Romance: 10 Books That Break the Cliché Mold

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From Frostbeard Studio:

We love romance books, and we’re proud of it. There’s no shame in breaking out your favorite trashy romance novel and settling down for some steamy scenes in idealized worlds. But sometimes you want a little more. When we come across an adult romance novel that brings a little something more to the table we get excited. Being the colossal book nerds that we are, we’ve come across some excellent adult romance novels that break the cliché “romance” mold, so we thought that it was high time that we compiled a list of some of our own personally rated “best adult romance books” that break the cliché “romance” mold. These titles span authors, topics, and demographics, but they have one thing in common, they all live in the romance genre.

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1. IMMORTALS AFTER DARK

Kresley Cole

Vampires, werewolves, demons, oh my! The Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole is a great starter for those who want to get into the adult paranormal romance genre. The series doesn’t follow just one character; it switches between different characters within the realm of “others” in the real world. A majority of the stories take place around New Orleans as that is one of the large hubs of paranormal populations in the series but every now and again a story will be set in Russia, Romania, or a plethora of other exotic locales.

The stories are always imaginative but mixed with enough reality that your suspension of disbelief stays intact. The steamier scenes are well thought through and exciting without feeling mundane or cheesy like so many scenes do from other romance novels. The female characters depicted within the series always have a strong backbone and grit. While some may be shy or uncertain, they are never treated like doormats for their male counterparts to walk all over. Some of the female characters kick serious butt while the others are more emotionally impactful. And while the characters typically end up being a race other than human by the end of the novels, you can always relate to their lives through their engaging tethers to the mortal world. Falling in love, bouts of meaningful sex, and saving the world is all in a day’s time in the Immortals After Dark Series.

2. RUTHLESS GAME

Christine Feehan

Ghostwalkers

We’re a big fan of the entire Ghostwalker series by Christine Feehan, but we wanted to give special love to Ruthless Game. Please note, the next sentence is not a spoiler because it’s mentioned in the book’s synopsis on the jacket; one of the most compelling aspects of the story is that its main female character is pregnant for most of the novel. The story follows Rose and Kane as they try to keep their unborn, and later, born, child out of the grasp of a shadow company. The same company adopted Rose as a child, only to run scientific experiments on her in the pursuit of creating the ultimate super soldier. Kane, the male protagonist, volunteered for the same study years later without understanding the depravity of the man running the system. Within the novel, both characters work as a unit to save their child. Rose defies all gender stereotypes of the romance genre, making Ruthless Game a truly unique read.

Link to the rest at Frostbeard Studio