So my niece who is 13 going on 30 and not a big reader told me somewhat sheepishly that she likes dark romance and sneaks 18+ books when she gets a chance. Sigh. I’m personally not too bothered about the spice level but some of those relationships are rather on the toxic side. Any recommendations – ideally on a PG or PG 13 level so her parents don’t get a conniption, healthy relationships, but with enough adventure and romance in it to satisfy a teenage heart?
by lovepeacefakepiano
7 Comments
What are you requesting exactly?
I’d say, dark romance and PG 13 don’t really get along
dark romance isnt for teens at all. dont gift her that.
romantasy can be anything from twilight to once upon a broken heart, the divine rivals, Beauty by Robin McKinley, maybe the shadow and bone trilogy
Does she like paranormal? The late great L.J. Smith’s Night World series is PG-13 but full of the kind of characters I think a teen who likes dark romance would enjoy while being a lot more wholesome.
It’s not dark romance but try Nora Roberts Dragonheart Prophecy or Cousins O’Dwyers or Jewels of the Sun or Chronicles of the One. They are all romance but have some supernatural in them. And not dark romance so no toxicity in the main character’s relationship. There are sex scenes but I’ve been reading Nora Roberts books since I was younger than your niece. If she’s already read some other romance, I doubt anything in there will shock her.
ETA. I read a lot of Christopher Pike when I was your nieces age. Had the supernatural element and there were a few that had romance (iirc) but these are definitely more age appropriate
Den of Shadows Quartet by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.. the first book being “In the Forests of the Night”
A Great and Terrible Beauty (trilogy) by Libba Bray. I read it when I was about 14 and it felt like a much more mature YA story than things I had previously read. But still appropriate for teens.
Shadow and Bone books by Leigh Bardugo.