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ladybusinessIt's December: the end of the year and the time of 1000 recommendation lists. We thought we'd get in on the action with some sweet themed recs! Enjoy these stories about romance.
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street contains one of my favourite slow burn romances. This the story of Thaniel and Mori finding each other despite all the odds is still one that I think about a lot. Perfect for fans of slow, quiet fantasy, as its fantastical and steampunk elements and the main plot device of a man getting to know another man under the cover of working out if he's making clockwork bombs, are all in the background. The main focus is on the unhurried creation of important relationships, with the friendship and romance blossoming between Thaniel and Mori at the very centre. I'm in awe of the way Natasha Pulley creates emotional tension out of the slightest of details, and her use of lush but restrained imagery to create atmosphere is just stunning.
I loved a lot of things about Stephanie Burgis's novella Snowspelled, and one of them was its take on a charming rekindled romance. I'm really looking forward to whatever comes next in the series!
I can’t remember if I’ve talked about Aliette de Bodard’s In the Vanishers’ Palace yet this Recmas, but I love the romance in that one. In the Vanishers’ Palace is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which means consent issues galore. I loved how the author handled the characters’ attraction and anger for each other, and it was so satisfying when they (uh, spoiler? I guess) got together in the end.
Did you know that Gail Carriger writes novellas now? I’ve always rather liked her books, but the over-the-top silliness can sometimes be a bit much at the novel length. It turns out, however, that 150-200 pages is the perfect length for Carriger’s particular brand of fun, sexy steampunk-ish paranormal alternate-historical romance. My favorites: Romancing the Inventor and Romancing the Werewolf.
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readingtheend introduced me to Rose Lerner's works, and I am so glad she did. A Lily Among Thorns has a romance between a prickly sex worker turned crime boss and a fabric dyer recovering from depression who moves into her home and is a ray of sunshine, and it's so much my thing! I love stories about prickly humans and the sunshines who love them, and this is a stellar example, with people trying to negotiate who they are and who they want to be to each other! (The secondary romance is also good, but every single part of it is spoilers, I'm sorry.)
When I first heard of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang I was intrigued, but after reading it I will go into battle for Stella. She's on the spectrum, does some complicated math work for a company to encourage people to buy things and she's really good at it, but dating and romance and sex are impossible for her. So she does the most logical thing: she hires an escort her to teach her to bang. Then as their lessons get more intense, they fall in love and it's GREAT. The family drama is excellent on both sides, as two very different people learn to fit their lives together. I loved it so much.
Theme for December 13: A story with excellent romance
Jodie
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street contains one of my favourite slow burn romances. This the story of Thaniel and Mori finding each other despite all the odds is still one that I think about a lot. Perfect for fans of slow, quiet fantasy, as its fantastical and steampunk elements and the main plot device of a man getting to know another man under the cover of working out if he's making clockwork bombs, are all in the background. The main focus is on the unhurried creation of important relationships, with the friendship and romance blossoming between Thaniel and Mori at the very centre. I'm in awe of the way Natasha Pulley creates emotional tension out of the slightest of details, and her use of lush but restrained imagery to create atmosphere is just stunning.
KJ
I loved a lot of things about Stephanie Burgis's novella Snowspelled, and one of them was its take on a charming rekindled romance. I'm really looking forward to whatever comes next in the series!
Jenny
I can’t remember if I’ve talked about Aliette de Bodard’s In the Vanishers’ Palace yet this Recmas, but I love the romance in that one. In the Vanishers’ Palace is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which means consent issues galore. I loved how the author handled the characters’ attraction and anger for each other, and it was so satisfying when they (uh, spoiler? I guess) got together in the end.
Bridget
Did you know that Gail Carriger writes novellas now? I’ve always rather liked her books, but the over-the-top silliness can sometimes be a bit much at the novel length. It turns out, however, that 150-200 pages is the perfect length for Carriger’s particular brand of fun, sexy steampunk-ish paranormal alternate-historical romance. My favorites: Romancing the Inventor and Romancing the Werewolf.
Susan
Renay
When I first heard of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang I was intrigued, but after reading it I will go into battle for Stella. She's on the spectrum, does some complicated math work for a company to encourage people to buy things and she's really good at it, but dating and romance and sex are impossible for her. So she does the most logical thing: she hires an escort her to teach her to bang. Then as their lessons get more intense, they fall in love and it's GREAT. The family drama is excellent on both sides, as two very different people learn to fit their lives together. I loved it so much.
