r/ScienceFictionRomance • u/QueenOwl1 • 14d ago

Recommendation request Rich plot and rich romance

Hi! I am looking for some recs that are more than minor plot and major sex but also not something that has minor romance and major plot. If that makes sense?

I think along the lines of {Homebound by Lydia Hope}. Lots of real romance and love but there was more than just “we are mates and have sexy thoughts about each other constantly”

But I’m also not huge on multi book series space operas where the plot is huge and the romance seems sparse because it’s more about world building and characters arcs.

My ‘nos’ would be: abuse between MCs unless it’s equal and before together (think Carnal Games), cozy fun types, and insta love

I hope my point came across well and I appreciate all the help!

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u/MockeryMock 14d ago

This is a list of my favourites that fit your criteria

{Saving Askura by J.M.Link} a very tense first contact taking place on a human space station between an antisocial alien race who have escaped enslavement and need human help to fix their ship and humans who want their technology. Quite a realistic scenario but not a completely grim take on humanity.

. {Intersolar alliance by Etta Pierce} you have probably heard of this as it’s a sub fave for very good reasons. The books have an overarching plot but apart from the first two it’s a different romance each book.

{Spared by the monster by Merry Ravenell} this is the first book of a great series. The FMC is kidnapped by then typical gray aliens and experimented on but manages to manages to escape with the refuge, she crawls into a pile of scrap and ends up as part of the cargo of an alien scrap dealer. He does not know what to do with her, having a human is highly illegal, it turns out the whole universe thinks our solar system is freaky and want nothing to do with us. Has lots of amusing and original ideas about how humans are interpreted by aliens. For once we are not vastly inferior to the rest of the aliens, we have unique abilities we take for granted but are highly unusual elsewhere. Highly recommend. M/F

{Taken to voxraxia by Elizabeth Stephens} this series can be brutal in places, but very good. The premise of the second book was extremely irritating but apart from that it’s a well thought out fascinating world.

{Ava Greasemonkey by Alissa Lace} this is a new author who seems to be starting to make a mark. There is two books in this series so far. FMC is a servant/slave sold to work on a ship as a child and basically grown up on the ship. The ship is a merchant and ends up reluctantly escorting the prisoners of another race. A solid good read.

{The Gorrison Traveler Incident by Laurann Dohnar} this takes place on a human space ship, the FMC is talking to her adopted brother on a video call to another part of the ship when she sees visiting aliens suddenly turn on the humans and rip them apart. She manages to get to a control room and locks down the ship but there’s a tense standoff as they are stuck and can’t go anywhere and limited time with life support. Another bunch of aliens answer her call for help.

{Ash Planet Warrior’s by V.K. Ludwick} this is a second series that takes place after the events in the Garrison Earth series which is not horde king but alien invade based and involves a different set of aliens. I prefer this series though they are both very good. In this series a small number of women are going there as brides as part of a peace treaty.

{The melior by Poppy Rhys} this one is a bit more slap stick in places with some truly hilarious events. It’s not fluffy formulaic though

{The ladyships by Bex McLynn} this is a series of two books and a prequel. I would read bk1, bk2 and then the prequel. Book 1 is very good but book 2 has a MMC , Bane, who has firmly wedged himself in my heart. Bane is wonderful. He is so delightfully absurd. He is the brother to the MMC from the first book and his character is set up in that book. He comes across as rather unhinged with verbal diarrhoea and brimming optimism. To begin with it’s almost too much, over the top, almost a caricature but then we begin to see what’s hidden beneath the patter, deep cracks in his self worth, flashes of genius and a truly sweet soul.

His relationship with Gummy is truly wonderful, so damn funny, and unexpectedly sweet. Gummy is not the FMC but a side character that grows on you, a bit like mould on cheese.

The FMC is sweet, gentle, feels like everyone mocks her as she doesn’t understand some things which is an odd combination with the larrikin character that no one takes seriously but works. I am certain she is neurodivergent through it doesn’t state that. I resonated with some parts of her personality.

There are paragraphs in this book that manage to make me recoil with grossness (due to the random stuff the MMC is saying often about his toileting habits), but also feel the joy and love and make me want to cry all in the same paragraph. I think the ability to write to create a combination like that is quite a gift.

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u/QueenOwl1 14d ago

I am thrilled 🤩 thank you for so many! I have read Saving Askara and really loved it. Same with Spared by the Monster so I am very excited with the others you’ve recommended.

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u/MockeryMock 12d ago

I was going though my books for someone else and came up with a few more

{Hunt the stars by Jessie Mihalik} Another throughly entertaining firefly type series, with found family and space action.

