The Ultimate Christmas Romance Reading Guide
Home for the holidays, laugh out loud mishaps, and pretend dating that becomes too real to ignore. Complete with a smattering of Krampus.
Check out our Small Town Romance recs if you enjoy second chance love and finding strength by learning from your past.Searching for a title that’s not listed? Check our lower-rated reads page for books we don’t recommend and why.Christmas Romance
Read-&-Rated Favorites (⭐ 3.5+)
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All Wrapped Up in You by Rosie Danan
⭐ 4.0
MILD, HEA
“This Christmas meet-cute is adorable. She's lonely on accident, he's lonely on purpose. But neither of them really wants to be.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Holiday Romance, Christmas Romance, Meet-Cute, Doctor, Neighbors
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Can I Tell You Something by Holly June Smith
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“It’s hot, sweet, a little unbelievable, but a cute story and a short read.” - Cardigan B
tropes: MMC is a smut narrator, Best Friend's Sister, French Alps, Brother's Best Friend, English FMC, Christmas Romance, Witty Banter, International Romance, Submissive FMC, Dominant MMC, Dirty Talker
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Christmas in Quincy by Devney Perry
☆ 3.75
MILD, HEA
“This was a cute story of a rich girl, trapped by her responsibilities and her caring I'm-definitely-not-in-love-with-you-probably bodyguard. He's a grump bastard on a good day. She sees the good in him and finally follows her heart.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Small Town, Forbidden Love Interest, Bodyguard, Love at First Sight, MMC/FMC is/are on the Run, No Use of Contraception, MC has Interfering Family
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Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
⭐ 4.0
HOT, HEA
“The best in this seasonal series. Two childhood friends reconnect after a series of misunderstandings. The description of the two of them on a twin bed gave me flashbacks to college.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Second Chance, Small Town Return, MCs were Childhood Friends, Best Friend's Older Brother
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Dashing All the Way by Chelsea Curto
☆ 4.25
HOT, HEA
“Almost abandoned because I genuinely hate running and its about grimace runners. But I persevered and I'm glad I did. A "will they, won't they" that ends exactly how you want it to. Loved them together. Oh, and fuck Jeremy.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Paramedic, Teacher, Age Gap Romance, Short/Novella, Ex-Boyfriends Father, One Night Stand
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Everybody's Favorite Guy by Katherine Center
☆ 4.0
MILD, HEA
“Me reading this book: I love this, I love this, I love this, NOOOOOOOOO. I rage rated this lower than I intended because of the last chapter.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Enemies to Lovers, MCs were Childhood Friends, Childhood Crush, Break Their Heart To Save Them, MC has Interfering Family, Loss of Parent (Death), Trapped in a Cabin, Snowed in Together, Healing from Sickness, Slow Burn Due to Past Trauma, Short/Novella
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The Ginger Bread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore
⭐ 4.5
MEDIUM, HEA
“I was grinning the entire book. The most genuinely enjoyable book. I didn't want it to end. Perfect evolution of enemies-to-lovers.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Small Town Return, Second Chance, Friendship Group, Overcoming past breakups, Story Told in Past and Present, MC is Popular/Rules the School, Virgin FMC, MC is a Prodigal Son/Daughter, MC is an Only Child, Childhood Promise Fulfilled, Saved as a Child, Redemption, Friends to Enemies to Lovers
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Her Knotty List by Ari Wright
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“I liked the beginning of this one. Abandoned wedding. Betrayal. Lost in the woods. The story just didn't work for me. It didn't have the chemistry that the other books did.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Omegaverse, Sports, Age Gap Romance, Billionaire, "Smart, Strong, Independent FMC", Omega FMC, In-Heat, Scenting, Why Choose, Reverse Harem, MMC/FMC has a Crush on Matchmaker/Dating Coach, "Male, Male Relationship (MM)", Chef
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Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace
⭐ 4.25
MEDIUM, HEA
“She's not some flighty nepo baby, she's the real deal. Jack has his buffoon moments, but he's sweet and driven by a good heart. Loved these two!” - Cardigan B
