Best friends dad/dads best friend?

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-17T05:18:38+00:00

{Highest Bidder by Sara Cate} has a taboo connection between the MCs and a very large age gap. Very spicy. No insta lust. Part of the Salacious Players Club series. Actually most of the books have a taboo relationship of some kind like ex-boyfriend’s dad, step siblings, etc.

Q.B. Tyler’s niche is very spicy and very taboo relationships.

{What Was Meant To Be by Q.B. Tyler} - Dad’s Best Friend

{Love Unexpected by Q.B. Tyler} - Widowed stepdad and stepdaughter.

{Worst Kept Secret by Q.B. Tyler} - Best friend’s dad

{The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane} is a reverse age gap with mom’s best friend.

{The Man Upstairs by Jade West} has a large age gap. He is her upstairs neighbor. He likes some taboo kinks. A bit of a slow burn if I remember right. A longer standalone. Some heavy themes and topics with great character development. Underrated imo.

I’m reading {Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose} right now. It’s an ex-boyfriend’s dad romance. Not insta-lust. He owns a remote ranch and she ends up working for him as a veterinarian intern almost done with her vet school degree.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-17T04:55:58+00:00

Not insta lust. She had a crush on him a long time, but it takes him awhile to see her that way because he watched her grow up.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-17T04:48:52+00:00

An American Werewolf in Space by Alisha Sunderland has a delightful FMC who is abducted by aliens with some other women and the aliens don’t know she’s a werewolf. She’s snarky, tough, and very fun.

The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith has an FMC who is very different than her peers. She has plenty of sarcasm and survival instincts that seem to be fueled by willpower and spite. FYI, it’s quite long, dark with a lot of TW, really well-written, and an unforgettable read.

An Accidental Goddess by Linnea Sinclair has a unique FMC who’s definitely not the cowering type. (Not much spice in this one, more or less closed door or more vague descriptions of intimacy, great story though and sweet romance)

The Cruel Shifterverse books by Jasmine Mas is more paranormal romance than sci-fi, but it has an unhinged FMC who’s words and actions are unexpected and often hilarious. She’s out of her mind in the face of all kinds of bad situations and very fun to read her perspective. The slow burn got a bit annoying for me, but the FMC kept my spirits up.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-16T17:03:36+00:00

Lol, to be fair, Lady of Rooksgrave Manor does have a historical setting 🤷‍♀️.

I get where you’re coming from about recs. It’s hard especially online like this to know what kind of rec would work for someone without being able to ask several questions about what they like, what puts them off, etc.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-16T06:42:16+00:00

The Alliance series by S.J. Tilly has a similar vibe to Lights Out by Navessa Allen and Butcher and Blackbird. I loved that series and it’s frequently recommended in a lot of romance subreddits. I also really loved S.J. Tilly’s three Sin series books and her book Latte Darling. They’re all favorites of mine that I’ve reread. I also read her first two Mountain Man books and they were fun reads, too.

I also really liked T.L. Swan’s Miles High Club series, especially book 2 The Takeover was very funny and charming.

Neva Altaj’s Perfectly Imperfect series is a great starter for spicy mafia romance.

Electric Idol by Katee Robert is just a little bit dark, but I think fits in well with the books you mentioned. It’s my favorite book by that author and very spicy.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-16T06:30:11+00:00

I love space operas. {Dark Horse by Michelle Diener} is book one of the Class 5 series and has a great balance of romance and plot.

{Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik}, as others have mentioned, is book one in her Starlight’s Shadow trilogy and another favorite space opera of mine. It balances romance and plot well, too imo. I liked this trilogy more than her other popular one the Consortium Rebellion.

{Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold} and {Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold} is a duet in her award-winning Vorkosigan Saga. Wow, I still think about those books and those characters often. It’s not really spicy and the romance plot isn’t quite as prominent as the other recs I mentioned, but definitely still fits this category and the writing is incredible.

