Reader Recommendations – Our favorite romance books where the Hero or Heroine is on the spectrum

Tracy is looking for book recommendations, and we already have quite a few on our list here that are tried and true (and looking for more). 😀

What I love (I call it fate) is that we just received a reader question where the heroine was on the Spectrum, and the answer was Perfectly Adequate! <— And now a totally different reader is looking for more like that one. 🙂

She asks:

Hello Maryse.

I’d love to have suggestions on books where the Hero or Heroine is on the spectrum.

I just finished reading Perfectly Adequate by Jewel E. Ann and I LOVED it.

Would love to read stories similar to it.

Thank you and Happy Holidays.

READER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Mony: I also loved Perfectly Adequate by Jewel E Ann. It was so funny and brought tears, too. The H is a doctor and the h is a patient transporter that is on the Autism Spectrum.

Laurel:

• Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers #4, the FMC is on the Spectrum.

Karen: Oh yes I forgot about Shelley — the title of that book by Penny Reid is Beard In Mind.

Laurel: I’d forgotten the first knitting in the city was. I loved both series.

Karen: Me too!  Especially Cletus. LOL

Carin: neanderhal meets human as well. Heroine seemed on the spectrum. Excellent.

• And a favorite: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Marisa: Kiss Quotient for sure

Kathy: Definitely agree with The Kiss Quotient. Also, The Wedding Night is a great one:

Lisa: The Girl He Used To Know by Tracey Garvis Graves. The h is on the spectrum and it was SO good. I cried both happy and sad tears. My son is on the spectrum so many things hit home.

Maryse: YES!!! I LOVED this one. Intense and what a crazy twist!!! Here’s my book review.

Vikki: ditto on this one!!

Mony: I just finished The Girl He Used to Know … and wow! This story is about Annika and Jonathan. It is a second chance romance and goes back and forth between present and past and gives both POVs. The clincher is Annika has autism spectrum disorder. I love books by Tracey Garvis-Graves! You have to read this book!

Karen: I love books with characters on the spectrum, as I am the mom of a teenager who is on it himself. Here are my favorites in this subgenre:

• 600 Hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster
• Always Only You by Chloe Liese
• The Girl He Used To Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
• For The One by Brenna Aubrey
• Win Some, Lose Some, by Shay Savage
• Neaderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
• Puddle Jumping by Amber Johnson

Maryse: OH YES!!! Another excellent one that I loved!! Here’s my book review.

Harper: Just finished reading Puddle Jumping by Amber Johnson. This was one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read (and it was just a novella =O) I’m still in tears. Best way to end 2020.
Also, I read Beard in Mind (the h has OCD, but with very similar traits as autism). That was AMAZING as well. So much love on these last two days of the year! Thank you for the recommendations =D

• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang.

Michelle S: …read The Rosie Project. It’s basically Colton all grown up… and even Lilly…. The “hero” is a professor and she is a hot hot mess. It was so good.

I’ll give you a few more reasons to pick The Rosie Project (if you’re in the mood)… it’s like Puddle Jumping all grown up: longer full length novel, really quirky but lovable Aspie hero, a mess of a heroine who cracks you up the whole time but accepts him for exactly who he is (and isn’t that truly the central theme?), and so so many “toothpaste” like moments. It was completely different and I just loved it. So, again, if you’re really in the mood for Puddle Jumping all grown up… give Rose Project a try!

Cynthia: I agree with others girls and you need to give Rosie Project a try. It’s very funny!! A short and great book. 🙂

Laura: The Rosie Project!

Yuki: The Rosie Project!

Julie: Reclaiming the Sand series by A. Meredith Walters

Karen: That has been on my TBR forever. Thanks for the reminder.  It’s a series?

Julie: two books. The second one is Chasing the Tide.

Northernstar: I’m in the middle of “Reclaiming the Sand” by A. Meredith Walters that came out in 2014. What a excruciating beautiful story. So many feels.

Anna: Reclaiming the Sand A Meredith Walters- a bully book. This time the girl is the bully

Theresa: Reclaiming the sand can be a challenging emotional read. The heroine is difficult to like, but the author gives such poignant insight into her past that the reader develops a strong understanding of her motivations.

Paula N: I read Reclaiming the Sand in one sitting last night (which I normally don’t do anymore). It is really great. I loved Flynn. The story is incredibly heartbreaking. Ellie makes it tough to love her. I feel like people are going to either love this one or find it hard to like Ellie. Beautifully written. I would recommend!

Amy: Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters was another 5 star for me, too.

Rochelle: Lev by Belle Aurora was a great read with an H on the spectrum.

Grey: Lev by Belle Aurora… **5 stars*** Been a while since I’ve handed out a 5 star review. But this book is totally deserving. Angst, but not the typical run of the mill kind. Sweet… (“I want to be your penguin…” Awwww! *cue hearts floating above my head with stars in my eyes*) with a hint of spice, and some absolutely hilarious bits.

I don’t believe I’ve read this author before, but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another from her! And I am seriously hoping she continues this series with other characters that were introduced. Read it, you’ll love it!

Marilee: Ellie and the Harp maker

bev: How cute does Ellie and The Harp Maker look?

Tara: Toni Aleo Wild Tendy

Nichole: I just finished reading The Villain by LJ Shen. One of the main characters is on the spectrum. It was a really good read!!