tropes: Small Town, Rich/Wealthy FMC, Family Business, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Redemption, MMC/FMC has a Cute Dog, Workplace Rivals, One Night Stand, Business Competitors, Grumpy/Sunshine, Witty Banter, Praise Kink
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Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
☆ 4.5
MILD, HEA
“My first Catherine Walsh book and I'll read so many more. Andrew and Molly have been friends for a decade, never acknowledging their feelings for one another, until they're forced to under the mistletoe. Sweet, sincere, hilarious.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Holiday Romance, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Story Told in Past and Present, Grumpy/Sunshine, Longtime Crush, Witty Banter
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A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
⭐ 4.0
HOT, HEA
“The filthiest, sweetest Hallmark-esque book you'll find. She's been evicted from her family for DARING to divorce her weasel of a husband. He's got a pretty low bar for affection. He teaches her to love herself. She teaches him that he's worth seeing.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Praise Kink, Dirty Talker, Religious Trauma, Childhood Celebrity Crush, Celebrity, MC is Shunned by Family, Redemption, Opposites Attract, Surprise Pregnancy
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Kraved by Krampus by Jewel Hayes & Alexa Ashe
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“Honestly, this was a lot of fun. I liked the illustration of Krampus as more than just a monster. Why are there so many monsters in those woods? Never explained. I loved Magnus.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, MC is trapped, Magic, Monster MMC, Rescue, Survival, Short/Novella, Writer/Editor, MMC/FMC has a Cute Cat, Small Town, What the hell did I just read and why can't I stop, Romance Writer, Hidden Powers
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Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
⭐ 4.0
MEDIUM, HEA
“What a pleasant surprise! She's in love with her best friend, but stuck in her head about risking it all. He's also in love with her and uses a social media contest to finally get her in his arms. They're PRECIOUS.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Small Town, Friends to Lovers, Fake Relationship, Christmas Romance, Friendship Group, Overcoming Past Trauma, Italian MMC, MC has Interfering Family, Loss of Parent (Death), "Clutzy, Accident-Prone FMC"
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The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson
⭐ 4.0
HOT, HEA
“We've located the ultimate Grump - Hunter is so perfectly written, it's astounding. Hard exterior, absolutely oozey center.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Lumberjack Vibes, Small Town, Grumpy/Sunshine, Loss of Parent (Death), MC has a Sick Parent, Shifters, Overcoming Past Breakups, In-Heat, Touch Her and Die Vibes, Possessive MMC, Friends to Lovers, Trapped in a Cabin
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Mean One by Ab. Cynthe
☆ 3.25
HOT, NHEA
“Max is fucking crazy. She's the Harley Quinn of Whoreville. I'll give the story credit: I had NO IDEA how this story was going to unfold. Truly didn't see 90% of this going where it did.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Folklore Romance, Holiday Romance, Forced Proximity, Loss of Parent (Death), MC is trapped, Small Town, Age Gap Romance, MMC/FMC is/are on the Run, Revenge, Tortured MMC, What the hell did I just read and why can't I stop, MC has a Tragic Past
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Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
⭐ 3.75
HOT, HEA
“Super cute. A girl is cleaning out her grandma's apartment and gets into two predicaments where she meets a hot firefighter. She’s so clumsy and he finds that endearing. She’s a bit of a lovable train wreck.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Firefighter, Meet-Cute, "Clutzy, Accident-Prone FMC", Rescue, Small Town
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Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen
⭐ 3.5
MILD, HEA
“Actually was sweet, but lacked depth.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Forced Proximity, Only One Bed, Fake Relationship, Cross-Cultural Romance, Christmas Romance, Loss of Spouse/Partner (Death), Pro-Athlete, Breakup Due to Misunderstanding
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Merry Me by C.R. Jane
☆ 3.5
MEDIUM, HEA