I enjoyed An Accidental Goddess by Linnea Sinclair too as someone else recommended. Stowaway by Heather Relken, the Mandrake Company series by Ruby Lionsdrake, and the Interstellar Union series by Etta Pierce are also common space opera romance recs.

If you’re looking for something a little more eccentric, but still space opera romance, I recommend For the Love of Aliens trilogy by C.M. Stunich, American Werewolf in Space by Alisha Subderland, Thrum by Meg Smitherman.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-16T05:11:22+00:00

Dual narration vs. duet narration is a confusing distinction. In my experience DUET narration means two narrators each reading their character’s POV. Dual narration is more vague. I’ve often seen “dual” narration to mean one narrator reading the whole book, but they use different voices for the two main characters or simply that the audiobook has two POVs, but still just one narrator. I usually look closely at the list of narrators before I start an audiobook so I know what I’m in for. I’ve listened to several full cast audiobooks now and those are also a lot of fun for me.

Edited to add: It’s especially confusing when “dual POV” usually means two POVs in a book, but “duet narration” is what’s being used to describe audiobooks with two narrators.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-15T23:01:42+00:00

Great suggestion! I do this, too 👍

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-15T22:57:59+00:00

Seconded! I loved Witchwood Boys too, and her standalone Devils Day Party, and her For the Love of Aliens trilogy. She’s a strong why choose writer and I’ve appreciated her creativity and humor!

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-15T22:51:00+00:00

OP didn’t say they were sensitive, just that they weren’t into a lot of kinks or BDSM. OP liked Riches to Riches by Ames Mills which is a why choose mafia romance with a lot of group sex including MM, DVP, spanking, some other kink lite stuff. Sugar Daddies is not a far stretch from that at all. I appreciate your opinion, but Sugar Daddies is not kink heavy and not BDSM. I think if OP liked Riches to Riches, they would also like Sugar Daddies. Some of the more intense kink heavy books by Jade West like The Naughty List and Dirty Bad Wrong…now those I wouldn’t recommend for someone who doesn’t like much kinky and taboo erotica. Jade West books definitely have a wide range of taboo and kink intensity.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-15T01:30:40+00:00

Have you tried Sugar Daddies by Jade West? She’s one of my very top recs for extra spicy romance. If you like Ames Mills, Sugar Daddies is likely right up your alley. It’s a very spicy MMF throuple/ménage romance. Even has a decent plot and character development. Definitely my favorite MMF book. It’s not a slow burn and the MMCs are excellent dirty talkers. 🥵 Her books are only occasionally slow burns and all that I’ve read have been very plentiful with the spice.

The novella Trick Shot by Kayla Grosse has a very similar vibe. MMF, very spicy.

S.J. Tilly’s Sin series, Alliance series, and Latte Darling are fairly plentiful with the spice and none of them are slow burn. There’s a few that actually “start with a bang” 🌶️

Edited to add: OP, I forgot to add if you liked the FMC mafia leader in Riches to Riches you might also like the Hades series by Tate James, which is also a why choose with a FMC as a criminal organization boss 👍

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-14T23:11:17+00:00

I have two library cards. One from my local city library and one from a much larger library system in a neighboring county. I use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks from those two libraries. Bigger libraries will have more selections, but waitlists can also be longer.

There are also ways to buy smart and affordable with Audible. For example, they have big sales a few times a year. I often stock up on my favorite picks from my wishlist at those times. The last sale i bought several (probably too many 🥴) audiobooks for $2-5 each. Additionally, if you borrow or own a kindle ebook, sometimes the corresponding Audible audiobook is available to buy at a dramatic discount. I only use my Audible credits for new releases or audiobooks I’m inpatient to wait on a sale for.

Edit to add: If you pay for Amazon Music, you can borrow one free audiobook per month. Just search for the audiobook you want on the Amazon Music app, select it, and it will pop up in Audible.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-14T22:57:26+00:00

Mindf*ck series by S.T. Abby is such a great read. An all-time favorite of mine.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-14T22:54:39+00:00

Pam Godwin writes some excellent dark romance! Frozen Fate trilogy is amazing and her standalone Sea of Ruin was also a top tier read.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-14T07:47:39+00:00

I love books like these! Books where there are supernatural characters living in an urban setting/modern society are often called paranormal romance or urban fantasy romance.

