Looking for fantasy books with cute romance

[yamgo]

Hi all, I'm looking for fantasy books with a cute and innocent romance sub- or main plot.
I dislike how many characters sleep around or suddenly start having intimate relationships with only a little development. Additionally, I'd prefer it if there were no love triangles.
I enjoy a pure and fluffy romance where two people get to know each other and eventually fall in love.
Genres besides fantasy are fine too, as long as they have some kind of fictional world-building.

I've read most of the Terry Pratchett books and they fit the bill. I've also recently read The One Who Eats Monsters and loved it. I'd be happy if anyone has similar recommendations.

Edit: I might have misinterpreted what the Book Search is for and should have read the disclaimer first.

 

[The Judge]

Carol Berg -- The Lighthouse Duet has a kind of romance between the main character and a physician, though it only starts in the second of the two books. (Her Sanctuary Duet is also worth reading, but there the romance happened long before the books open, and it's not continued.)

She also writes as Cate Glass and her Chimera series starts with the breaking of a relationship between the main character and her patron, but there's an undercurrent throughout the two books written so far that it might resurrect, but that's probably not enough to qualify even as a subplot, though.


But you're right, this isn't a Book Search matter, so I'll move it over to Book Discussion.

 

[tachyon]

"Sorcerer to the Crown" by Zen Cho comes to mind, I'll have a think about others.

Edit: I had a look through my library and the only other candidate I came across was "The Paper Magician" by Charlie N. Holmberg.

Romance isn't really my genre.

 

[sule]

Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy has a romance subplot that felt pretty tame to me and didn't really have a love triangle--although the arc of it does move across all three books so it's probably not what you want if you're looking for a quick read.

Pullman's His Dark Materials also has a romance subplot (between two young adults) but the romance doesn't come into play until the second book.

Howl's Moving Castle is another YA book I read a while ago with a romance that I think I remember enjoying. (Now that I think about it, most of the romances--esp. in fantasy--that I remember enjoying were from YA novels as most adult fantasy romance plots do veer too quickly into physical intimacy for my taste).

I've never read them, so I can't give much of a quality assurance but I've heard that Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories (I think that's what the series is called) has a solid romantic plot between the two leads. The pitch I've heard her give for them is "If Jane Austen wrote fantasy."

 

[Pyan]

Lois M Bujold - Shards of Honour/Barrayar, published separately, or together as Cordelia's Honor.

In her first trial by fire, Cordelia Naismith captained a throwaway ship of the Betan Expeditionary Force on a mission to destroy an enemy armada. Discovering deception within deception, treachery within treachery, she was forced into a separate peace with her chief opponent, Lord Aral Vorkosigan - he who was called "The Butcher of Komarr" - and would consequently become an outcast on her own planet - and the Lady Vorkosigan on his.

Goodreads

 

[Boaz]

@yamgo I am almost tempted to search the internet just for you... but no.

I second the recommendation by @sule of Mistborn. Ultimately the story did not thrill me, although the novelty of the magic system and the journal entries was enough to get me to read all three books. But the romance might be up you alley.

You might check out David Weber's Safehold series. Prince Cayleb does not begin his romance until the second book, but it's sweet and true.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. Fourteen and fifteen year olds dealing with frienships, rivalries, romance, and death.

If the cute romance angle is your main goal, then you should probably avoid George RR Martin (incest, prostitution, rumors of rape), Joe Abercrombie (deceit, lust), Vonda McIntyre (polyamory), Octavia Butler (biological addiction to alien stimulus for intercourse) and NK Jemison (selective breeding, polyamory).

 

[HareBrain]

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver has a long-arc romance that doesn't have anything nasty about it, but I'm not sure how "cute" it is. (It's probably borderline MG/YA, but I enjoyed it.)

When I read your request I thought "there must be hundreds!" but it turned out I was mostly thinking about films.

ETA (after quick look at my bookshelves) the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams has quite a good classic romance between two of the leads.

 

[Randy M.]

Tea with the Black Dragon by R. A. McAvoy
The Last Unicorn and A Fine and Private Place by Peter Beagle (not sure the former is exactly "cute" but it's believable; and I remember a romance in the latter but it's been a long time since reading, so ...)

Randy M.

 

[tegeus-Cromis]

Have you read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell? It has fantasy in the story-within-the-story.

Also, not fantasy in the least (unless you consider the '80s an alien, fantastic world, which, come to think of it...), but her Eleanor & Park is a sweet, excellent YA romance.

 

[BigBadBob141]

Romance, try Mill's & Boon!
Runs screaming for the hills!!!!!

 

[tachyon]

I had a dim memory of a previous thread with a similar topic so went looking through my posting history. It's not a very long thread & the criteria might not be exactly the same but there are a couple more suggestions here: Good fantasy supernatural series maybe a bit of romance?

 

[crystal haven]

If you want light hearted, maybe try Jane Lovering. She writes romantic comedy, and has written a few books fantasy based.

And another name: Ann Barker, if you are happy to read Georgian romance.

 

[Narkalui]

David Gemmell's books usually feature a romantic sub plot but they tend not to be very fluffy. If it's super fluffy you're after and the fantasy aspect isn't very important to you perhaps try something by Barbara Cartland

 

[Rodders]

Lightning by Dean Koontz had a romantic plot. I thought it was pretty well handled.