“MMC isn't as chaotic and obsessive as C.R. Jane's typical MMCs. It might be a nice book for someone new to C.R. Jane as an author. Was a tad slow for my tastes. The Santa Clause Suit kink was definitely a new one. And it was nice to see an MMC that hates bananas just as much as I do.” - Penelope Black
tropes: Overcoming past breakups, Second Chance, Naive FMC with Self-Esteem Issues, Morally Grey MMC, Possessive MMC, Celebrity, First Love, Obsessive MMC, Protective MMC, MMC Falls First, Movie Star/Commoner, Forced Proximity, Dominant MMC, Christmas Romance, Holiday Romance, Small Town
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Mistlefoe by Kimberly Lemming
☆ 3.75
HOT, HEA
“Hilarious. A cursed blacksmith, insulting swords, a hot fox shifter god, and a deal to break the curse in exchange for one hot weekend. Finally, a gamble where no one loses.” - Cardigan Btropes: Christmas Romance, Folklore Romance, FMC & MMC Enter Into A Contract, Shifters, Royalty, Short/Novella, Age Gap Romance, Fated Mates, Medieval, God/Human, Only One Bed
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Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan
⭐ 4.25
MEDIUM, HEA
“I love ‘Challenge Harriett’, pushing herself to be uncomfortable. An FMC who evolves and truly grows-what a refreshing read! For a doctor, Ethan certainly is a block head. Thank all that's holy that he figures his shit out.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Doctor, MMC/FMC has a Cute Dog, Forced Roommates, Friends to Lovers, Abusive Parent(s), MC is a Twin, New York City, Holiday Matchmaking, Christmas Romance, FMC Falls First
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The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
⭐ 4.5
MILD, HEA
“Mostly murder mystery, Christmas setting. I loved this story. A damaged, emotionally battered woman has to learn to trust herself after a shit husband stole her light. Ethan, whom she says she hates, becomes her protector and unexpected ally. They solve the disappearance and attempted murder of their favorite crime author.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Murder Mystery, Holiday Romance, Seasonal, MC has a Secret Past, Slow Burn, Writer/Editor, Protective MMC, MMC Falls First, Only One Bed, MC is trapped, Divorced FMC, Emotional Abuse, Enemies to Lovers, Story Told in Past and Present
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The One Night by Meghan Quinn
⭐ 4.25
MEDIUM, NHEA
“GUTTED. So distraught I made an IG post about it HERE. She lifted me up and tore me down in just 82 pages. Love Meghan Quinn anyway. Ooo and the audio is Teddy Hamilton. deep sigh” - Cardigan B
tropes: Best Friend's Ex, One Night Stand, Separated/Divorcing/Divorced, MC has Matchmaking Parents, Family Business, Short/Novella, Christmas Romance, Holiday Matchmaking
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Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“This was cute. A "hot mess" of a girl moves into a new building and has a crush on a hot guy. He's crushing back. They finally connect at the building holiday party and are set up by the neighbors.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Meet-Cute, Neighbors, Hidden Identity
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A Pack for Christmas by Jillian West
☆ 4.0
HOT, HEA
“This was precious. She's an Omega who's been rejected by two packs and desperate for love and babies. They're an unofficial pack who run an Omega sanctuary, struggling with the feeling of being used and targeted by Omegas as wealthy sugar daddies. Everly brings the pack together while baby trapping them. In a cute way?” - Cardigan B
tropes: Omega FMC, Omegaverse, In-Heat, MFFF, Wealthy MMC, Down on Her Luck FMC, Protective MMC, Obsessive MMC, Breeding Kink, No Contraception, Why Choose, Reverse Harem
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A Pack for Winter by Eliana Lee
⭐ 3.5
HOT, HEA
“Eliana Lee is one of my favorite authors so giving this a 3.5 hurts my soul. But I didn't love it. The writing felt so shallow compared to her other work (The Scent of Us). I liked the character connections but the villain, her ex boyfriend, didn't get as much "airtime" as I needed to really root against him. There wasn't enough strife.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Omegaverse, Snowed in Together, Why Choose, Teacher, Small Town, Meet-Cute, Female Friendship Group, Workplace Romance, In-Heat
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The Plight Before Christmas by Kate Stewart
☆ 4.5
MEDIUM, HEA
