This Rec League comes from Jessi. Thanks, Jessi!
Amanda: The Scorpius Syndrome series by Rebecca Zanetti. Warning of dubious consent in some books and the events involve a deadly virus, if anyone wants to steer clear of that storyline right now.I know this might not be what other people are looking for right now, but I have been devouring post apocalyptic romances and I need more to feed the beast. So far, I’ve read everything by Kit Rocha, Claire Kent’s Last Light, Alysa Cole’s Radio Silence trilogy and most recently Kat Bostick’s Moonshine. I don’t care what type of apocalypse it is, and I really don’t need much plot, if that makes sense. What I really like is the dynamic of two people alone at the end of the world who have to rely on each other. You could maybe in substitute an extreme forced proximity (like Adriana Andrews’ Whiteout). Any suggestions?
Elyse: Year One by Nora Roberts ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) although while there is romance it’s not the center storyline.
EllenM: Two series after magical apocalypses come to mind—Isabel Cooper’s Stormbringer series (1st and 3rd books especially) and the A Gathering of Dragons series by Milla Vane, although the latter have more of an ensemble cast feel
Sarah: In my interview with Julia Quinn, she also requested post-apocalyptic books, and recommended Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
Laura, in the comments, said, “As far as a dystopian novel, I liked NK Jemison’s The Fifth Season and, while more noir than dystopian, China Mieville’s The City and the City.”
Susan: The Luminous Dead by Caitlyn Starling maybe? It’s f/f survival horror and goes hard into the “two people alone who have to rely on each other” from the word go – the protagonist is a caver for hire exploring monster-infested tunnels, whose only contact while she’s down there is the person manning the radio.
And I agree with Laura’s comments, because The Fifth Season is excellent and does really cool things with its structure
Amanda: We also have a “dystopian” option in our Book Finder!
What books would you recommend? Let us know!
These are mystery, but Bannerless and The Wild Dead by Carrie Vaughn are my favorite post-apocalypse books. What’s nice about them is civilization already fell and is being re-built, so there’s hope involved. Really interesting world-build.
Joss Ware/Coleen Gleason – The Envy Chronicles. There is also a three book series written by two authors in collaboration cannot remember right now. If you get bitten you turn into some type of monster.
I second the recommendation for Bannerless and The Wild Dead, although they aren’t particularly romances, they are excellent post -apocalypse SF.
Really enjoyed Life as We Knew It a few years ago– thanks for the reminder to re-read it so I can read the sequels. I would describe it as post-apocalyptic YA SF, rather than romance.
Does anyone remember the name of the SF road trip romance, in which one character’s world has been destroyed and they are trying to find more of his people to rebuild their society? It was recommended here.
There is the “controversial” series by Laura Thalassa which include WAR and PESTILENCE where the hero is one of the four horsemen. Also LAST NIGHT by Claire Kent which has a road trip in a wasted landscape vibe. Also Ann Aguirre’s PERDITION is set in a type of “future prison”. ANGELFALL is the first of a YA style series by Susan Ee. There are several in the series. Although not true dystopian the heroine of LAST HOUR OF GANN (which is fabulous by the way) leaves shitty Earth and winds up on another planet by accident with some fellow humans. It’s written by R LEE SMITH a great author who pulls no punches.
The Strain trilogy by Amelia C. Gormley – post-zombie-apocalypse erotic mm romance. I thought the world building was really good, especially given that the first book that was published (Strain) is fuck-or-die bdsm erotica. Not for every reader but I liked it when it came out.
The zombies were created by a mutated vaccine, so not sure if I could read it now.
Under the Never Sky trilogy by Veronica Rossi. It is YA though if it is not your jam. H/H meet up right away and don’t like each other at first. I liked the world-building with the extreme weather patterns and mutations that helped outsiders survived.
And as always the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews.
The Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa. Lots of violence and death so reader beware. Each book focuses on one of the horsemen and their human lover.
Bec McMaster’s Burned Lands trilogy has great action in the post-apocalyptic American West.
@Merle: The Best of all Possible Worlds by Karen Lord?
What about Rebecca Roanhorse and Trail of Lightning/Storm of Locusts? It’s post apocalyptic and magical. And along those lines there’s the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews.
Seanan McGuire’s Newsflesh trilogy (“Feed”, “Deadline”, “Blackout”), set 20ish years after a human-caused zombie apocalypse, are not romance novels per se, but there is a romance that comes to the forefront over the main trilogy’s arc.
“Docile” by K.M. Szpara has an M/M romance, but the ‘romance’ is forced-consent because people in debt in near-future America can sell themselves into slavery to the super-rich in order to pay off their debts, and that is how Elisha ends up with Alex. It’s smoking hot in spots, but so many trigger warnings for dubcon.
Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series is YA dystopia (revolution, war/climate devastation, military rule and dominance) with an extremely intense romance at its heart, although the heroine does not end up with her first crush.
