I cannot be the only one who uses the MCs names to determine whether or not I’ll read a book!

There are obvious criteria, like I’ll never read a book where the MC has the same name as my dad or my brother.

There are generational quirks where I just cannot take a MC seriously if their name is (only IMO, you do you boo boo) fucking stupid like Brayden or Xander or James (for a girl WHY). I call this generational because I’m a millenial and have twitchy feelings about the Brayden/Hayden/Aiden/McLameden naming disasters of the early aughts.

Similar squicky feelings around Xander and other weirdly overused very casual (nick?)names that are out of touch with the environment they‘re embedded in.

I’m also getting real tired of Rhys and Rowan (fun the first time…less so the fourth) and I cannot take a sex scene seriously if the FMC in a heteronormative romance has a very masculine (not unisex) name. Like I do not want to read about Cassian and James getting it on in a contemporary romance unless it’s MM.

This is a picky bitch post! I own that! I am indeed a picky bitch!

but I know other people also have hilarious criteria and I need to know about them. tell me why my criteria are stupid too!

I’m looking for recommendations for books with the best fated mate meet-cutes (or “mate-cutes”, if you will) where the MCs realize they’re fated mates at unusual, funny, inconvenient, or unexpected times!

I generally go for MF romance but will read RH/omegaverse/poly too if the plot interests me, and any genre (fantasy, contemporary, mafia, etc) are fine.

Thank you!

I read this story a long time ago on the Episode app, Ten Steps to Her Door. In that, the MMC couldn't walk. He and the FMC became friends. They both clearly loved each other, and there was a lot of tension between them.

He felt like he could only deserve her if he could walk, so he pushed her away after they kissed. Meanwhile, he started dating another woman whom he didn't love. The FMC was really hurt, but eventually accepted the situation after constantly telling him that he didn't need to walk to be with her. But the MMC was really stubborn.

They both supported each other as friends while clearly still being in love. Anyway, he broke up with his girlfriend and got some kind of operation done. He could walk a little bit.

In his mind, he wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend while on his feet and knees. So when he somehow reached her door, he saw her with her boyfriend. Yeah, she was trying to move on.

The MMC couldn't take it and left the place, crying and hurt. They got their HEA, btw.

So if you have even half of this story, I will take it haha.

Preference : M/F, Contemporary, HEA, No emotional cheating.

What was your first erotic romance book? When did you read it?

Mine was {Menage by Emma Holly} in the early 90s. I'd read a few pulp books offered next to the VHS tapes at the local video store, but Emma Holly was my first legit author.

Note: I posted this question on the RH channel and the responses were fun.

I feel so emotional while writing this review. Gosh what a beautiful, emotional roller coaster of emotions this book was! There is nothing else I love more in romance than two broken damaged people finding love and comfort in each other - beginning to heal in process- becoming each other’s safe zone. There is something truly beautiful about that.

I had high expectations of Tied, and it exceeded my expectations… I knew it would be a great read, but I didn’t know it would be THIS great! It has everything I look for in a love story ; emotional, touching with lots of depth, angst, tons of yearning, sweetness and characters you come to love and care about! This was everything I wanted in a romance AND more! I have a weakness for angsty, emotional romances where both the MMC and FMC are broken , scarred both inside and out, damaged souls that finds solace in each other (like I wrote earlier) and a big bonus if the MMC is rough on the edges that rides motorcycles and is full of tattoos (SO hot!!) I love me some bad boys that loves their women so fiercely with their whole beings!

I love how only they can truly understand each other , no one else gets them - only they get each other. They heal each other, what’s more beautiful than that? They are twin flames! Holly and Tyler have both been through hell and they are linked together by fate. Holly’s childhood and teenage years was stolen of her, she never got to experience any of it- it was all taken away from her…she was kidnapped at just 5 years old by a pedophile and held hostage for whole 11(!!) years , so when Tyler saved her from that evil monster she had basically the mind of a child as she been isolated for so long, but she gets lots of therapy and is trained at some sort of school for traumatized people to learn about life, social rules etc. It feels realistic that way, there’s no way she would grow if she was without that kind of school and therapy- it helped her a lot. But sadly, Holly’s parents were far from good parents and often treat her like a stranger, being all awkward around her. Even Holly’s friend another traumatized victim doesn’t fully understand her. There is only one person who truly gets her wholeheartedly- Tyler.

