So.... Romantasy has become a big big seller in the past three years or so, and Good Reads (which is not perhaps the paragon of taste at all) has put out a list of The 100 most popular romances of the past three years on GoodReads
These are books that show up most often as "shelved" on Goodreads and those ranked 4 star or higher. I read romance. I read, ALOT of romance. In 2024 I read 80 books classified as romance by Fable
So. I thought I'd surely have read a bunch of them.
TEN I have read Ten.
Looking at the list, there are almost no books by diverse authors, and maybe one about a non- traditional couple.
Goodread's readers noticed that too- a quick stroll through the comments made it clear that reader's had noted this, but.... what's interesting is that these are the most shelved/highly rated romances. These are the choices by Good reads readers - all Goodreads did was compile it.
In discussing this, a few people (ok so like 3 people lest I fall prey to saying "EVERYONE"S asking about...🤣🤣)said, that they would like to see a list of romances that feature diverse characters, and offer new perspectives.
And I thought, well.... this should be easy, and it was! That said this is totally not an exclusive list, I even somehow ended up without Alexandria House and Jaquhel J . (and I love these authors!)
For Fans of Ali Hazelwood (The Love Hypothesis, Bride, Love Theoretically, etc...)
Technically Yours is a contemporary romance by Denise Willians. Pearl is a successful coder who doesn't expect to meet a man from her past serving on the Board of Directors at her new dream job! neither is interested in a serious relationship, but they can't ignore the electricity between them. '
She's got 76 books on the "back list; which are all engaging and funny, and enjoyable.
Did you love Bride? You might enjoy Shai August's Shifter romances, such as The Shifter bachelor. in which Imani tales a job away from her family hoping to prove her independence, but meets Ansel, an in-demand bachelor who decides she's the only one for him. Swoon!
And then there's more:
The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton pairs an astronaut with a struggling event planner.
Amerie hates taking risks. Vincent, an Astronaut knows a lot about taking risks. they meet over a spilled cup of coffee, and sparks fly. Amerie's certain that life with an astronaut is too unpredictable, will she choose safety or will she throw her future to the stars? You'll have to read to find out!
If you've enjoyed Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash series (I totally did!) or Sarah J. Mass (I, on purpose, haven't read any Mass) Perhaps I can interest you in a few of these series:
Fae-Bound by Saara El-Arifi
Two sisters, who happen to be elves, find themselves imprisoned in the world of the Fae. Danger and Love await them in this epic journey novel of love, danger and adventure.
The Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair. This is a 4 book series following Keera a reluctant King's blade who is forced to hunt down a mysterious being called "the Shadow" along the way she crosses into the Faeland, and begins to question who her enemy really is. Along the way, she of course meets up with two totally gorgeous males- Killian and Riven and must confront a lot of sorrow and struggle to remain true to what she feels is right.
(I love this series so so much)
Will Lore get more than she bargained for?
I am certainly Ruby Dixon's number 1 fan . I LOVE her Ice Planet Barbarians, and Corsair's series where aliens travel the galaxy rescuing (almost 100%) human women. And because I love Ruby, I also have really enjoyed THESE SELECTIONS:
That Time I got Drunk and Saved A human by Kimberly Lemming
A young woman finds herself locked in a dragon's tower, Cherry, our heroine starts to understand why sometimes people don't just save themselves. What happens next? Well she definitely doesn't stay stuck in the tower!
Or perhaps you'd like something a little more Other-worldly, you can try out Viano Oniomoh's Sweet Vengeance.
Want your Heroes and Heroines to be older than 19? Not a Problem!!!
Jess K Hardy gives us a mature romance. She owns a struggling Ski resort, He's got a crew that needs work and is willing to do it for less. She's taking a risk hiring this bunch, but her mother recognizes a good situation when she sees one, and thus...fun times on the bunny slopes may occur.
In this forced proximity romance our FMC and MMC both face insecurities as their relationship develops and blossoms! I really liked this one!
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention "The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen Twyla and Frank have been friends, neighbors and job partners as they patrol the wilds of Tanria. They've known each other forever, can sparks fly? Indeed, they can! This hilarious novel has it all, a mature romance, dragons, family drama, and some explosions...Highly recommend.
Does Emily Henry (Happy Place, Book Lovers, Funny Story) top your list of Romance authors?
Then you will likely also enjoy:
Alexis Daria 's Primas of Power Series starting with You had me at Hola. I myself found that A lot like Adios was one of my favorites. Featuring a second chance romance between two career oriented childhood neighbors (and more!), very involved Puerto Rican families and lots of contemporary issues and of course, a perfect HEA ending.
Danica Nava's The Truth According to Ember was nominated for a GoodReads Readers favorite for 2024. This is one of the only contemporary Indigenous romances that I am aware of . (Please please ttell me of more?) Ember is just trying to get a job, but after 37 rejections, she lands a dream accounting job after lying (only kinda sorta) on her application about her ethnicity. She's doing well at her job and a romance blossoms between her and the IT guy - which is against the corporate rules. Will the couple survive corporate life?
Would you like your romance to include something other than traditional couples?
This is a M/M romance set in space which features many beloved tropes - Only one bed...arranged marriage, miscommunication (does anyone really like that one?) and a very satisfactory ending. Kiem is a reformed Ne'er-do -well royal who can't quite escape his former life/reputation. Jainan is a quieter man who's just been widowed in what seemed, at least to the news tabloids- to be a perfect marriage. In order to secure a galactic alliance, they must marry- and fast. As they navigate this uncomfortable arrangement, they realize that nothing is as it seems. Can they save the alliance, and themselves?
A little Kissing between Friends by Chencia Higgins is a contemporary sapphic romance. This novel features a music producer and a club dancer who are really just friends. And we all know there's something pretty risky about a friends to lovers situation! Choices will have to be made- but it could all be worth it for love!
Disability is also something that traditional romance struggles to "get right"- or even include. I'm on the fence about many of these. One thing that's hard about disability is that individuals experience it differently and so for some readers this may seem to reflect their experience and for others, it won't. I enjoyed these, but I can't vouch for the disability representation. Help me out folks!
Knot my Type by Evie Mitchell features a FMC who uses a wheelchair. She's also a sexologist, This is an Instalove Rom com that admittedly has gotten mixed reviews. This is not an Omegaverse novel, the knots, are...for something else. And what that something else is? You will want to pick this up to find out!
Get a Life Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert features a main character with fibromyalgia who is determined to start living life to the fullest.
This book is well loved, and seems to offer a realistic representation of living with Fibromyalgia -the romance, of course is the usual over the top HEA which we love to see!
Worth the fall by Claudia Connor features a MMC with a limb amputation, and side character who also uses/requires a prosthesis. Abby and Matt meet on a beach, but neither is there for a flirty fun vacation, Abby's chasing four children and Matt's sidelined by injury. They only have a week, but- as is usually the case in a romance novel, a week is all it takes.
Obviously there are SO MANY CHOICES beyond the Good reads list. Let me know which ones you think are particularly good, because I'm always looking to add romance to my TBR!
Love this list 🫶🏾
ReplyDeleteThank you! It felt a little funny, because I kept thinking of things to add, and books that were SOOO good, but eventually, I had to hit publish! Let me know if you pick any of these up. I finished The Kiss Countdown for Valentine's day and it was... just so fun. I loved that the author had a side character with Sickle cell anemia and the strong family ties that were represented in the story. :)
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