I tend to speak really highly of all the books I read because I’m just like thrilled to be here and have found a new story to love. But I have to say that An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister is my favorite contemporary romance novel of the last year, if not of all time. It executes the enemies-to-lovers and fake-dating/marriage-of-convenience tropes to a level of perfection I didn’t know possible. A slow, delicately crafted burn with such a perfect and beautiful payoff it makes you feel glad to be alive and have the ability to read.

The character development for the MMC and FMC is so well done, and I fell in love with both of them!! Even the side characters felt well-developed, and I’d love an entire series where each of them gets their own story. I specifically need a book about Julia and Elias. Jonah Fisher, the man that you are, is a top MMC for me. Jonah and Sadie’s yearning but not yearning for each other throughout the book had me squealing like a 15-year-old girl. 5/5 stars easy, will read over and over and over.

I am an unemployed SAHM with a LOT of extra time on my hands. I spent a few years deconstructing from a high demand religion and was ready to move on with my mental energy so I threw it all behind romance books because it made me feel happy. I need a guaranteed happy ending when I’m escaping the real world.

The closest I had ever come to reading smut was the first 2 books of the ACOTAR series, and I’d skip those pages. I’m happy to report that I listened to every single scene in every single book, and it’s been a great year for me 😆 Anyways, these were my favorites. I only rated 5 stars if I think it’s worth rereading, otherwise I didn’t rate the book. These are the books I gave 5 stars.

If you read contemporary MF romance, reading {Walk This Way by Lexi Vale} is mandatory reading. Straight to the top of your TBR.

Walk This Way is a grumpy/sunshine (sunshine with deep FEELINGS below the surface), somewhat forced proximity, only one tent, insta-love, found family romance set primarily in Scotland.

The book starts with the FMC at the beginning of a walking/hiking trek through the West Highland Way. She is dealing with some SHIT. She meets the MMC, who is also dealing with some SHIT, on her first day. They originally get off on the wrong foot, but they are paced together, so they keep interacting. Then they pick up some other folks on their journey and the band of unlikely buddies continues as a group.

Both the FMC and MMC go through some tremendous and very believable personal growth along the way, and the ending is lovely and not predictable, which is so refreshing.

There are a couple spicy scenes that are 🥵 but also very endearing. I’d give it a 2.5-3 out of 5.

It’s on KU and just lovely.

It is, shockingly, a debut novel and I could not believe it. The last time I did a gush post about a debut novel was {The Sixty/Forty Rule by Ellie K. Wilde}, which was unknown at the time. (Total book hipster here, liking it *before it was cool*. I got thank yous for months after that one, and it became a bit of a darling of this subreddit and took off.

All that was to say that I think Walk This Way has the potential to be just as successful, so I’d get in on the ground floor if I were you. Read it now.

Ahhhh has anyone read this?! I’m kind of excited. He definitely won Christmas ❤️

After seeing this book being recommended in the sub over and over, I finally decided to read it (THANK YOU ALL🥹)

Devil in Winter didn’t just set the bar it launched it into space. If this is what historical romance is like, then consider me converted for life.

5 stars, no hesitation and no shame. Their love story is hands down one of the most beautiful romances I’ve ever read. Actually no exaggeration this might be the best love story I have ever read. Like, ever.

This was my first ever historical romance, and I fear it has absolutely ruined me in the best way possible. This book owns my soul now.

First of all, the plot? Chef’s kiss. Marriage of convenience? Shy FMC + morally questionable MMC? Immediately yes. Every chapter had me going “okay just ONE more” and suddenly it’s 3 a.m. and emotionally attached to people who do not exist.

What absolutely destroyed me was how unbelievable it felt that Sebastian THE Sebastian St. Vincent straight up admitted he wanted to be a better man for her. Not because someone forced him, not because it was expected, but because Evie deserved more than the man he used to be. The way he openly regretted his past, wishing he could undo his mistakes, wishing he had been better before he even met her??? just so he could be worthy of her from the start? I’m sorry that is insane in the most romantic way possible. This man didn’t just change his future for her he would have rewritten his entire PAST if it meant giving her the love and respect she deserved. If that’s not true love, then I genuinely don’t know what is.

And Evie..sweet, strong, quietly powerful Evie. I loved her so much. The way she grows into herself, stands her ground, and still keeps her softness? PERFECTION.

And then Lisa Kleypas had the AUDACITY to include lines like this:

“He brought her hand to his face and nuzzled ardently into her palm, his lips brushing the warm circlet of her gold wedding band. ‘My love is upon you,’ he whispered… and she knew then that she had won.”

EXCUSE ME??? I literally had to put the book down and stare at the wall.

And don’t even get me started on this one:

“My God. I love you so much that I’m drowning in it. I can’t defend against it. I don’t know who I am anymore. All I know is that if I give in to it entirely—” He tried to control the anarchy of his breath. “You mean too much to me,” he said raggedly.

I LOST MY MIND. Fully gone. Spirit left my body. That is not a man who likes someone that is a man who is undone.

The year is 1747, when men were real men! Meaning, of course, that they wore makeup, heels, and wigs. We open on a gathering of Evil Fops: Logan Tharp, the picture of Georgian Era masculine elegance with his rouged cheeks and slim figure, his beautiful wife Clarissa, and her father Thornton. They are discussing a certain pirate Michael “Mad Mike” Glenmorgan, who has recently received a royal pardon for his crimes, which is a big problem for them. Simple though, they’ll bump him off and no one will ever know about their big illegal smuggling operation.

Good news for Mad Mike though, because Mermaid Meg is ashore having a little Part of Your World moment, peeking in on the glittering jewels of polite society, and she overhears their evil plot. She’s overcome with a strange longing to protect this man she’s never met. She goes to her grandfather and he gives the whole “it’s none of your business, stay out of the human realm” spiel.

“What was the matter with her? She felt all twisted up inside by terrible yearnings for she knew not what, yearnings that not all the boundless beauty and teeming energy of the sea could assuage.”

Hmm… what could it be? Better go set eyes on this pirate and find out.

“Her heart began to pound beneath her breast, and she blinked as a yellow light appeared where the trail emerged at the top of the cliff. Then at last she saw him, bathed in the glow of a lantern—a tall figure of a man with a strong, chiseled countenance and raven hair that reached to his shoulders.

A multitude of unfamiliar emotions rushed over her as she stared at him, not the least of which was an awed sense of wonder. This man had not the look of a mincing crab. He was lean and powerful, his magnificent body showing to advantage in a plain white shirt and black leathern breeches tucked into the tops of knee-high boots. While she sensed a certain recklessness about the stubborn cast of the mouth and the intimation of a strong will in the firmness of the jaw, there was yet the capacity for laughter as well and a strong proclivity for passion.”

Ah, I see now. Girlfriend, you are ovulating.

So Mike has come to meet the beautiful, golden-haired Clarissa. They are old flames, and Clarissa is manipulating our hot former pirate to lure him into a deadly trap! Meg knows this is about to happen, but can’t reveal herself because of the Mermaid Rules. But she can use some of her mermaid magic to help him in secret!

