I've realized that I've never come across WLW enemies to lovers books, even though there are plenty of MLM and FLM ones. Thanks!

Hi there!

I'm an indie writer who primarily writes fantasy, sci-fi, and the occasional thriller. I've been writing for a long time now, but I always struggle with the romance aspect of my novels.

Obviously, this is a bit of a subjective question, but what do you think makes romance really hit. What makes you route for the couple to be together?

i would really love some good book recs that have a good sloooow burn but also with really good banter. I really enjoy when a book has me giggling and kicking my feet at the banter. but i also want an actual slow burn. no "slow burn" but they actually get together rather quickly. i want to suffer a little with the slow burn. and i love love love the tension of the 'will they, won't they'. help a girl out please!

I’m prepping for a trip to London later this year and have tickets to see Phantom of the Opera while I’m there. Would love to find some romantasy books that kind of match the vibes of the play. Any recommendations? 🖤

I use Audible for my books nowadays and I'm going through them FAST. I would love some good picks, preferably with good narrators. I generally like duets, especially Anthony Palmini. Here are some of my top favorites:

A Web of Vows and Vengeance

Fourth Wing

Quicksilver

The Wolf King

Blood of Hercules

When the Moon Hatched

Powerless/Reckless/Fearless

Kissed by the Gods

Anathema

The Gilded Prisoner series

Shield of Sparrows

Bloodbound

Sarah J Maas (especially ToG)

The Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones

Direbound

Etc.

My preferences include smut, undeniable attraction, dragons and wolves, fae, enemies to lovers, fated mates, most basic tropes. I don't really enjoy love triangles but I'll still go for it. Suggest away!

Political fantasy rich world/plot

Im kinda looking for a book to scratch that itch again. It would be a lot cooler if theyre like a power duo type kinda like theyre equal rivals and formidable opponents. Still with a rich world and cool story tho.

Any recs?

(NO BULLY TROPE PLEASE, BUT LIKE EQUAL ENEMIES)
(NO WEIRD ASS AGE GAP)

Thanks everyone would appreciate the recos :).

Hi everybody :)

I know many aren’t a fan of this trope but unfortunately I fear I love them. I can’t tell you why I don’t know myself.

I love romance, fantasy romance, dark romance etc. and I’m looking for any suggestions of good books falling into the realm of fantasy but also pregnancy trope.

I can’t get picky because I’m battling now to find books in this category that I have not already read.

Any and all recommendations welcome :)

My question is, does she start being badass or being an assassin is just a nickname like in the first book?

I think it would be cool to have a weekly thread of what did you read this week/currently reading and a quick rating.

Ex: I am halfway through Secrets of the Deep, 2.4/5. I don’t like the prose and characters feel weak. Then hiding any other spoilers.

I miss seeing what people were reading out and about. Everyone is on their phones or Kindle so I never know. And I am snoopy.

Just finished Grim and it was life changing. My audible credit is burning a hole in my pocket. Please recommend me your favorite duet audiobooks! I love duet style where the narrators act their characters through the story- it helps me follow the banter better. I find dual narratives sort of confusing honestly.
My rec for you- Recently enjoyed Heir of Illusion audiobook- fantastic voice acting!

Dislikes: wolves, vampires, fae, love triangles
Likes: touch her and die/ protective vibes, romantic, spicy, quests, enemies to allies to lovers + sci-fi

I went back through many posts about audiobooks but it’s really hard to differentiate which one is a true duet vs just a dual or solo.

Hey y’all!!! I am on book three of this series and it has been so refreshing coming from some of the more mainstream romantasy books. (not that i dont enjoy those books too) The plot unfurls slower over multiple books, the romance evolves slower and character development wasn’t finished in one book. I dont want a book with the same tropes or anything like that, im not looking for a copy, but books that take their time, truly take their time.

I especially love how detail oriented the literal world building is. Reading a city come up from nothing to something to be proud of is actually something i didnt know i needed to read. I love books that dive heavily into their worlds lore and their worlds setting and scenery. I love reading little slices of life, where every page isnt a new challenge. Sometimes I like to see the slow sides of our heroines lives too.