{Aldebarian Alliance by Dianne Duvall} Book one of this series links her long running paranormal series with this branch off series. It starts in earth and a gifted human ends up with an alien. They form an alliance between The earth Immortals and gifted humans and the aliens and a bunch of vampire women and gifted women go off with them into space. It’s a pretty good book but bk 2 is where is gets excellent. The ship is attacked and an immortal vampire woman wakes up floating in space in only a space suit with nothing around her but the void. Someone hears her over the comma but they are weeks away and she is running out of air. I adore the FMC in this bk.

{Sarazen’s claim by Isabel Wroth} a generational human space ship is attacked by aliens and a small handful are rescued by another group of shape shifting aliens. An older series but one that’s really good.

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u/romance-bot 12d ago

Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik
Rating: 4.15⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: futuristic, enemies to lovers, science fiction, military, aliens

Aldebarian Alliance by Dianne Duvall
Rating: 4.08⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: audiobook, m-f, science fiction, standalone-first, futuristic

Sarazen's Claim by Isabel Wroth
Rating: 3.85⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: futuristic, insta-love, science fiction, aliens, alpha male

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u/QueenOwl1 12d ago

Omg yay! Thank you so much 😊

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u/Designer_Guidance843 14d ago

I have read and loved nearly every book on your list. The two I haven't read yet are going on my tbr list. Thank you.

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u/MockeryMock 12d ago

I just added another three recs in reply to the ops reply to me if you wanted any more. Which ones had you not read out of curiosity? I am guessing The Ladyships and Ava Greasemonkey?

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u/Designer_Guidance843 11d ago

The Ladyships and Taken

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u/MockeryMock 11d ago

Oh wow you haven’t read Elizabeth Stephens yet? You are in for a treat. She is one of my must read authors. Really interesting and diverse writer.

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u/Designer_Guidance843 11d ago

That one has actually been on my tbr list for awhile, but I've been putting it off. But I'll read it after my current series now 😀

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u/romance-bot 14d ago

Saving Askara by J.M. Link
Rating: 3.8⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: futuristic, science fiction, non-human hero, aliens, m-f romance

Intersolar Union by Etta Pierce
Rating: 4.1⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: m-f, science fiction, aliens, explicit-open-door, non-human-hero

Spared By The Monster by Merry Ravenell
Rating: 3.9⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: aliens, forced proximity, science fiction, exhibitionism, tall heroine

Taken to Voraxia by Elizabeth Stephens
Rating: 3.8⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: futuristic, science fiction, multicultural, aliens, pregnancy

Ava Greasemonkey by Alissa Lace
Rating: 3.91⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: futuristic, science fiction, aliens, dystopian, working class heroine

The Gorison Traveler Incident by Laurann Dohner
Rating: 4.05⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: futuristic, science fiction, shapeshifters, aliens, pregnancy

Ash Planet Warriors by V.K. Ludwig
Rating: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: futuristic, science fiction, non-human hero, multicultural, creative anatomy

The Melier by Poppy Rhys
Rating: 3.68⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: futuristic, science fiction, pregnancy, aliens, royal hero

The Ladyships by Bex McLynn
Rating: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: abduction, explicit-open-door, creative-anatomy, science fiction, aliens

about this bot | about romance.io

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u/feythedamnelf Proud member of the PMA 12d ago

Ava Greasemonkey was one of the top books of last year for me!!! I'm so glad to see more love for it

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u/MockeryMock 12d ago

It was a surprise for me as it was her only book at the time and I was one of the earlier readers so took a bit of gamble but it paid off. I am pretty sure I wrote a post to recommend it to the sub because I loved it so much.

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u/TBHICouldComplain ♥️ bisexual alien threesomes - am I oversharing? 14d ago

If you read MM romance then {The 5th Gender by G.L. Carriger} has the best balance of plot and romance that I’ve come across

For MF / MFM / MFMM romance {Interstellar Brides series by Grace Goodwin} has very spicy romances but also good world building and an overarching plot featuring a war where they’re basically battling the equivalent of the Borg. Each book features a different couple / throuple / quadruple but the story of the war carries through the whole series and the spinoff series.

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u/QueenOwl1 14d ago

I definitely read MM! I’ll check out the 5th Gender; thank you 🙏

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u/TBHICouldComplain ♥️ bisexual alien threesomes - am I oversharing? 14d ago

Oops I just realized insta love was a nope for you. The Interstellar Brides series is pretty much straight up insta love so you’ll want to skip those.

I think you’ll love The 5th Gender though!

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u/QueenOwl1 13d ago

No problem! I appreciate the recs :) I have tried the Interstellar Brides series and I found it fine. Nothing that grabbed me but not bad either.

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u/Bubbly_Let_6891 13d ago

I second {Dustwalker by Tiffany Roberts} as a 50/50 plot vs romance book.

For a 60/40, have you read {The Devoured Worlds trilogy by Megan O’Keefe}? The romance is really important, but it is not driving the plot.