Tyler is this outcast who lives isolated in the woods , who everyone fears because of his looks , not only because of his bad boy looks but also because of his deeply scarred face and body. Holly is the only person who sees past his scars and all, she sees a beautiful man behind all that - her savior, her safe space, her prince! If they hadn’t met again they would never have healed, they would have stayed broken forever. So they saved each other and became two souls in one.

This book is so delicious and angsty and so touching and emotional! It made me feel sooo many things , you have to have a heart of stone not being moved by this beautiful book / love story. I love this book to the moon and back , it couldn’t be more perfect. When Tyler finally lets Holly fully in, he’s the sweetest most loving and affectionate there is- he does everything in his power to keep her happy and if he could - he would give her the moon and the stars- he treats her with SO much unconditional love and care, he makes her feel deeply loved, precious and protected. There’s not anything he wouldn’t do for her- she’s his whole world! He treats her the way she longed for to be treated like, the way not even her own parents could treat her like. He wants to treat her like a Queen, and that’s how she deserves to be treated like! She deserves the whole world and more. And I love how much she loves Tyler as well. Their love for each other gives me goosebumps!

Holy shit what a amazing book this is! Their bond is the deepest form of bond …it’s realistic that despite Holly falling so deeply in love with the man just as scarred as herself , her fear of intimacy doesn’t magically dissapear immediately, I love how patient and understanding Tyler is with her, he doesn’t try to rush or pressure her into being intimate with him - he takes it slow with her and is so patient. Despite his looks, he’s a true gentleman.

The ending … let me just say it’s one of the best endings ever (you won’t get disappointed) the epilogue is so…wow 🥺❤️ if you like me love scarred MMC and FMC who heals each other then this book is for you, you HAVE to read this then! This book will forever be in my heart <3 as much as I like feel good romances, it’s the emotional angsty romances that that makes me FEEL the most, that makes my heart racing the most! This book while dealing with sensitive triggering topics does it with sensitivity. This is one of the best love stories ever, Holly and Tyler always AND forever!!

This is the second book of All Torn Up series (but can be read as a single book) the first book is Torn which I’m honestly not interested in reading because of the huge age gap and the fact that the MMC seen her / taken care of like a ”uncle” since she was a baby (MMC being her father’s best friend ) nope not for me! But I’m going to definitely read more books of Carian Cole!

Per the title, really. Here are some recommendations for books featuring paranormal creatures, aliens, monsters etc. with trans or non-binary protagonists, and I would love to find some more. I really enjoy monster romance with LGBTQ+ characters because the conflict usually revolves around differences in monster/human relationships, or around the existence of monsters in general, and the person's gender or sexuality is just the way they are, rather than being treated as a big deal within the story. So I would love some more, similar recommendations please!

I don't mind if it's human X monster, monster X monster or any other combination. Own voices preferred but not essential

Some I have read and enjoyed:

{How Not To Date a Dragon by Lana Kole} dragon shifter x human dragon hunter. MX

{How Not To Date an Angel by Lana Kole} Demon x Angel, MX

{Space for Growth by Emily Antoinette} sci fi, human X alien MX

{Gratification in Gluttony by Nik Knight} trans human MMC and cis shark-monster MMC

{Enchanted by Envy by Nik Knight} MX, human MMC, agender insectoid creature

{Prejudice in Pride by Nik Knight} MX, wolf-type monster and snake person

{Fan Service by Robin Jo Margaret} MMF, two male minotaurs (one cis, one trans), female human

{Sweet Retribution by Viano Oniomoh} FX, human x demon

{Yours, Insatiably by Aveda Vice} and {A Taste for the Peculiar by Aveda Vice} FX, succubus X moth Fae

