3 Romance Recs on a Random Monday
Start your week off right by adding these romances to your TBR pile!
I've recently had an epiphany. I HATE writing in-depth reviews and rating romance novels. The rumors are true ya’ll, I’m all about the vibes. As such, I’ve decided to come at you with quick recommendations akin to how I recommend books to my close friends. Warning: I read LOTS of science fiction romance. I’m on a mission to get everyone aboard this spaceship!
A quick cheat sheet into my recommendation levels:
Level 1 — MUST READ. An absolute favorite. A seminal text for the genre and/or subgenre.
Level 2 - TOP SHELF READ. A high quality read that is both polished and bingeable, but not quite a favorite. It mayb be a favorite to other readers!
Level 3 - SOLID READ. An engaging read that delivers on what it promises. It might not rock your socks off, but it is well executed and satisfying.
Onto this random Monday’s recs…
1. The Clecanians by Victoria Aveline
Genre: SciFi Romance
POV: 3rd Person
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (open door and explicit)
Premise: Human women from varying backgrounds are abducted from Earth by evil aliens. They find safe harbor in the planet of Clecania BUT … in order to remain in Clecania they must choose a temporary Clecanian husband. The women all balk at the notion, but soon find themselves falling for their hot alien husbands.
Main Tropes: arranged marriage, forced marriage, marriage of convenience, fated mates, forced proximity, Mars-needs-women, interspecies romance, angst.
Rec Level: MUST READ
The Clecanians is your entryway drug into scifi romance. The heroes are moody and broody, and the heroines diverse and complex. This series will be very palatable to contemporary romance lovers who are not ready to delve into full-on alien/monster romance. I have a particular obsession with Ruling Sikthand (oh the angst!). The latest book in the series, Bewitching Rhaego is coming out this week (May 21) and I can’t wait!
2. Wraith Kings by Grace Draven
Genre: High Romantic Fantasy
POV: 3rd Person
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (open door but not too explicit)
Premise: Ildiko, a noblewoman and niece to the Gauri king, and Brishen Khaskem, a Kai prince, enter into a political marriage to seal the treaty between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis. While they initially find each other hideous, their mutual respect and friendship morphs into love. Now they have to survive political schemes and evil magic threatening to tear them—and Bast-Haradis—apart.
Main Tropes: arranged marriage, friends to lovers (first book), enemies to lovers (3rd book), slow burn, political intrigue, interspecies romance and angst.
Rec Level: TOP SHELF READ
Grace Draven’s prose and writing talent is unmatched. The romance between noblewoman Ildiko and Brishen, a Kai royal, is a sweet ode to the friends to lovers trope. The high fantasy is very well developed and not merely an afterthought to the romance. Angsty and delicious.
3. Midnight Arrow by Zoey Draven
Genre: SciFi Romance; Romantic Fantasy
POV: 1st Person
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (open door and explicit, but not too many scenes)
Premise: Marion is a lonely witch living in the woods when she encounters Lorik, a winged and handsome half-Kylorr shot through with a poisoned arrow. As she nurses him back to health, she is enthralled by him while also suspecting there is more to Lorik than meets the eye.
Main Tropes: interspecies romance, insta-love, forced proximity, betrayal, groveling and second chances.
Rec Level: SOLID READ
This novella is a cozy magical read for a rainy day. Typical of Draven, she crafts undeniable chemistry between the MCs. Less typical of Draven is an MMC that is less “raw alpha” and more fae prince (not surprisingly, I prefer the raw alpha). Due to the shorter length of this novel, the worldbuilding is enough to create a bubble around romance, but not a full fledged world. No word on whether Draven plans to write a sequel to fill in the gaps.
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