“Hilarious. I looked forward to every minute reading this gem. Whitney has hit rock bottom: She lost her promotion, her boyfriend, and her way. So she joins her family for Christmas. And who is her brother's special guest? Her college ex-boyfriend Eli. He's a hunk, a charmer, and the one who got away. But he's no longer the closed off boy he was. And he shows her in every way he can. wink.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Holiday Romance, Second Chance, MC has Interfering Family, Family Saga, Loss of Parent (Death), Slow Burn, Strong Sister Bond, Secrets, Down on Her Luck FMC, Story Told in Past and Present
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Resting Scrooge Face by Meghan Quinn
⭐ 4.0
MILD, HEA
“Adorable. Surprisingly honest about the pressure for romance during the holidiays. A true second chance HEA.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Return to Hometown, Second Chance, Holiday Matchmaking, Christmas Romance, Small Town, Love Letter Lunacy, First Love, MC has Interfering Family, Novella
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Snowed In by Navessa Allen
☆ 3.5
MEDIUM, HEA
“Let's start with this: It is not a Christmas romance and they never end up snowed in anywhere. This book is depressing and contains deep scientific facts about CTE (head injuries famously linked to NFL players), the tragic death of a brother, and the crushing knowledge that today's choices could make tomorrow bleak. Does contain an adorable hellion child and insane dogs.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Celebrity, Mysterious Illness, Friends to Lovers, FMC has a Cute Dog, MC has Interfering Family, Football (American), Witty Banter, Healing from Injury, Personal Growth Journey, Loss of Sibling (Death), Slow Burn
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Sugar & Snowflakes by Kristin Cast
☆ 3.75
HOT, HEA
“Two people who gave up on love after being crushed by it. Sweet story about finding love, but there's a scene where sugar GRANULES are used as lube. The discomfort and sanitation left me perplexed. Cute wolf and fox shifter story. Do you think the sugar dissolved in their...juices?” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Wolf/Shifter, Fated Mates, Trapped in a Cabin, Age Gap Romance, Opposites Attract, Grumpy/Sunshine, Rescue, Short/Novella
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Twelve Nights as His Mistress by Elisa Braden
⭐ 4.25
MEDIUM, HEA
“The definition of ‘love finds a way.’ A bit dark, spicy, and very very very satisfying.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Regency/Georgian/Victorian Period, Widow/er, Reformed Rake, Age 30+ FMC, Age 40+ MMC, Accidental/Surprise Pregnancy, Break Their Heart To Save Them, MC has Interfering Family, Novella
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A Very Killer Christmas by Layla Fae
☆ 3.75
HOT, HEA
“Hear me out: this is great. She's a shut-in mourning the loss of her grandfather. He's just murdered someone and nearly stole a dog, he's out on the street looking for a hideout. She covers for him, he falls for her. Kind of adorable. In a "he's a murderer, don't let him in, oh you did anyway" way.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Murder Mystery, Assassin, Loss of Parent (Death), MC has a Tragic Past, Breeding Kink, Virgin FMC, MC is trapped, Pregnancy, Short/Novella, Down on Her Luck FMC
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A Very Stalker Christmas by Layla Fae
⭐ 3.5
MEDIUM, HEA
“It was creepy and cute. Surprisingly wholesome for a stalker romance.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Neighbors, Stalker/Stalking, Happily Ever After (HEA), "Mysterious, Brooding (MMC)", MMC/FMC is disabled or has a disability, Mask Kink, Praise Kink
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Yours to Ho Ho Hold by Jere Anthony
☆ 4.25
HOT, HEA
“Holly is disappointed by everything in life. And honestly, I wanted to chuck this book at a wall for the first 1/3rd of it. She was infuriating. But she pulls her head out of her ass and let's Drew's charms sink in, mellowing her out. He was committed to proving her wrong about him and I loved watching him chip away at her ice queen interior and exterior.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Meet-Cute, Only One Bed, Grumpy/Sunshine, Forced Proximity, MC has Interfering Family, Role Play, Small Town
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Yule Be Mine by Jenika Snow
⭐ 3.75
HOT, HEA
“You had me at "Krampus role playing" - a fun story about a girl banging her boss. They were very responsible: they notified HR about their relationship and now they have sex in his office. The end.” - Cardigan B
tropes: Christmas Romance, Workplace, Boss/Employee, Role Play, Short/Novella, Monster MMC, Stalker/Stalking, Secret Relationship
@35CARDIGANS @BLACKCAT100
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(Yea, we also use goodreads…but so do our families. Who we’re connected to).
