A thread for discussing romance novels! Looking for a romance novel recommendation? Wanting an excuse to recommend a novel? Want a sympathetic audience to shout "just shut up an kiss already, main characters!" at? This is potentially a thread for that!
And to kick things off, a rec! I really liked "A Duke By Default" by Alyssa Cole. Portia Hobbs is a self described 'hot mess' who's trying to turn over a new leaf, by going to be an apprentice to a swordsmith. Tavish McKenzie is not super keen on having an apprentice, who wasn't even his idea, running around under his feet-- oh, and he's unaware that he is actually the Duke of Edinburgh. Chemistry ensues. It's quite a fun book, and I really like the characters! And as a side note that might interest people: Portia has ADHD. I'm not 100% sure the portrayal is completely reasonable, because I don't have ADHD, but from what I've read from reviews from people with ADHD + people's blogs, it seems about right? Especially because Portia's problems aren't the stereotypical "OMG SQUIRREL!", and more "Why am I so good at starting things but so bad at the follow through" and "wait, why is there so much stuff I struggle with that it seems everyone else can just do" and a splash of rejection sensitive dysphoria. (Just be prepared to suspend your disbelief about how noble titles work :P)
I am still in an Alyssa Cole hole. I recently finished "A Prince on Paper," which is in the same series as "A Duke By Default." I didn't know I liked fake dating till I read this book. Apparently I like fake dating? Also: canon bi lead yessssssssss! (Like, it's not a big thing in story, but it is actually stated outright, and I kind of appreciate the 'low key but definitely there' way the story handles it?)
re: excuse to recommend: I love all of KJ Charles’ work! Mostly-m/m, historical, some of em have magic in them (the Charm of Magpies series is frankly delightful and adventurous and has interesting gross weird magic stuff in addition to MCs I care about) and some of em don’t (but omg Any Old Diamonds. omg Think Of England). I also really enjoyed Rose Lerner’s True Pretenses, which is about a con artist and his mutually-practical-no-feelings marriage to a minor heiress who needs a husband to inherit, and the feelings that inevitably develop XD I haven’t read as much modern stuff, but I slammed Alisha Rai’s Forbidden Hearts series in a weekend.... so much fraught family drama!! all of them are between different people associated with these two families involved in a generations-long feud over betrayal (and love??) and the arc plot of uncovering and maybe-resolving what happened that develops over the series is very satisfying!
I will take this opportunity to shill for my sister-in-law, who's written a couple of historical romances. Here's a link to the first in the series: https://www.amazon.com/Ladys-Guide-Ruin-Birch-Romance/dp/1101986794 It's good stuff, and full of solid friendships between women, which is always nice.
@blue KJ Charles' work is so good! I've only read Think of England so far, and I really liked it. I recently bought Proper English, and hopefully I'll get around to reading it soon~ @Kittenly Thank you for the recommendation!
The Weird and Wonderful Holiday Romance Anthology is so very good. Not sure how much it is right now, though, since I got it while it was on sale for a dollar. (I also grabbed Let It Shine by Allyssa Cole while she was offering it for free, since I'm kinda...fucking broke rn. Looking forward to digging into it, though.)
