100 books like Never Wager with a Wallflower

I loved the seamless interweaving of narratives, the central quest to secure an asset for the CIA against the hostile backdrop of Damascus, the love story between two truly star-crossed lovers, and the complex survival story of those battling the vicious Assad regime.

I loved the unforgettable tension and pace that was maintained throughout the book and the insight it gave into what it is to be a spy working in the most difficult environment.

There’s something so inexplicably enticing about forbidden romance. Even these days, when a man knows they can’t have a certain woman for all sorts of reasons, the moment where that man breaks, the moment where he loses control, that’s exactly the kind of magic I want in an all-consuming romance novel.

If you’re looking for that added spice of a hilarious, sexy nanny and older, grumpy cowboy, you’ll find that, as well as unforgettable forbidden romance elements in this spicy cowboy romcom.

If you’re going to read only one Elsie Silver book, make it this one.

I really loved this book for its unfiltered look into the often funny life of a man navigating the worlds of stand-up comedy and personal mishaps, all within the backdrop of Birmingham–a city that doesn't feature in enough bestselling books.

The book took me back to cringeworthy ‘open mic’ comedy nights, performing for a share of ‘the bucket’, which rarely covered a pint at city centre prices. Loser Andy adores lovely Jen… but Jen has had her fill of Andy. The only problem is she can’t explain why, and that’s not enough for him.

Despite a series of truly dick moves, my heart remained with Good Material’s anti-hero. But what impressed me most was how Alderton chose to end the story–avoiding every cliché and delivering something far more sharply satisfying than a ‘happy ever after.’ 

I am a sucker for lifelong friends to lovers with a bit of the taboo, and this book delivered!

Our hero is a sexy hockey player with a dark past, and our heroine is a dancer with an overprotective and controlling family. When, on her wedding day, she learns the jerk she’s being forced to marry has been cheating on her, she runs right into the arms of her childhood crush and friend Jasper, who offers to whisk her away so she can figure out what to do and how to face her parents.

Jasper and Sloane were made for each other from page one, and I loved rooting for them! Add in the delightful small-town vibes, the belonging that comes from being part of an amazing, tight-knit family, and some steamy times, and it’s a recipe for an all-nighter (reading, that is).

Though this story is part of a… show more.

I was drawn to this book by the cover. Set in New York, famous erotica writer Eva Mercy is a single mom with a depilating auto-immune disease. Eva’s experiences of the writing life as a Black woman and how she managed her health drew me to her.

However, the unexpected connection between Eva and Shane, the award-winning literary writer she reunites with during a literary event, was my favorite part of this book. I loved how each writer’s trauma-informed the stories they told. I found myself encouraged to write about my own traumas in my stories. But what I loved the most about this book is how the sensual scenes between Eva and Shane were more about connection than sex.

I was inspired by Eva’s resoluteness in making a life for herself and being the mother she never had for herself and her daughter.

I love this book because, in true Crystal Maldonado fashion, it’s funny and heartfelt and full of immaculate vibes AND tackles big topics like fatphobia and living with chronic illness in frank, relatable ways.

Whit leaps off the page and felt instantly recognizable to me as a fat person who has been there. And then there’s the absolutely swoony romance—I was hooked right away!

My sister has always teased me about my love of men in dark capes (Darth Vader and the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera especially). Combine that—shall we say—preference with my fascination with the tarot, courtly intrigue, and a young woman’s quest to embrace her inner darkness while determining her own destiny and bam! You have Rachel Gillig’s One Dark Window.

One of my favorite things about this novel is that it surprised me, which doesn’t happen easily. From the first embedded fairy tale rhyme, Gillig sweeps her readers away into a mist-cloaked kingdom struggling for its very survival, both desperate for and hidden by the magic of the forest that looms beyond its misty borders.

As a person with strong ties to biology, I love that in this book, vampires and werewolves are no more magical or supernatural (and therefore also no more immortal) than any human; they just came from different branches down the evolutionary tree.

What I really liked were the dialogues–the sarcasm, verbal power games, and dry humor. And the character development, where an isolated person learns that opening up and accepting friendship and the feeling of belonging requires courage because it also makes one more vulnerable.

Years ago, before we had books out in the world or even deals to publish them, I once saw Gretchen Schreiber describe her book as The Breakfast Club set in a hospital. I was immediately beyond sold, and since then, I’ve enjoyed watching every step of that book coming into existence.

This novel explores something about chronic illness and disability that I think about often–the way we almost divide ourselves into two people. For Ellie, that’s who she is in the hospital versus who she is outside of it. For me, that’s one person who’s allowed to be sick and one who isn’t. 

Not strictly a book about talking animals, in that the animal that talks is actually a human when the story begins. Lewis and Wren are going about their unassuming married life when Lewis is told by a doctor that he has one year until he turns into a great white shark.

A wacky premise that delivers so much more than expected, this beautiful, tender fable about love and mortality is packed with lovesick ocean creatures and mothers masquerading as Komodo dragons.