Here is the criteria because I am super picky (unfortunately):
\- No rape, assault, etc
\- No cringy writing styles or YA disguised as Adult (this is mainly why i can’t read romance so no cringe writing or descriptions, PLEASE)
\- No forced swearing
\-No graphic or out of place spice, it can be present but must be well written
\-No cheating or any kind of infidelity
\-No divorce
Tropes I hate:
\- Amnesia, Second chance, forced proximity, forbidden love, ugly duckling, bullying, billionaire/secret billionaire, dares/bets
Might like:
\-Enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, love triangle, blind date, marriage, soulmates, holiday romance
Hated genres:
\-Historical fiction, sci-fi, most fantasy, YA, non-fiction, anything sad
Liked genres:
\- Contemporary, rom-com (though i haven’t read a good non corny one, i still like comedy), horror, mystery, thriller, fiction
by sometired20something
6 Comments
also no angst dear god
You might like the Sharing Knife series (four books) by Lois Macmaster Bujold. It’s low fantasy. No dragons, wizards or elves.
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Bellwether and/or Crosstalk by Connie Willis
Juliet Naked and/or About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Stonemouth by Ian Banks
One I read last year was The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann. It’s an asexual rom-com, which was a new POV for me.
Have a look at Marian Keyes, she writes very engaging characters and her books are rom-com while still touching on important issues, so there’s more to them than the stereotypical chicklit kind of thing. Personally I’d recommend her later books as I find some of her earlier ones lean towards perpetuation of beauty standards and social expectations, which I try to avoid, whereas her later ones seem to actively try to avoid this.
I would recommend Georgette Heyer. My favourites are The Grand Sophy and The Convenient Marriage