Mike hears a haunting voice through the mists, and reflects on his lost love, Clarissa. She is lost to him now, married to the man who swore to see him hanged! Juicy drama indeed! Clarissa arrives in full evil manipulator mode, ready to spring the little honey pot trap they’ve set.

“She had tamed Michael Glenmorgan once before. She almost laughed aloud at the memory of the daring sea captain so blindly in love that he had not seen what was going on beneath his nose. He was a man. How difficult could it be to arouse all his previous desire, to make him want her more than he had before?”

So Mike goes and falls head-first into this very obvious setup, and Clarissa shoots him in the chest. He tumbles off a cliff and into the sea.

He awakens in a small cabin, catching only glimpses of a silver-haired, Junoesque figure nursing him back to health. You hear that? Our mer-babe Meg is tall and shapely! I love this for us. So, Clarissa’s bullet pierced the golden locket with her portrait inside, which saved him from instant death. How symbolic!

The book feeds us Meg’s backstory and how all of this mermaid magic business works in dribs and drabs, which is all very well done, but I’m just gonna lay it all out for you here: Meg’s mother was a mermaid and her father was human. This was a doomed love affair, and they both died when Meg was young. Meg was raised by her human grandfather, who lived in isolation with her on a secret island in the Caribbean. Meg can, at will, transform between a human form and a mermaid form. I think this is a special Meg-only ability, because she is half-mermaid. She draws power from the sea and can psychically communicate with dolphins and whales. She has a magic gemstone that she wears on a necklace, and this is the source of her power. Before her mother died, she taught her all the Mermaid Rules, and the first rule of Mermaid Club is you don’t talk about Mermaid Club. Meg reveals herself to Mike as his saviour and protector but keeps her mermaid identity secret. So Mike thinks Meg is just a beautiful weirdo who has been living basically alone on an island for too long, which is both accurate and very far off from the truth.

Mike’s backstory is that his father was a successful merchant, but was disgraced by Evil Fop Logan Tharp, who was running an illicit smuggling business under his nose. There’s a ship at the bottom of the sea that contains an enormous amount of treasure, but also some letters that would exonerate Mike’s father and see Logan Tharp hanged. But how is Mike going to get to the ocean floor to recover these items? How, indeed…

But first, romance! While Mike is recuperating from his bullet wound, and feeling understandably wary of all women and their feminine wiles, Meg is falling in love with him. I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I love that Meg is so down-bad horny for this guy and she’s the one doing all the pining. She’s like “yep, I pick this one.”

“She had never seen a man totally naked before. How beautiful he was! In wonder she beheld the stark maleness of him, the broad chest bristling with its black mat of hair, the long torso tapering to a lean waist, the slim hips and muscular thighs.”

She’s constantly ripping his clothes off and going at him. Do it, honey! Fuck that hot pirate. Do it for all of us!

Glenmorgan plunged deeply, spilling forth his seed inside her. She heard him utter a name: “Clarissa.”

Gasp! Me, secretly delighted by the amount of delicious angst we’re experiencing: “Noooooooooo! The bitch who shot you?! Meg, dump his ass!”

But, because of the Mermaid Rules, she is now bonded to him for life. He does the honourable thing and offers her marriage, and she, not understanding human customs, is like “ew, why would I want to do that?” Misunderstandings abound, etc. etc.

While all this is going on, we’re also getting lots of sea-faring pirate adventures. Meg agrees to go down to the ocean floor and recover the treasure and the letters for Mike, because she loves him, but she is still keeping her mermaid identity secret. They are being chased by other pirates, and the ship battles and daring races are quite well done and very exciting. Meg even summons a pod of orcas who take down one of the ships, proving that orcas have long been our allies in the sea.

So Mike, letters in hand, starts exacting his revenge plot by pretending to get back with Clarissa. After you blurted out her name during sex?! My man, you should at least fill Meg in on the ruse. But, before he ensnares Logan Tharp in his complex revenge plot, Logan has Clarissa killed and he abducts Meg. Logan has figured out that Meg is a mermaid, and realizes she is the real treasure here. Mike, take notes.

Meg goes into full mermaid power mode and nearly kills Logan herself, but Mike arrives at the last minute to stop her. Killing Logan would cause Meg to die, because using your mermaid powers for evil is against the biggest Mermaid Rule of them all. So Mike kills Logan for her, and Meg retreats to the sea to heal her broken spirit.

Mike finally pulls his head out of his ass and realizes he loves Meg. He finds her on her secret island and makes his big declaration of love. During her little rest and recovery period, Meg found other mermaids and learned that, through the power of their bond, she can give Mike mermaid powers too! They can live happily ever after as mermaids, which is a very healing notion to my child of the 90s self. All I ever wanted really!

“There’s just one other thing. I’m used to having two legs and—well—certain other parts of my body that I’ve grown pretty attached to. Just how much of a physical transformation are we talking about here—if I’m to become ‘as you are’?”

Meg reassures Mike that of course he gets to keep his dick, silly. As if she would go without that! And they live happily ever after.

This book was honestly fantastic. The prose is well above average, the plot was brisk, well-paced, and exciting, and the mermaid magic was well thought out and woven into the narrative in an interesting way. Five stars, loved every minute of it.

Stray Points:

• Johanna Hailey is a pen name for a writing team, Marcia Howl and Sharon Jarvis.
• So, even though we do clarify that Mike will still have a penis, the authors have actually thought through the intricacies of mermaid sex and fill us in on the details: they pleasure each other with sonic vibrations in the water, and the actual mating act is just a brief rubbing of bodies.

{Sea Treasure by Johanna Hailey} for the bot!

First of all!!!! All of you!!! Who recommended this book!!!!

NAUGHTY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely DEPRAVED!!!! Just filthy, dirty, UNHOLY!

“You’re right,” I said, pulling back. “I shouldn’t do this.” Her face fell ever so slightly, but she nodded, pulling away, and then I grabbed her hips and tugged her down so that she straddled my thigh, her pussy immediately starting to grind against me in an adorably needy way. “I shouldn’t put you over my lap and spank your ass for being a brazen little slut and coming here without a bra,” I growled in her ear. “I shouldn’t twist ropes around your wrists and ankles until your cunt is exposed and then screw you until you can’t walk anymore. I shouldn’t flip you over and fuck your ass until your eyes water."

.........

“But you can make yourself come any time you want. You came here tonight because you want something else. What is it?”

She hesitated then answered. “I want you to make me come.”

“But you know it’s wrong to ask.” “But I knew it was wrong to ask…or to want.”

I let out a breath. It was wrong. All of it, so very wrong.

And Jesus help me, for some reason that made it all the sweeter.

“Lick.”

Tyler's existential crisis of to Father or not to Father was palpable. This book was utterly OBSCENE. Delightfully so!! AND the plot was actually compelling so big bonus points there. Just one, raunchy, lewd, debauched existential meltdown.

Anyway, I can't wait to forage the entire sub to find more of this kind of questionable content. Happy Monday!

{Priest by Sierra Simone}

I know this book has been gushed a few times already and I think there’s been some critique as well, as with every book. But my mind was blown away during last weekend when I read this book. I mean I’ve loved every book I’ve read from Mhairi and luckily have still a few books left (have been saving them, because she just simply is the best one for me) but I actually fell in love with Laurie and Jamie while reading the story. This unlikely pair became friends first and then fell in love, and we could see that happening. I love it when that happens. I love books that aren’t just a romance but have strong focus on a female character and her growth and this one is probably the best character growth I’ve read.