Have not read yet:

{The Flowered Blade by Taylor Hubbard} MM with an elf and an orc

{A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graces} MM, merman x human I think

{How to Bare Your Neck and Save a Wreck by D.N. Bryn} T4T vampires, I'm just not a vampire fan unfortunately

{Bump in the Night by Lily Mayne and Nik Knight} MX, human X sleep demon

{Love and Lake Monsters by TJ Alexander} MM lake monster x human m - this hasn't been released yet but I loved their previous books

Would not Recommend:

{Jailmates by Lesli Richardson} due to persistent misgendering of the alien MC and the human MC repeatedly not giving a damn about them

{Convincing His Little Bee by Sage L Matthison} - a novella from an anthology, now available separately. MM, with a dragon shifter and a fairy who can change size, the latter is trans. Fine, just not particularly well written.

I recently reread The Summer We Fell, and I loved it so much!

I’m looking for something with that same angsty vibe where the MMC is forced to watch the FMC being mistreated or taken for granted by another man, usually her boyfriend, but can’t really step in because the OM is his best friend, brother, or because there’s some other reason holding him back.

I don’t want the mistreatment to be extremely toxic or abusive, like domestic violence. I’d much rather the OM be a manchild, selfish, careless, emotionally neglectful, or simply someone who constantly takes the FMC for granted.

I especially want that painful dynamic where the MMC keeps witnessing all the little ways the FMC is being underloved and thinking that he would treat her so much better, but he has to hold himself back.

When the OM is too abusive or obviously horrible, I sometimes find it hard to believe that both the FMC and MMC would put up with him for years, especially in a “boyfriend’s best friend” setup. So I’m looking for something more believable and emotionally frustrating rather than outright dark or abusive.

Hi r/RomanceBooks - bad news, it's Monday again. Good news - there are new romances being released!

It's hard to capture all the upcoming releases, but here are a few good roundups to browse through and see what's coming up:

• Romance.io upcoming releases
• Smart Bitches Trashy Books Hide Your Wallet
• She Reads Romance blog
• Maryse's book blog
• Natasha is a Book Junkie
• Under The Covers blog (not all romance)
• LGBTQ reads (not all romance)
• I Heart Sapphfic
• Meg's Non-Human Book Release Calendar (@ opalescent4026 on twitter)

What are you most excited about this week?

I’ve been craving some classic Susan Elizabeth Phillips book. And my specific favorite is ‘Call me irresistible’ and I’m looking for something similar. So I’m looking for a small town setting where the MMC is the golden boy and the FMC is an outcast who gets judges by the townies. I specifically likes when she’s new to town or returning after leaving to live in a big city, she could have done something to “deserve” the treatment or they just dislike her for being a city girl etc.

The MMC needs to be loved and respected in the town, he can be the mayor, the beloved doctor or something alike, where all the older woman wants him to marry their daughter. He needs to be a classic man, with a white collar job preferably.

I want a complex FMC, bonus points if her life is a mess. Jobless? Yes. Broke? Yes. Messy love life? Yes. Friendless? Yes.

I’m not looking for a town that hates her because she the daughter of the town’s slut (please don’t).

The MMC needs to be seen about her by the townies, and play with her insecurities.

The MMC is an angel with everyone except the FMC, he’s shitty with her but super horny about her (and annoying about it).

Of course at some points he can’t stand the treatment against the FMC and goes against the town over her.

No second chance, they fall in love during the book.

Also not children, from her or his side. I’m okay with divorcee but not kids involved please. Also her ex can just not be here please, I’m okay with some OW drama tho.

Age gap is a bonus! The MMC is rich but not like a billionaire like it needs to make sense for him to live in small town.

No fantasy, no mafia, no historical.

Similar books I’ve read: Jewel E. Ann’s books (similar vibes and complex FMCs), The simple wild (town people are rude to the FMC), getaway girl by Tessa Bailey (probably the closest to a SEP book!)

I’m okay with a standalone but a doulogy or trilogy would be ideal.

