Task 19: Read a romance with neurodivergent characters

[Mary Beth]

Here is a thread to discuss books you’re considering or suggesting for Task 19: Read a romance with neurodivergent characters.

[Rebecca]

The Rosie Project, The Heart Principle, or The Astonishing Color of After

[Ron]

Anyone know of any books related to these types of neurodivergents:

autism

bipolar disorder

[Laura]

Ron wrote: "Anyone know of any books related to these types of neurodivergents:

autism

bipolar disorder"

Chloe Liese's books often include characters with autism. Check out Always Only You , With You Forever , and Two Wrongs Make a Right .

[Marylyle]

The Kiss Quotient series by Helen Hoang. Autistic author writing about Autistic main characters.

[Elizabeth]

I just finished reading A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles, and one of the narrators has dyslexia (caveat being that it's #2 in a series).

[Jonathan]

Act Your Age, Eve Brown

[Elizabeth]

Also seconding the recommendations for The Kiss Quotient (and the second book in that series, The Bride Test) and Act Your Age, Eve Brown (and another Talia Hibbert book also starring an autistic character is A Girl Like Her). I would also recommend Eight Kinky Nights by Xan West, which has autistic protagonists.

I'm autistic and a big romance fan, so I'm really excited to see the recommendations for this one (although I'm still excited to see neurodivergent rep other than autistic). I'm considering reading The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang (which I'm pretty sure has autistic rep), Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert (which has OCD rep), The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (I was told the protagonist IS autistic but the novel doesn't say it outright because it's a historical), My Rogue to Ruin by Erica Ridley (another historical, but I've read the earlier books in the series, and the protagonist for this one reads as autistic to me), or something from Chloe Liese since I know she's autistic and writes autistic characters but I haven't read any of her stuff yet.

[Jenny]

So do both leads have to be neurodiverse?

[Danielle]

Two options for this prompt that I loved but haven't been mentioned yet are Last Call at the Local (out Jan 2, I read an arc - traveling musician with ADHD falls for pub owner with OCD when she gets stuck in Ireland and helps him make over the pub) and Yes & I Love You (anonymous online nightlife reviewer with Tourette's and anxiety enlists the help of an actor with ADHD when she needs to start doing video content)

[Elspeth]

I just finished a book where the female main character was on the spectrum or somehow otherwise neurodivergent (they don't say this explicitly but she's always called "weird", etc.

Its Bare Ass in Love. The series seems to have all female main characters with some nonstandard traits, but I only read book 1 so far. The beginning of the book doesn't have too much of a plot but the back story comes up in the last 1/3 or so.

[Rachel]

Dropping off a few recs here. Many of the books in EM Lindsey's Irons and Works series feature neurodivergent and/or disabled characters - First book in the series is Free Hand.

features several characters who are neurodivergent and who struggle with mental health.

[Nancy]

Jenny wrote: "So do both leads have to be neurodiverse?"

I don't think so, that would severely limit the options.

[Jenny]

Thanks! I'll probably go with either Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers, or Grounded by Amanda Radley

[Erin]

I just finished a really cute holiday romance novella that I think fits the prompt. Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young. One of the main characters has ADHD and the other is autism spec.

[Tori]

Give me a sign by Anna Sortino was a great read and the author is deaf.

[Ashu]

I keep seeing the same ones recommended but The Third Thing by Sirkka Smith is a good one, different than others I've read (also neurodivergent author)

[Natalie Piccotti]

I just started this one and I'm reading The Cactus and so far it is a light, easy read that I'm enjoying.

[Francesca]

The Charlotte Holmes series by Sherry Thomas.

[Rachel]

I’m not a big romance reader, so did a quick search for non-fiction books to see if there was anything that could fit into this category: Love & Autism by Kay Kerr sounds interesting! Has anyone here read it?

[Tser]

At a friend's suggestion I read A Duke by Default. Actually learned about a strategy for my own ADHD from it. Haha.

The Romance challenges are always the farthest out of my comfort zone each year! I'd likely never have picked up a romance novel on my own. But I love that they bring my attention to something other than the formulaic cishet Harlequin romances I previously always envisioned when the genre was mentioned. (I know lots of people who absolutely love those, and I imagine the ways that they're predictable are like some of my own favorite "comfort" reads, so definitely not knocking it!)

[Jenny]

I've just started Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner and BOTH leads are definitely neurodivergent. I think ADHD and autism respectively

[Elizabeth]

I asked my romance reading friend (also a librarian) and she recommended these two for me, knowing I don't read a lot of romance: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie and Role Playing

[Aquaria]

Marylyle wrote: "The Kiss Quotient series by Helen Hoang. Autistic author writing about Autistic main characters."

This is the one I'm reading.

Edited to add: Wish I hadn't read it. Loathsome in so many ways. I sort of liked the characters--and might have found them more appealing in the hands of a better writer. They felt like placeholders, as did the 'villain' and the parents. I liked the family and friends of the male lead. They were the best-depicted in this travesty of a book.

What little promise the supporting roles showed went poof because the writer bores us with the tired old trope of the autistic person's condition being a problem to overcome--and the character herself is downright obsessive about it. Sex scenes were gratuitous and crude.

[Henriette]

can anyone recommend something that's also queer? I'm really not a romance fan, but it usually helps me, when there's queer rep.

[Elizabeth]

Henriette wrote: "can anyone recommend something that's also queer? I'm really not a romance fan, but it usually helps me, when there's queer rep."

Eight Kinky Nights by Xan West is a Chanukah romance with autistic and disabled protagonists from an autistic and disabled author, and it's FF. I haven't read them yet, but Their Troublesome Crush and Nine of Swords, Reversed are both by the same author and also have queer autistic protagonists, and both are much shorter (so if you're looking for something to just quickly get through these may be better options for you).

If anyone else has queer autistic romances to suggest, I would also love to see them though.

[Teresa]

Honey Mead Murder by Dahlia Donovan has queer and nonbinary romances.

[Eleonora]

I read When My Heart Joins the Thousand for this prompt.
One MC is autistic, the other has osteogenesis imperfecta.
This is YA book, but it tackles many difficult topics as abuse, ableism, trauma... It also has some explicit sex talk and scenes so be aware of that if this is not your thing.
Heartbreaking in some parts but also sweet and hopeful.
I don't know if the author is also autistic, but the autistic representation sounded true to me as an autistic person.
The audiobook narrated by Tavia Gilbert was great.

[Karin]

Can't Escape Love has an autistic MC.

[Mandie]

I read Heartstopper: Volume Five for this prompt. You can read any of them as Isaac is autistic. They are also aroace if you are looking to try to complete the challenge with all LGBTQIA characters.

[Hannah]

Has anyone read "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro? I was hoping it might fit for this prompt as I've read reviews from readers with autism who feel the character is likely autistic (this is never directly stated, though). I tried to read The Kiss Quotient and I just didn't like it (sorry! I wanted to like it!).

[Emily]

Wanted to rec Tilly in Technicolor for anyone looking for YA. The romantic leads are both neurodivergent - one has ADHD and the other is autistic.

[Carole]

I read Last Call at the Local for this task. Cute romance, ADHD girl meets OCD guy. I don’t usually like this type of story, but it takes place in Ireland and I have a thing for Irish men.

[Hannah]

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings!

[Sherri]

I read A Tempest at Sea

[Marie]

I'm reading Beard in Mind by Penny Reid. The woman in the main pairing has OCD. It's in the middle of a series, but I didn't have any trouble catching up with events. I like that it has blue collar vibes - the guy is an auto mechanic in a small town.