Lauren Dane had a piece in the MARKED collaboration. I had hoped she’d come back to that world, there was definitely sequel bait, but so far, no go.
Jillian Stone’s EAT, SLAY, LUST ON ZOMBIE ROAD has a pretty self explanatory title. I love everything she writes.
And, while not romance, I always recommend Rebecca Roanhorse’s Sixth World series. So far only two books, and only maybe a whisper of romantic interest, but soooo good.
@JudyW seconding Laura Thalassa’s Four Horsemen. The “controversial” bit is right there in the title of the series: the heroines fall in love with the Four Horsemen. As can be expected, the male leads kill a LOT of people and start each book very inhuman and even cruel to the heroine.
@The Other Kate I’ve read the first of the Burned Lands series and liked it – need to read the rest!
Sarah Lyons Fleming has 2 (pricey, un-interlibrary loanable) series Until the End of the World and Cascadia. I read the first 2 of UtEotW and my local library has run into a dead end. I’m not a book buyer and if anyone knows anyone who would be willing to loan theirs I’d happily pay back and forth shipping. I’d slam through those puppies so fast you’d never notice they’re gone.
Claire Kent recently released a post-apocalyptical romance novella called Haven.
A reviewer I trust compared LAST HOUR OF GANN to a Tarantino movie.
@Teev: Thanks! That’s the one.
These area little older but still good: DRIVEN and HIDDEN by Eve Kenin (Eve Silver).
Also The Iron Seas series By Meljean Brooke just about fits here,just leaning a little heavier on the alt-history side of things.
Forgot a couple:
Ellen Connor’s Dark Age Dawning series. It starts with NIGHTFALL.
Joss Ware(Colleen Gleason) has a series that starts with BEYOND THE NIGHT. I think under the Gleason name she has other dystopian series.
And,of course, there are hundreds of YA dystopian and postapocalyptic books.
Vivian Shaw’s three book series featuring Dr. Greta Helsing is strictly fantasy but it deals with coming up to and going *through* an/THE apocalypse. In book three, we get glimpses into a post-apocalyptic future, but the journey into and out of the apocalypse was fascinating. I certainly found a lot of hope in this nicely conceived and written series.
It’s not really a couple in forced proximity, but when I think of post-apocalyptic (erotic) romance I think of the Outlaws series by Elle Kennedy. A “…series about men and women living on the edge of violence, sex, and life and death.”
Yesssss to Life as We Knew It! That series was fantastic! Plus, it made my librarian heart’s day when I suggested it to my nonreader brother and he not only loved the series, he devoured it. If that isn’t a recommendation, I don’t know what is!
The Livi Talbot books might qualify. The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole definitely fit the bill, kind of go off the rails and the last one isn’t finished. They are compulsively readable though, and very cool world building.
The War Bride by JT Howes fits this and was surprisingly good. It has zombie-like creatures and a sci-fi element. The romance is slow burn but the two main characters are by themselves for most of the book trying to reach safety.
Keri Lake’s Juniper Unraveling series
Paige Weaver’s Promise Me series
Kennedy Layne’s Surviving Ashes series
Michelle Mills’ Catastrophe series
@Julie: Both of these series are available for free on Kindle Unlimited. It doesn’t sound as if you’d be interested in paying for a membership, but you might be able to snag a free trial. Amazon also used offer short-term memberships. I’m not sure if these options are still available, but it’s worth checking out.
Kylie Scott wrote a 2 book post apocalyptic zombie series called FLESH.
R Lee smith’s book, Lord of the Beautiful Dead. Excellent.
Oops. Did not check my work before publishing…LAND of the Beautiful Dead by R Lee Smith. Sorry.
The Mercenary Librarians series by Kit Rocha?
“Not All A Dream” by Sophia Kell Hagin (f/f).
“The Edge of Yesterday” by CJ Birch – f/f time travel with Terminator vibes.
Bold Strokes Books has 14 titles under its Dystopian tag, if you read f/f.
Also, not romance, but they’re adapting “Station Eleven” for the screen.
The Mercenary Librarians series by Kit Rocha?
“Not All A Dream” by Sophia Kell Hagin (f/f).
“The Edge of Yesterday” by CJ Birch – f/f time travel with Terminator vibes.
Bold Strokes Books has 14 titles under its Dystopian tag, if you read f/f.
Also, not romance, but they’re adapting “Station Eleven” for the screen.
Jessica Meigs’ The Becoming Series. Post apoc zombie lit. They’re not strictly romance but there are romantic relationships that drive the plot. It is a lil bit slow burn/build up with the relationships but I kinda like that sort of thing. I just finished reading the fifth one yesterday and am waiting on the next one.
I think someone else recommended Mira Grant’s Feed series. Id recommend that one too. Its the same as the Becoming series. The relationship is more of a slow burn and isn’t the forefront of the book but is still really well developed just the same. I think I reread that trilogy every coupleo f years.