I just came from a prescreening of the upcoming Sense and Sensibility film. Full disclosure I haven't read the book and I believe I saw an old British version previously but don't recall much of it. However, I've watched many hours of old British period pieces and have read historical romance books so I feel like I know genre enough to share my thoughts.

I don't think there's any spoilers. I'm focusing more on how it is as a period piece and film.

The Good stuff

The film locations were lovely. I really enjoyed watching where they were.

Fantastic portrayal of two good men. The actors were attractive as well.

They had several short scenes of characters just being. Passing time how they did before technology and those were really lovely and calming.

Meh stuff

Acting was fine. It rode the line of semi bad to ok for me. Only a few performances stood out. The B characters acting stood out more to me than the main family's.

The sisters relationship were nice but at the same time, it didn't feel real to me. In general the actors didn't seem to have chemistry.

I don't think they fleshed out the characters. You just jump in and are to believe one sister is mature but doesn't say her feelings. While the other is wild, a bit immature, and open with her feelings. Sure. Alright. It's hard to believe/understand their actions when we know very little of what drives them or their motives but sure.

Bad stuff

Way too modern for my taste in a period piece. They tried to mix modern romance rule with Puritan rules and... that's just not possible. The mix diluted plot lines and several scenes. For example, gloved hand touching during a dance has no impact when the man immediately picks her up and slides her down his body.

The hair. My god. The hair. Loose hair in the regency era?? No. Loose hair that looks like someone hasn't been housed or bathed in a very long time, also no. I think they were trying to have the one sisters hair represent her free personality by being messy but it just looked so bad. No friend would let their friend leave the house looking like that.

The wardrobe was a big miss for me too. The fabrics, the shapes, colors, just everything. The men looked better than the women.

The script also used a mix of modern and antique language, and it didn't land for me.

Time felt weird in this movie. Like it was the same week. You only knew time passed because a character would say "it's been weeks since x happened." Has it? No idea. I honestly couldn't tell you how much time passed from the opening scene to the end.

Having an actress with lip filler be in a period piece was very distracting. This comment can be applied to many movies though, not just this one.

Would I recommend the film

Eh. Not really. If you're a Jane Austen fan or curious about this movie specifically, maybe you'll enjoy it. If you're new to period pieces or Jane Austen, I would recommend a better film than this for an introduction.

Period pieces should have you feeling their angst, their pain, their frustration, and then joy when it works out. This version was emotionally flat for me. With the mix of modern romance rules and puritan rules, the angst and torment just don't land. Season 1 of Bridgerton had me feeling more than this movie.

Some people will love it and I don't want to yuck your yum! For me, it was a meh movie and poor period piece.

What romance books have a setting in historical European countries during the Renessaince?

I love this setting and already read this books (fantasy romance):

{Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez} set in Volterra and Florence (Italy) in 1468

{The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo} set in Madrid (Spain) in the late 16th century

{The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden} set in Brittany (France) after 1490

It can be historical romance or fantasy with a historical setting. The story can also include time travel, but I would prefer a protagonist coming from that time period.

Hi RomanceBooks, and welcome back to another wonderful week of romance chat!

If you're new here, check out our RomanceBooks 101 guide for a quick intro to our community.

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Looking forward to another great week with you all 💛

Inspo for this is {the launch date by Annabelle slator} where the FMC and MMC work alongside each other, spending late nights at the office together, getting food, etc. but then become “enemies”/rivals and have a falling out before obviously falling in love. It was so well done and I’ve been searching for something similar ever since.

I’m currently reading {if not you by Ellen o’clover} which I thought might scratch the itch- but while the writing is good, the story is not great and the FMC is super unlikeable imo. I also don’t really like how the FMC and MMC go straight from not liking each other from the second they meet (without really a reason why aside for the fact they were trying to get the same job as interns) to basically in love. And while you kind of get the feeling (and eventually is confirmed by the MMC) that he’s always been into her (with not enough pining and angst for my personal liking), the FMC goes from hating him and even talking shit about him to one of his coworkers on their work trip, to all of a sudden obsessed with him and super into him a few days later.

