GS vs STA: Multiple POV

Kerry writes in with a specific type of book she’s looking for, in the hopes of building a reading list. Perfect for “Good Shit vs. Shit to Avoid!”

I’m really looking for recommended reads of a specific nature I
haven’t seen mentioned anywhere (and please point me to the link if I
missed it!). I’m looking for romances with multiple (not just two) POVs,
specifically ones with a secondary romance. Not necessarily an HEA for the
second, but separate characters, with their own story arcs, whose subplot
interweaves with and enhances the main plot.

It seems like these used to get pubbed more, say, 10 years ago – early-mid
Crusie comes to mind, or SE Phillips (who is hit or miss for me). But now
it’s all “one man, one woman” (or “one person, one person”, since I
don’t just read “straight” – ha, ha – romances). There’s got to be some
recent ones out there – am I just missing them??

(NB: Hot smexing is fine, but I’m not looking for menage books! Nor am I looking for “secondary
characters who will have their own story in the next book of ABC series.”
This would be separate, complete stories, told from secondary character
POVs.)

So Kerry is looking for romances with more than two POVs at work telling the story, with the additional perspectives telling their own story. Holy smoke, I haven’t read a book like that in the romance genre in awhile. I usually associate the Multiple-POV, Multiple-Storyline trait with women’s fiction, wherein the romance is secondary or even tertiary to the other storys. Got suggestions?

 

Comments are Closed

  1. BritE says:

    I know someone already mentioned Jill Mansell, but I thought I would go ahead and second it! Her books revolve around a whole slew of characters and there are always several romances. The characters and situations are unique and the books are funny, light hearted reads. I would start with Millie’s Fling. I’ve read and reread it several times, I just can’t get enough!!

  2. RevMelinda says:

    Linnea Sinclair’s sci-fi romance “Games of Command” features a primary and a secondary romance—it’s just a wonderful book. 

    CarrieS, all of Linnea Sinclair’s books are great—if you’re looking for sci-fi romance, she’d be my very first recommendation.  You could also try Catherine Asaro, whose books combine sci-fi and romance beautifully—and Lois McMaster Bujold’s “Shards of Honor” and “Barrayar” are sci-fi with strong romantic elements, with one of the most amazing heroines in fiction.

  3. susan says:

    I was going to recommend Jill Sorenson’s books, but I see she already commented that she uses multiple POVs, so I am going to second her recommendation. And add that I think she’s a good writer. I am looking forward to her next book.

  4. BethSmash says:

    Diana Gabaldon’s LATER books do this (not so much in the first part of the series) but you do have to read the whole series to know what is going on.  I’m also pretty certain that Sally MacKenzie’s books usually have a fun, fleshed out subplot.  And Enchantress from the stars doesn’t have the subplot so much as the different point of view thing going on, but it’s a pretty amazing read anyways, you might enjoy it.

  5. Scrin says:

    Well, Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate books -sort- of approach this. Narration is 3rd-person limited, but it does shift viewpoint characters. As I recall, the three viewpoints in order of amount-of-page-time are the female lead, the male lead, and the male lead’s second-in-command.

  6. I’m just popping up to second the recommendation for Lisa Kleypas’s Again the Magic and JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood books…

    Again the Magic has what I believe is the best secondary love story I’ve read in an historical romance…so good that I wish they actually had been two books.

    And BDB…while there aren’t big secondary love stories, is a great multiple POV series.

  7. Alexandra says:

    Both Montana Sky and Three Fates by Nora Roberts are based around three siblings who each find their match. Really good romantic suspense

  8. elph says:

    I second the Nora Roberts rec. A lot of her romantic suspense novels have multiple points of view. Montana Sky, Birthright, and Carolina Moon, just to name a few. They are stand-alone novels with strong secondary romances.

  9. elph says:

    or third the rec, as the case may be

  10. rougebolo says:

    I am not sure what a pov is (I hate text) but books with more then one romance is the what I am getting from this what about Lorelei James books (Rough Rider) they have a lot of brothers and cousins falling in love and the stories continue on in the next books so you get to see your favorite characters through the series (they are erotic so may be to graphic)

  11. I was going to suggest Nora Roberts’ older books as well – they almost always have fully realized secondary romances in them.