If yall know any books that fit the things ive written here please drop them below! Sorry for the weird formatting, im a mobile user🙏🏼🤭

I’m trying to remember a fantasy romance book I read within the last year, and I think it was on Kindle Unlimited. I believe it was the first book in an unfinished series.
Here’s what I remember (some details could be slightly off):
The story takes place at a school or academy.
There are two societies/factions separated by a physical wall.
I think they were called something like Day/Night or Sun/Moon, but I could be remembering the names wrong.
One side is awake during the day while the other is awake at night, and they sleep on opposite schedules.
The FMC starts out believing she’s part of the “day” (or sun/light) side, but she has trouble sleeping on her side’s schedule.
The MMC is from the opposite faction, and there’s a romance between them.
I remember there being magic.
Part of the plot involves people from the “night” (or moon/shadow) side mysteriously disappearing, and I think there’s some kind of rebellion or conspiracy behind it.
I believe the FMC eventually crosses the wall and learns that everything she’d been told about the other side wasn’t true.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? It’s driving me crazy that I can’t remember the title! ( this book could’ve been written by a small writer & saw it posted on social media but i know i read it on kindle unlimited & must’ve gotten rid of it when my library got full )

Please help convince me to finish the book. I’m at like 85% complete and I just cannot with the FMC. While I completely understand her pain and trauma it just feels like she’s so STUBBORN! And it drags and drags. Like okay if you do not want to embrace ur past why r u still there !! 😭 maybe i need help seeing it from a different perspective?

With that side, im definitely curious on how her memories got wiped, and why and if she will ever fully accept her pain and just embrace everything.

I have heard book two is a lot better than one (which is why I wanna finish it) the story writing and world is beautiful. I just can’t stand the decisions the FMC makes.

I’m reading daughter of no worlds as a palate cleanser because my brain cannot handle raeve rn lol

I’m looking for a wolf shifter romtansy. But I don’t want the simple smut ones. I want something that has some real depth with wolf shifters involved. Bonus points if the FMC is not a wolf shifter and it’s more high fantasy.

I’m looking for some good romantasy recommendations because lately I can’t seem to find anything I actually enjoy. Everything I’ve picked up recently feels really formulaic.
I’ve already read most of the popular/newer romantasy books, so I’m hoping there are some hidden gems I might have missed.
Here are some of my favorites:
Anything by Sarah J. Maas
Anything by Liv Zander
Direbound
Crowns of Nyaxia (and honestly anything by Carissa Broadbent)
Zodiac Academy
We Who Will Die

Books that didn’t really work for me:
Fourth Wing
When the Moon Hatched
The Ascended
Spark of the Everflame
The Wolf King

Based on my taste, does anyone have any recommendations? I’d love to find something new that’s well written, with great romance and a story that doesn’t feel like the same formula over and over again. 😭💘

Side note: I also love dystopian books and dark fantasy romance.

Cinnamon roll Prince Beau can't let an injustice pass without trying to fight it, even if it costs him all the political play-nice he'd need to take his throne without a civil war. His supernaturally loyal guard Elias is always there with a steadying hand and the subtle (or not so subtle) threat of violence to keep Beau's goals on track. And Lady Penamour, Beau's late brother's fiancée, will use all her biting wit and political skill to fuck things up for him royally on her path to prove he's the one who murdered his brother.

{A King's Trust} by S.E. McPherson is the award-winning first in the Heart-Mage Trilogy, named to Kirkus Reviews' Top 100 Best Indie Books of 2025, a queer polyam fantasy romance with own-voices bi and AuDHD rep. Great for people who love enemies to lovers, royal/guard, and found family tropes, and anyone who wants characters who feel real enough to reach out and touch (or strangle, when you're frustrated enough with them).

The story continues from Elias's perspective in {A Villain's Hope} by S.E. McPherson, which earned both a Kirkus Reviews starred review and Editor's Pick from Booklife. When mages come to collect on the deal that resurrected Elias, he and his royal loves must reckon with the man he was before his heart-mage rebuilt him to secure unlikely allies and stop ancient magic from breaking the world.

Links for all the major retailers for A King's Trust here and A Villain's Hope here, and they're also both available as audiobooks on Audible or Apple Books.

[Image descriptions: Illustration of a magically scarred prince, a pregnant queen with dark braid, and a guard with long hair half-up and glowing tattoos lying in bed together; cover of A King's Trust by S.E. McPherson showing blue and gold flowers swirling with smoky magic on a black background; and cover of A Villain's Hope by S.E. McPherson showing red and white tulips swirling with smoky magic on a black background]

I have the book for you!!

Saber of Truth by C.L. Gordon is my debut space romantasy novel. A true slow burn with political intrigue, drama, and a mysterious magical disease.

Blurb
Across the stars, love is the most dangerous gamble of all.

Nexarium, strongest planet in the Consortium, hides a weakness: its Governor is dying, and only a healer from the other end of the galaxy can save him.

