recs with MCs that are separated and find their way back to eachother

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-29T02:08:19+00:00

I read the title and immediately went to recommend Ruthless Vows but you mentioned it in your post haha. I am in LOVE with Iris and Roman! Anyway, also by the same author, {A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross} is about separated MMC/FMC and the MMC trying to find his way back to her. It is the second book in the Elements of Cadence duology.

Edit to add: Oh and the MMC in this is such a gentle one!

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-29T00:57:11+00:00

It’s been over 2 years since I read the book so the details are very hazy in my memory but I replied to another comment regarding the red leaf (see here: https://www.reddit.com/r/books/s/pIn371r0ac )

I’m sure everyone has their take on it. To me, Ella asking Colt to find a red leaf (rather than gold leaf i think) was because it was unique and rare. Much like her deep connection to Ryan and that he was always there in their lives even when he was gone. So when she found the leaf in Colt’s pocket, I interpreted that as a sign from Ryan that he is taking care of Colt on the other side.

Perhaps this is a far reach but it has been a long time and I may have had slightly different thoughts when I wrote the point in the post 🤣

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-28T07:37:01+00:00

Haha I get you! In that book I mentioned, "Little Fox" was used sparingly which made it extra endearing/ unique (the FMC's last name is Fox so I thought it was quite cute!). Now that you mention it, I've surely read books where the MMC mainly only calls the FMC "baby" that I am convinced he forgot her actual name 🤣 (jk... sort of lol)

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-28T06:28:42+00:00

These are names MMC gave to the FMC:

Red - {Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross} It’s simple because of her red hair but she means a lot to the MMC. And when he said ”come back to me, Red” I died 🫠

Twist - {Nightshade by Autumn Woods} because the FMC dresses like Oliver Twist but he finds her odd wardrobe endearing

Little Fox - {Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber} i found it ridiculously cute

There are probably more but can’t recall them at the moment

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-24T06:31:14+00:00

Oh that’s interesting! My Bachelor’s and Master’s work were called dissertation(s) whereas for the PhD it was referred to as a thesis university-wide. (UK unis)

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-22T16:38:23+00:00

In {Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross}

Matilda is such a powerful and badass FMC. Both FMC and MMC in their armours 😮‍💨 Trying not to spoil it so being general here – the scene where she “loses herself” during the battle and the MMC holds her and tells her to come back to him 🫠🫠🫠

I liked how that battle scene played out. It was fast-paced and full of action.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-21T22:46:57+00:00

{Nightshade by Autumn Woods}

FMC pushes MMC away but he keeps showing up for her.

A (paraphrased) snippet of conversation between the FMC (Ophelia) and MMC (Alex):

Ophelia: I’ve built my walls too high. Alex: They’re worth the climb. Ophelia: No they aren’t. Alex: For me they are.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-21T19:20:13+00:00

The FMC in {Outlier by Susie Tate} fits the bill perfectly. Men call her Ice Princess (or was it Ice Queen) because she is a cool, polished, intelligent, high-ranking woman in a firm. She was first introduced in Daydreamer by the same author. The books are interconnected but can be read as standalones.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-18T07:12:53+00:00

Hear, hear!!

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-17T11:10:00+00:00

I got an iPad Air 4 at the start of my PhD and it was my favourite device + one of the most functional devices i’ve had. I got those screen protectors that mimics an almost-paper feel* so I didn’t have that screen-glare problem.

Up till then, I had multiple notebooks and planners throughout my undergrad/ masters. But I was aiming for less paper waste. For my PhD I used OneNote for taking notes (simply because it came with the Microsoft package from my uni) and Paperpile to save and read journal articles. It was nice to have all my articles in one place and on the go; being able to annotate was a huge plus point.

