Big Intergenerational Fluff Romance Fiction Series Sought
April 8, 2020 3:56 PM Subscribe
When I'm stressed, I really like long series (10+ books preferred) that involve the romances of all members of a family, and then the members of the new related families, and their friends, and then the kids, cousins, etc, and everyone keeps popping up in the further books to let you know that yes they are still living happily. Please help me find new ones to keep me comforted during quarantine.
Preferences: due to how doomy the outside world is, I am only looking for happily-ever-after series, where you know that the pair involved will have suffering, but none of it actually too bad, and it will all come right in the end. I would also vastly prefer it to be historical romances or fantasy romances that are set in a world not recognizably the modern stressful world.
Things like this I have enjoyed in the past: the Brothers Sinister series by Courtney Milan.
Also if you know the name for this type of thing so that I can search for it more easily myself it would be greatly appreciated!
Preferences: due to how doomy the outside world is, I am only looking for happily-ever-after series, where you know that the pair involved will have suffering, but none of it actually too bad, and it will all come right in the end. I would also vastly prefer it to be historical romances or fantasy romances that are set in a world not recognizably the modern stressful world.
Things like this I have enjoyed in the past: the Brothers Sinister series by Courtney Milan.
Also if you know the name for this type of thing so that I can search for it more easily myself it would be greatly appreciated!
Seconding the Bridgerton books, they're the absolute bestest of the best. Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Green series is wonderful. Lisa Kleypas's Wallflowers and Ravenels books are also great.
posted by mostlymartha at 4:05 PM on April 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by mostlymartha at 4:05 PM on April 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Eloisa James did this with the Desperate Duchesses series and the follow up Desperate Duchesses By The Numbers, which goes into the next generation.
posted by MadamM at 4:09 PM on April 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by MadamM at 4:09 PM on April 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
I suggest the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. It's science fiction, but also sometimes a regency comedy of manners, and a whole bunch of other things. It always cheers me up.
The latest few books are not great, and the very first one is a bit rough around the edges, but the middle is fantastic.
posted by confluency at 4:14 PM on April 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
The latest few books are not great, and the very first one is a bit rough around the edges, but the middle is fantastic.
posted by confluency at 4:14 PM on April 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
Oh, if you liked Brothers Sinister you might like Sue London’s Haberdasher’s series. It hasn’t yet gotten to next generations but it’s pulled in siblings and other relatives.
posted by padraigin at 4:23 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by padraigin at 4:23 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Since other folks have already recommend Eloisa James and Julia Quinn, here are a couple of other series that hit a similar note for me (I love the Brothers Sinister series you started with as well,and will look up some of the other mentioned ones I haven't read yet).
Grace Burrowes has several connected series that cover various members of the Windham family- the original series covers 8 siblings, and then jumps back with extra books and novellas to cover the older generation, and the most recent set covers further out cousins.
Mary Balogh has a thus far 7 book series about the Westcott Family that follows this follows- starts with orphan discovering family, then her siblings, and then expands out to widowed mothers and spinster aunts and cousins, etc.
posted by Dorothea Ladislaw at 4:57 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Grace Burrowes has several connected series that cover various members of the Windham family- the original series covers 8 siblings, and then jumps back with extra books and novellas to cover the older generation, and the most recent set covers further out cousins.
Mary Balogh has a thus far 7 book series about the Westcott Family that follows this follows- starts with orphan discovering family, then her siblings, and then expands out to widowed mothers and spinster aunts and cousins, etc.
posted by Dorothea Ladislaw at 4:57 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Beverly Jenkins's books are all (almost all?) interconnected, with the same families popping in and out -- even her contemporary romances have the descendants of her historical romance couples.
posted by pised at 5:06 PM on April 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by pised at 5:06 PM on April 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
If you don't get enough suggestions here, I strongly suggest submitting the question to Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. This is the sort of question they would LOVE to answer!
posted by rednikki at 5:08 PM on April 8, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by rednikki at 5:08 PM on April 8, 2020 [6 favorites]
Lisa Kleypas's Wallflower Series and her Ravenels series are interconnected.
Also, for fluffiness and fun, Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove books aren't about a single family, but they're all interconnected and great.
posted by jacquilynne at 5:58 PM on April 8, 2020
Also, for fluffiness and fun, Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove books aren't about a single family, but they're all interconnected and great.
posted by jacquilynne at 5:58 PM on April 8, 2020
"Series Romance about Families"
Love through the Generations: Series Romance about Families
Best Romance Series following families
13 Addictive Romance Series To Warm Up Your Spring Reading
Historical romance series with large family
posted by furtive_jackanapes at 6:03 PM on April 8, 2020
Love through the Generations: Series Romance about Families
Best Romance Series following families
13 Addictive Romance Series To Warm Up Your Spring Reading
Historical romance series with large family
posted by furtive_jackanapes at 6:03 PM on April 8, 2020
Grace Burrowes has written a bunch of interconnecting books. She writes beautifully, her plots and characters are interesting, and everything works out in the end.
posted by mareli at 6:15 PM on April 8, 2020
posted by mareli at 6:15 PM on April 8, 2020
The Liaden Universe books by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller fit the bill, and there are a ton of them. I am excited there's a novel I haven't read yet that'll be a treat this month.