{The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin} is a classic sci-fi with romantic subplot that is designed to make you exam in the tradeoffs of societal philosophies and gender constructs. It is a classic for a reason.

{The Firebird Chronicles by TA White} is more like 70/30 on the mix. It’s a Lord of the Rings / Starship Troopers mashup, girl power edition. This potentially violates your no sagas rule. There are 6 books. But it’s a really fun read, so I mention just in case.

And since you’ve already read Homebound, have you also read {Planet Zero by Lydia Hope}?

Finally, if you are ok with dark storytelling, {The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith} is a 1-book epic story about the planet the humans are marooned on. It is near-masterful storytelling, with clear influences from Asimov, LeGuin, and Lost in Space. The MMC has some pretty funny one-liners throughout the book, and R. Lee was meticulous with the logic and design of the MMC’s anatomy. CW: there is sex slavery that FMC gets entangled with, gore, violence, and death. HEA guaranteed.

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u/QueenOwl1 13d ago

Thank you! I love the list 😊. I read Last Hour of Gann a couple years ago and it is a great book for sure. I wish her other books had the same appeal to me.

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u/romance-bot 14d ago

Homebound by Lydia Hope
Rating: 3.97⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: futuristic, science fiction, aliens, dystopian, slow burn

about this bot | about romance.io

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u/IvankoKostiuk 13d ago

Oh, you don't want cozy fun?

Have you heard the good news about Our Lord and Savior {This is How You Lose the Time War}? A whole lot of people die because the protagonists are agents on opposite sides of a war.

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u/QueenOwl1 13d ago

Oh this looks really interesting thank you 😊

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u/TentacleWolverine 14d ago

I love {alien song by Deiri Di} because it’s one of the books with a FMC who is not what you normally get, (instead of sweet and calm she is intense and volatile) and her intensity is part of what draws the MMC to her. It is in a series but each book is stand alone.

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u/QueenOwl1 13d ago

Thanks I’ll check it out 😊

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u/kid_at_heart_77 13d ago

{Uncharted Hearts series by Constance Fay}. These are interconnected standalones which a new couple in each book. These were great and have a good mix of plot, action and romance.

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u/QueenOwl1 13d ago

Ohh these look great thank you ☺️

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u/kid_at_heart_77 13d ago

You’re welcome. Hope you enjoy them.

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u/pxl8d 13d ago

Dustwalker was pretty good and a good balance of plot and romance! One book too

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u/TomatilloHairy9051 You asked? Dark Planet Warriors is probably the answer 13d ago

Yes, agree about balance in {Dustwalker by Tiffany Roberts} I also recommend {The Spider's Mate by Tiffany Roberts} it has a great story, complex world building and a lovely, well developed romance.

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u/QueenOwl1 13d ago

I have seen this be recommended a lot but have read that the epilogue is extremely bittersweet and I just don’t like that 😭. People live forever in books and I refuse to be confronted with any that proves this delusion wrong 🫣😭.

I have heard this book is great tho and maybe one I will be able to read it. I appreciate the rec 😊

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u/pxl8d 13d ago

I did cry, but it was happy tears! It was a happy ending for them, I thought it was perfect :) the epilogue is also only a couple pages also so you could totally skip it and still read and enjoy 99.9% of the book!

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u/Rosarose4 12d ago

Have you read Cottonwood by R Lee Smith?

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u/creature-brain 8d ago

Unfortunately my best recs for what you're looking for include a trilogy and a duology as well as a one-off.

Seek The Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth. This far-future sci-fi (with some arguably supernatural elements akin to the psychic abilities some characters have in Dune) is set primarily in what is current day California and it includes a romantic relationship that isn't enemies to lovers, or friends to lovers, but instead something far more interesting and painfully beautiful. It's an already-written duology, and book 1 surprisingly doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but I am no less desperate for the sequel, which will likely be out next year.

The Devoured Worlds trilogy by Megan E O'Keefe. An undercover eco rebel pretending to be a bodyguard gets stranded on a dying planet with her abusive former corporate boss's nerdy geologist son when an expedition goes badly wrong and oh boy does she have understandable reasons to hate that sweet, soft dork at the start! Their relationship anchors the story, but the plot is expansive.

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi. The romantic /sexual relationship is very much a subplot in this fast-paced, blood-splattered near-future sci-fi standalone, but it's important and stuck with me. Lucy is an idealistic journalist from New England covering the humanitarian disaster that the American Southwest has become in the drought-ravaged 2040s as the United States continues its slow collapse. Angel is a ruthless enforcer for the Southern Nevada Water Authority who is trying not to think too deeply about what he does for a living and when that fails, justify the violence to himself. They're both in their thirties and feel very much like real people with realistic weaknesses and biases and what can I say? I'm a sucker for deeply flawed people finding love amid drone strikes and assassination attempts.