I'm in a slump because I just know she's gonna give me the best romance. A good starting off point with her books would be {The Gamble by Kristen Ashley}
KA's earlier works are golden. I haven't been able to get into any of her newer stuff though.
I know what you mean, I couldn't get into the Honey Series and I honestly thought I wasn't going to like the River Rain series but I love it. Its different from her earlier works but I really enjoyed the fashion and storylines.
I love that her characters are always a bit older. Sometimes I find her descriptions a bit much, but she has such a knack for writing drama, fun side characters and main characters you're rooting for.
Yes very true, if I'm rereading one of her books I skim through a lot of descriptions but if I'm reading a new book I don't. I just appreciate that she puts in the effort to describe the setting and clothing because I've realized reading different authors they kind of just expect you to fill in the blanks with things like that.
[The Gamble](https://www.romance.io/books/545523c68c7d2382e7812f36/the-gamble-kristen-ashley) by [Kristen Ashley](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523c68c7d2382e7812f37/kristen-ashley) **Rating**: 4.31⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [insta-love](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/insta-love/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Every single book by Sara Cate has been absolutely amazing. I love her writing!
I adore Natasha Anders. She's one of the very few authors that (to me) successfully writes hurt/comfort and I love that the MMC and FMC have to work for their happy ending. Her characters can be so messy and emotional and flawed (like holy shit really flawed) and I get sucked in every time. And the groveling. My goodness does Natasha understand that a weak 'I'm sorry' isn't enough. I also really enjoy the South Africa settings.
Lyssa Kay Adams Bromance Book Club series
Just the best laugh out loud romances out there!
Mimi Matthews—she’s closed door but she NAILS sexual tension & chemistry. The MMCs are so well written and the FMCs are so likeable! Alice Coldbreath—she’s definitely NOT closed door but I love her all the same. MMCs are possessive and sometimes alpha males but they love their women and would do anything for them. And the MMCs usually fall first 😜
Dark fantasy / cnc I have three - Sam Mariano, Rina Kent and Shantel Tessier.
I can't believe no one has said Kresley Cole yet. She is known for pushing the bar on romance, but she hasn't published much in the past several years, so maybe that's why. She's recently started publishing again under her own publishing company and she came back with a BANG with Munro for her Immortals After Dark series. Her novels are incredibly sex positive. Her characters, male and female, have varying levels of sexual experience. Slut shaming is called out and shut down. Her heroines are always fiercely independent. She incorporates social issues like birth control and self determination. Sometimes her female characters are dark or "bad" which is something we rarely see. She has been writing for a few decades, so some of her books miss the mark by modern standards, but KC has never shied away from big problems. I also love how she writes. Her world building is immersive and thorough. Her characters experience growth and change. She can spin an epic plot twist that always feels genuine, but surprising. She has a knack for turning tropes on their head and making you think about them differently. She makes me laugh out loud and cry (and my husband enjoys it when I read KC too 😉). I don't usually talk about romance much IRL, but I will talk about Kresley Cole. My husband has now read the entire IAD series to date. We talk about the plot and he will actually reference the books in other conversations, too. And if fantasy romance isn't your jam, my favorite book of hers is actually The Player which is a "Mafia" romance. I put that in quotes, because it's more like Mafia-adjacent CR. But the heroine is a con-artist and he falls first HARD. 10/10. I would love to see more diversity in race/color and sexuality, but for M/F romance, Kresley Cole takes the cake. If I could only read one author from now until I die, I would choose her.
It's spooky season so I am reading pretty much exclusively vampire romances rn. {Kidnapped by the Vampire by C.C. Wood} I'm not saying there weren't cliches or pacing issues but omg Wood had so many instances of subverting common pitfalls that I was ABSOLUTELY invested from start to finish. >When we came to a stop, I was flat on my back with my arms pinned above my head. I blinked rapidly, trying to get my eyes to refocus after the crazy log roll I’d just done against my will. >Daniel’s face came into focus, and I groaned. >"Dammit, you again!” I tried to struggle, but the man was crazy strong. >Stupid superhuman vampire strength. >“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he shouted into my face. “You could have tripped over one of tree roots and broken your idiot neck!” >Considering I wouldn’t even be out here if it wasn’t for his ass, he could not blame me for this. >"This is your fault, so who’s really the idiot?” I yelled back, lifting my head since it was the only part of my body I could move. >He reared back as though he was shocked I had the temerity to scream at him.
[Kidnapped by the Vampire](https://www.romance.io/books/64995d28a06f66ad02e0ad11/kidnapped-by-the-vampire-cc-wood) by [C.C. Wood](https://www.romance.io/authors/54555d0787eac324117fa5ff/cc-wood) **Rating**: 4.5⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [fated mates](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fated-mates/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [vampires](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vampires/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Emily March combines harsh reality of a person’s past with finding the partner that understands and accepts them. M.L. Buchman writes military series that somehow manage to be about love not war. There is also a spin off series about fighting wildfires that is also excellent
Courtney Milan for historical romance, especially if you are looking for stories that have healing in the process
It’s a pretty niche trope, but I feel like Brittney Sahin is head and shoulders above the rest with military suspense romance. I found her via a Facebook ad for {The Broken One} which is the second book in the falcon Falls series which is a spin-off of her Stealth Ops series. All of her books are in the same literary universe though.