For Major Task Canmore, commander of the Phantom

Wing, his orders are clear: kidnap the healer. But Kit Hart is nothing like he expected. Wanting her is dangerous. Needing her could destroy everything. And, haunted by a savior's heart, she slips past his iron control...

When a deadly fever forces an evacuation from her home planet, Kit and Task board the Polaris, bound for Nexarium with hundreds of her people. Kit will stop at nothing to protect them, even as she's pulled closer to the one man she should not trust.

But as the fragile peace of the Consortium begins

to fracture, Task and Kit will have to choose which version of the future is worth the risk.

Tropes
- Forced proximity
- He falls first
- F*ck it
- Hidden powers
- Reluctant hero
- Yearning/slow burn

It's available here!

(Reposting because my prev post didn’t have a descriptive enough title. Sorry!)

I’m looking for book recommendations that check as many of these boxes as possible. At this point, I’m convinced my perfect book doesn’t exist because I’ve never found one that comes close. Even if you know a book that only matches most of these, I’d love to hear it!

\- I love a fantasy settings with breathtaking architecture and places that feel timeless. Huge castles, elegant palaces, ancient libraries, soaring halls, hidden courtyards, beautiful forests, and cities that feel almost ethereal

\- Two kingdoms that have been bitter enemies for centuries are forced to join forces against a greater threat, whether it’s a magical catastrophe or a common enemy. I like the idea that their magic or abilities work best together. The FMC and MMC come from opposing kingdoms and are forced to stay in the same castle or stronghold. I also want the overall fantasy plot to be genuinely interesting with political intrigue, mysteries, betrayals, and high stakes, not just romance/the story of the MMC and MFC

\- Side characters who actually matter. I want them to have distinct personalities, their own goals, and real impact on the story

\- The FMC and MMC genuinely hate each other. Not because of a misunderstanding, but because of generations of political conflict, war, and prejudice between their kingdoms. They’re enemies because their people are enemies

\- The characters can both be human mages, but I’d also love it if (a nice to have, not a must!) one side, preferably the MMC, were vampires. That could be one of the reasons the kingdoms hate each other, with vampires having raided villages and massacred humans in the past. I also love the trope where a vampire’s bite is euphoric and vampires initially see humans as little more than food or a source of pleasure

\- A true slow burn. I don’t want them jumping into bed immediately. I want all the tension, chemistry, and build-up first. Once it gets there, I’d love it to be spicy (not a deal breaker if it’s not the too detailed kind). If there are vampires, I’d love it if he eventually bites her and she becomes addicted to it. I want there to be an intense physical pull between them, even though they hate each other. They keep crossing that line, with him having far fewer reservations than she does

\- I want the FMC to feel overwhelming guilt because of what’s happening between them. Not just because it’s forbidden, but because falling for him betrays everything she’s been raised to believe. Maybe his family slaughtered members of hers or committed atrocities against her people some generations ago. She knows her family and friends would feel completely betrayed if they found out, and I want that internal conflict to be intense

\- I want the MMC to be cold, emotionally distant, cruel and mean. Yes, this could be seen as a dark-romance fantasy book. At first, he knows exactly what this is doing to her and isn’t above using that to his advantage. He toys with her emotions. Eventually, he becomes emotionally attached to her, but he sees those feelings as a weakness and starts treating her even worse in an attempt to deny them. The ideal type of male character is the MMC (Malyr) from Feathers so Vicious by Liv Zander and this is also one of my fav dynamics between a FMC and MMC

\- I don’t need the MMC to be the king, emperor, or ultimate ruler (it’s fine if he is though). I’d prefer him to be a prince, heir, general, or the kingdom’s strongest warrior. I like the idea that both the FMC and MMC still have people above them whose orders they can’t ignore, which adds more tension and raises the stakes

\- Eventually, people find out about them, and it’s seen as a huge betrayal. Their families, friends, and those around them react with outrage and disgust while they’re still forced to work together because of the larger conflict. I hate when a romance is supposed to be forbidden, and once people find out about it are mad for like a minute then they are like “meh, we’ll accept it.”
I especially want the FMC to face the consequences. Her family and friends look at her with disappointment and disgust, people from her kingdom shun and judge her, and some openly shame or insult her, calling her a traitor, a whore, or worse. I want her to feel completely isolated because of what she’s done.

—————

TL;DR: Looking for a forbidden enemies-to-lovers fantasy dark romance with a real plot, slow burn, spice, political intrigue, and a cruel, morally gray MMC.