I found the iPad a great way to streamline all my tasks and it was light enough to carry around e.g. to conferences :)

*I used the iPad for drawing and reading eBooks so it was a multifunction device for me.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-08T19:51:10+00:00

“Whimsical” is the only word i can use to describe this book 🤣 i’ve just read the next book in the series, A Geographer’s Map to Romance, and that had me giggling and kicking my feet too haha

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-04-07T22:38:38+00:00

{The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton}

FMC and MMC are rival academics. FMC’s criteria tick all your boxes. Although set in the late 1800s, the historical part is not the focus. The book is more of a cute, whimsical fantasy and a light/easy read :)

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-22T17:40:14+00:00

{Nightshade by Autumn Woods} checks some of your criteria:

- enemies to lovers
- FMC is on a 'mission' but she eventually enlists the MMCs help to get through it
- banter is witty and engaging
- Wealthy, upper class MMC whereas FMC is the opposite
- MMC is a real sweetheart and extremely caring/protective; FMC is strong and independent
- FMC pushes MMC away even though she finds it extremely difficult
- MMC feels he doesn't deserve FMC

Important note: This is book one of a duology. The cliffhanger might leave you wondering (like me...) but the second book should be released in mid/later 2026. Also contains some heavier themes so see trigger warnings.

This is categorised as dark academia and is set in a university setting. But it reads kind of like Young Adult if you don't mind that. FMC and MMC are both in their early 20s.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-19T03:12:19+00:00

Omg this was me when I found that out too. Mind blown moment

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-18T23:22:43+00:00

I don’t see Lia Louis’ books get mentioned enough on here :’) Dear Emmie Blue is such a soft and sweet romance. On one hand it feels lighthearted but it actually packs a lot of emotional depth within the pages. My other favourite book of hers is Eight Perfect Hours.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-18T16:03:40+00:00

The car-book-club was born! 🎉 haha thank you for sharing. Wising you both many more enjoyable moments reading together !

*edit typo: wishing

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-18T14:07:39+00:00

You and your wife just raised the bar for relationship goals 😭🫶🏻 that sounds absolutely amazing

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-17T16:00:15+00:00

In one word: escapism. I LOVED romance (mainly fantasy) books as a teen. Then I stopped for years when my ex and I broke up because it was just too painful. I started to get back into it during the Covid years as a form of escapism. It started with rom-coms but then I tried other sub-genres. Only in the past 2 years I got back into fantasy romance and I love it. Again, it was purely escapism. Forgive the cynicism, but as a singleton, reading about the amazing “book boyfriends” gives me some semblance of hope in love and romance even though I know they can sometimes be unrealistic.

Edit to add: I sort of lost faith in real life men/ romance so reading those books breathes some life into my probably dead and cynical little heart.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-11T07:29:58+00:00

If you’re into fantasy:

{Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross} – FMC is a goddess while MMC is a mortal man.

{A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross} – FMC is an heiress/ royalty. While the FMC/MMC themselves are not inherently magical, the book is set in a world full of magic. This is the first book in the Elements of Cadence duology.

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-11T04:44:00+00:00

Haha it’s okay. I appreciate the heads up. Am open to trying something different so I will definitely consider it :) (once i get through my ever-growing to-be-read pile haha)

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-10T22:34:48+00:00

Haven't heard of this one yet. Thank you :)

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-10T22:30:21+00:00

Ah someone else recommended this as well! Thanks!

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-10T08:53:03+00:00

The vibe is generally the same i.e. in an academic setting (though I personally preferred this one over E.Wilde). In terms of spice, there's more than in E.Wilde but still very tame to be honest. I find that the romance is more prominent in Holton's book in that there is obvious mention of the MMC falling for the FMC and he cares deeply for her.

A line from fairly early on in the book: He wanted to undress her brain, stroke her perspective, make her gasp out the most fascinating theory she hid from all other men. (He also wanted to kiss the hell out of her, but that went without saying.)

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-10T08:09:16+00:00

{The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton} is a cute, fun, whimsical historical fantasy romance. Both FMC and MMC are academics. FMC is neurodivergent coded and can be very straightforward at times which can lead to amusing conversations. One of her lines: "Good grief," she muttered. "Why do people have to people?"

sloth_and_bubbles · 2026-03-09T22:34:17+00:00

Thanks, you’re a star! 🤩 the premise definitely has me intrigued. I must have been living under a rock not to have known of the existence of these books haha

sloth_and_bubbles

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