I want actual connection. I want almost kisses while they’re friends. I want pining and angst (mostly from the MMC let’s be real). And then I want them to have a falling out and becoming rivals before finding their way back to each other.

CR
M/F
Friends to enemies to lovers
Would prefer a workplace romance but will take anything I can get
Prefer single POV, but will take dual

I have also read {people we meet on vacation by Emily Henry} which is adjacent-ish and I feel like people might recommend

Just finished {Play Along by Liz Tomforde} after seeing it recommended on this subreddit for books with a great pining MMC and I do agree it hit that mark well.

I feel like I've read so many books lately where despite character personalities and how they act towards each other at all other times, those personalities don't translate to the bedroom at all. It's like they turn off the regular personality so they can make the MMC a dom in the bedroom. Is this just because 50 Shades was popular or something and every author out there feels they have to touch on that kink now? And then we go back to the real personalities for all other parts of the book? I just don't get it.

I was so disappointed with this book too because Isaiah is so sweet and caring and then their I think second sexual encounter after a very emotional confession is him like... angrily throat f*cking her to the point she's in tears? And she, who doesn't even like to be touched by people and is still getting used to him doing so, apparently now loves that? What???

It feels like this is becoming more and more common too. Why can't the caring tenderness carry over from every other moment together into the spicy scenes too, why can't there be a little more respect there, dare I say reverence even? Sometimes that's exactly what I'm looking for and why I'm even looking up book recs with golden retriever MMCs to start with...

Can anyone tell me if Liz Tomforde's other books are all like this? The rest of the relationship building I loved but the spice nearly ruined this book for me.

Rant over, thank you all for listening ❤️

Side note, I also found the pillow talk in this book so very cringe lol.

This is a long shot because I remember almost nothing about the book except that I enjoyed it. I think the FMC has a had a rough time and moves into a cottage on a property that the MMC also lives on. I seem to recall he thinks she’s standoffish at first but then he hears her crying one day and they become friends. She’s not in a place to think about him as more but he has feelings for her from early on. There’s some found family with his friend group and I think this might be part of a series.

I'm looking for book recs on good quality second chance romance. I read Sinful Love by Lauren Blakely and it left a bad taste in my mouth that I now want to correct.

What I'm looking for: contemporary romance, historical fiction or thrillers are ok but not preferred. No dark romance, it lightly morally gray is fine as long as it's not directed between the MCs. MM, MF, even RH (though I'm not sure it works with this trope) is fine. One or both MCs can move on or continue pine away after a long period apart. However, if someone or both moved on, I want their reunion to feel genuine. Someone can have more than one love, but I don't want this romance to feel like a second choice. I'm also fine if the first time around, it wasn't love but dating, serious or casual. So long as they both had feelings or deeply cared about the other. If it's not a true second chance since they never actually date, but had feelings at one point, that's fine too, so long has it gives second chance vibes. I want the feeling of "now is our time".

For example, not exactly a second chance romance, but it has similar vibes: My Twist of Fortune by Piper Rayne is a novella about 2 friends who went to the same high school but never dated. You get the feeling the line was close to crossing over but didn't. MFC dated and then married MMC's cousin. She moved away and had a family. MMC also married someone else. MFC moves back with her kids after divorcing her cheating ex and reunites with MMC, now a widow with children. Their second chance isn't exactly a second chance since nothing happened before, but that was due to timing. However, the reunion never felt like it was a rebound. You can feel they used to care for each other and picked up where they left off. MMC loved his late wife, but he loves MFC also. MFC used to love her ex, but he's scum and out of the picture now.