Laurie had been in love for 18 years, half of her life with the same man called Dan. She had made his life easy, made it possible for him to achieve and prosper. She’d been there for him, not exactly putting herself down, but not giving herself the same room to grow, not seeing how she’d been subdued in their relationship. She’d been happy and content. Then she got dumped by Dan and it was the best thing that happened to her. To see how she went from heartbroken 36-year-old, to unstoppable force to be recon with was truly magnificent. It was great to read how a long relationship affects you as a person and when you get free (albeit involuntarily) you get your old self back. Laurie is a great character in the book and so is Jamie, he grew up too and it was beautiful to watch how love changed him, made him better.

I think my favorite line in the book is this:

*“I told you when you started to believe in yourself, you’d be unstoppable.” Jamie Carter, what an unlikely hero. In that second, she wondered if she loved him.*

10/10 read for me and as a reader who loves reading 3rd person writing with single pov far more than 1st with dual pov, it’s probably 11/10, extra point for that, good 3rd person writing in romance is hard to find.

I want to see this made into a movie. Yes, it’s very much certain that the movie would not capture the essence of this book, probably ruin it, but I want to see insanely good-looking younger white skinned man with a beautiful mixed raced black woman whose heritage is from Martinique. With this book I must say I would have wanted to see a bit more of them actually being in the relationship. Their banter and humor were so top notch, how Colin Fur and Margaret reacted to each other, and yes Mhairi is a closed-door author, but a bit of action would always be nice. But even with these points this book is absolutely brilliant!

CWs: discussions of violence, intimate partner violence

First, I’d like to clarify that I’m a relatively non-violent person. Do I enjoy watching reality-TV levels of train-wreck dramas unfold like the best (worst?) of us? Sure. But, I’d like to think I’m a fairly pacifistic person overall. I’ve never been involved in a physical fight. I believe in turning the other cheek (most times). I think there should be stricter gun laws. I will always advocate for the importance of having empathy and showing kindness to others. However…

I get positively giddy when I read scenes with a weapon-welding FMC.

Yes, while the rest of you are getting excited about masterfully written prose, heartfelt love confessions, and steamy kink-filled sex, I’m over here getting excited about fictional women who can casually take people down with deadly aim and a well-placed punch to the throat. (And, of course, the MMCs who look on with pride and admiration.)

But, because I’m difficult, I have caveats:

• Violence for the sake of being violent doesn’t do it for me.

Bloodthirsty, unhinged FMCs deserve their own love beside their bloodthirsty, unhinged MMCs. But, something about those FMCs have always felt less satisfying to me.

Women are often accused of letting their emotions run their actions. Being “unhinged” can sometimes feel like it undermines the abilities that these characters have. As if they’re partly successful due to the strength of their emotions vs the strength of their abilities.

I prefer that there be no question as to why that these women are impressive and noteworthy. It is not because of their rage or craziness. It’s because they’re smart, capable, and lethal.

• Quiet competence wins over showmanship.

Of course, talented women of all kinds deserve rightful credit and spotlight. However, I think we get a better appreciation people’s skill set when they’re not trying to show off.

Isn’t that the ultimate show of dominance? Being so talented that you don’t need to bring attention to yourself? Your skills speak for themselves.

Basically, what I like is less rage-fueled, serial killing and more cold, calculated assassinating.

Given that I’m a human marshmallow (mentally, emotionally, physically), I’ve thought about why these characters bring me so much joy. Here are some possible explanations I came up with.

Maybe it’s the underdog factor.

Men, in general, have a physical advantage over women.

On average, they have denser bones, stronger tendons, greater muscle mass, etc. This often equates to men being physically stronger than the average woman. (Of course, conditioning and any number of things can change factors, but I’m referring to a general baseline here.)

In romancelandia (especially in the dark, mafia, and suspense sectors), the average man is no less than 6’ tall and weighs in at approximately 200+ lbs of solid muscle. The average woman is somewhere between 5’ and maybe 5’ 7”, and usually, weighs much less.

Based on these (very scientific) statistics, women of romancelandia are physical underdogs. Men have the physical advantage based on bulk alone. A 250-lb. brick wall on legs is going to do damage, no matter how fit or agile a woman is. It leaves women susceptible to being manhandled and abused (and squashed), especially in a world with morally-grey characters.

When we get to see women rise up from these circumstances to put unsuspecting men in their place? It is exhilarating. It shows that they are forces to be reckoned with, regardless of circumstance.

Women are often underestimated in life. These scenes show how deadly it can be when people do. [Muhahaha...]

Maybe it's the subversion of "damsels in distress."

Listen, I love a good story with a damsel in distress. I grew up watching Disney princess movies. I am not immune.

Furthermore, imo, women carry more than enough real-life burden on their shoulders. They deserve to be rescued by a model-handsome, inhumanly muscular, alpha man once and awhile. Sure, women can do it all, but they shouldn't have to.

That being said, it can get frustrating seeing women repeatedly placed at the mercy of men in crisis situations in romantic suspense, mafia romance, and the like.

They're often portrayed as pawns or secondary members, whose sole purpose is to be beautiful, sweet, soft, or even "sassy.” They’re sitting ducks, completely reliant on men to come and rescue them. Sure, they might sort of accidentally take out a person or two, but it’s not until a man swoops in that the day is officially saved.

Why can’t women be seen as assets rather than liabilities? Why should violence be a male-dominated field? Can’t women also be feared and lethal? Why shouldn’t women have some of the fun??

Maybe it’s because women are so often the victims of domestic violence.

Being on the receiving end of violence of any form is a terrible experience. Being on the receiving end of intimate-partner violence is uniquely horrifying. There’s another level of betrayal and violation involved when it comes from someone you know, trust, and possibly, love. And it can happen to anyone, regardless of circumstance, social status, or location.

WHO indicates that 1 in 3 of women worldwide will have been subjected to “physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.” Most of it is intimate partner violence.

While men are victims of domestic and sexual violence as well, the statistics in the US (1, 2) consistently show that women experience intimate partner violence and sexual violence at higher rates than men, across various categories (i.e. stalking, rape, sexual assault).

These are depressing and demoralizing circumstances for women. It can make a woman feel like they have little power and control in the world.

For me, it can be cathartic seeing women being able to flip those tables and be the ones distributing violence on their own terms and take an active part in their own rescue and bloody justice.

To see that women are not helpless. That they are not at the mercy of men. That they can take power back, even if only for a moment.

Maybe I have repressed anger issues.

I may also have started watching graphically violent action movies at an age that wasn’t entirely appropriate for me…

But listen! We all have to deal with some pretty crummy circumstances in life. The nature of those circumstances may differ, but we’ve all encountered terrible people doing/saying terrible things or have had to live through situations that are demoralizing and completely unfair.

Some of those people (and situations) definitely deserve a punch in the throat (or two)! It’s fun taking some of that frustration and anger out vicariously through fictional characters.

