Recs if you like The Winner's Curse...

your 2016 book blog called it misses you

we love a man who yearns in this house

These books contain little to no spice🩷 Double checked by me, fellow reviewers, & romance.io, but if there's still a mistake, please do correct! Only 1 book per author

the coquette femme aesthetic is of the utmost importance

the staples of the book community on youtube in the early to mid 2010s.

"Her fierce creature of a mind: sleek and sharp-clawed and utterly unwilling to be caught." from The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

Books with cunning characters who can plan and scheme and overcome obstacles with sheer mental power.

The fate of the world rests on this teenage girl's shoulders. She isn't like the other girls—she was chosen by prophecy, fate, or narrative convenience to save a realm that absolutely refuses to handle its own problems.

When a power couple overthrows a tyrannical or broken government together.

Bonus points if they don't agree on the right way to do it but through falling in love with each other they learn to appreciate the other person's experiences and it helps them build something even better for their people when they combine ideas sobs

Open to recs !!

Mostly fantasy series not well known, with a few from other genres mixed in.

no spice doesn’t mean no heat. pls recommend other swoon-worthy books/series so i can give them a read!!

Books with shiny iridescent covers, because your shelf needs some sparkle. Sometimes also called "rainbow foil" or "holographic".

⚠️ You may need to check alternate covers since I can't set specific editions to display in the list (yet)!

If you know of an edition that has shiny bits that change colour in light, drop it in the comments!

જ⁀➴𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒀𝑨 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 / 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝑻𝑩𝑹 ⋆˚✿˖°

if they get together before book three, or before the last twenty pages, it doesn’t count.

For where desire is just another move on the board. Cunning, morally questionable people, who are usually several steps ahead draw in an underestimated women into worlds of politics, manipulation, secrets, and power. She learns his rules, becomes harder and smarter, and eventually the power may shift.

The vibes of mentorship with ulterior motives, court intrigue, strategic marriages, obsession disguised as guidance, and a heroine realizing she might enjoy having teeth.

Fantasy with top tier yearning and slow burn romance.I was inspired by Kacey Musgraves song Slow burn.

romances that are ACTUAL enemies to lovers

series + standalones for those who rewind when darcy flexes his hand. let me know what i’m missing so i can read it and share in the agony. most of these are not the first in the series for obvious reasons.

Romantasy with a (in my opinion) perfect fantasy/romance balance -as a fantasy lover who doesn't like when the romance takes over

Some inherit the world as it is. These women remake it.

They begin as outcasts, dreamers, prisoners, survivors, and heirs to broken worlds. When history reaches its turning points, they step forward to shape what comes next. Whether forged by blood, sacrifice, and loss, or shaped by regret and self-discovery, they transform into queens, warriors, revolutionaries, legends, and villains. These sci-fi and fantasy stories follow women whose choices reshape kingdoms, challenge empires, defy destiny, and leave their worlds forever changed.

One of two lists exploring two forms of transformation: changing the world and changing oneself.

Sister List: I Refuse to Remain Who I Was

Suggestions welcome!

viva la revolucion. all books/series that deserve the hype.