Sci-Fi Romance?

PKFFW · 03-23-2020, 12:42 AM

Asking for a friend! hahaha

Seriously, my wife loves Romance novels. Johanna Lindsay being her favourite author and recently the "Misadventures" books being a guilty pleasure. To be clear, gushy Romance with a little hint of erotica rather than Erotica disguised as Romance is her thing.

The other night she was asking for suggestions of good Sci-Fi with Romance in it and I was at a complete loss.

Any suggestions?

FizzyWater · 03-23-2020, 01:14 AM

Has she tried Linnea Sinclair or Carol Van Natta? Both write science fiction that includes a romance. I also like some by Susan Grant, although her newer stuff is more even that her older stuff. The older stuff was published under romance imprints, and they tended to be "romances in a SF world" rather than "science fiction with a romance included". Her newer stuff, which is self-published, is more the second. I've read and enjoyed it.

I can give you specific titles if she wants a starting place, but she can look around Amazon and see what interests her. I've seen some of Linnea Sinclair's in ebook libraries. And maybe the older Susan Grant's. But I don't think I've seen Carol Van Natta in any ebook library.

meeera · 03-23-2020, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PKFFW

The other night she was asking for suggestions of good Sci-Fi with Romance in it and I was at a complete loss.

Any suggestions?

Only SF, or science fiction and fantasy? Any subgenre preferences? My first rec would be Cordelia's Honor by Bujold.

I suggest she start by poking around the Science Fiction/Fantasy tag at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. And the Goodreads SF Romance landing page.

Apache · 03-23-2020, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

Only SF, or science fiction and fantasy? Any subgenre preferences? My first rec would be Cordelia's Honor by Bujold.

I suggest she start by poking around the Science Fiction/Fantasy tag at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. And the Goodreads SF Romance landing page.

Why did they rename the book? It used to be Shards of Honor. And I agree it is a good place to start with Science Fiction that includes Romance.
Apache

meeera · 03-23-2020, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Why did they rename the book? It used to be Shards of Honor.

It's Shards of Honor + Barrayar.

PurpleStar · 03-23-2020, 10:45 AM

I just read Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik. It was a good blend of sci-fi and romance. It's a whole trilogy. The third book is out in May, I think.

hildea · 03-23-2020, 03:02 PM

I third Bujold's "Cordelia's Honor" (aka "Shards of Honor" + "Barrayar").

Bujold's "Falling Free" and "Ethan of Athos" are standalone books in the same world, with some romance, although it's not as central to the plot in either of those. (In "Ethon of Athos" the romantic couple are both men, in case that's relevant.)

Some of Lee & Miller's Liaden books are also romances. I recommend starting with "Local Custom". (Warning: Many of their books have romance as an important part of the story, but not all of them have the HAE/HFN (happy ever after/happy for now) ending that's central to the romance genre. "Local Custom" does.)

I have a feeling I should know of more SF with romance, but I can't think of any now. If she's also interested in fantasy, I'll have a lot more recommendations.

<off topic>

"hahaha"

"guilty pleasure"

Sigh. I really wish romance wasn't seen as ridiculuos or something to feel ashamed of.

Adoby · 03-23-2020, 03:50 PM

Another author to check out is Anne McCaffrey. She wrote a lot of SciFi and Fantasy with romance elements.

Apache · 03-23-2020, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

It's Shards of Honor + Barrayar.

Thank you. I should have realized that they created an omnibus. I still remember the enjoyment I got the first time I read both books. I have reread them numerous times over the years and still enjoy them.
Apache

PKFFW · 03-23-2020, 08:49 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions. That should get her started at least.

As for fantasy and other sub-genres..........yes she likes fantasy as well. She is definitely more of a Sci-Fi "lite" kind of girl than hard Sci-Fi though.

And I use the term "guilty pleasure" only in jest as it is such a common meme. My wife is quite open about her love of Romance novels.

hobnail · 03-23-2020, 09:11 PM

For fantasy romance I liked the earlier ones set in the nine kingdoms by Lynn Kurland. About halfway or so through the series they started getting a bit formulaic but the first few I liked a lot; she's set herself a requirement to write one a year or somesuch.

gmw · 03-24-2020, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hildea

[...]<off topic>

"hahaha"

"guilty pleasure"

Sigh. I really wish romance wasn't seen as ridiculuos or something to feel ashamed of.

But on that note, it matches up well with Sci Fi: both cover a huge range of stories, and the stigma of the lesser infects the better.

John F · 03-24-2020, 06:54 AM

The In Death series by J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts)? I haven't read them, but was under the impression that they were Sci-Fi and romance.

theducks · 03-24-2020, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

The In Death series by J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts)? I haven't read them, but was under the impression that they were Sci-Fi and romance.

They are good.
The SF element is mostly that they are set in the Future:
Air (capable) cars, Space Habitats

I would start reading order (spoilers if you don't), then it probably does not matter after the firs 10 (have not read many past that point)

hildea · 03-24-2020, 03:20 PM

Some fantasy with romance:

Mary Robinette Kowal: Shades of Milk and Honey
(often described as Jane Austen with magic)

Lois McMaster Bujold: The Talisman Ring
(Renaissance-ish Italy)

Patricia Wrede: A Matter of Magic
(Regency with magic)

K.J. Charles: The Magpie Lord
1800s England with magic. Some explicit sex scenes. The author has made the first book in the series free now because of the epidemic. Enemies to lovers.