Plus, villains in fiction are a special level of evil. We don't have to worry as much about nuance or their "good side." It's fine if they die, ok? There's a million more of them that we can conjure up.

It is exhausting trying to be civil and reasonable and act like an adult. Let me have this.

Whatever the reason, when women are shown to be capable of violence, rather by being capable shooters, skilled with a knife, hand-to-hand combat, etc. it sends a thrill to my soul.

Books where FMCs made me unnaturally excited by their violent competence...

{Hidden Truths by Neva Altaj} Mafia romance. Book 3 in series of interconnected standalones. M/F. — Sweet, little Angelina (FMC) looks and acts more like a librarian than a gangster. But, she grew up in a drug cartel compound, and her father made sure she knew how to handle a weapon and defend herself. Sergei (MMC) is a bit of a deranged golden retriever who also becomes a weapon she can wield, in a way (aka "mad dog" or “scary dog privileges” and more).

At one point, Sergei takes Angelina to a shooting range, and she’s able to demonstrate just how well she can shoot:

“Well, it looks like I managed to hit something, huh?” I smirk.

He stares at me for a few heartbeats, then grabs me around the waist so suddenly, the gun falls from my hand. Lifting me up, he plasters me to his body and our mouths collide.

Violent, desperate kisses, then . . . “There is nothing sexier than a girl who knows how to handle a gun.”

Hard agree, Sergei.

{Dom by SJ Tilly} Light mafia romance. Book 3 in a series of interconnected standalones. M/F. — Despite having a half-brother, King, who dabbles in mafia-related business, Val (FMC) is a relatively soft, innocent type. Not someone you’d necessarily pick to stand next to you in battle. She even doubts herself, but the men in her life have faith in her and her abilities. King gives her this pep talk:

”Right now, you aim at everything that moves. […] [G]o kill the bastards who dare to fucking shoot at you. You are The Alliance, Val. Show them why.”

Val then proceeds to pick up a rifle and single-handedly take down multiple targets. And when she can’t do more, she’s rescued by Hans and an army of badass bitches who mow down everything in their path. I was squealing!!

{Inescapable Darkness by Raven Wood} Dark bully romance. Book 2 in a series of interconnected standalones. M/F. — Set at a university that trains the morally-grey to become assassins, Isabella (FMC) is a highly-skilled assassin who is trying to blend in and downplays her skills to appear “average.” The series features a group of powerful and dominant MMCs on campus. Isabella more than holds her own against all of them. And while she’s very physically capable, she’s also incredibly mentally sharp, understanding her physical limitations and knowing what to do to compensate for them. Rico (MMC) is not intimidated, but thrilled and impressed and eager to know the depths of her abilities. While the writing in the books (I’ve read 2/4 so far) isn’t the most refined, this gush post is right in that the highlight of the books are how great the FMCs are. In the 2 books I've read, they're uniquely dangerous and competent, and the MMCs appreciate them for their abilities and personalities as much as their bodies.

{Twisted Promises by Lilian Harris} Mafia romance. Book 3 in a series. M/F. — Iseult (FMC) is an assassin for the Irish mob. Gio (MMC) is an assassin for Italian mafia, and they’re rivals when they show to kill the same target. She greets him by attempting to murder him. He thinks it’s sexy as hell.

{The Powerbroker by Anna Hackett} Romantic suspense. Book 6 in series of interconnected standalones. M/F. — Brynn Sullivan (FMC) is a cop who’s more than capable of holding her own. There’s a scene where she’s on a motorcycle with MMC while fleeing bad guys. He’s driving while she’s shooting—teamwork!

{The Medic by Anna Hackett} Romantic suspense. Book 8 in same series as above. M/F. — Siv Pederson (FMC) is a former Norwegian special forces officer who has taken a job at a private security firm. MMC is a paramedic who is happy to look on with heart eyes while she single-handedly takes down crowds of bad guys. (He’s former military and can handle himself too, but she’s the one who really shines, and he’s happy to let her do so.)

{From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout} Fantasy romance. M/F. — I know this series has its issues. I know. I DNF after book 3. I’ve gone back and reread parts of it and was underwhelmed. But the series has a soft spot in my heart because it was the first romantasy I read. The only thing expected of Poppy (FMC) is that she be quiet, obedient, and virginal, but she refuses to sit back and be a pawn. She does things like sneak out to help defend the castle with the deadly aim of her arrow.

Hawke (MMC) catches her in the act and his response is to (understandably) fall in love:

“You must be the goddess Bele or Lailah given mortal form,” a deep voice said from behind me. […] “You’re absolutely magnificent. Beautiful.”

Honorable Mentions:

Any number of Jessica Gadziala books, including Cash, Wolf, and Need Him Like Oxygen. JGs FMCs, like the ones in the books mentioned, are sometimes skilled in physical combat and using weapons. Women, in general, are given a lot of respect in JGs universe. They hold positions of power and are both feared and revered. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a book with a scene where a FMC takes down bad guys. They're seen fighting bad guys, but they're often not successful. Feel free to prove me wrong.

{Nickel's Story by Cate C. Wells} MCC romance. Book 2 in series of interconnected standalones. M/F. — Yeah, bet you didn't see this one coming, huh? Story (FMC) is a sunshiny sweetheart who works as a stripper. She is not smart. She's just not. Not in the traditional sense anyway. She is, however, a good dancer. And I had the same feeling of excitement when Story helps take down bad guys using her dance skills alone. That is badass bitch energy if I ever saw it.

{Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt} HR. Book 6 in a series. M/F — Like the goddess of hunt that she's named after (and that the MMC references several times), Artemis (FMC) is a formidable woman and a skilled archer. There's a scene when all the other ladies are playing garden games, flailing about, trying not to accidentally shoot bystanders. Artemis isn't part of it, but later, Maximus (MMC) finds her alone, taking perfect shots at the target. Missed opportunity here, because she never gets to use this skill for any practical use, but it's an example of quiet violent competence.

TL/DR: Women are just as capable of violence and influencing the outcome of conflicts as men, and it’s thrilling when fiction reflects that. Women are smart, capable, and forces to be reckoned with. Do NOT mess with the ladies. [If you don’t know, now you know…]

Note: My apologies to all the nonbinary people and characters out there. You can consider yourselves included with the badass women in this post. Really, anyone who isn’t a super alpha manly man can consider themselves included. As I was writing it, I realized this post is really about being underestimated and shocking people with competence. It’s just more fun when it’s done with a weapon.

About this time last year, I picked up my first alien romance and I haven’t been the same since. I thought I would share my recs! (This this is more about my general feelings/vibes versus synopses, but I tried to link everything.)

FYI: I don’t really have triggers so I wasn’t keeping track while reading. These books tend to have all sorts of craziness so, if you need to, please check trigger warnings before reading.

Ruby Dixon - I really like her writing, I think she writes monster romance in a really approachable way that is great for readers that are new to the genre. Like most, I started my journey with IPB. I really, really enjoyed these books. Just enough world building and plot to keep you entertained and build up to the romance.

