This timely request comes from Tara:
A few years ago I gave my father Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh as a retirement gift, not mentioning that it’s considered a romance. He loved it and has read all of the Guild Hunter and Psy/Changeling series. I’ve also introduced him to Sarah J Maas, Thea Harrison, and he’s currently hooked on Shelly Laurenston. I’m looking to introduce him to another romance author this Father’s Day, any suggestions? He loves anything that’s well-written, over-the-top and with lots of action.
Sarah recommended Ilona Andrews, LA Banks ( A | BN | K | AB ), and L. Penelope via email.
Sarah: I think if LA Banks was still alive she would be a complete powerhouse of an author. Her TikTok would be incredible!
Amanda: I think Jennifer Estep’s recent series, both fantasy and scifi. I’d also suggest Jessie Mihalik’s recent scifi series. I find that one to have more action than her previous trilogy.
Rachel Aaron/Bach too!
Sarah: Oh good call yes for sure!
Sneezy: Maybe Meljean Brook ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) and Kit Rocha?
Claudia: Sandra Antonelli’s At Your Service series, especially the first book! One word: spies.
Which action-packed books would you recommend? Tell us below!
Definitely Ilona Andrews. I would start with the innkeeper Series and then move on to the Hidden Legacy Series.
One of the last books I bought for my dh was the Penric series (Lois McMaster Bujold). Her Vorkosigan series is also wonderfully full of action and well written!
I second Ilona Andrews–any of their series, including their lesser known scifi FATED BLADES). Maybe Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series? Or Darynda Jones’s Charley Davidson (though I’ve enjoyed her Sunshine Vicram series more but there’s only 3 books–so far. Hoping for more.) If he likes police procedurals, maybe JD Robb’s In Death/Eve Dallas series?
The Lee Goldberg/Janet Evanovich “Fox and O’Hare” series is great.
I love all the Ilona Andrews books, but perhaps Sweep of the Blade would be a better place for her father to start. There is more action there than in the first Innkeeper books and it can stand alone. Gunmetal Magic is also a bit of a stand-alone for the Kate Daniels books.
Ilona Andrews, Lois McMaster Bujold, Meljean Brook, Linnea Sinclair, and Catherine Asaro (for old-school sci-fi romance bonkers with by an author with a physics Phd). I can maybe come up with more (Tilly Wallace’s earlier series with werewolf aristocracy? Gail Carriger?), but have to head to work…
Maybe Christine Feehan? When I worked in a bookstore, I had an older man who read paranormal romance and he LOVED Christine Feehan’s books. I haven’t read any of them, so I can’t give an informed opinion.
These are all good options! 🙂
I would also suggest two series: Incryptid or October Daye, by Seanan McGuire.
My dad had a habit of reading a lot of what my brother and I were reading in my teens (I think to keep an eye on us!), so he tried reading some of the romances I had started on back then (I may or may not have hidden some from him at the time). But I know he ended up enjoying Georgette Heyer, because he would chuckle out loud and I’d look over to see him reading The Grand Sophy 🙂
I just read The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent, along with the even more epically amazing sequel. It’s action packed fantasy romance with the highest stakes, complex characters with incredible arcs, I could not put either one down!
As @Emma mentioned, Gail Carriger definitely fits. The Parasol Protectorate series is
well-written, check;
over-the-top, check, check, check;
and with lots of action, check.
Snarky steampunk at its best.
Also, she has a paranormal romance series, The San Andreas Shifters, written under the name G.L. Carriger (haven’t read, so I’m just tossing that in).
Also, also – if you believe her Wiki page, she’s a Yank: Tofa Borregaard (from Marin County and Oberlin), which you’d think would be someone named “Gail Carriger”’s pen name! Blew my mind! May have to rethink everything I’ve ever known…
Dianne Duvall- Immortal Guardian series.
I’ll recommend Anne Bishop’s The Others starting with Written in Red.
Most decidedly The Vorkorsigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold!
My husband adored the T. kingfisher Paladin series, and I’ve also gotten him hooked on the Liaden books by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.
Sarah Lyons Fleming Until the End of the World series morphs into the companion The City series. Romance is secondary but action packed, found family and zombies are key. Don’t let zombies turn you off. I never would’ve picked this up based on that fact alone, but once I picked them up, I couldn’t put them down.
I recommend I.T. Lucas’s Children of the Gods series there are over 70 boos in that series. Ought to keep him entertained for a good long while.
My uncle got thoroughly into Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series, and was overjoyed when I told him about her SF/horror alter ego, Mira Grant.
I have recommended K.B. Wagers to my father–her Indranan series and the NeoG trilogy (third book at the end of June!) mix fun sci-fi space adventures with romantic elements, family and found-family bonding, and lots of queer rep.
If he likes near-future/mystery/suspense/police procedurals or any combination thereof, I’d go for JR Robb’s In Death series. Over 50 books and counting.
I know it’s not technically romance, but Murderbot is pretty much a slam dunk hit with almost anyone.
I’ll second Ann Bishop and raise you Meljean Brook. Anything and everything, including the barbarian books she wrote as Mills Vane, but especially her Guardian series which remains my all time favorite PNR series. If you want to get him into something not scifi/fantasy/paranormal, I’ll suggest Tara Jensen’s Steele Street books starting with CRAZY HOT. They just got more and more OTT as they go, and they are great fun.
Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series is non-stop and over the top and while it is not a romance, it is absolutely a love story (same goes for Scholomance, really).
Jennifer Cody’s Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees is bonkers fun
TJ Klune’s Lightning Struck Heart is more m/m bonkers fun
Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow checks ALL the boxes
Kimberly Lemming’s That Time I got Drunk and Saved a Demon is silly fun and over the top
And This is How You Lose the Time War is just gorgeous
Jennifer Crusie is always the answer. The ‘mystery’ ones, like Getting Rid of Bradley, Fast Women, and Faking It are a good place to start. And, of course, Agnes & the Hitman and Wild Ride are action and fun and just great reads.
All of Charlaine Harris’ series.
Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller.
G. A. Aiken (who is also Shelly Larenston)
Since most of my favorites are already listed, I’ll add Cassandra Gan
Gannon’s ‘A kinda fairytale’ series…it’s a well-written, funny (and fun), action-packed, paranormal take on popular fairy tales.
A CONSPIRACY OF WHISPERS by Ada Harper has an assassin in a hostile country with an enemy soldier during a coup, and there’s a second one I haven’t read yet. And the assassin is an omega in hiding.
THE BLUEBLOOD CONSPIRACY by Bed McMaster is a fun steam punk series.
Not a series but SUNSHINE by Robin McKinley is a great near future with vampires.
A couple older recs:
– Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax and Dred Chronicles series
– The Dark Age Dawning trilogy by Ellen Connor (aka Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty)
And continuing with the sci-fi-ish/fantasy recs–Everina Maxwell’s Winter’s Orbit and Ocean’s Echo; Foz Meadows’ A Strange and Stubborn Endurance
R.J. Blain’s Magical Romantic Comedies with a body count series. Also, M.C.A. Hogarth’s Peltedverse.