Quote:

He looked like a clerk, the ten-a-penny kind who drudged in every counting house, except that he had tawny-gold eyes that were vividly glowing in his pale rigid face, and they were staring at Crane with something that looked extraordinarily like hate.
“I’m Lucien Vaudrey,” said Crane, extending his hand.
“You’re Lord Crane,” said the visitor, not extending his. “I had to be sure. But you’re a Vaudrey of Lychdale, aren’t you?”
Crane looked at the naked hostility in the other man’s face and posture, and strolled to a conclusion, since he hardly needed to jump.
“I take it you’ve encountered my brother, Hector,” he said. “Or possibly my father.”
“Both.” The little man spat the word out. “Oh, I’ve encountered your family alright. It’s something of an irony to be sent to help one of you.”

Zen Cho: Sorcerer to the Crown
which contains what may be my favourite paragraph in a book ever:

Quote:

Prunella had once thought life in London would be all flirting and balls and dresses, hitting attentive suitors on the shoulder with a fan, and breakfasting late upon bowls of chocolate. She sighed now for her naïveté. Little had she known life in London was in fact all hexes and murder and thaumaturgical politics, and she would always be rising early for some reason or other!

03-23-2020, 12:42 AM	#1
PKFFW Wizard Posts: 3,681 Karma: 28297636 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: BeBook, Sony PRS-T1, Kobo H2O	Sci-Fi Romance? Asking for a friend! hahaha Seriously, my wife loves Romance novels. Johanna Lindsay being her favourite author and recently the "Misadventures" books being a guilty pleasure. To be clear, gushy Romance with a little hint of erotica rather than Erotica disguised as Romance is her thing. The other night she was asking for suggestions of good Sci-Fi with Romance in it and I was at a complete loss. Any suggestions?

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03-23-2020, 01:14 AM	#2
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	Has she tried Linnea Sinclair or Carol Van Natta? Both write science fiction that includes a romance. I also like some by Susan Grant, although her newer stuff is more even that her older stuff. The older stuff was published under romance imprints, and they tended to be "romances in a SF world" rather than "science fiction with a romance included". Her newer stuff, which is self-published, is more the second. I've read and enjoyed it. I can give you specific titles if she wants a starting place, but she can look around Amazon and see what interests her. I've seen some of Linnea Sinclair's in ebook libraries. And maybe the older Susan Grant's. But I don't think I've seen Carol Van Natta in any ebook library.

03-23-2020, 10:45 AM	#6
PurpleStar Wizard Posts: 1,620 Karma: 11387182 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Clara 2E	I just read Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik. It was a good blend of sci-fi and romance. It's a whole trilogy. The third book is out in May, I think.

03-23-2020, 03:02 PM	#7
hildea Wizard Posts: 1,218 Karma: 63835638 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Norway Device: PocketBook Touch Lux (had Onyx Boox Poke 3 and BeBook Neo earlier)	I third Bujold's "Cordelia's Honor" (aka "Shards of Honor" + "Barrayar"). Bujold's "Falling Free" and "Ethan of Athos" are standalone books in the same world, with some romance, although it's not as central to the plot in either of those. (In "Ethon of Athos" the romantic couple are both men, in case that's relevant.) Some of Lee & Miller's Liaden books are also romances. I recommend starting with "Local Custom". (Warning: Many of their books have romance as an important part of the story, but not all of them have the HAE/HFN (happy ever after/happy for now) ending that's central to the romance genre. "Local Custom" does.) I have a feeling I should know of more SF with romance, but I can't think of any now. If she's also interested in fantasy, I'll have a lot more recommendations. <off topic> "hahaha" "guilty pleasure" Sigh. I really wish romance wasn't seen as ridiculuos or something to feel ashamed of.

03-23-2020, 03:50 PM	#8
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,736 Karma: 26785668 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Thinkpad E595, Ubuntu Mate, Huawei Mediapad 5, Bouye Likebook Plus	Another author to check out is Anne McCaffrey. She wrote a lot of SciFi and Fantasy with romance elements.

03-23-2020, 08:49 PM	#10
PKFFW Wizard Posts: 3,681 Karma: 28297636 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: BeBook, Sony PRS-T1, Kobo H2O	Thanks for all the suggestions. That should get her started at least. As for fantasy and other sub-genres..........yes she likes fantasy as well. She is definitely more of a Sci-Fi "lite" kind of girl than hard Sci-Fi though. And I use the term "guilty pleasure" only in jest as it is such a common meme. My wife is quite open about her love of Romance novels.

03-23-2020, 09:11 PM	#11
hobnail Running with scissors Posts: 1,552 Karma: 14325282 Join Date: Nov 2019 Device: none	For fantasy romance I liked the earlier ones set in the nine kingdoms by Lynn Kurland. About halfway or so through the series they started getting a bit formulaic but the first few I liked a lot; she's set herself a requirement to write one a year or somesuch.

03-24-2020, 06:54 AM	#13
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,166 Karma: 63764653 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Glo HD	The In Death series by J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts)? I haven't read them, but was under the impression that they were Sci-Fi and romance.

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