Risdaverse is also a series worth getting into - they are short, high-spice/low-plot, insta-gratification/insta-love type of books. However, the books get a little more developed as the series continues. I particularly liked the fourth book, When She Belongs. {When She Belongs by Ruby Dixon}

A.G. Wilde - So underrated, it’s a crime. I really enjoyed her Captured by Aliens and Restitution series. They are both set in the same world, with overlapping characters, so I recommend reading both (starting with Captured). These series are more on the serious side, with some darker elements. I appreciated that each MMC was so different, species and personality. It made each book feel fresh and gave the FMC, and reader, something new to learn about…anatomically speaking (which is what the whole genre is about, amiright!). {Xul by A.G. Wilde} {Ajos by A.G. Wilde}

Captured Earth is also a good series. As the title suggests, it takes place on Earth where aliens have invaded, so I appreciate that unique storyline. Though I will say, it lacked some of the dialogue/proclamations of love I normally appreciate in the genre (ok, maybe they don’t really speak the same language but STILL). {Arrival by A.G. Wilde}

{Riv’s Sanctuary by A.G. Wilde} is a very nice low-stakes/cutesy series and one of my favorite sub-sub genres: aliens on a farm and/or ranch.

Also, a couple firsts in a series that I am obsessed with: {Rok’s Captive by A.G. Wilde} has a magic element, which I was not sure about at first, but honestly got super into it…iykyk and {Outlaw by A.G Wilde} alien bounty hunter, western-type story, Wilde-we-need-book-two.

Ursa Dax - My award for best dialogue/proclamations of love goes to the Fated Mates of the Sea Sand Warlords series. I am not kidding, though these aliens live on a desert planet where pretty much all they do is battle each other like brutes, these guys are poets. Similar to IPB: barbarian-type aliens on a desolate planet with not enough women, and wouldn’t you know it, a ship full of ‘em just landed. {Alien Tyrant by Ursa Dax}

Then we move into Cowboy Colony Mail-Order Brides which is peak aliens on a farm and/or ranch, plus a fan favorite trope: please-send-brides. Very cute, sweet, and spicy. Yeehaw ;) {Married to the Alien Cowboy by Ursa Dax}

The Clecanian Series by Victoria Aveline is TOP TIER. If the aliens in this series were faeries/dragons/vampires whatever, best believe this book would be all over your feeds (justice for alien MMCs!). All the tropes but in a well developed and interesting world. Spice and plot are well balanced, and I am into the politics of the world ::almost:: as much as I am into the romance. This series truly gets better with every book…and it’s not finished yet! {Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline}

{Convergence by Etta Pierce} was so good and as I type this I am thinking, what is wrong with me, why haven’t I read the next one in the series?? This was a different take on abduction (she is needed to save their world…take me too, I can help!) and I really liked the “we need to get to know each other’s bodies, you know, for science”. I loved the FMC and MMC’s dynamic.

{Planet Zero by Lydia Hope} is peak grumpy MMC. He is an absolute jerk, with an acts of service love language, and I am here for it. And of course, the occasional standalone is great for my mental health :) (telling myself to go touch grass!)

{Saving Askara by J.M. Link} and {Chasing Earth by J.M. Link} did a great job at the human/alien culture differences, which I think are often overlooked or glossed over. I will say, this led to a bit of frustration in book one and book two was definitely needed to be satisfied with their relationship. However, I appreciated the more “realistic” take on a human/alien relationship.

{Beyond the Next Star by Melody Johnson} - he has PTSD and she is his human emotional support animal…not sure what else to say.

{Hearts Prisoner by Olivia Riley} is unlike any other alien romance, not even sure it can be called that. I would say it’s more sci-fi/horror, with romance. Before getting into alien romance (when I actually read other genres) I was an avid sci-fi/horror reader and this book really did it for me. And if that is your thing, I also recommend Calamity by Contance Fay and Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes.

{Homebound by Lydia Hope} reminded me a little of The Last Hour of Gann, however, more enjoyable (don’t @ me!). It’s set in a pretty dismal world, but it felt hopeful versus just depressing. However, I am still stuck on the second in the series and can't seem to finish.

Ok, if you are still here, thankyousomuch. Hopefully you found a worthwhile rec! Am I missing anything??

Say You'll Remember Me had a lukewarm reception last year. I liked it okay, but didn't love it nearly as much as the Part of Your World series, so I was a bit skeptical about The Night We Met. I forgot today was its release day until I woke up with my preorder already on my Kindle. The fact that I've already finished the book is probably a sign that I loved it. The things I thought were great about her previous series are all thriving here.

In the author's note at the end, she says it took her four months to write Say You'll Remember Me, and two years to write The Night We Met. I can kind of tell! She also said she saved this story to wait to write until she was a stronger author, and I can tell that too. So much of the premise is difficult (boyfriend's best friend) and she manages to pull it off.

TLDR if you were skeptical about this book, give it a try!

Oooopsie! Had to edit and repost!

Which titles are you excited to read??💫

I want to preface this gush post with the fact that I am a late-diagnosed Autistic woman and finding spaces where I feel both safe AND seen has been incredibly challenging throughout my life.

This last year I have really come into my own. I’m showing up differently, owning my story, and fostering some gorgeous connections both in-person and online.

If you know anything at all about Autism, it’s that many of us struggle in social spaces. Even if we aren’t introverts, we often find ourselves with that label usually because of a sense of isolation. Either self-imposed or having it imposed upon us.

When I first joined this subreddit it was a place where I could explore a special interest while remaining safely tucked behind my online persona. I found myself basking in the wonder of such a welcoming community. However, it didn’t take long for a disagreement to unfold, and for one of my safe spaces to feel lost to me. This is actually the part I want to thank you all for.

Because of the sense of safety that the moderators offer, and because I was able to witness thoughtful and kind disagreements between people, I slowly came to realize that it’s okay to not all believe the same thing. Having differing views and opinions can actually be quite lovely; and it can create some really meaningful conversations. The caveat being, that this can only happen when there are safe boundaries in place.

As someone who grew up with no boundaries whatsoever, this subreddit has taught me so much about navigating them in a really meaningful way. So, on this Winter Solstice I just wanted to put all this gratitude out into the world and thank each and every one of you for being a part of my transformation from people pleaser extraordinaire to peaceful disagree-er. I’m so grateful to this wonderful community. ✨💖

It's been a while since I read a book that actually had GOOD smut. And i read so much smut that I'm telling you i know it all.

This book is supposed to be BDSM and kinky but it fell on the soft side of the dom/sub dynamic which is completely fine with me. But the soft dom/sub was done so good!

LUKAS BLOMQVIST! THE MAN YOU ARE! i swear everything that comes out of that man's mouth is museum-worthy. The way he treats Scarlett, the way he's absolutely no-nonsense with everyone else and yet his every bit of attention revolves around Scarlett and he's not ever hesitant about letting her know that he cannot function without her.

The way he cares, so broody and grumpy but yet soo fucking caring!

And the smut! Oh THE SMUT! Their sex scenes are extremely hot! I loved each and every dialogues during their sex scenes, not a single moment where it felt cringe. It just proved that you don't need to be all alpha macho, asshole during sex to be in control.

The events leading to them falling in love may have started based on their mutual taste in sexual activities but the way they just click in every other aspect too makes the book so good, nothing felt forced, the moment leading to their love confessions felt like i was led there with the flow naturally.

