I basically never read Romance, but out of sheer curiosity, I want to try.
Mainly I’m looking for something
\-not YA or teenager-focused. I’m 37 years old, I want actual grown-up literature.
\-something that isn’t purely a sappy entertaining love story, but that can stand on its own as “litfic” / “serious” literature
\-I don’t mind if it’s queer or not (as a matter of fact the only Romances I recall really enjoying were “Call me by your name” and “Acts of Worship”), smut or not, kinky or not, anything goes.
\-No overdone clichés (Quirky but shy girlboss meets brooding millionaire)
Basically if someone thinks all Romance is shallow wish-fulfillment for teenagers with no real literary merits, what would you recommend to show them otherwise? Anything goes in terms of period, subgenre, characters, tropes and so on.
by ksarlathotep
8 Comments
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
>that can stand on its own as “litfic” / “serious” literature
Trouble and Her Friends by Melissa Scott. Lesbian computer hacker ex-girlfriends must work together again due to an unforeseen circumstance. It is cyberpunk though I’d say it’s on the more “literary” end as far as that genre goes.
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunsmore
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Happy Place by Emily Henry
I would say all Emily Henry’s could fit, but this one stands out in particular as a main plot thread is how the characters have all grown up, and are no longer as care free as they were in their early twenties
One Day by David Nicholls
More emotional and literary, but one I’ve returned to many times over the years. It’s having a resurgence in popularity right now due to the Netflix show. Similarly, his book Sweet Sorrow is about two teenagers falling in love over a summer while putting on a Shakespeare play – teenage focused, but not in a cheesy way, nor is it classified as YA.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Queer sci-fi novella about two beings falling in love despite being on opposing sides of a war that places them in many different places throughout space and time.
the “spoiler alert” series by olivia dade. very cute, very funny, still down to earth
Black Silk by Judith Ivory for something historical (1850s). The 2 main characters meet/come together after the death of a man with whom they had very different relationships (a loving husband for her and a critical/judgmental former guardian for him).
The Brown Sisters trilogy is my go to rec for non romance readers
I second the recommendation for You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi – a beautiful romance that is also a stunning meditation on how to carry on living in the midst of grief. Has an age gap but not in an ick way.
If you want to go a little bit lighter, Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. The characters are in your target age bracket and I would definitely call this lit fic with a romantic plotline versus genre romance. It is romantic, and a comedy, but also has gravitas.
If you want to dabble in romantasy (romance + fantasy) with some literary merit, I loved Freya Marske’s completed trilogy that starts with “A Marvellous Light.” This is queer historical fantasy romance set in a version of Edwardian England where magicians live secretly among non-magical people.
And if you want something that would be shelved in the romance section, my favorite of Emily Henry’s is Book Lovers, which plays with the genre tropes in a fun and self-aware way. The characters are adults and along with the romance there are some really thoughtfully written family relationships.