December 2025
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    Could someone recommend me a romance book that is actually well-written? No Colleen Hoover, JoJo Moyes, Sarah J Maas.

    I love a classic, as in Jane Austen, Brontë sisters etc, but am looking for modern novels xx

    by Amiable-Duck

    7 Comments

    1. For someone who knows and loves the tropes, but has an intelligent way of interacting with them, I’d suggest Jodi McAlister. She is a university lecturer who studies pop culture. She wrote the “Marry Me, Juliet” trilogy of books that I like to call reality tv Rashomon romance. It’s set in a reality tv dating show similar to the Bachelor, told from different perspectives. The “main” couple, two Juliet’s who fall for each other rather than the Romeo, and a self-designated Villain. Yet she manages to genuinely surprise the reader each time

      I can never manage to describe just how good these books are, but they did make me have an epiphany. Dr Jodi writes women like she actually likes and supports other women. She writes people that you would want to spend time with in real life.

    2. I like Catherine Walsh – she has a Christmas duology that’s a great read for this time of year.

    3. When you say well-written, do you mean an author who writes so well that you don’t notice the writing? You just disappear into the story without being distracted by awkward dialogue, weird euphemisms for genitalia, cliched descriptions, etc?

      Or are you looking for someone where the literary style is part of the reading experience–which is what I think of with classics like you mention above?

    4. People generally hold Emily Henry up as a good standard of quality contemporary romance.

      I’m also a fan of Talia Hibbert, BK Borison, and Josie Silver for quality prose.

    5. mllebitterness on

      Emily Henry is pretty good. I also enjoy the Pink Carnation series. Written now but set in Napoleonic times.

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