Happy Valentine’s Day!
Whether you’re loved up, mourning a relationship that’s ended or just looking forward to tomorrow when all the Valentine’s chocolate will be on sale, we the Rebellion team want to share some of our favourite literary romances with you—just in case you’re looking for something book-shaped to curl up with…
Amanda Rutter, Commissioning Editor | Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
The romance between Phèdre nó Delaunay and Joscelin Verreuil is a slow burn, escapees-to-lovers, forbidden affair, and it took my breath away the first time I read it—indeed, every time I read it! What I found masterful about Carey’s writing was that, no matter Phèdre’s affairs with others or her role as a courtesan, it felt as though she would only fit with Joscelin, that his was the only soul that truly matched hers. And the other romantic element of this novel that bowled me over was the freedom, respect and gentleness of ‘Love As Thou Wilt’, a central concept of the whole series. Love is celebrated in whatever form it comes.
Amy Borsuk, Editor | Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid
Even though it’s a horror novel, there’s a heartfelt romance at the centre of this story. Witch Marlinchen falls in love with the prima ballerina Sevas after sneaking out of her father’s creepy, decrepit home and seeing him at the opera. I’m so used to the gorgeous male love interest turning out to be the monster, the source of the woman protagonist’s downfall, particularly in horror/fantasy novels. So it was refreshing to have the romance be the protagonist’s source of safety and salvation! Their shared bond, and their wild passion, make for an exhilarating read in the midst of a very dark story.
Ben Smith, Head of Film, TV & Publishing | The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
Good romance is hard to do, and mainstream science fiction spent a long time trying to avoid it. Happily in the present day we’re in a golden age for genre romance. One of my favourite authors writing about relationships now is Mary Robinette Kowal, because she tells stories not of romance being found between two strangers, but romance being an ongoing well-spring for her couples. In both The Calculating Stars and The Spare Man, she has couples who have already gotten together before the book begins, and whose relationships are into the ‘ever after’ part of the story that few care to write. That she makes the romance real and vital is wonderful to read, and is possibly even more inspiring than any meet-cute about the first flush of romance.
Casey Davoren, Senior Digital Marketing & Social Media Executive | Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
This book is wonderfully enamoured with hope, love and every other cute, light-hearted feeling one can come up with. But most importantly, it’s a tale about strength and healing, about enduring despite everything that life throws your way. That no matter how many heartbreaks or failures you endure, no matter how many of those moments-that-will-blow-your-composure exist or how many times you’re thrown off balance, they’ll soon evaporate and things will move in a better direction. Love & Gelato has so much charm, heart and romance at its core that I flew through the book.
Jess Gofton, PR and Marketing Manager – Fiction and Non Fiction | Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
As cliché as it is, I’m a sucker for a romance starring someone who has to return to the small town they grew up in. When I’m feeling slumpy or a bit down I can always count on a contemporary romance to cheer me up, and this book is one of so many sapphic romances now available for readers to dive into. I love the relationship between Delilah and Claire, but I also love the wider relationships this novel explores, from Delilah’s prickly interactions with her stepfamily to Claire’s determination to prevent her unreliable ex from breaking their daughter’s heart. Definitely one to consider picking up as we head into spring!
Olivia Hicks, Graphic Novel Editor | Jem and The Holograms by Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell
An oldie but a goldie. One of the greatest comics gems and possibly the greatest comic book adaptation ever? If you’re into romance comics, then Jem and the Holograms is a landmark series. This is the editorial team that launched Kelly Thompson as a mainstream name, gave us gag-worthy visuals from Sophie Campbell, and provided early comics work for the now legendary Jen Bartel and Yoshi Yoshitani, among others. Alongside all of the truly outrageous fashions, songs and high stakes drama that is familiar to fans of the original 1980s tv show, this comic had a truly delightful queer romance develop between Stormer and Kimber (they’re members of rival bands! They couldn’t possibly!), just for those of us who have shipped those two since the “Kimber Goes Solo” episode. It’s just a nonstop super sweet ride, coloured perfectly by Victoria M. Robado, and you can find it all in the first two volumes of the series.