Sizzle Scale
HOT
(Blazing & Explicit): This is the full five-alarm fire. Bedroom doors are flung wide open, and the scenes are DETAILED, EXPLICIT, and SCORCHING HOT.
MEDIUM
(Simmering & Steamy): Expect passionate kisses that don't always fade to black. Could be graphic, but probably one scene that goes full throttle.
MILD
(Sweet & Tender): Expect sweet sighs, maybe a stolen, chaste kiss or two, and plenty of heartwarming moments that make you go "awww." If things get more intimate, the bedroom door gently clicks shut (fade-to-black).
FLOUR
(Platonic, if anything): Rare to find around here. This is a book that has…no romance at all. We probably read this by accident.
FAQs
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A guide to romance novels of all heats and sizes. We’re recommending books we’ve read (we’ve read 1,000s) and telling you what to expect. We’ll help you do your research - your time and money will be happy.
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‘Happily Ever After’ - nearly every book you find on The Velvet Pages has an ‘HEA’. It means that the story reached a satisfying conclusion. It might say “To Be Continued” which means there’s probably an HEA in the series, but that particular title didn’t resolve the relationship.
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This is how sexual or sexy a book is. There’s a range: Hot, Medium, Mild, and Flour.
Hot is ‘“holy Hell I’m sweating.”
Medium is steamy.
Mild is tender and sweet.
Flour means there’s nothing romantic here.
We label each book so you know what to expect and you can choose what you’re comfortable reading.
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We rate each book out of 5. Cardigan B and Penelope Black can rate a book the same score on occasion, but usually the rating you see is an average of their scores.
The ratings are pretty subjective, but include things like:
Did the story make sense?
How did the characters measure up?
Was the writing literate?
Was the premise or were the plot points memorable?
Were the mysteries solved? Did the questions get answered? Did you leave me on ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER, ONYX STORM?
Did the book make us feel something?
Was there a cute cat?
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We recommend starting with Historical Romance, Fantasy Romance, or Sports Romance. They’re the most popular and you’ll find recognizable tropes.
Start with Mild to Medium heat and definitely choose an HEA.
If you’re still stuck, email us and we can give you some recs!
Heyyyvelvetpages@gmail.com
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We’ll read pretty much anything. Each month, Penelope and Cardigan select a list of about 20 books to read together. There’s at least one book from each genre and some popular titles that have been recently released.
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We sure do! It’s called ‘The Velvet Edit’. You can sign up at the top or on the ‘Contact Us’ page. We send out a themed list of recommendations each month and a ‘Quickie’ (a single title spotlight) two weeks later. We won’t spam you.
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That’s the section of the site where we share what we’re reading this month for our book club. You can check out our other reading lists from the past few months of 2025, too.
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Nope, not even close. The books on the site are generally the ones we enjoyed the most. Or hit on different trends we see coming up.
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They are! If you buy from a button click on the site, we might earn a commission. You’re not paying more for the product, though. We’re all about ‘pay less for smut’ around here.
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We use Storygraph. It has a friendly app interface and has every book we’ve read. It also shows your reading stats, which is unique.
We have separate Goodreads accounts, but they’re connected to our friends and family and…I don’t want them to see that I read the first and second book in a series about a merman with two dicks.
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MMC is Male Main Character. FMC is female main character.
There are typically one of each, but there can be multiple in genres like Omegaverse or Reverse Harem.
Or, like in the case of Court of Thorns and Roses, the MMC could be one person in one book and another person in another book.
Don’t come at me about ‘spoilers’ - these books were published in 2015.
Email us
Looking for a book recommendation? Want to give us a recommendation you’ve read? Need to yell into the void?