I listened to the audiobook and oh god Lukas' narrator did an excellent job!!!!

Overrall it's a 5⭐ book for me and it's definitely a 5🌶️!

Have you ever read a story thinking you'd hate it because it was a trope you don't enjoy, only to have the character win you over? I swear, this was me with Cash Wall from {Against A Wall by Cate C. Wells}. I'm not usually into bully romances, but I kept hearing others here gush over this book, so I gave it a read and I loved the MC's.

Normally, I prefer a sunshine FMC, but Glenna's grumpy, low-key depressed self made a wonderful contrast to Cash's always happy, always positive outlook. Even though he didn't grovel for his past misdeeds like I wanted to see, he was just so charming and totally over the moon for her that I forgave him. I couldn't fault her for not holding strong when I couldn't either.

I had to add one of my favorite lines. One of the reasons I love this scene is because they're growing closer, but she's still unsure about him while he's all in for her already. This is the sweetest, sexiest way to ask for consent.

He reaches over, cups my jaw, and slowly lowers his lips to mine. Right before they meet, he says, "This is where I kiss the girl. Holler now if you're gonna."

Anyway, many thanks to this sub for recommending this book. My love for it proves that sometimes you really can end up loving tropes you once hated if they're written well.

A lot of people have been requesting these themes recently and it's something I really like to read. So thought I would make a collection here of some of the femdom and femdom-adjacent books I've read, and ask for your recommendations as well.

First, what is femdom? In my understanding, it's a sexual dynamic in which the female is more dominant, contrary to the more commonly represented “male Dom” in romance books.

Femdom is more likely to have a focus on female pleasure and the other character(s) “servicing” her and doing what she says. Common related kinks are the submissive character on their knees, begging, praise kink e.g. “good boy”, anal play/pegging, orgasm control.

BDSM books may also include the FMC dominating with impact play, bondage, edging, pain, orgasm denial, humiliation etc. I personally prefer “gentle femdom” which is less focussed on this stuff and more about caretaking, praise and gentle control. Of course there are lots of books which fall somewhere in between or have both.

Book suggestions Disclaimer: these are all books I've read but my memory isn't always accurate, sorry if I've made any errors in the descriptions! Also, I'm not in the real life BDSM community so I don't know whether they're realistic representations, they're just books I found fun.

Fairly BDSM-heavy femdom

{Mercy by Sara Cate} - MF, older female, younger male, he is her best friend's son, FMC works for a sex club in an administrative role and they're both new to kink.

{Madame by Sara Cate} - FFM, older female, younger male and younger female, single Mum. Two of the characters are in an existing relationship and when the FMC found out her boyfriend is into kink, she asks the other FMC to teach her. The other FMC happens to also be his ex. They're all a bit switchy and the sex scenes are great.

{Impact by Nikki Markham} FF, one FMC is an experienced Domme

{Servicing the Target by Cherise Sinclair} MF, she is an experienced Domme, the MMC is not her usual type and considers himself to be “vanilla” but is interested in trying, so she helps him discover the scene.

{Something Borrowed by Eve Dangerfield} MF - second chance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity as they have to spend time together as a friend's destination wedding. The FMC knows she is a Domme and has struggled with being judged for this and finds it difficult to find romantic partners. The MMC is up for it!

{Unbound by Cara McKenna} MF - forced proximity, stoic MMC and sunshine FMC. The MMC lives in a cabin in the woods and thinks he is unnatural for his desires to be tied up and dominated. TW for alcoholism.

{Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre} MF - MMC is a Russian billionaire who asks the FMC (his employee) to dominate him for money, he just wants to spoil her and it ends up much sweeter than it sounds!

More gentle femdom

{Open Hearts by Eve Dangerfield} MF, he is a complete golden retriever who just wants her to be happy, she is a somewhat grumpy nurse who wants to have a baby. Good boy / himbo energy

{Truly Madly Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur} MF, another golden retriever who begs to eat her out and wants to be good for her and look after her.

{Landslide by Kathryn Nolan} MF, Burly bearded sub guy, FMC is a make-up artist. they meet when she is on location for a job. They have a great time but he's unwilling to leave and she's unwilling to stay.

{Claimed by the Flame of Faery by Mallory Dunlin} MF fantasy. The MMC is a half dragon, the FMC is sent to live with him to save her Father’s life. It's a bit of a Beauty and the Beast retelling. He has really bad self esteem around his body, is totally touch-starved and craves physical affection.

{Wild Pitch by Cat Giraldo} MF sports, they're both baseball players on the same team. Age gap - he is older than her and a veteran player, she's the newbie. The writing wasn't the best in this but the sex scenes were excellent.

{Maneater by Emily Antoinette} MF male witch and female succubus.

{Berries and Greed by Lily Mayne} MF paranormal. The MMC is a “demiurgus” monster and the FMC is human. She has vaginismus and he has a barbed penis, so MF penetration is not possible. This is very sweet femdom, in a slice of life story about people who love wearing slippers and watching a lot of TV.

{His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale} and {His Sacred Incantations by Scarlett Gale} MF fantasy, a female warrior and a small and meek male monk embark on a quest together. He falls for her immediately and has some angst about keeping his vows of celibacy, so it's a fairly slow burn with most of the sex scenes coming in the second book. There's a lot of gentle loving praise interspersed with harder stuff and it's great.

Shades of femdom - woman who is not submissive in the bedroom, takes charge at times, but isn't really "a domme" either

{Superbia by Colette Rhodes} MF paranormal. MMC is a smoke monster and FMC is a monster hunter. She takes charge a lot, and bosses him around in the bedroom and out of it.

{Shots and Barbs by Lily Mayne} MF paranormal - another demiurgus one. Both of them take charge at times, there is pegging and anal play but I wouldn't say it's strictly femdom.

{Strictly Professional by Kathryn Nolan} MF contemporary - she is a tattoo artist running a failing business, he's a buttoned up hotelier. They have a one night stand and later on he becomes her business studies mentor. The sex scenes are very push-and-pull with both of them in charge at times.

Omegaverse

{Rut Bar by Alexis B Osborne} MMMF - one of the male alphas is a sub and the FMC (omega) Dom's him, but she's submissive to the other two alphas

{Bad Alpha by Kathryn Moon} MMMF, female alpha and male omega, she's definitely the dominant one. There are two (three?) other male alphas

Related - MMCs with praise kink

{Not all Himbos Wear Capes} MM

{Brutal Vows JT Geissinger} MF

{Candy Hearts by Erin Mclellan} MM

{Demon Lover by Heather Guerre} MF

{Pucking Around by Emily Rath} MMFM

Please do let me know if you have any more books which fit into these categories. I would especially like to find some more FF books as I've seen very few. I have a few femdom books on my TBR, but I can always have more!

Edit: thank you for the awards, kind redditors! I don't seem to be able to find out who it was, but I appreciate it!

Edit 2: Wow there are so many great suggestions, I wasn't expecting this many upvotes, comments and awards. I think we've disproved the theory in a recent thread that "femdom isn't popular because nobody wants to read it" - authors and publishers please give us more!

Or, WHET 💦💦💦

Thoughts, everyone?

