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85 editor’s picks matching Romance
Best for readers who like dark gothic romance, eerie mysteries, and horror.
Bonetide
Horror · Romance · Creature Feature · Gothic Romance
Our take
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karina Halle, Bonetide follows Iris Galloway, who must live in an inherited cottage on a remote Scottish loch for one year to claim it. As disappearances mount, a mysterious man visits from the water, and her aunt's letters warn her never to invite him inside. Best for readers who like dark gothic romance, eerie mysteries, and horror.
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About the book
"Don't let him in."
Widow's Bay meets Haunting Adeline in this standalone dark gothic horror romance from the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of Blood Orange, Grave Matter and Realm of Thieves.
When Iris Galloway inherits her great-aunt's cottage on a remote Scottish loch, the terms are simple: live there one year, and it's hers.
She doesn't know about the disappearances yet, nor does she know about the handsome man who swims in the loch at night, who watches her cottage from the dark water, and who appears at her door very wet, very naked, and asking to come in.
Meanwhile, the locals warn her about a murderer on the loose, the police are in over their heads, and her aunt's letters say to keep the salt lines around the house and the doors locked after sundown.
And never, ever invite him inside.
But Iris has spent her whole life being careful.
And this wicked stranger is going to ruin her for it.
Bonetide is a dark gothic romance that’s tinged with horror. While this book starts off almost like a cozy gothic mystery, it does pivot later into darker territory. Which also gets a little weird. If you’re here for the cozy, know that it doesn’t stay cozy. If you’re here for the dark romance, know that it’s coming. Please see inside the book or author's website for the content warnings.
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A good pick for readers who like morally gray love interests, stalker romance, dark humor, and spicy bookish fantasies.
To Have and to Stalk
Romance · Dark Romance · RomCom
Our take
From USA Today bestselling author Mary Catherine Gebhard comes a dark romantic comedy about a woman whose dating profile brings her twisted book boyfriend fantasies to life. Her masked, tattooed stalker is possessive, obsessive, and involved in a bloody, illegal hobby. A good pick for readers who like morally gray love interests, stalker romance, dark humor, and spicy bookish fantasies.
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About the book
From USA Today Best Selling author Mary Catherine Gebhard comes a brand new dark romcom about a girl who makes a dating profile to live out all of her spicy, bookish fantasies.
He was all my twisted, dark book boyfriend fantasies come to life. Masked. Tattooed. Dirty talking—and totally unhinged.
Morally grey? Check.
Stalker? Check.
A very illegal, very bloody hobby? Check.
Possessive, obsessive, and calls me a good girl? Check. Check. Check.
I should probably call the police.
I definitely shouldn’t take dirty selfies because I know he hacked my phone.
But what’s a girl to do?
It’s my very own stalker romance.
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The second book in the Neverbound Academy series is a strong match for readers who like fantasy romance with rejected mates, possessive love interests, and volatile magic.
Reaper of Ruin
Romantasy · New Adult
Our take
Rebuilding her life means recovering lost memories, learning to control dangerous magic, and confronting unexpected enemies. Meanwhile, the four fated mates who rejected her have become obsessively protective, complicating her fight to survive. The second book in the Neverbound Academy series is a strong match for readers who like fantasy romance with rejected mates, possessive love interests, and volatile magic.
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About the book
My life has gone up in flames.
I may not have lit the match, but I’m the one who started the inferno.
Now, I must rebuild from the ashes, one memory at a time.
I’m up against unforeseen enemies, wrangling a power I have yet to truly comprehend, while juggling four hated mates who have transformed passive rejection into obsessive protection. I’m starting to wonder if The Fates blessed magic is more of a curse rather than a gift.
It’s time to gain the upper hand, and I have no choice but to fight.
Fight to learn.
Fight to endure.
Fight to live.
Because the heat is rising and the power thrumming through my veins may destroy us all before I learn how to control it.
Resurrection isn't a second chance.
It's a reckoning.
Reaper of Ruin is book two in the addictive fated mates series, Neverbound Academy, riddled with secrets, rejection, and steam in the form of four mates, who are more possessive than ever.
They’ve caused enough pain; now, the real question is, can they handle the heat?
