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Books Romance Fans Should Read, Hidden Gems, Post Series

Five Hidden Gems in Romance | Pt 2

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5 hidden gems in romance graphic

Hidden Gems in Romance, Pt. 2

Hey there! Welcome to another post in one of my newest series. I enjoyed writing the first post and it did pretty well, so I decided to continue. Trust me–I’ve read enough books through the years that I won’t be running out of material any time soon!

Please let me know if you’ve read any of these books–or if you plan to!

5. While I Was Away by Stylo Fantome

while i was away by stylo fantome book cover
While I Was Away

You were in a car accident.

They say true love can last forever.

You hit your head, which caused your brain to swell.

Can span any distance, stretch across time, last beyond death.

The pressure against your skull damaged your brain.

Which leads one to wonder …

The damage left you unresponsive to most kinds of stimuli.

If you fall in love in your dreams,

And this unresponsive state is what’s known as a coma.

Can you find that love when you wake up?

Blurb from Goodreads.


This was such an interesting and unique concept, which made for an enjoyable read. It’s a fantastic mix of angsty, sweet, and sexy, and I definitely would recommend it for romance fans!

Goodreads | Amazon

4. Never Touched by Laney Wylde

never touched by laney wylde book cover
Never Touched

Sawyer’s abuser is in jail, but she’s still his captive. Even behind bars, the twisted and sorry excuse for a human keeps her enslaved, locked in fear, and forced to do the unthinkable to keep her past from being exposed. That is until a new guy walks into her life and tries to rescue her.

Jake is the first man Sawyer has ever opened herself up to. The good, the bad, and the unbelievably ugly. But when her abuser is released from jail and manages to turn her life upside down again, Sawyer realizes that happily ever afters aren’t made for her.

Jake wants nothing more than to protect Sawyer. As he gets to know her and her still-looming dark past, he finds that saving a girl so lost in the scars of her life is next to impossible. But he’s willing to try.

NEVER TOUCHED is a survival story about sexual abuse and the ripple effects it creates throughout a victim’s life. This novel does contain details of sexual abuse, sexuality, and explicit language. Details in this story are shared in a manner as to not glorify the crime, but to show the real and long-lasting impact that abuse can cause in a victim’s life.

Blurb from Goodreads.


This is an exceedingly emotional and poignant read. Honestly, it wasn’t an easy one to read in the least, but I felt that it was worth it. With that being said, this is definitely not a book for the faint of heart and if you think you’ll struggle with the subject matter at all, I would definitely encourage you to skip this one.

Trigger warnings: abortion; sexual assault; physical and emotional abuse

Read my full review here.

Goodreads | Amazon

3. Starstruck by S.E. Anderson

Starstruck by S.E. Anderson cover
Starstruck

After an incident with a hot-air balloon causes college-dropout Sally Webber to lose her job, she sets off to find direction in her life. Crashing into a teleporting alien, however, is not on her to-do list.

Now she’s on the run from TV-drama-loving aliens, and things are just getting started. Zander won’t stop reeling her into life-or-death situations to save her planet, as he waits for his laser-wielding sister to search the universe for him. Though Sally isn’t quite sure if he wants to save Earth from annihilation, or just quell his curiosity of all things human.

Now she’s got to find lost alien emissaries, as well as a job, and stop the planet from getting incinerated in the process. But with Zander as her roommate, what could possibly go wrong?

Blurb from Goodreads.


I loved this book. It’s a fun and quirky take on the “aliens invading earth” theme and Zander is simultaneously hilarious, swoon-worthy, and completely adorable. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys their romance with a sci-fi/fantasy bent!

Read my full review here.

Goodreads | Amazon

2. Lily by R. M. Walker

Lily

This story has already been published in the anthology Falling For Them as Lily, also as Another Move. This is the same story in the anthology.

When Lily and her mother move to a small Cornish village she never expected it to be any different from their previous moves.

But truths she’d lied [sic] her whole life believing will be shattered. Myths will become reality and lies will be exposed. Lily is not alone though. Nate, Matt and identical twins, Josh and Jake aren’t quite what they seem and will change Lily’s entire life.

Whether she wants them to or not.

Blurb from Goodreads.


I think this one has a bit of a cult following, but I’ve never seen it recommended. I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it when I first started reading it, but once I started, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve been thinking I’m due for a re-read, so this may be my incentive to start the series over 😉

Goodreads | Amazon

1. Cadence of Ciar by Zoe Parker

Cadence of Ciar by Zoe Parker cover
Cadence of Ciar

Magic and Mayhem

Both go together in my opinion because if you have one the other is always present. Ciar is the epitome of both. The bane of my existence. Well, he used to be. Instead of letting me wade out into a world I was no longer a part of, alone – he came with me. To discover my Triad, to discover myself.The former bane of my existence is now the only reason I still have one. Now, he’s all Fae male and looking at me with a new hunger in his green eyes. He’s making a claim and telling me that there will be more. Two more, in fact. What the hell am I going to do with three of them?

Blurb from Goodreads.


I absolutely love this series! This is a paranormal reverse harem where each book’s focus is on one of the male love interests. This one is, obviously, focused on Ciar and his relationship with our heroine. I adore Ciar; he’s the perfect grumpy, sarcastic hero and this is a great enemies-to-lovers trope. Plus he’s super possessive and head-over-heels for his girl!

Goodreads | Amazon

Final thoughts

I hope this post has given you an idea of something new to read, and as always, if you do end up picking up something I recommend, come back and let me know your thoughts!

Do you have any lesser-known books you love that no one else seems to know about? I’d love to check them out!

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