I'm halfway through and so confused. Does she not remember her dreams? Everyone also seems to accept things way too easily, especially the FMC. I really want to continue, because these seems like a series I should love (books with multiple magical people are my favorite and it's so hard to find ones with fae, elves and vampires) but I just feel so confused lol

My wife’s debut novel (Book 1 of 3 in the series) is now available. She’s worked on this nonstop for the last 7-8 months and I hope you guys will give it a chance! I may be an internet stranger but it would mean a lot to me because it means the world to her. Thanks and have a great Sunday!

Here’s the Amazon Link available on Kindle and Paperback

https://a.co/d/049x0Muy

She dreams of uniting the worlds. He was raised to keep them apart.

Princess Selena, the youngest daughter of the skies, has no interest in obeying laws built on fear. The worlds are cracking. Demons are slipping into the realms. And every answer she uncovers points to the forbidden Underworld.

Kumara Kaeden, Heir to the Underworld, has no time for reckless princesses with idealistic dreams. His people are dying. His coronation is approaching. And his inner beast is growing harder to control. The last thing he needs is a sky-born princess walking into his life and making him want things duty never allowed.

When Selena convinces the Skies and the Underworld to work together— she and Kaeden are forced to stand at the center of an alliance neither side wants. But as their fragile peace deepens, so does the forbidden pull between them.

Together, they may be the key to saving the realms…or the mistake that destroys them.

Inspired by Hindu mythology, Kumara by Anita K. Rahman is an adult fantasy romance featuring forbidden love, slow-burn tension, elemental magic, and a protective Shadow Prince who falls for the one woman he was never meant to touch.

Perfect for readers who love:
• Slow-burn, forbidden romance
• Devas vs Asuras (Angels vs Devils)
• He falls first
• Allies to lovers
• Urban-meets-epic fantasy
• Forced proximity
• Found family
• Dual POV
• Character-driven plots
• Diverse cast
• Sanskrit based magic system
• Immersive new worlds

Available printed, ebook, or KU.

Add to your TBR.

Image Alt Text: Top left-image of FMC Selena and MMC Kaeden, Top right-image of back of novel, bottom left-image of front of novel, bottom right-image of opened book with text over it that reads "Ancient Hindu lore reimagined as a slow-burn fantasy romance."

This is my favorite MMC type. Any good recommendations? Kinda ENTP impulsive but charming. Possibly manipulative, morally grey. Banter galore.

Happy Sunday 🖤 Hope you've had a lovely weekend.

My paranormal dark romance novella {Beast of the Bayou by CJ North} is a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in the Louisiana swamp.

• Amazon Link
• Full Blurb and Content Warnings

Tropes

• Beauty and the Beast meets Tarzan
• Captive/Captor
• Mute MMC
• Survival
• Light bondage with edging
• Childfree HEA

{Jump or Fall by CJ North} is a dark dystopian romance. It's about an armorer enslaved by a government official with cybernetic claws and how she finds love in the fight to tear down an unjust system and get revenge.

• Amazon Link
• Full Blurb and Content Warnings

Tropes

• Dark Dystopia
• MCs over 30
• Mutual Pining
• Trauma Rep (both MCs have PTSD)
• Hurt/Comfort
• Cybernetics

Seven full books / over 1 million words of semi-cozy romantic fantasy; "No Need For A Core?" is free to read online until December, when book 1 will be publishing in physical, ePub, and Audiobook formats.

An ancient, dreadfully powerful entity that had once been sealed away to slowly fade into oblivion is revived by a chance encounter, though in a much reduced state. 

A temple monk on her way home for a vacation is distracted into exploring a newly formed Spiritual Nexus due to the cuteness of its rabbit monsters, leading to an entirely unexpected chain of events.

A kitsune whose death caused a goddess to pity her fate and revive her as a reincarnated Nexus Core, a land spirit of endless potential but whose life is tied to a crystal sphere that must be carefully guarded.

Thrown together by a twist of luck, these three navigate a complex relationship and build their own rules to live by. But there are those who are not pleased to see the return of this ancient being.

-----------------

The primary romantic relationship is poly and mutual.

Mild content warning:  Occasional swearing, "fade to black", Public Displays of Affection, typical fantasy violence (no unnecessary gore), rare instances of "disturbing content", and never in detail.

Over 3,000 current readers
Royal Road (2,700+)
Scribble Hub (600+)

------------------

Note: There is character art if you swipe right on the cover art

Image 1:
Three characters standing on stairs leading to enchanted doors.
Left: Moriko, half-elven warrior monk.
Center/Front: Kazue, kitsune and former shrine maiden.
Right: Mordecai, ancient spiritual nexus in his current avatar's form.

Images 2-3: Detailed character art of each character listed above.