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A good pick for readers who enjoy why-choose fantasy romance, rejected mates, and academy secrets.
Angel of Ashes
Romantasy · New Adult
Our take
After four fated mates reject her, a young woman loses her chance to claim her power and her place at Neverbound Academy. Two years later, they interrupt the marriage arranged for her father's political gain, leaving her to choose between changing her fate and protecting her heart. A good pick for readers who enjoy why-choose fantasy romance, rejected mates, and academy secrets.
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About the book
Two years ago, my fated mates rejected me.
Now they want a second chance.
All my life, I've been a symbol of hope and a portrait of perfection, the daughter molded by legacy and duty.
On my 21st birthday, I stood before the Fates, ready to meet my mate and become something more than the pedestal I’d been placed on.
In a cruel twist, the ritual ended with four sets of eyes staring back at me and one word waiting on their lips.
Reject.
In one breath, they stole my future, along with any hope of ever claiming my power or my place at Neverbound Academy.
Two years have passed, full of fake smiles and hidden shame, reduced to a bargaining chip for my father's political gain.
Now I stand in bridal lace, walking toward the altar, but it’s not my father’s match waiting for me. Instead, I’m greeted with the same four sets of eyes that haunt my soul.
It seems they’ve changed their minds. Now I must decide what’s more important - changing my fate or protecting my heart.
Angel of Ashes is book one in a rejected-mate fantasy romance series featuring why-choose, academy secrets, and the four supernatural men who will regret everything.
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A good pick for readers who enjoy contemporary romance with grief, second chances, and an intriguing mystery.
Midnight Valentine
Romance · Gothic Romance
Our take
From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Geissinger, Megan Dunn moves to Seaside, Oregon, to open the B&B she dreamed of running with her late husband. Renovations bring her into conflict with Theo Valentine, a reclusive contractor whose unsettling similarities to her husband raise questions about her past. A good pick for readers who enjoy contemporary romance with grief, second chances, and an intriguing mystery.
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About the book
From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Geissinger comes a passionate, powerful romance about the limitless nature of true love.
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened."
Megan Dunn arrives in Seaside, Oregon a broken woman with a dream: open a B&B like she planned to do with her husband, Cass, whose life was tragically cut short five years ago. But the old Victorian she bought needs extensive renovations and the one man who can help her—Theo Valentine—takes an immediate and intense dislike to her.
Left scarred and unable to talk after a terrible accident, the reclusive Theo is a brilliant contractor whose plans to renovate the building Megan bought are eerily similar to her own. As their paths cross again and again and Megan begins to see the man beneath the mystery, a part of her that she thought was lost forever slowly starts to reawaken.
But when she discovers unsettling similarities between Theo and her late husband and strange coincidences begin to mount, Megan is forced to confront everything she believed about her past and decide how far she’ll go to get the truth…
And if she’s ready for what she’ll find when she does.
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A strong match for readers who like why-choose contemporary romance, complicated relationships, brooding love interests, and heroines who refuse to choose.
Bound
Romance · Dark Romance
Our take
In the second Highgate Preparatory Academy novel, Lilly's relationship with her Knights is tested by an unknown past and the personal demons threatening to consume them. As questions multiply, she struggles to hold onto her multiple lovers. A strong match for readers who like why-choose contemporary romance, complicated relationships, brooding love interests, and heroines who refuse to choose.
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About the book
"I do."
Two words that taste bittersweet, their meaning conflicting within me. They roll off my tongue, tasting both right and wrong, as if the hand that gives also seeks to take away, uncaring and unapologetic.
Can I truly have it all? Can I keep them, these pieces of my heart?
Shakespeare knew true love's path is anything but smooth, especially when it collides with an unknown past, while our own demons threaten to consume us.
Questions multiply, each answer giving rise to more as history, that unpredictable force, repeats itself, and we are mere passengers on this wild ride.
Bound, the second book in the Highgate Preparatory Academy series, an electrifying contemporary romance where choices need not be made and our courageous heroine finds solace in multiple lovers. Swords clash, both figuratively and literally. If your heart yearns for broken, tantalisingly handsome men who thrive in darkness, a fierce young woman unafraid to wield colourful language, and intimate encounters that ignite your desires—each chapter ablaze with temptation—then Bound awaits.
