5 hidden gems in romance graphic
Hidden Gems, Post Series

Five Hidden Gems in Romance

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Hidden Gems in Romance, Pt. 1

Unless you’re new to my content, chances are you know that I read a lot of romance.

Sometimes I read super popular titles, sometimes I read moderately popular titles, and sometimes…I read books that simply do not get the attention they deserve.

That’s where this new series is coming in.

Every so often, I’ll be showcasing some books I personally have enjoyed and feel deserve more recognition–the hidden gems in the genre–in the hopes that they’ll gain more exposure. Plus, I just like talking about books I’ve enjoyed 😉

So, here’s my first batch of books I think more romance readers should read…

5. The Darkest Frost by Tanya Holmes

The Darkest Frost The Complete Serial by Tanya Holmes cover
The Darkest Frost – The Complete Serial by Tanya Holmes

This is one of the most unique stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Tanya is an incredible storyteller and the world she’s created within these pages is fantastic. If you’re a fan of paranormal romance but can’t find anything new to add to the genre, check out this book!

Read my review here (Goodreads)

Paranormal romance.

Goodreads | Amazon (it seems the link for the complete serial is no longer available, so this is the link for book one)

Check out Tanya Holmes’s website here.

4. Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez

fighting silence cover
Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez

I know Aly Marinez is a pretty popular name in romancelandia–and obviously, with over 16,000 ratings on Goodreads, it’s not necessarily a “hidden gem,” per se–but I never see this book recommended. This series was my first introduction to Ms. Marinez’s work and O. M. G. It’s an absolutely amazing story and I’m due for [another] re-read. Please make sure you read trigger warnings as there are some things romance readers may consider hard limits, but if you’re willing to give it a go, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Click here to read my review (Goodreads)

New adult.

Goodreads | Amazon

Check out Aly Martinez’s website here.

3. Asher by Jo Raven

Asher by Jo Raven

I’m a big fan of Jo Raven and that began after I read this book. I guess I’ve been a fan of “bully romance” before I even realized what it was, lol. By no means is this an “easy” read, but I love it. I devoured the Inked Brotherhood series and the spin-off series, Damage Control. Obviously, I highly recommend these series and I’d love to see more people read it, especially with the popularity of bully romance these days!

New adult.

Goodreads | Go here to purchase

Check out Jo Raven’s website here.

2. Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts

Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts

This is another one that has thousands of ratings on Goodreads (over 60k!) but I’ve never seen anyone recommend this book. I don’t know if I’m living under a rock or what, lol, but I wanted to add it to the list anyway. This duet is basically trigger warning central, so please double check trigger warnings before delving in if you have any concerns.

Click here to read my review

Dark (VERY dark) romance.

Goodreads | Amazon

Check out CJ Roberts’s website here.

1. Knockout by J.C. Valentine

Knockout by J.C. Valentine

Anyone who’s followed me over the years knows what a fan I am of Brandi–AKA J.C. Valentine. These days, I’m blessed enough to call this wonderfully talented and amazing human my friend, but this was my first “introduction” to her, if you will. I love everything she writes, but this book has a special place in my heart since it was my first. This is actually one of the first books I read where the hero was a fighter and it quickly became one of my favorite subgenres. I recommend J.C. wherever and whenever I can and I would absolutely love to see her books floating around the romance world more!

Read my review here (also, this was one of the first ARC reviews I’d ever written, so please keep that in mind when reading it, lol. I’ve obviously grown much more verbose over the years!)

New adult.

Goodreads | Amazon

Check out J.C. Valentine’s website here.

Final thoughts

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and maybe have found a new author and/or book to read! If you’ve read any of the titles I’ve shared–or if you decide to read one because of this post–I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment on this post or find me on one of my links below and let me know!

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4 Comments

  1. Love Aly Martinez and yes, her books definitely needs to be talked about more! The rest of the authors are new to me. I am definitely going to check them out. Thank you for the recommendations

    1. yes! I absolutely love this series and I’ve NEVER seen anyone recommend it. I’ve seen a few other Aly Martinez recs here and there, but I still thought this one needed its own special shout-out 😉
      I’m happy to hear I’ve introduced you to some new authors! I hope you enjoy whatever you decide to read! Make sure you come back and tell me what you think when you get the chance 🙂

  2. […] 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 […]

  3. […] you’ve read any of my previous blog posts, y’all know I adore J.C. Valentine. She’s one of my unicorn authors–I will read anything she writes. This was such a fun […]

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