posted by asperity at 8:29 PM on April 8, 2020
posted by asperity at 8:29 PM on April 8, 2020
All of the Gail Carriger books set in steampunk London with werewolves and vampires. There are even offshoot novels and novellas so that much-loved supporting characters get their own romances too.
posted by bananacabana at 8:48 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by bananacabana at 8:48 PM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Ilona Andrews can get a little too violent for me so be forewarned but most of her books particularly the Edge series and the Hidden Legacy books are just exactly this except with magic and fighting.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:30 PM on April 8, 2020
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:30 PM on April 8, 2020
Roberta Gellis’ Roselynde chronicles beginning with Roselynde.
posted by clew at 10:04 PM on April 8, 2020
posted by clew at 10:04 PM on April 8, 2020
2nding Liaden Universe and Ilona Andrews!
And also anything by Nalini Singh, she has several different flavours of series going on at the same time, personally I prefer her Psy-changeling series.
posted by Coaticass at 12:53 AM on April 9, 2020
And also anything by Nalini Singh, she has several different flavours of series going on at the same time, personally I prefer her Psy-changeling series.
posted by Coaticass at 12:53 AM on April 9, 2020
Stella Riley's Rockcliffe series (6 books) and she has a new series just started, the Brandon Brothers, which is also linked to the Rockcliffe series. There's a mixture of family and friends, but they are all interconnected.
posted by scorbet at 1:52 AM on April 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by scorbet at 1:52 AM on April 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Ilona Andrews can get a little too violent for me
On that note - I bounced *very hard* off the first Ilona Andrews book, Magic Bites, because some of the off-stage violence was so horrible. I mean, so hard that even though I'd bought the whole first trilogy, I couldn't bring myself to even try the others before passing them on to a charity shop. I've seen them recommended by people who are also sensitive to violence, so presumably the first one isn't entirely representative, but... I definitely wouldn't start at the beginning. Hopefully someone can suggest a better place to jump in.
Strongly seconding Julia Quinn's Bridgerton books, though, and what I've read of the Parasol Protectorate (Gail Carriger's series).
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:11 AM on April 9, 2020
On that note - I bounced *very hard* off the first Ilona Andrews book, Magic Bites, because some of the off-stage violence was so horrible. I mean, so hard that even though I'd bought the whole first trilogy, I couldn't bring myself to even try the others before passing them on to a charity shop. I've seen them recommended by people who are also sensitive to violence, so presumably the first one isn't entirely representative, but... I definitely wouldn't start at the beginning. Hopefully someone can suggest a better place to jump in.
Strongly seconding Julia Quinn's Bridgerton books, though, and what I've read of the Parasol Protectorate (Gail Carriger's series).
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:11 AM on April 9, 2020
Nalini Singh, yes! The Archangel series is pretty violent but the Psy-Changeling books are so good. Her contemporaries are just what you want if you do decide to try one. They’re all set in NZ.
Sharon Shinn!
Isabel Cooper’s Highland Dragon series is fun.
Other contemporaries that might fit your bill if you decide to try:
Susan Mallory - so many books, so fluffy.
Robyn Carr, maybe? I love the Virgin River series but they’re a little more “real” in that bad things do happen (domestic violence, bad accidents, etc.). But always a great HEA.
posted by john_snow at 4:20 AM on April 9, 2020
Sharon Shinn!
Isabel Cooper’s Highland Dragon series is fun.
Other contemporaries that might fit your bill if you decide to try:
Susan Mallory - so many books, so fluffy.
Robyn Carr, maybe? I love the Virgin River series but they’re a little more “real” in that bad things do happen (domestic violence, bad accidents, etc.). But always a great HEA.
posted by john_snow at 4:20 AM on April 9, 2020
Unfortunately it's only three novels plus a novella but Cecilia Grant's Blackshear Family trilogy is SO GOOD.
posted by mskyle at 8:27 AM on April 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by mskyle at 8:27 AM on April 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
If you want to try Ilona Andrews, definitely go for the Edge books. I don’t remember them being violent, but I primarily read fantasy/sci-fi rather than romance, so I may just have an acquired tolerance for brawling.
Each book is about one couple in an extended clan, and there’s usually some unusual, but realistic barrier to romance, which was something I very much enjoyed about them
posted by itesser at 8:38 AM on April 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Each book is about one couple in an extended clan, and there’s usually some unusual, but realistic barrier to romance, which was something I very much enjoyed about them
posted by itesser at 8:38 AM on April 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
I just tried to pick up the Bridgerton series on the basis of recs here, but in the first book (The Duke and I) I've just hit a really unexpected and frankly disturbing scene that I really think deserves some kind of non-consent warning. So, please consider this that warning.
posted by invincible summer at 12:40 PM on April 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by invincible summer at 12:40 PM on April 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
Jasmine Guillory does this with a friend group first and then a family member in Royal Holiday.
Edited to say that this is modern world, though a happier one.
posted by oryelle at 6:51 PM on April 9, 2020
Edited to say that this is modern world, though a happier one.
posted by oryelle at 6:51 PM on April 9, 2020
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posted by furtive_jackanapes at 4:01 PM on April 8, 2020 [7 favorites]