Embark on the next chapter of Lilly's story. Download Bound today and discover what lies ahead for her and her enigmatic Knights.
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Best for readers who enjoy MM romance with opposites-attract chemistry, unconventional relationships, obsessive attraction, and morally questionable behavior.
Sem
LGBTQIA+ · Romance · Bisexual Romance · College Romance · Gay Romance
Our take
Maggie has noticed the intimidating, reckless man who keeps appearing wherever he goes, but Sem is nothing like the men he usually finds attractive. When Sem breaks into Maggie's apartment and challenges him to an unexpected encounter, the two begin a secret game that gradually becomes something more complicated. Best for readers who enjoy MM romance with opposites-attract chemistry, unconventional relationships, obsessive attraction, and morally questionable behavior.
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About the book
Sometimes your dream guy isn’t who you think he is.
Sem has been stalking me for months. He shows up everywhere I am and lurks in the background, his eyes always on me. I don’t understand his fascination with me, but he won’t leave me alone.
He’s definitely not my type. He’s too big, too reckless, and too feral.
But then one night he breaks into my apartment and dares me to do something crazy and I can’t say no.
Then I do it again. And again.
Now it seems we’re both addicted to this secret little game.
But when I begin to see the man beneath the brutish exterior, will falling in love prove to be the most reckless bet yet?
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Best for readers who like dual-timeline gothic romance where you build theories and never get the whole picture at once.
Sinister
Romance · Gothic Romance
Our take
Jaime's expectations were high, since Fairydale is one of her all-time favorites, and Sinister delivered. Outsider Petra Valentine is tied to Radcliffe's golden boy Sinclair Arnoult by a drunken mistake, then ritualistic murders force them to unravel the town's past. Best for readers who like dual-timeline gothic romance where you build theories and never get the whole picture at once.
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About the book
From the USA Today bestselling author of Fairydale comes an all-new dark gothic romance standalone.
In Radcliffe, perfection is a mask. And Sinclair Arnoult wears his far too well.
Sin is Radcliffe’s golden boy. Star athlete, top student, and heir to a family name that carries weight in every corner of town. With his easy smiles and effortless charm, he’s untouchable.
Perfect.
Petra Valentine has always been an outsider. Trapped in a world of wealth and privilege that barely tolerates her, she’s spent her life fading into the background—until one reckless night at a party changes everything.
A fleeting, drunken mistake ties her to him.
When a series of ritualistic murders forces them together to unravel Radcliffe's twisted past, Petra discovers that Sin is connected to something far darker than a privileged legacy.
The man everyone worships is hiding dangerous truths—about his past, about the town, and about her.
He swears he’ll protect her. He swears he’d never hurt her.
But in Radcliffe, devotion and destruction look a lot like the same thing.
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Best for readers who like steamy MM college romance, athlete-and-tutor pairings, bisexual awakening, humor, and cuddly intimacy.
Until Him
LGBTQIA+ · Romance · Bisexual Romance · College Romance · Gay Romance
Our take
College athlete Logan Lewis needs academic help from mysterious tutor Theo Reign, but their unusual arrangement develops into a relationship that challenges Logan’s previous assumptions about attraction, with a 4.0-star average from more than 10,300 Goodreads ratings. Best for readers who like steamy MM college romance, athlete-and-tutor pairings, bisexual awakening, humor, and cuddly intimacy.
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About the book
"A heartfelt MM romance with great chemistry, plenty of humor, and a relationship that felt genuinely earned. I loved watching Logan slowly break through Theo’s defenses." - Apropos Books
If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year at college, it’s that things aren’t always what they seem.
I’m Logan Lewis. I’m popular, charming, athletic, and all the girls love me. Yep, I’ve really got it made.
But when I find myself in danger of failing my chemistry class and losing my sports scholarship, I know the only person who can save me is the smartest science tutor on campus.
Theo Reign is brilliant. He’s also cold and antisocial, moody and mean. He looks at me like he hates me, but touches me like he wants me.
There’s something just beneath the surface that draws me in. His secret pain mirrors my own, and I suddenly find myself craving him. I can’t get enough of this mysterious and intriguing man, and though I know what we’re doing is weird and probably toxic, I just can’t seem to let him go.
