This Rec League comes from S. Thanks! Hello! I’ve recently read a bunch of heterosexual historical romances featuring distressingly tall heroines who inevitably end up with heroes happily taller than them. Yawn. Do you have any recommendations for books with short kings instead? I’m open to contemporaries and fantasy as well. Amanda: Tangentially, we had a tall heroines rec league back in 2017. Lara: Judging by the cover image (if I’m remembering right) the hero … Continue reading The Rec League: Short Kings→
This Rec League was sent in by Kim. Thanks, Kim! I’d love to see a Rec League about celebrity crush romances—where one MC is the celeb crush of the other MC, who is just a regular person. Strongly prefer MM, but I know that may be too niche. I’m really interested specifically in preexisting celeb crushes, not just “one character is a celebrity” plots. Open to actor crushes, sports, music, etc. This request is brought … Continue reading The Rec League: Celebrity Crush Romances→
This Rec League is from Rebecca from our podcast Patreon Discord: So I’m really enjoying the Below Stairs mysteries and wondered if anyone has any recs for other historical cosy mystery series. What I like about them is they generally resolve well and have that cosy mystery feel, but they also acknowledge some of the social justice issues of the time. I don’t really like high society stuff, so I like that they’re about working … Continue reading The Rec League: Cozy Historical Mysteries→
This request came from Varian in our SBTB podcast discord (another perk of joining the community!): Okay I’ve got a rather niche request. I don’t even know if this exists in romance novels. BDSM romances with no or very little sex, or where orgasms aren’t the main goal. I miss reading BDSM stories/books, but when I get to a sex scene in audio, the “skip 30 seconds” button gets a workout. Smut sounds very different … Continue reading The Rec League: BDSM Romances with Little to No Sex→
This Rec League was sent in by Anne: I’ve been re-reading Susanna Kearsley’s books about the Jacobites was reminded about how very unlucky the Stuarts were in their efforts to regain the throne in England. I am interested in books about what might have happened in the Stuarts were successful or if Queen Anne had named her half-brother as her successor instead of her German cousin. On a similar note, I’m also interested in books … Continue reading The Rec League: Alternate History→
This Rec League came from our staff reviewer Shana: Have we done a Rec League on books where the couple’s first time having sex is awkward or bad and they had to learn how to give each other pleasure? I feel like I remember us talking about those romances but I’m not sure what we might have called the Rec League. I love historical married couple romances, and this trope feels somewhat adjacent. Carrie: Jennifer … Continue reading The Rec League: Awkward Sex→
This Rec League comes from Juhi. Thanks, Juhi! I have found my way to c-dramas, and I need some recommendations! I started with a Perfect Match which is good, then found Love Like A Galaxy which I LOVE (and still have to watch all of, except I already saw the ending becauseI had to!) and then followed Wu Lei to Amidst A Snowstorm of Love which is hitting ALL MY SWEET SPOTS. I thought I … Continue reading The Rec League: C-Dramas→
This Rec League was sent in from Cassidy: I’m looking for a book recommendation (recommendations if I’m being honest) for a book with a reverse grumpy x sunshine relationship. As much as I appreciate the brooding, cold, grumpy hero, I prefer romance where it’s the woman who is the grumpy or closed off one while the guy is social, pleasant to be around, funny, and an overall ball of sunshine/ a golden retriever—but books with … Continue reading The Rec League: Grumpy/Sunshine with Grumpy Heroines→
This request came from Vicki. Thanks, Vicki! I was chatting with someone in India who is unhappy with their cricket team and remembering playing cricket as a kid. I’m wondering if there are any good cricket romances. Sarah: I am stumped! Amanda: Same! If any exist, they’re most certainly indie pubbed or not readily available in the US, given that Jodi McAlister’s reality TV romances were Aussie-only for a while, given that her publisher wasn’t … Continue reading The Rec League: Cricket Romances→
This Rec League is from Alex. Thanks, Alex! I’ve been on the hunt for sapphic historical romances that take place between the 1950s-80s. Outside of those date parameters is fine, but 20th century preferred. I just want historical happy queers that don’t die tragically. If it helps, I loved Lev AC Rosen’s Evander Mills series, and Cat Sebastian’s We Could Be So Good, I just need more lesbians (who doesn’t?) Amanda: Last Night at the … Continue reading The Rec League: 20th Century Sapphic Romance→
It appears that several of our SBTB Podcast Patreon Discord are planning for a vacay. In preparation, we’d like to compile some great vacation reading suggestions for the occasion. Sarah: On one memorable vacation, this book gave me an absurd good time: The Very Virile Viking by Sandra Hill Carrie: If you haven’t read The Windflower by Laura London on the beach then you haven’t lived. Lara: During my last holiday, my best friend introduced … Continue reading The Rec League: Vacation Reading→