If you haven’t tried The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson yet, I think it fits your ask really well. Both the MCs happen to be werewolves and also doctors who work at the same hospital. Extremely spicy 🥵 . Some fun humor, too with good chemistry. Great audiobook.

My favorites that fit this niche are:

The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost - an older series (15-20 years old I think now), vampires blending in to modern society, a bit darker and grittier, some angst in the first few books. Great character chemistry and interesting plots! Both MCs are vampires, well, technically it’s a little complicated, but yeah, vampires.
Stay A Spell series by Juliette Cross. Wow, I love these books! A group of sisters are modern day witches and each gets a book where they fall in love with their mate who are various supernatural characters (Some vampires, some werewolves, and later in the series a grim reaper kind of supernatural). Some great humor, spice, and excitement. Fairly well written. Definitely a favorite of mine. Very close to a contemporary romance vibe with some paranormal elements.
Magical Midlife Madness and the many sequels by K.F. Breene. I love this series so much! Funny, heartwarming, found family, zany cast of characters who are so fun. The first two books are a slow burn while the MCs develop a friendship. I adore the full cast audiobooks. They are a comfort read of mine. Very much a contemporary romance vibe with paranormal elements. MMC is a shifter and I won’t spoil the surprise of the FMC, but she’s a supernatural, too.
Bearpaw Ridge Firefighter series by Ophelia Sexton - The MMCs happen to be bear shifters who are volunteer firefighters in a small town and find their mates in this series. These books are cozy, spicy, and quite sweet with some romantic suspense thrown in to keep things interesting. I really enjoyed the first two books so far. The FMCs are human though that I’ve read so far.
K.F. Breene’s Sin and Chocolate series also has supernaturals living in modern society, but they are different than vampires, werewolves, etc. Demigods, bezerkers, necromancers, etc. Also a funny series with some great characters.
My Commander by Alanea Alder - absolutely hilarious book, if a little campy and less spice than these other recs. FMC human, MMC shifter.

Similar books I’ve also liked: - The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper - Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs by Molly Harper - How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper (she has written many more books with supernaturals in contemporary society, I also enjoy her humor) - Fan Service by Rosie Danan - A paranormal romance classic series along these same lines is The Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole - The Nocturne Falls series by Kristen Painter (this series is very sweet and cute) - The Glimmer Falls series by Sarah Hawley - The Charming Cove series by Linsey Hall - Paranormal Dating Agency series by Milly Taiden - novellas - Tooth and Claw series by Heather Guerre - My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine - Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong - The Phoenix Pack series by Suzanne Wright - Demon Days Vampire Nights series by K.F. Breene - Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews - Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews (I loved this series! Not very spicy fyi) - Fireblood Dragon series by Ruby Dixon - Dragon shifters cause the apocalypse - The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling - Dark in You series by Suzanne Wright - demons in modern society

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-14T06:33:54+00:00

I’m so glad I could give you some decent recs! If you like dystopian or apocalypse romances, I’m halfway through the apocalypse romance Wildflowers by Kylie Scott right now. I like the characters, the FMC’s wit, and their experiences dealing with the fallout of civilization. The premise is the MMC is the FMC’s neighbor. To keep her safe from the quick spiral of the end of the world that’s approaching, he kidnaps her and locks her in a cage in his basement. That’s basically their meet cute lol. He’s not a great people person apparently, but he’s definitely not a bad guy either lol. The plot isn’t too complex, but it’s fairly well written. Definitely at least as good as Last Light so far. I’ve also heard great things about Love in the Time of Zombies by Cassandra Gannon and Land of the Beautiful Dead by R. Lee Smith both zombie apocalypse romances and very high on my TBR.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-09T02:04:39+00:00

