There’s been a lot of discourse lately about what makes a book a romantasy. I’m not having any of the nonsense about ‘you wouldn’t call a book written by a man a romantasy’ because that’s ridiculous and I’m also including books that have romance as a sub plot as that’s what a romantasy is in my mind. It’s probably true that female authors write about romance more often, but I do read almost exclusively books written by female presenting people. If you have any male romantasy recommendations I’d love to check some out.
The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
To comment fully on the romance side of this book would mean giving pretty huge spoilers for how it ends, however, I adored this book. From basically the beginning you can feel like chemistry oozing between two of the characters. It starts out as fairly platonic and it’s mostly flirtatious banter but once they cross the line into actual romance, it’s pretty insane.
After the events of the final few chapters, I have no idea what will happen in book two – especially for the romance side of the story. However, I am so excited to read the next instalment.
I also want to comment on the fact that the what I’d call ‘platonic romance’ between the group of girls is so lovely. It would have been so easy to pit them against each other but what you get instead is a wonderful dynamic of women that support each other even though they’re competing for the same thing.
Synopsis: London, 1848—For four hundred years, England has been under the control of an immortal fae queen who tricked her way onto the throne. To maintain an illusion of benevolence, Queen Mor grants each of her subjects one opportunity to bargain for their deepest desire.
As Ivy Benton prepares to make her debut, she knows that not even a deal with the queen could fix what has gone wrong: Her family’s social standing is in shambles, her sister is a shadow of her former self, and Ivy’s marriage prospects are nonexistent. So when the queen announces a competition for Prince Bram’s hand, Ivy is the first to sign her name in blood. What a bargain can’t fix, a crown certainly could.
Ivy soon finds herself a surprising front-runner—with the help of an unexpected ally: Prince Bram’s brother, the rakish Prince Emmett, who promises to help Ivy win his brother’s heart…for a price. But as the season sweeps Ivy away, with glittering balls veiling the queen’s increasingly vicious trials, Ivy realizes there’s more at stake than just a wedding. Because all faerie bargains come with a cost, and Ivy may have discovered hers too late.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
This is a cosy fantasy so is more on the chill side compared to the other books I’ll be talking about in this series, but I wanted to prove that men do write fantasy books with a romance sub plot. I loved the growing relationship between Viv and Tandree, which I didn’t really comment on in my review of this book. Tandree started out pretty cold towards Viv and the coffee shop but as they got closer she very quickly threw her everything into making sure it was a success. I wouldn’t say the romance is ‘spellbinding’. It actually felt like a realistic relationship. No epic declarations of love, no fighting for your life, just a sweet budding relationship in a low stakes fantasy.
I think I summed up this book pretty perfectly in my review: “Legends & Lattes is the perfect book to read if you want to curl up under a blanket with a cup of coffee (or tea). It’s a pretty quick read that you could get through in just one sitting, depending on how quick you read, and it will leave you with a craving for a latte and a warm pastry fresh out of the oven.”
Synopsis: After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
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Like this post? Why not read this one too: Book Confessions: Books I Did Not Finish #11