This Rec League came from Rebecca in the SBTB Patreon Discord. The community there had some great suggestions but also wanted to open it up to y’all because I know you’ll have even more books to recommend and this might be someone’s mega-catnip:
Can anyone rec books where the characters fall in love or at least bond on a journey ideally a historical fantasy type journey riding horses or similar. I’m noticing that some of my favourite books, Graceling and The Perfect Crimes Of Marian Hayes, have that in common. And I really enjoyed Never Cross A Highlander recently. I tend to avoid things that are characters processing trauma or with much on page abuse or similar because I need my reading time to be escapist.
Something I’d like to add is just a note that I know Graceling has some problematic visual impairment representation near the end but I still love it mostly because the author appologised publicly and made an effort to do better later in the series. I usually flag this because I think it’s important; it is really something we need to be encouraging authors not to do in the first place.
Shana: A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare comes to mind. It’s not my favorite, but I know many readers love it. Wanted: A Gentleman by KJ Charles has road trip in the middle, similar to Never Cross a Highlander.
Sarah: Not a Historical like Regency et al, but Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino ( A | BN ) is set in the 1960s and is a road trip story
Dalliances & Devotion by Felicia Grossman
Alice Coldbreath has a few, including A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter ( A )
Would Swordheart by T Kingfisher qualify? ( A | BN | K | AB ) I’d want a second opinion on that one.
A wonderful holiday romance; A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Cecilia Grant ( A | BN | K | AB )
Claudia, Would In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation would work? I think so!
Claudia: Absolutely!! Definitely a road trip.
Which is one of my favorite tropes but somehow I’m blanking out on favorites. I know Theresa Romain had a couple of good ones.
Sarah: A small glimpse into my brain: “The one from the Hamilton anthology that isn’t available anymore but had Courtney Milan and Alyssa Cole and Rose Lerner.”
The Pursuit Of! ( A | BN | K )
That is during war and they’re on opposite sides so trauma may be too present for this asker, though.
Oh yes, Romain! I love her books. Might have to re-read soon
Claudia: Ah, polarizing, for sure, but Sherry Thomas’ Not Quite a Husband fits. ( A | K | G | AB | Au ) And Meredith Duran’s Written on Your Skin. ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) I remember I really liked both.
Sarah: Ok one more – Outrageous by Minerva Spencer! ( A | BN | K )
Claudia: And an author sadly gone too soon — Miranda Neville. The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton is great. ( A | BN | K | AB )
Sarah: Oh gosh, yes. Really good one.
Elyse: For fantasy, Halfling by SE Wendel.
Which books would you recommend? Drop them in the comments!