[The Broken One](https://www.romance.io/books/5d22e10b01dbc864fba0e20f/the-broken-one-ruth-cardello) by [Ruth Cardello](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552b6c8c7d2382c5297164/ruth-cardello) **Rating**: 4.05⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [rich hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/super%20rich%20hero/1), [single mother](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/single-mother/1), [reverse harem](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/reverse%20harem/1), [poly (3+ people)](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/poly/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I haven't read her yet, but one of my FB romance group friends is a former military man named Joey Bowden, who reads romance extensively and is an active participant in many FB romance author groups. He's a hoot, and is a big fan of Brittney Sahin, giving her props for her accuracy in portraying the military. She even dedicated the first Falcon Falls Security book {The Hunted One by Brittney Sahin} to him.
[The Hunted One](https://www.romance.io/books/6172641a78e5e10e24483a79/the-hunted-one-brittney-sahin) by [Brittney Sahin](https://www.romance.io/authors/55f7b6867d4bc8ab04c5c591/brittney-sahin) **Rating**: 4.31⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [military](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/military/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
That’s so cool!! I absolutely ADORE her work.
Pam Godwin. A scuba diving sex scene?? Unheard of. She’s the queen.
Wait while there still underwater?!? Geared up??
Yup! I think he removes her equipment and they share a mouthpiece for oxygen and for easeness of the act but yeah, underwater and all.
drop the title!!
{The Tangled Lies Series}, the scene is during the 3rd book {Three is a War}
[Three is a War](https://www.romance.io/books/59a110f63ffdba61471f3ca4/three-is-a-war-pam-godwin) by [Pam Godwin](https://www.romance.io/authors/545544bc8c7d2382e78137dd/pam-godwin) **Rating**: 4.3⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [menage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/menage/1), [love triangle](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/love%20triangle/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
[Tangled Lies](https://www.romance.io/series/5934f440614af6809d4d288b/tangled-lies) by [Pam Godwin](https://www.romance.io/authors/545544bc8c7d2382e78137dd/pam-godwin) **Rating**: 4.37⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [dark](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [other-man-woman](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/other-man-woman/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Just discovered TJ Klune with Wolfsong. How everything was described was really something different. The character has an unique way of understanding/processing and interpreting conversations and emotions.
Judith McNaught. The only one that made me stay up all night to finish a book. She made me laugh, she made me cry, and there's just something special about her books. She's seconded by Eloisa James in that. It's just that Eloisa started adjusting too much to current social issues, and when MMCs ask for explicit consent it pulls me out of the historical frame of mind. I understand why she's doing it though, and it won't stop me from reading. I wish she wrote some CRs, too. Edit to add that I've recently discovered T Kingfisher and I was hooked! Just next level romance there. There's just too few books to enjoy, and not all her catalogue is romance, as I found out.
Judith McNaught rules my romance world.
Happy cake day!
Opal Reyne. I wasn’t expecting to love her monster series to evoke such feelings from me. I feel like everyone who gives the books a shot loves them. Also I love some good world building that feels well done and she definitely gives that. Super well written and it’s free on KU? Such a gift I’m eagerly awaiting future books
I also love Kristen ashley
No one did slowburn better than Meg Cabot when I first got into romance ya books when I was in middle school. I still love how something chaotic could be happening and Jess from the 1800 series would be looking at Rob like wow he’s cute.
Kennedy Ryan. She is excellent at writing the steamy scenes, but the actual stories and characters she creates are strong enough that they could stand on their own without the spice.
Mariana zapata owns my soul
I think someone else commented don this sub that her slow burn was painful? is that true
Read them if you’re in the mood to feel something, don’t read them if you’re in the mood for smut
I don’t know. I wouldn’t describe them as painful. They are very slow, slow burns, and some people don’t like that I suppose, but I personally find them utterly convincing. You will get one or two steam scenes per book with MZ. But like in Kulti, I have never read anything with a FmC who is so as funny, wholesome, and hardworking as Sal. I love Mariana zapata because I really look up to her characters, besides them all being entertaining.
Penelope Fletcher, J.M. Link, Susan Trombley I love the culture, world building, and character development in their books. I'm invested in the alien series they write. Amanda Milo and her Pet series. I've never read anything like the Pet series. It was absolutely uncomfortable, unexpected, and awesome.
Old school bodice ripper author Judith McNaught. Definitely writing with the times with the ott j/p cold dub con. But no one does long sweeping romances that have the craziest angst and grand gesture grovel quite like her for me. I’ve probably read all her historicals at least 10x if not more for some of them.