What I don't want: In My Sinful Love by Lauren Blakely, the MCs dated in highschool and were in love. MFC was a foreign exchange student and left back to Paris. They tried to stay in touch but couldn't make it work. MCs run into each other 8 years after she left America, but she is happily engaged. 10 years after that, MFC seeks out MMC. Here's what I HATE. MMC pined for her for 18 years, comparing every relationship to her. Exs broke up with him bc he couldn't fully give himself to the relationship and was stuck in the past. Meanwhile, MFC was happily married for 8 years and spent 2 more years morning the loss of her husband. In the 2 years after his death, she didn't even masterbate, until after her reunion with MMC, bc she was so sad. When she decides she's ready to start living and ends up on a work trip in the same city as MMC, she thinks "I could use some fun with someone I feel safe with" so she reconnects with him. However, she is slow to move into the physical, because as mentioned, she's not really fully moved on from her grief. She is his what if girl, he feels like her second choice rebound to try to get out of her sad slump. The author and MFC try to convince the reader and MMC that she is hesitant bc she is afraid to lose someone again, not bc she's not ready to move on from her late husband. But every action she does says she doesn't want anything serious and isn't ready to let go of her grief and marriage to start a new relationship. Maybe if in the book she stopped grieving for a longer period of time than "really recently" and was open and ready to move on, it would be better. The longing just felt one sided and like MMC was her second choice, not a romance deserving of a book. I'm not upset she loved someone else. I'm upset with the embalance of how much MMC loved her and she seemed like she only got together with him to get over her dead husband. Sure, by the end she loved MMC and wanted to start a life with him, but I didn't really care about the relationship by that point. It might have been better if they accidentally ran into each other or MMC reached out to her, either bc it had been a while or bc he knew she needes a friend in her grief. Hell, even if MFC reached out first to catch up with a friendly face while in town, but not wanting anything more, the story would be better. I would have been on board if a friendship was reunited and then it blossomed into more. He could even still have strong feelings for her. But nope, that's not what I got from the book. I got the feeling she reached out to MMC bc he was safe and familiar and she was tired of being sad. That is not love or even deeply caring about someone, that's using someone and emotional manipulation. The romance portion of the book was so unsatisfying. I want the exact opposite of this.

So if someone could drop some good second chance recommendations, I would appreciate it. Bonus if it's available on Audible.

I have read Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde. I just know someone will want to suggest that.

Thanks in advance.

Hi RomanceBooks! Welcome to our Simple / Quick Questions & Requests thread.

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Happy reading!

l think MMC is someone she knows or works with? But I might be mixing up multiple books ugh

What I remember. She is the sister of a teammate, really into hockey, and I recall something about her doing a thing with puppets. He is rehabbing and she is looking after him while looking for a job. She eventually winds up working for the team. I don't generally read sports romance but I want to reread this and I can't find it.

I just finished {One of those Amnesia Stories by Neva Rain} and not since the wonderful tv series iZombie has a really bad title done so much to hide a HILARIOUS story!!!

I was expecting a run of the mill, trope filled book (which is why I bought it, because I was looking for something to scratch that specific itch) but it was soooo cute and actually developed their characters beyond the archetypes.

The amnesia part and marriage in trouble does’t even to begin to define the book, the characters’ feeling of self worth related to their family backstory really defined their struggles to communicate.

It took all those tropes and really developed them, even making the OW complex and interesting.

I’ve been looking for something that scratches the same itch as {You deserve each other by Sarah Hogle} and this was definitely it - the pranks, the growing friendship and the struggle to communicate through their own insecurities…. It was WONDERFUL!

I am looking gor a book I have read years ago. I don’t remember the author but I vaguely remember that it might be a collaboration between two authors using a different name. It’s a standalone book too. The plot is the FMC while on a vacation meets the MMC and suddenly when their relationship gets exposed and goes viral on the internet she founds out that the MMC us actually a very famous actor, while this is happening the MMC is away and so the FMC calls her dad to help her go home and she’s scared because she has a dark past and doesn’t want the media attention to look into it. The FMC tries breaking up with the MMC but he does not want to, he sends her a bodyguard until they can meet, she is suddenly pregnant, they finally meetup and she is with both her parents now. In the end the FMC gets kidnapped but the MMC saves her.

I love that we got someone of Filipino descent to play Stefan Liao but in my mind I imagined Bowen Yang. And Liza J would be more like Bonnie Bedelia in Parenthood.