What to read on Valentine’s day?

It’s Valentine’s day. A day when we all yearn for a little extra romance in our lives. Whether this is through beautiful gifts or a fancy dinner, we believe books are much better company! Here are some of our favorite sci-fi/fantasy romance reads to reach a better valentine’s day feeling.
PS. Click the book covers for a goodreads link!

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge Book CoverCruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast promises nothing less than an intense romance driven plotline. It keeps to this promise, reading it in three sittings or less should be no problem. The worldbuilding, characters and mythology/fairytale elements woven in are enthralling. Because Cruel Beauty is not only a fairytale retelling, it also uses inspiration from greek mythology. If you’re in for a dark yet wonderful story of love, castles, mazes and a twisted relationship between a defiant heroine and a witty villain; Cruel Beauty might be the book for you.

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier Book CoverSevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

In the realm of Sevenwaters we follow the women of its family for four generations. The family has a special bond with the Fair Folk, inspired by irish mythology. They are ‘aided’ through their hardships and always find true love. The first book in the series, Daughter of the Forest, is a retelling of The Wild Swans. An evil queen turns the brothers of heroine Sorcha into swans. While lifting the curse, she has to remain silent. This series, but especially this first part, is not for the faint of heart. These books are heavy and long winded, but the effort truly pays off.

Starflight by Melissa Landers Book CoverStarflight by Melissa Landers

If you’re sick of the unoriginal insta-love and are more a fan of slow romance Starflight is a surprisingly fun read. It has some interesting characters and they develop a friendship first. While their relationship gradually moves from necessity, to friendship, to romance, they are being hunted by all sorts of people: the government, space pirates and a sort of emotionless mercenaries. Starflight fails to bore and makes for a fun, quick read.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Book CoverA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A fairytale retelling, yet again of Beauty and the Beast, in a magical realm with steamy romance, a creepy villain, fairies and much more leaves little room to failure. A Court of Thorns and Roses isn’t a literary masterpiece, but the simplicity is so enjoyable. Reading it was a breeze. Even if you no more than liked this first part of the series, the second part is what really makes this a perfect valentine’s day read.

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews Book CoverKate Daniëls by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniëls is one of the most witty, and truly badass characters. She is a blabbermouth mercenary who has no problems stepping up to her words, but knows when to call for help. Being an urban fantasy series, it wasn’t a genre that had a lot of familiarity. It was really easy to picture the world with its alternation between magic and technology. Kate ends up building a slow burning, yet sexy and gripping romance with a shapeshifter named Curran. Their relationship is wonderful and funny, making you want to read the series as fast as you can.

Every Day by David Levithan Book CoverEvery Day by David Levithan

This might not be your typical romance but it is still a beautiful story, if not a somewhat bittersweet. Every Day follows A, an entity who lives a day in a body and then moves on. A is gender-less and sexually fluid. One day he/she inhabits Justin and he/she falls in love with his girlfriend, Rhiannon. It’s a great book if you like LGBT books and sci-fi but it’s about more than just that. During A’s days he inhabits all sorts of people: a girl with depression, a very beautiful girl, a less attractive man and many more, giving you insight in their day-to-day lives in an inspiring and interesting manner.

Now, these are only some of the options towards a perfect valentine’s day, what would you add to our list?

3 thoughts on “What to read on Valentine’s day?”

  1. I would probably also add An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge (it’s a short retelling of Cinderella). I didn’t even realize both have ‘ashes’ in the title.

    1. Hahaha, what a coincidence 😉 I’ve only read Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound, is the shortstory you’re speaking of comparable, quality wise? 😀

      1. Hey, sorry I’m replying a month later. I didn’t see your comment or some reason until I went to manage my subscriptions… But yes, the short story is good. I think the quality of writing is the same and since it’s a shorter tale, it has more oomph to it 🙂

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