[InNeed]

Hey guys!

I'm looking for a fantasy adventure novel with a clean side romance. I've recently read through the Mysteries of Cove and Percy Jackson series and would like something that captures the feeling of both of these great reads, not only in terms of the adventure itself (doesn't have to be centered around mythology or steampunk necessarily), but also the 'innocent' romance that develops alongside the adventure. I know I'm somewhat out of the target demographic of these books (I'm 19), but the fact that it's aimed at a young audience spares me the focus on the appearance of the characters and how hot everyone is, which is prevalent in YA literature and just brings the whole thing down for me.

One thing this category doesn't offer in spades is the depth of the world-building, which I understand, seeing as your audience is young and you'd rather focus on the action to keep them hooked. That's why I decided to broaden my horizons and look into the YA category as well (doesn't mean I'm not open for any tween/middle-grade books though!).

If there is another thing that both of those series share, it's the somewhat dense male lead. I really enjoy seeing the mc get confused about how the whole thing works, miss some hints along the way, get fought over without realizing it, and just come out of the story mature enough to understand that he's not as unpopular as he thought he was. Love triangles and the like are fine as long as they don't feel forced.

Thank you.