Written by Kayla Curry, Illustrated by Kailey Bradshaw

Remember back in middle school when you’d stay up late under the covers, face lit up by the dim light of your phone screen as you scrolled through the latest One Direction fanfiction? Or maybe you remember substituting the public library for AO3 where you read Harry Potter AUs? Maybe you still do. No judgment.

For many of us, reading for pleasure seems like ancient history, and the only book you actually remember liking wasn’t even a book, but a story conjured up by a 14 year-old Directioner typing away in their bedroom. Now that you’re older, you might be wondering how to get yourself to read an actual book, and to that I say, look to the past for inspiration. There are plenty of books out there full of romance and drama reminiscent of your favorite works of fanfiction. If you want to ease back into reading with quick, easy to digest stories that are still well-written and engaging, here is a list for every taste.

The Deal (Off Campus Book 1) by Elle Kennedy

Tropes: sports romance, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating

Spice rating: 2/5

Elle Kennedy is known for delivering the quintessential college romance. Her “Off Campus” series consists of stand-alone books following the stories of Briar University’s hockey team. “The Deal” is the first in the series and one of the fan favorites. When swoon-worthy hockey captain Garrett Graham needs a tutor for his ethics class, Hannah Wells makes it clear she wants absolutely nothing to do with helping the king of campus. In fact, she has her eye on someone else, but when Garrett concocts a plan to help her get noticed by her crush, they both find themselves in it for more than the deal. My personal favorite in the series is John Logan’s book, “The Mistake,” but there are five books total in the series plus a spin-off series! For lovers of the lovable jock, this series is bound to have a hockey player for you. While this isn’t the most progressive or revolutionary series by any means, its simplicity is its strong-suit and can help ease you back into reading.

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

Tropes: best friends-to-enemies-to-lovers

Spice rating: 4/5

If you preferred the dark romances and bully trope that filled Wattpad shelves back in the day, you might prefer something a little more angsty. Penelope Douglas is known for her super spicy, angst-filled romances. Douglas’s books are not for every taste, but just like your favorite fanfictions, they are filled with drama. This is a high school romance with an interesting plot that starts with two pen pals. Over the course of several years, Misha and Ryen fall in love through letters until one day Misha stops writing. Without Misha, Ryen turns to faking her way through high school, becoming a popular cheerleader and a notorious bully. When Misha arrives at the high school Ryen attends, he finds Ryen is everything he hates, and the girl he loved is now the girl he can’t stand. There is a palpable hatred between the two when they come face to face for the first time, but also something else… While this isn’t my favorite on the list, I have to admit I was hooked, and Douglas knows her audience.

Today, Tonight, Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Tropes: YA, academic rivals to lovers

Spice rating: 0/5

For lovers of a more tender and tame, young-adult romance, “Today, Tonight, Tomorrow” by Rachel Lynn Solomon delivers a dizzying portrait of Seattle and a first love romance that you will stay up all night finishing. I read this book in one sitting, and it was the perfect academic rivals-to-lovers story I never knew I needed. This one follows two high school seniors, Rowan and Neil, who have competed with each other all of high school. From student council elections to essay contests, these two have it out any chance they get, and as senior year comes to a close, they have one last chance to show each other up when it comes time for the annual senior class game called Howl. The scavenger hunt leads them all over Seattle, but when the two rivals find out a group of their classmates are out to get them, they agree to an alliance that reveals that they are suited to be more than just sparring partners. There are some tooth-achingly sweet moments that will leave you smiling at the pages, and if you like this one, Solomon has written more romance novels like “The Ex Talk” and “We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This,” that suit a number of tastes!

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Tropes: age gap, student x professor, grumpy x sunshine, fake dating

Spice rating: 3/5

This book is one of my all time favorites, and it was originally a Star Wars fanfiction written on AO3 before the author, Ali Hazelwood, turned it into a book. She even used fan art from her fanfic as the cover! Hazelwood, a neuroscientist during the day and romance writer at night, gleans inspiration for her lovable protagonist, Olive Smith, from her own experiences as a woman in STEM and academia. Aside from the great character development and feminist undertones in this story, our love interest, Dr. Adam Carlsen, is the kind of man you dream about. If you’re looking for a very tall, very broad, very grumpy, dark-haired, deep-voiced, absolutely RIPPED professor who has a soft spot for our heroine, this book is a must-read. Every fanfiction reader will recognize the tried and true tropes including fake dating, the grumpy/sunshine duo, student and professor (without the toxic power dynamic), mutual pining, and more. If you take one recommendation from this list, it should be this one. You will leave with another book boyfriend.

A Touch of Darkness (Book 1)

Spice rating: 5/5

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, grumpy x sunshine

This book is the first in an ongoing series reimagining the myth of Hades and Persephone. Scarlett St. Clair actually self-published the series from Wattpad, and it’s now a beloved series found in bookstores everywhere. As a lover of Greek mythology, romance, and the grumpy/sunshine trope, this book had me glued to the pages for hours. Even if you’re like me and aren’t privy to fantasy, this book will pleasantly surprise you if you give it a try. In this refreshing retelling, Persephone is a journalist posing as a mortal, but unbeknownst to her friends, she is Goddess of Spring, daughter of the suffocating Demeter. The only problem is that Persephone’s powers are dormant and everything she touches wilts instead of grows. When she is assigned to write about the elusive God of the Underworld, she becomes entrapped in a game that ends in a contract with impossible conditions. Persephone is trapped in the Underworld with Hades, notorious for bargaining with souls, something that disgusts the virtuous Persephone, and the only way out is to create life in the Underworld. Without her powers and her lack of confidence, the feat seems unachievable, but the more time she spends with the God of Death, the more she sees he is not the heartless god the world has painted him to be. He could even be the key to unlocking her power. This book is my personal favorite in the series, and although the plot is great on its own, it doesn’t hurt to mention there are more than plenty of spicy scenes to supplement. You’ll fall in love with this powerful couple and maybe even the series.

Reading is the perfect pastime when staring at a screen or doing homework has you feeling burnt out. Ease yourself back into reading by revisiting some of your favorite character profiles and tropes from your days as an avid fanfiction reader. Whether you want something fluffy and sweet, angsty and spicy, or something in between, there are plenty of talented writers delivering just that.

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Romance Novels for the Fanfiction Fanatic