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Just like literally millions of other readers, I am completely hooked on The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros. When I first heard about Fourth Wing, the first book in the Romantasy series about dragon-riding school, I wasn’t reading a lot of fantasy. But as friend after friend recommended it to me, I became intrigued. Then I saw my favorite Romance bookstore, The Ripped Bodice, had a midnight book party for the second book in the series, Iron Flame. And I decided if the series had a stamp of approval from The Ripped Bodice, then I might as well give it a try. Well, I’ve now read and reread the books three times in the last year and a half. Even though I resisted, for me, they definitely live up to the hype.
But before this series, Yarros was a prolific contemporary romance and new adult author. She has a backlist of 20 romance novels and novellas deep. It’s just waiting for any newer fans to dive in and discover—and that’s just what I did last fall, when I was waiting for Onyx Storm to come out. Friends, they are good. Like really, really good. As a bonus, most of them are available on Kindle Unlimited, if you are into that. I zoomed through over 10 of them, one after another. They have the broodingly sexy heroes, complex and tragic backstories, exciting plot twists, and completely enthralling chemistry that made me love Fourth Wing. Just, you know, without the dragons. Whether you are also excitedly awaiting Book Four in The Emperian Series or you would like a new contemporary romance author to read, here are three of my favorite Rebecca Yarros contemporary novels.
If you love gasp-inducing plot twists and a sense of history, then you should read…
The Things We Leave Unfinished
Georgia has returned to the small Colorado town where her grandmother raised her after a very public, very brutal divorce. She’s lost her husband, her friends, a company she helped found, and her public image. But she still has the legacy of her grandmother’s beloved romance novels to protect. Unfortunately, her mother has tried to sell the rights to her grandmother’s only unfinished novel. And the publisher has attached Noah, a bestselling tragic romance author, as the writer to finish her grandmother’s story. Georgia hates Noah’s arrogance almost as much as his weepy, doomed love stories. But he’s determined to do the job, because her grandmother was his idol. Meanwhile, there are also chapters from the manuscript in question based on an iconic love affair between Georgia’s grandparents. The twists and turns in this dual-timeline story literally made me scream out loud at one point. I’m listing this one first, because it is my favorite from the bunch!
If you’re looking for a fated mates and new adult romance with a big dose of family trauma, then you should read…
Full Measures
Ember’s life as a college student changes instantly with the news that her father died while on a military deployment to Afghanistan. Her mother completely falls apart. And Ember quickly loses her boyfriend and best friend in one fell swoop. She has no choice but to transfer colleges, move home, and keep her family together. And who ends up being her biggest support? The unlikely Josh Howard: former high school hockey star, current womanizer. And somehow the one who is always supporting Ember through this tragic time. Despite his bad-boy reputation, Josh is one hundred percent there for Ember. But could a lingering secret threaten these fated mates?
If you like a small town, friends-to-lovers and brother’s best friend romance, then you should read…
Reason to Believe
Harper has been in love with her older brother’s best friend Knox her entire life. But he made a promise to her brother never to cross that line. When Harper ends up as an emergency foster parent to two little boys, she needs to move into Knox’s house or they will be split up. Meanwhile, Knox is training to bring the hotshot firefighter squad back to town, something emotionally resonant for both of them since they both lost family members in a giant wildfire back in high school. There is a lot going on in this book. It is so sweet—but in the awww way, not in the no sex way, because there is definitely very hot sex on the page. I felt my internal voice saying “squee” the entire time I was reading it.
I hope you give the contemporary romance novels of Rebecca Yarros a shot. It’s going to be a long wait for a follow-up to Onyx Storm. And, if you’re like me, there are only so many times you can reread the series. If you finish these and want to head back to Romantasy, you can also bide your time with this list of Romantasy books or, perhaps, one of the greatest romance novels of all time.