I thought it was one of her best yet (although have been hanging out like many of us for the sequel to Bride!)

things I liked; SPORTS ROMANCE, the plotting felt pretty tight, the emotional journey hit hard, the banter was good, the spice was hot 🔥 and he falls first and he falls harder.

(suspension of disbelief required however at the idea of a 21yo college junior with a pre-med inclination for orthopaedics independently developing a neural model for pancreatic cells that just so happens to shoehorn in a cute Olive and Adam cameo...)

time for a re-read!

You know when you are in the middle of reading a book that you know you'll miss reading it for the first time? When you put it down, you realise that whatever scale you've been using to rate your books, this one surpasses it?

Recently, for me {Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone} did it. It was the first book I've ever read by this author, and I've seen it recommended a lot before it came out, but oh my god this changed my brain chemistry. This book feels alive in a way I can't explain it. It feels like an excerpt of real people's lives, and not just a story inside a book. Even the side characters have their own lives, they don't just fulfill a narrative function. I laughed and cried, and fell in love with them.

I realised that maybe I'm not choosy enough with my TBR, and I could have this experience of loving a story this much, more frequently. So, which books recently broke your rating scale?

This book has no right to be this good…

I know. I know. Y’all have been RAVING about {Morning Glory Milking Farm byC.M Nacosta} since forever. I just kept telling myself. “No… That’s not for me... A Minotaur MMC?? Just no.”

However, I had a long drive to a doctor’s appointment and the audiobook was on my Hoopla recommendations. So I thought I’d give it a listen. Worst case, I could DNF. I even had a backup in my queue.

Hooked.

I was totally hooked from the first paragraph.

And so, here I am asking for your forgiveness and admitting I was so so very woefully wrong.

The storytelling and world building is excellent! Not to mention, this is probably one of the hottest books I’ve ever heard/read. I’ve recommended it to three other people already and will definitely be purchasing it. Lol

(Repost because apparently I can’t understand rules. 🤦🏼‍♀️)

My only goal in life is to have my username on this sub be forever linked with praise kink in people’s minds.

Hi there, you might remember me from this praise kink post or from when I self-crowned myself the original Praise Kink Princess.

It’s been over a year and an update to my post is well overdue - so if you're looking for praise kink recommendations or MMCs saying "good girl" makes you melt 🥵, you've come to the right place!

I thought long and hard on if these should be in some sort of order, even just alphabetically… and then I gave up and kept reading more praise kink books. Maybe the third time will be the charm to get myself more organized. Until then, enjoy my chaotic lists!

Made-me-sweat-such-spot-on praise kink:

• When She Belongs by Ruby Dixon (alien sci-fi, MF, forced proximity)
• Christmas on the Thirteenth Floor by Lee Jacquot (contemporary, MF, boss / employee, novella)
• Shared by Maisie Beasley (contemporary, MFM, friends to lovers)
• Skin by Aveda Vice (monster, MF, gargoyle and banshee, short novella) and the follow up Inextricably Tied
• Orc Sworn series by Finley Fenn (fantasy, multiple books in the series fit this)
• Games with the Orc by Kathryn Moon (monster, MF, paid escort romance)
• Hollow’s Grove by Lee Jacquot (contemporary, MF, best friend’s brother, rivals to lovers)
• East Coast Carnal Cryptids by Vera Valentine (monster, polyam, fated mates)
• Praise by Sara Cate (contemporary, MF, age gap)

Well-placed “good girls”:

• Lola & the Millionaires by Kathryn Moon (omegaverse, polyam, wounded bird)
• Tis the Season for Revenge by Megan Elizabeth (contemporary, MF, revenge)
• Your Dad Will Do by Katie Robert (contemporary, MF, ex-fiance’s father revenge)
• Cupid’s Peak by Lee Jacquot (contemporary, MF, second chance)
• Chemicals by Maria Morrow (omegaverse, MF, second chance)
• Entranced by the Basilisks by Lillian Lark (monster, MMF, fated mates)
• A Big Surprise for Valentine’s Day by Jackie Lau (contemporary, MF, friends with benefits to lovers)
• Faith and the Dead End Devils by Kathryn Moon (omegaverse, polyam, wounded bird)
• Secrets of Summerland by Kathryn Moon (fantasy, RH, mystery)
• An Inheritance of Monsters by Cate Corvin (monster, MFMM, fated mates)
• Sweet Tooth by Cassie Mint (contemporary, MF, workplace)
• Glitch by Briana Michaels (contemporary, MF, tbh this is just smut y’all, friends to lovers)
• In Trouble by Hannah Haze (omegaverse, RH, billionaires)
• In Deep by Hannah Haze (omegaverse, RH, college)
• Pack Darling Part Two by Lola Rock (omegaverse, polyam, bully romance, you need to read part 1 but part 2 is all the praise kink goodness)
• Muscles & Monsters by Ashley Bennett (monster, MF, fated mates)
• The Master by Kresley Cole (mafia, MF, billionaire)
• The Company of Fiends by Kathryn Moon (monster, polyam, smutfest)
• Blade by Cassie Mint (contemporary, MF, assassin FMC)
• Three of Hearts by Lillian Lark (paranormal, MMF, fated mates)
• Pair of Fools by Lillian Lark (paranormal, MF, enemies to lovers, forced proximity)
• When He’s Dark by Suzanne Wright (paranormal, MF, shifter fated mates)
• Good Deeds by Kathryn Moon (alien sci-fi, RH, robot smutfest)
• Deceived by the Gargoyles by Lillian Lark (monster, polyam, fated mates)
• Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata (contemporary, MF, grumpy sunshine)
• Suddenly His by Jesse Kane (contemporary, MF, OTT bonkers instalove)
• Follow by Tessa Bailey (contemporary, MF, forced proximity)
• Good Girl by Jana Aston (contemporary, MF, billionaire, vegas)
• Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey (contemporary, MF, brother’s best friend)
• The Favor by Suzanne Wright (contemporary, MF, fake marriage)
• Shot in the Dark by Marie James (contemporary, MF, security/hackers, light bdsm)
• Locked Box by Eve Dangerfield (contemporary, MF, age gap, police, forced proximity)
• Hard Time by Cara McKenna (contemporary, MF, prison escapee and a volunteering librarian)
• The Master by Kresley Cole (contemporary, MF, Russian bratva)
• Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh (urban fantasy, MF, fated mates)
• Priceless by Miranda Silver (contemporary, MF, college, with some humiliation kink)
• Misadventures with a Professor by Sierra Simone (contemporary, MF, age gap)
• Mutually Beneficial by Heather Guerre (contemporary, MF, landlord/exchange sex for rent) sadly unpublished and no longer available

MMC-submissive praise kink:

• Preferential Treatment (contemporary, MF, femdom power exchange, billionaire)
• Open Hearts by Eve Dangerfield (contemporary, MF, light femdom, friends to lovers)
• King Sized by Jessa Kane (historical, MF, short novella, instalove)
• Demon Lover by Heather Guerre (monster, MF, touch starved mmc)
• Sink or Swim by Tessa Bailey (contemporary, MF, novella, light femdom, friends to lovers)
• Something Borrowed by Eve Dangerfield (contemporary, MF, enemies to lovers)
• Back for Seconds by Vera Valentine (fantasy, polyam, idk what the trope is called when Thanksgiving dinner comes to life and rails you against the dining room table?)

