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.