    Spam word: maybe93. Ms. Roberts probably does have 93 stories like that out there!

  12. Christine says:

    I have a couple of vastly different suggestions one is for Historical Romance Loretta Chase usually uses multiple pov and there is a charming secondary romance in the Last Hellion.

    My next idea is an SEAL romance by Marliss Melton I’ve been reading the series the first two contain a full secondary romance complete with sexing the two books have the same secondary romance but it actually liked it better than the primary one especially in the second book—the books are Forget me Not and In the Dark.

  13. Dayle says:

    Jennifer Crusie’s Trust Me On This has a fabulous romance between the secondary characters – so much so that Jenny says they almost took over the book.

  14. Michele says:

    Diana Gabaldon’s LATER books do this (not so much in the first part of the series)

    Actually, the two characters in the major secondary romance are introduced in the second book, Dragonfly In Amber, and really get rolling in the third, Voyager. So it’s not all that far into the series, if you’re interested. 🙂

    I am not sure what a pov is (I hate text)

    POV stands for “point of view,” and it’s a fairly standard abbreviation and has been around much longer than text messaging. However, for the life of me I can’t remember what HEA stands for, and I’ve seen it numerous times before! 🙂

  15. Lynn S. says:

    However, for the life of me I can’t remember what HEA stands for, and I’ve seen it numerous times before!

    Michele, Happy to tell you it stands for Happily Ever After.

  16. Michele says:

    Whew! Thanks, Lynn. Now I can sleep tonight. 😉

  17. Yeah.  I’ve got four in the pipe.  No takers.  Women’s fiction is persona non grata.  Chick lit a swear word.  Unfortunately I come from a world where a (an) HEA is an error in perspective or planning.

  18. Amanda says:

    The Sharing Knife books (there are four) by Lois McMaster Bujold, which are romantic fiction, have several additional romances besides the main couple.

    Those romances are actually in the 3rd and 4th books, but all four are so great and well worth reading!

  19. anthrograd says:

    Victoria Dahl’s Crazy for Love has two POVs – though you are mostly with the main heroine. They are two friends running away to a Virginia island vacation after the first was left by her bum of a fiance (who faked his own death) and they meet some not unattractive fellow vacationers. Things go pretty well from there until they hit some plot and have to work out some issues.

    I got turned onto Dahl from this website, her Talk Me Down series. Crazy for Love isn’t quite as laugh out loud funny as Talk Me Down, but it’s good and I really enjoy the strength of the female characters.

  20. Teresa N says:

    Definitely second Susan Elizabeth Phillip’s books, especially her Chicago Stars series.  As I remember, all of them include secondary characters with their own POVs and HEAs.  Besides that, they’re great reads!

  21. I don’t think Larissa Ione’s Demonica series was mentioned yet. It has multiple points of view, and it has a fully realized romance between two secondaries that evolves throughout the series.

  22. Avid Reader says:

    Defy the World Tomatoes by Phoebe Conn (Samhain) has a very nice secondary romance.

  23. Zsa Zsa says:

    ok so this isn’t a romance really but its still good. if you like fantasy you should try jim butchers codex alera books. theres six of them and they have about three different subplots all throughout the books, but they come together for the main plot. and yeah theres a bit of romance but its not the driving force in the books. the first book is Furies of Calderon.

    another book thats a romance that has this is Victoria Alexander’s The Princess and the Pea, its very fluffy and a quick read, but there are different points of view and different romances all at once.

  24. Pam says:

    If you like multiple POVs and multiple romances, might I suggest the Patricia Wrede/Caroline Stevermer series that begins with Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot.  The story is told in a series of letters between the two heroines, and is a charming and funny blend of regency romance and fantasy.  The last book in the series adds the heroes’ voices to the correspondence.  A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson also uses multiple points of view, all in the third person.  Both of these were recommendations from the readers of SBTB, both are marketed as YA, though I don’t think they’re that limited, and neither is too steamy.

    I’d also second the recommendations of Connie Willis.  I finished Blackout and All Clear last month and they were stunning.  I was tickled to hear that the pair of them were nominated for a Hugo.