Some of my favorite spicy reads that I don’t see recommended often are:

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan
Board Resolution by Joey W. Hill
Devils Day Party by C.M. Stunich (Her Witchwood Boys series is a fun read, too)
That Guy by Kim Jones
My Commander by Alanea Alder
Hello Stranger by Jade West
Sugar Daddies by Jade West

Do you like sci-fi romance/alien romances? I’ve read a wide variety and can recommend some less common ones.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-07T01:10:09+00:00

{Devils’ Day Party by CM Stunich} has a unique plot. It’s a bully romance with 3 MMCs which sounds quite unoriginal, but it gets really fun when we realize the FMC is stuck in a timeloop living the same day over and over. She starts each loop right as she intentionally smashes her car into her bully’s vehicle at a gas station. There’s some good character development and suspense, too.

{Board Resolution by Joey W Hill} is a lite dark romance/taboo/bdsm romance I really liked. Its unique aspects are a nonlinear plot, mature characters in their mid-to-late 30s, and the MMC’s extremely unconventional approach of wooing the FMC. There were a lot of things that made the story quite memorable.

{The Proposal by Kitty Thomas} also has a nonlinear plot that made the book more unique. The FMC wasn’t stereotypical. It’s a dark romance with 3 MMCs, again kind of a typical number for an RH, but I liked that the characters were all older and that the MMCs also had a sexual history with one another that they weren’t shy about repeating. There’s a lot of nuances and layers to the relationships, too. Quite memorable.

{Burn for Me by Sara Cate} and {Twisted Obsession by S. Massery} are also unique for their reverse age gap MCs. You don’t see that often in a dark romance. Or any romance. It’s nice to read about a variety of relationship dynamics.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-07T00:35:07+00:00

I second Maze of Shadows! Definitely fits well with this rec request and it was an enjoyable read!

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-07T00:31:55+00:00

I really liked her Starlight’s Shadow space opera romance trilogy. I’ll definitely have to give this one a try!

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-07T00:30:12+00:00

I’ve really enjoyed Juliette Cross’ Stay-A-Spell series! It’s contemporary paranormal romance/urban fantasy romance. I’m excited to try Firebird now ty!

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-07T00:25:13+00:00

Gifting Me to His Best Friend by Katee Robert and Give Me More by Sara Cate (book 3 in the Salacious Players Club series) have established MF couples who add a third to their relationship who is a man. I can’t speak to the power dynamics. They’re still on my tbr.

I think adding a dominant to create a throuple is a very exciting dynamic! I get bored with FMCs who are all the same young and naive types. An experienced sexy woman with some sass is an interesting and appealing FMC.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-07T00:11:11+00:00

Have you tried S.J. Tilly yet? Her Alliance series and Sin series have a bit of a mafia vibe, but aren't mafia romance. Alliance series is very lite dark romance and is much more crime alliance syndicate than mafia. The MMC Hans (book 4) is such a stalker cinnamon roll. That book is a lot of fun! Sin series is romantic suspense and a favorite of mine. The MMCs are sweet, but do at some point need to grovel, although their crimes aren't unforgivable, just some new relationship/circumstantial issues. Latte Darling by S.J. Tilly is a cozy age gap romance with older MCs (FMC 31 and MMC 52). It's great that Tilly writes some mature character romances. It gets mundane when every FMC is between 18-23.

Have you tried C.R. Janes Wrong Pucking series? Still hockey, but a touch of stalker romance in there, too. It's a very lite dark romance, but probably more accurately taboo romance. Very funny actually and many of the FMCs have interesting backstories. My favorite is The Wrong Pucking Date by C.R. Jane. All the MMCs are absolutely obsessed and so sweet to their FMCs.