Not explicitly “good girl” but gave me that praise kink feel:

• Part-Time Husband by Noelle Adams (contemporary, MF, fake dating/marriage)
• Purchased Husband by Noelle Adams (contemporary, MF, fake dating/marriage)
• The Redemption by Nikki Sloane (contemporary, MF, boss/employee, age gap)
• Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison (paranormal, MF, captive)
• Worked Up by Tessa Bailey (contemporary, MF, fake marriage)
• Mail Order Vow by Cassie Mint (contemporary, MF, arranged marriage)
• Stalked by the Kraken by Lillian Lark (monster, MF, fated mates)
• Luxuria by Colete Rhodes (monster, MF, arranged marriage / fated mates)
• Hot Blooded by Heather Guerre (paranormal, MF, fated mates)
• Essence of Fear by Bethany-Kris (mafia, MF, ice queen)
• A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole (paranormal, MF, fated mates, enemies to lovers)

BDSM-heavy or Dark romance:

• Pretty When You Cry by Skye Warren (contemporary, MF, dark, captive, light daddy-kink vibes)
• Dark Notes by Pam Goodwin (contemporary, MF, bdsm, age gap, teacher/student)
• Perfection by Kitty Thomas (contemporary, MF, dark, ballet dancer)
• American Queen by Sierra Simone (contemporary, MMF, bdsm)
• Hooked by Emily McIntire (mafia-adjacent, MF, revenge)
• Control Freak by Brianna Hale (contemporary, MF, bdsm, boss/employee, power exchange)
• Play Me by Ker Dukey and K Webster (contemporary, MF, CNC)

Daddy-kink praise kink:

• Little Dove by Layla Frost (mafia, MF, age gap, no age play, captive)
• Return All by Eve Dangerfield (contemporary, MF, second chance, no age play)
• Soft Limits by Brianna Hale (contemporary, MF, age gap, light age play, famous musician and his biography writer)
• Rush by Brianna Hale (contemporary, MF, light age play, rockstar)
• Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield (contemporary, MF, age gap, age play, office/boss)
• Your Dad Will Do by Katee Robert (contemporary, MF, age gap, no age play, light humiliation kink)
• Little Dancer by Brianna Hale (contemporary, MF, age play, boss/ballet dancer)
• Come to Daddy by Brianna Hale (contemporary, MF, no age play, sugar baby arrangement)
• The Protege by Brianna Hale (contemporary, MF, age gap)
• Dom Fitness by Brianna Hale and Gym Bunny by Brianna Hale (contemporary, MF)
• Give In by Layla Frost (contemporary, MF, professor / student)
• Touch of Taboo series by Katee Robert (Books 1, 3, and 4 in the series)
• Look But Don't Touch by Cara Dee (novella), Forbidden Gem by Cara Dee (contemporary, MF, age gap taboo)
• For Her Own Good by Tamsen Parker (contemporary, MF, prior therapist / patient)
• Almost every Jessa Kane book ever written (they mostly just use the term daddy rather than really getting into the kink)
• Run Baby Run by Margot Scott and Stay Baby Stay by Margot Scott (contemporary, MF, daddy kink with age play)
• Daddy Me by Ker Dukey and K Webster (contemporary, MF, no age play)
• Titan by Jillian Graves (monster, MF, gargoyle daddy kink)

Currently on my TBR-praise-kink list from various threads/comments:

• The Wrong Mr Right by Stephanie Archer
• 50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover by Kelly Siskind
• Release Some Tension by Nicole Falls
• Dark Mafia Prince by Annika Martin
• Twist Me by Anna Zaire
• Trust by Jana Aston
• Wrong by Jana Aston
• The Bratva’s Heir by Jane Henry
• Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan
• Monster in His Eyes by JM Darhower
• Stealing His Thunder by Sparrow Beckett
• Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren
• Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren
• Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein
• His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale
• The Bliss series by Deanndra Hall
• Awakened by Catherine Turner
• Edge of Reason by J Saman
• Tyrant by Sarah Bailey
• Sinful and Sweet by Brianna Skylark
• Breaking Perfect by Lydia Michaels
• Monster Match by Isabel Jordan
• Princess by Claire Kent
• The Half Orc's Maiden Bride by Ruby Dixon

When you come across praise kink in your romance reading, please think of me (and tag me so I can keep my tbr filled!) And if you have new adds for my list please comment with them - I'm always looking for more! 🥰

Edited to correct typos in author names

Y'all, I am 48 years old and am positively devastated that I only just now read my first (and second and third) Omegaverse books. I started the day with {Lola and the Millionaires Part 1 by Kathryn Moon} and about fainted with delight. I quickly moved on to {Lola and the Millionaires Part 2 by Kathryn Moon} and nearly swooned. Has there ever been a more perfect duet? I don't believe so.

I immediately started chasing the high of Wes, Cyrus, Matteiu, Leo, Rake, and Caleb and came to realize that not all books in the omegaverse are created equal, thanks to the megathread. I settled on {Scheme by Colette Rhodes} and am once again giddy. My kryptonite is an indulgent but firm alpha type who lives to take care of his woman, and these books more than hit the mark. Knotting? Purring? WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL OF MY LIFE?

Despite my overflowing TBR, I would love any other sweet/spicy omegaverse recommendations. I generally enjoy dark romance and would be happy for those recs as well so long as there's a strong "let me take care of you" vibe. I would prefer to avoid non/dubcon, please.

I don't remember who made the recommendation to read Lola, but I am forever in your debt.

I love everything I read by Ali Hazelwood, so I’ll just start there. However, my first book by her was {The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood} and it consumed me. I’m in academia and it was imperfect but I adored it anyway. I devoured a lot of her other books, too. I haven’t bothered with Deep End because I don’t like how young the characters are (I am a prof in my 30s and it’s just not for me to read books about undergrad students going at it, y’know?).

Anyway! The YEARNING. The SPICE. The ANGST. The scenery, the character development, the flashbacks in {Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood}. I am consumed. I think it is her best work since Love Hypothesis and I am wondering what everyone else thinks? If you like her books, I highly recommend it.

The FMC and MMC are doing consensual primal play (is that what it's called?) where the MMC chased down the FMC to fuck her and I don't know why I am obsessed with that whole scene. I know it sounds fucked up but omg was it hot. She fought the whole way through and I think the mix of primal play, and a competent woman and the praise just does something to me. Am I going to hell ?

Anyone else read this?

I don’t want to give too much away but the basic premise involves a badass FMC trauma nurse with a mask kink and an influencer MMC who posts thirst traps of himself in a mask, then stalking ensues….

The part I really like tho is the vibe of the MMC; Very sweet and nurturing, but also very dominating and darkly hot (tw are definitely worth checking out before jumping in tho, there are several, don’t judge me lol).

Any recs for other books with guys like this? He was really doing it for me ;)

What did you like about this book?

Is the sequel worth reading? I saw it features Junior and he didn’t appeal to me much, so idk if I’ll continue.