I never thought I would want another man.
Until him.
Until Him is a steamy M/M college romance with heart, soul, lots of laughs, and of course, cuddling.
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Ideal for readers looking for an emotional MM romance with small-town isolation, family strain, vulnerability, and trust.
In the Middle of Somewhere
LGBTQIA+ · Romance · Contemporary Romance · Gay Romance
Our take
Goodreads Choice Award nominee In the Middle of Somewhere follows guarded professor Daniel Mulligan and quiet local Rex Vale as an unexpected relationship develops in rural Michigan, with a 4.1-star average from more than 13,000 Goodreads ratings. Ideal for readers looking for an emotional MM romance with small-town isolation, family strain, vulnerability, and trust.
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About the book
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Debut Goodreads Author
Daniel Mulligan is tough, snarky, and tattooed, hiding his self-consciousness behind sarcasm. Daniel has never fit in—not at home in Philadelphia with his auto mechanic father and brothers, and not at school where his Ivy League classmates looked down on him. Now, Daniel’s relieved to have a job at a small college in Holiday, Northern Michigan, but he’s a city boy through and through, and it’s clear that this small town is one more place he won’t fit in.
Rex Vale clings to routine to keep loneliness at bay: honing his muscular body, perfecting his recipes, and making custom furniture. Rex has lived in Holiday for years, but his shyness and imposing size have kept him from connecting with people.
When the two men meet, their chemistry is explosive, but Rex fears Daniel will be another in a long line of people to leave him, and Daniel has learned that letting anyone in can be a fatal weakness. Just as they begin to break down the walls keeping them apart, Daniel is called home to Philadelphia, where he discovers a secret that changes the way he understands everything.
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Ideal for readers looking for an emotional MM hockey romance about grief, caregiving, friendship, and mental health.
The Last Buzzer
LGBTQIA+ · Romance · Gay Romance · Sports Romance
Our take
Desmond unexpectedly becomes his nephew’s guardian and an assistant college hockey coach, where he connects with Jack, a player struggling with anxiety and the pressure of continuing a sport he once loved, with a 4.0-star average from more than 4,300 Goodreads ratings. Ideal for readers looking for an emotional MM hockey romance about grief, caregiving, friendship, and mental health.
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About the book
In the time it takes to answer a phone call, Desmond’s life changes. Suddenly, he’s a single parent to his nephew, living in South Carolina, and the assistant coach for the university hockey team. Life might not be great right now, but he’s handling it. And things can’t possibly get worse, right?
Jack— the survivor of a horrific childhood— knows that things can always get worse. And right now, for him, worse is hockey. He loves the game, and loves the friendships he’s cultivated with his teammates, but that’s where the good ends and the bad begins. Every time his skates touch the ice, he feels worse and worse, eaten alive by anxiety and stress.
Desmond’s arrival becomes a bright spot for Jack, in the otherwise bleak nightmare hockey has become for him. There is more than the surface-level attraction, though. Soon, their friendship begins to move beyond the sport that brought them together. Before they know it, Desmond and Jack’s lives become intertwined in a way that neither could have expected.
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A strong match for readers drawn to MM hockey romance, second chances, shared history, and unresolved feelings between teammates.
Square to the Puck
LGBTQIA+ · Romance · Gay Romance · Sports Romance
Our take
Corwin Sanhover has spent six years trying to forget his history with Nigel St. James, but Nigel’s trade to South Carolina forces the two hockey players to confront their lingering attraction and consider starting again, with a 4.2-star rating from more than 3,300 Amazon reviewers. A strong match for readers drawn to MM hockey romance, second chances, shared history, and unresolved feelings between teammates.
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About the book
Corwin Sanhover could almost convince himself that the night six years ago didn’t happen. But when Nigel St. James is traded to South Carolina, it becomes a lot harder to keep their history in the past.
Nigel St. James can’t imagine a team he’d like to play for less than South Carolina, and he knows Corwin probably feels the same. But when things between them become friendly, it’s clear that they both still want each other now, the same as they did back then.
Is it possible to start fresh and build a relationship, or are some things—and people—better left in the past?
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