Jan: For historical romance lovers, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley is a really good read. Lovely story. …The H is a hot Scot who seems to be somewhere on the Aspergers scale, and in the past was committed to an asylum for his supposed ‘madness’. Sounds like an unlikely premise for a HR, but it’s very well written and has been hugely popular.

Anne: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is so so good! Its the first one in the series. I loved that he’s not your typical HR hero.

bev: The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie… This book is SO GOOD. Buy and read it.

Terri: One of my favorites is Jennifer Ashely’s The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. I’d never read about anyone on the spectrum before, and the way it was done, in a historical no less, was fantastic.

Kathy: One more to add is Michaela Smeltzer’s Whatever Happens. I was on my best of 2019. It is a Y/A. …It is about a high school senior who moves to a new town after her younger sister’s suicide and the friendship she develops with her next door neighbor. (Also has elements of bullying involved). Definitely recommend this read. Not sexually explicit so if you have a teenager, this would be a great book for them or you to read.

Mony: Another great book is

• The Bad Guy by Celia Aaron – although there were other personality issues. I love how his father counsels him throughout the book.

Mony: bad guy has Asperger’s…some angst, suspense & dry humour

• Ford Aston in J. A. Huss’ books, including: Slack: A Day in the Life of Ford Aston & Taut: The Ford Book (Rook and Ronin Spinoff, #2)
• Talk Nerdy to Me (Sterling Shore #12) by C. M. Owens

Carin: Also Bourbon Bliss by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score. Part of an exceptional series (Bootleg Springs). the female lead character is on the spectrum and the relationship is great. She appears in all the books so it is worth reading the whole series.

Harper: Loved these recommendations! My Torin by K. Webster. It’s a novella and very much K. Webster style.

Jean: …loved, loved, loved My Torin!!! …My Torin…..geez, I’m still thinking about it days later! You guys gotta read it!!!! …it was pretty authentic. In the beginning of the book, the author wrote that she had done a lot of research. Also, he is considered to have high functioning autism (not sure if i said that right). His main issue was communicating and showing emotion. (Hope that doesn’t spoil anything). Loved the book!

Melinda: Maryse Maryse. Just finished My Torin, what a crazy unbelievably good ride that was. I didn’t know if I was smiling crying, hyperventilating or praying during this book. Yes it was that good. There are triggers for some people though. 5+++++ stars

Lisa: Maryse – My Torin is a must read for you. It has you written all over it, and I can’t believe you have not read it yet.

Nay: It’s a hauntingly, heartbreakingly beautiful, emotional romance, and I agree with Lisa and Jean–you need to read it!

Kooloo: My Torin – sooo good RIGHT?!? Was reading it and kept thinking where did this author come from. Gahhhh I could not put it down!!!! just got goosebumps remembering it. …My Torin is brilliant. DO IT & DO IT NOW

MichelleS: I finished My Torin. If I ignore the fact that he was supposed to have Autism, and pretend he had severe anxiety instead, I would like it better. I have worked with hundreds of kids & young people with Autism, and I know she did the research BUT…. nope…. just nope. Not even close to portraying high functioning autism. That aside, it was an okay story!

Jennifer: Chloe Liese  her books are brilliant stories with neurodiverse characters and the swoon factor is  can’t recommend her books enough – especially the Bergman series.

Jenn: Always Only You by Chloe Liese. Outstanding book

Author Chloe Liese: Thank you for the tag! Per the origin of this tag I will say that as an autistic woman I found Dorothy Mayhem (oh let’s unpack that pejorative last name shall we?) in Perfectly Adequate a highly offensive caricature that made me deeply upset to read.

I encourage when asking for and providing autistic characters to read that readers prioritize #OwnVoices writers who can write nuanced and respectful characterizations of a highly personal and individual experience such as autism like Helen Hoang, Talia Hibbert and my own work, among others. I did find The Girl He Used To Know though not OwnVoices to be very respectful and well done, too.

Harper: Just finished Carry the Ocean by Heide Cullinan. Another sweet sweet love story between two men, one autistic and another with severe depression and anxiety. This is a truly insightful story. It concentrates a lot on the battles the brain of people with autism and depression put them through. And still has a lot of swoon and steamy moments.

Maryse: Oh this sounds SOOOO GOOD!! Thank you for mentioning it, Harper. I’m going to look it up right now. 😀

Fabi: My favorite read in June was Carry the Ocean. Hands down, favorite, no competition. It took me six books to come out the book fog that one left. I don’t care that it’s years old.

MichelleS: Just finished power reading Carry The Ocean, Fabi’s rec. completely unforgettable. This one will stay with me. Perfect. Just perfect. I laughed & tears welled up in my eyes. I highlighted everywhere. Bev – you must read this!

Jessica: Wanted to add Split Series by Renata W Muller to this list. Great lead H with Asperger’s.

Serena: Gibson Barclay from The Last Score Series (Rockstar) by KL Shandwick has ADHD

Harper: His Pretend Baby: 50 Loving States, Oregon by Theodora Taylor. It was released in 2016. The h is pregnant and the baby daddy died. During the funeral, his brother, who is on the spectrum, tells her they’re going to get married. But I don’t remember them living with the mother.

➔➔➔  Looking for more of our favorite recommendations? Browse our “Ultimate Favorites Lists” here. Are you in the mood for a certain kind of story? Browse our favorite “genre/trope categories” here and our reader favorites lists too.