With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I thought you might enjoy skimming the cream off my recent reading list. All of the books below are quality fantasies, most with a strong romantic thread. I read them and loved them — maybe you will too?
C.J. Archer dependably delivers strong, young heroines living in a vivid historical fantasy setting with a romantic arc that spans several books, and this series is no exception. The Watchmaker’s Daughter delivers a magical experience just like the one promised by the cover and I highly recommend it!
The Queen of the Tearling is young adult fantasy with fascinating worldbuilding applied so lightly you’re always on the edge of your seat waiting for the next tidbit. There’s a heroine who, from the outside, appears completely unlikable but somehow manages to feel heroic in the moment, great secondary characters, and a riveting plot. Definitely worth the read, although book two got a bit darker than I would have preferred. (You’ve been warned!)
Moving on to adult books, Amanda Bouchet’s A Promise of Fire kept showing up on recommended reading lists for me, but something about the cover turned me off. Imagine my surprise to finally look inside and find page-turning fantasy romance in the vein of Sherwood Smith’s Crown Duel, with lots of smoldering, even more adventure, and unique worldbuilding thrown in for kicks. This may be my favorite book since I reviewed last!
Even though I downloaded this FREE book quite some time ago, I put off reading it because Christine Pope has burned me in the past with cliffhangers so brutal they don’t quite make up for her extremely high quality writing. Imagine my surprise when I finally got brave and discovered that Dragon Rose is a standalone retelling of Beauty and the Beast with rich, tangible writing, a very relatable heroine, and a happily ever after all in one book. If you need some succulent brain candy for the holidays, download this one first.
I don’t even know how to begin describing Grace Draven’s Radiance without making the story sound trite and shallow. In reality, this is a succulent book, full of fantasy and romance in perfect measure. And, for the first time, I finally understand the appeal of the alien-romance subgenre.
C. Gockel’s Soul Marked is the perfect blend of fantasy and romance with engaging worldbuilding (Norse mythology) and a love story wrapped up in one book. Plus, the author included subtleties of race (notably hair troubles) that deepened the story without making me feeling like I was being preached at. Currently FREE in Kindle Unlimited.
How about you? Have you read any great books recently that straddle the border of fantasy and romance? If so, I hope you’ll click on the link below to comment!