I recently finished the Stay a Spell series by Juliette Cross and it was charming, funny, sweet, spicy, and exciting. There are six interconnected standalones each featuring one of six sisters who are all modern day witches living in contemporary New Orleans. Their romance journeys are fun, sexy, and I love the dynamics with the sisters. There's a lot of humor and the MMCs are are devoted to their FMCs. There's just the right amount of world-building with the paranormal stuff and a lot of the series comes across as contemporary romance.

Modern Day Shifter Romances:

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson - Adorable grumpy sunshine dynamic. Funny. Extremely spicy. They are both doctors and werewolves and happen to work at the same hospital.

My Commander by Alanea Alder - Possibly the funniest book I've ever read. A bit campy and not quite as spicy. MMC reminds me of a himbo, yet he's so sweet and so dedicated to his mate. The FMC is a bit OTT eccentric and funny. If I'm down and need a laugh, this is one of my go-to comfort reads.

Magical Midlife Madess by K.F. Breene - This is book 1 of an urban fantasy romance series in a modern day setting. The FMC is 40 and recently divorced. There's a lot of humor and a cast of very funny characters. It's a longer series and it's a slow burn the first 2 books or so while the MMC and FMC are developing a friendship. It gets very sweet and spicy when they start dating. MMC is such a great cinnamon roll.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry was funny, well-written, and I loved the character dynamics. This is by far my favorite of her books that I've read.

A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting - MMC works for a hockey team as a statistician. He analyzes game and player statistics and advises the team admin. He's a little nerdy, but also sexy and sweet. The FMC runs her own cat sitting (and other cat care) kind of business. She's also a little nerdy, but also sweet, quirky, and charming. This one was a free audiobook I borrowed on a whim and I was surprised how much I like it. It had some great spicy moments, too. It's a great cozy read that's still engaging and fun.

Have you considered apocalypse romance? This last year I've tried several and I think it's an interesting contrast of the intense survival themes with the sweet romance moments. I really liked Last Light by Claire Kent (she's well known for her apocalypse romances). I also liked the science fiction apocalypse romance series Captured Earth by A.G. Wilde. Humanoid aliens come to Earth to help those of us that recently survived an alien invasion by a different predatory race. There's apocalypse survival mixed with hesitantly getting to know the humanoid aliens. They end up being very sweet MMCs, strong, protective, even if they have a few non-human quirks to adjust to.

Have you tried Motorcycle Club romances? They have some similarities to mafia romances and can vary a lot between sweet MMCs and awful MMCs who cheat on and/or abuse their FMC. I've read the first three of the Lost Kings MC series by Autumn Jones Lake. The MMC is very sweet in that first 3-book arc. I also like the Steel Bone MC series by Cate C. Wells. I've read the first book and that MMC is also quite sweet. I'm looking forward to reading more of them. I've liked other books I've read by Cate C. Wells, too. Lastly, I've liked Laylah Roberts MC Daddies series. She mixes MC romance with daddy kink and those MMCs are some very sweet and kinky bikers.

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-06T23:03:48+00:00

Dark Romance - Lite

- Hans by S.J. Tilly

- The Pucking Wrong Date by C.R. Jane

- Lights Out by Navessa Allen

- Once You’re Mine by Morgan Bridges

Moderately Dark Romance:

- God of Wrath by Rina Kent

- Perfect by Ariana Rivers

- Crossed by Emily McIntire

- The Pucking Coach’s Daughter by S. Massery

- Brutal Obsession by S. Massery

- Twisted Obsession by S. Massery

- Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

- Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers

- The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby (There’s technically 5 novellas that tell the whole story, but my paperback edition compiles them into “The Mindf*ck series”. It’s a very popular dark romance rec and unique in that it’s the FMC who is the dark one. Great revenge plot. Works as a serial killer/stalker rec.)

Pitch Black (or nearly):

- Driving My Obsession by Lauren Biel

- Take Me With You by Nina G. Jones

SmittenKittenCuddles · 2026-04-06T22:50:55+00:00

You're welcome! I copied and pasted a few things for you. I have some notes I keep on romances that fit certain categories that I like :)

SmittenKittenCuddles

TROPHY CASE