    If you like epistolary novels, perhaps you would like Freedom and Necessity by Steven Brust and Emma Bull.  I’ve just started it and am enjoying it, though the philosophical discussion in some of the letters is fairly dense (or maybe that’s just me.)  Still, I find the letter form is an excellent way to convey multiple viewpoints in a fairly subtle manner.  The novel is set in England of 1849 and at the point I’ve reached is hinting at fantasy elements—not surprising with these authors.  There is also a strong romantic element, and the characters become more fascinating as the letters progress.

  25. Jocelyn Z says:

    Seconding Connie Willis (Belweather and To Say Nothing of the Dog are the best cross-overs for romance fans) and Bujold (though her first-person style gets in the way of secondary plots sometimes).

    You might also check out Carra McKenna’s “Skin Game,” which is told from multiple POV’s.  It’s erotica rather than romance, but I think there are at least 4 POV characters in that one, as well as scenes shot from the cameras’ viewpoint.  I was a little put off by the fact that it was sorta based on a reality TV concept, but I love the author, and it really paid off at the end.  (Plus, I love head-jumping when it’s done well).

    My captcha is “feel 85” – I don’t really.  I’ll get back to you in the morning, captcha monster.

  26. Jocelyn Z says:

    lets see if I can fix that run-on italic.

  27. Jill Mansell says:

    Hello, and what a stupendous site this is! Thanks so much to those who have recommended my books – and yes, I always like to have a good cast of characters with multiple storylines and a wide age-range, so there’s something for everyone. Basically, I have a short attention span and couldn’t write a book about just two people. I like to have different relationships going on, just like in real life. But I do make sure they are clearly defined and not confusing, I promise!
    I must ask my publishers to send an arc of my new book to the Smart Bitches – you sound amazing!
    Love from
    Jill Mansell in the UK

  28. LJ says:

    I also vote for Sherry Thomas – she does a very good job of weaving in multiple POV in a romance novel.  Nora Roberts also sometimes does this as well, at least in her series romances and crossover books.

  29. Lil' Deviant says:

      Did it work?  *crosses fingers*

  30. Pop Tart says:

    Jill Barnett wrote a WWII book called SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY that definitely fits the bill.  I’d probably label it womens’ fiction but it has three romantic relationships told against the backdrop of WWII.  Here’s the Library Journal review:

    “In a striking departure from her usual light, funny, often whimsical romances (Wicked), Barnett has penned a riveting, multilayered mainstream novel of heroism, love, and personal growth set against the emotionally charged backdrop of World War II. Fast-paced and turbulent, her story sweeps a quintet of compelling characters from their diverse and separate lives and brings them together in adventure and tragedy, linking them forever in ways they could never have predicted. Witty dialog, a refreshing sprinkle of humor, and well-chosen details of the 1940s lighten this poignant, emotionally involving novel that is definitely mainstream but still spins a series of love stories with enough romantic appeal to please even the most die-hard romance fan.”

    I enjoyed it a lot.

  31. Kerry says:

    Popping on late (I’m the one who made the request :)) to say WOW and THANK YOU, and also Y’ALL ARE AMAZING. I’m going to have to copy this whole post into a Word doc to save for reference, and go seek out all these new-to-me authors and their books. I super-d-duper appreciate it! Can’t wait to start reading!!

    Spam word: future98 – yep, I definitely see at least 98 new books in the future of my Kindle….

  32. Molly says:

    Anne Stuart’s Ruthless. It. Is. AMAZING. The secondary characters are brilliant- Charles Reading makes me sigh wistfully whilst looking into the distance.

    Also: LOSING MY SHIT A LITTLE OVER HERE. Marry me Anne Stuart please and thank you. Srlsy: your books are fantastic. ‘Not for everyone’ only means ‘For the awesome’.

  33. dustanddenim says:

    Yes! Yes I can recommend a good (at least I think it’s good) novel with more than one perspective.  Actually no – there’s TWO I can think of. First is one of my first Favourtie Of All Time books, I still have the copy some fifteen years on.  The Indigo Blade by Linda Jones is fairly standard romance with the addition sub-plot of a cousin’s burgeoning luuuurve life.  The second book would be Judith Krantz’s Till We Meet Again.  It has FOUR, count ‘em, completely individual stories in the one calorie busting book.  I’m not kidding, that thing is Gi-huge-ous.  Having said that, I had trouble putting it down.

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