The Nora Theory

Indie authors are writers who choose—for a variety of reasons—to self-publish their work instead of working with a major publisher. In 2024, it’s easier than ever for authors to self-publish and get their work out there and sold, while retaining full rights to their words. There used to be a stigma that self-published books were not as good, but many of these books have been previously mentioned in The Nora Theory because so many exceptional books, in the romance genre especially, come from indie authors. Here are some essential romances to read to support indie authors.

Rogue x Ara by J.D. Linton

I will never stop talking about the wonder that is J.D. Linton and her Rogue x Ara romantasy series. The Last Storm and The Last Draig were two of my favorite reads of 2023, and the prequel The First Loss is coming in May, hopefully with the third book in the series following soon after.

Rogue x Ara is an enemies-to-lovers fated mates romance, featuring the most beautiful fantasy world and two main characters you just can’t help but fall in love with. The spice is incredible, and the action and drama will keep you turning pages until 3 am.

Cat and Mouse Duet by H.D. Carlton

Did you know that BookTok’s dark romance darlings, Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline were written by an indie author? Their success has been meteoric, made all the more impressive without the support of a Big Five publisher.

In case you have somehow missed these books, Zade is a world-class hacker and potentially the darkest book boyfriend of all time. He is the epitome of a walking red flag. He unapologetically stalks author Adeline as she moves into her grandmother’s old house, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This book is creepy, obsessive, over-the-top, and just so good. It’s the best example of a romance novel where it’s so entertaining on the page but would be an actual nightmare in real life.

Sinner’s Condemned and Sinner’s Consumed by Somme Sketcher

There are actually three books in the series, but I am not a huge fan of the first book, Sinner’s Anonymous, for the pettiest of reasons. The main character uses constant bird puns and I just can’t. The rest of the book is great, but my obsessive brain just can’t get past the puns. That said, the second and third in the series, following new main characters in the same universe, Penny and Rafe, are mercifully bereft of bird puns and delightfully hot.

Sinner’s Condemned and Sinner’s Consumed are dark mafia romances with lots of violence and drama, but also lots of heart-melting sweetness and unmatched spice. Rafe is a mafia made man who owns and operates a string of casinos, and Penny is bad luck, not to mention a con artist. They are a match made in enemies-to-lovers paradise.

Ravaged Castle by Amanda Richardson

The Ravaged Castle series is a super spicy series following a group of brothers—each one with their own special kink to explore—as they fall in love with women they should probably stay far away from. The third book in the series, Ward Willing, is not only my favorite of the series but a strong contender for one of the best contemporary romances of the year.

These books are contemporary romances and all of them can be read as standalones, although if you read them out of order there will be spoilers for the previous books in there. Ravaged Castle is a deliciously taboo series, and perfect if you need a fast-paced read that will make you blush.

What Was Meant to Be by Q.B. Tyler

I love all of Q.B. Tyler, but What Was Meant To Be is probably my favorite so far. Another author that unapologetically embraces the taboo, bordering on the uncomfortable, Q.B. Tyler does what no major publisher (probably?) would let her do.

What Was Meant To Be is a contemporary age-gap father’s best friend romance. The main character is engaged to another man, but harboring feelings for her dad’s best friend, her godfather Jacob Price. He’s been avoiding her since a passionate affair ended, but neither of them is ready to fully walk away. What results is an incredibly sexy, sometimes kinky, tension-filled romance that you can read in the span of a few hours. It has everything that makes contemporary romance so much fun to read.

The Wicked by Rosie Alice

I usually write about The Dark Duet when it comes to Rosie Alice, but The Wicked deserves just as much love. Hayden and Penelope’s story is one of those love stories that stayed with me for weeks after I turned the last page. This book ripped my heart out, set it on fire, and then somehow managed to put it all back together again.

The Wicked is a contemporary reverse age-gap student/teacher romance. Both of the main characters are a complete train wreck, and it just makes you love them more and root for them even harder. These damaged babies fight hard for their happy ending, and by the end of the book you will walk away so satisfied with this story.

Of Flesh and Bone by Harper L. Woods and Adelaide Forrest

Of Flesh and Bone is such an enchanting romantasy series that I fell in love with almost immediately. This fantasy world is reminiscent of Sarah J. Maas, but a little spicier and very much with its own unique mythology.

An ancient Fae god has one last chance, one last life cycle to find his fated mate, who just happens to be a human girl on the other side of a magical veil dividing their worlds. These books play on well-loved tropes that will forever be my favorites, fated mates and enemies-to-lovers, in a way that still feels exciting and new.

Warning: this series is not complete yet, with no release date announced for the next installment. The last book ends on a major cliffhanger. You’ve been warned.

Note: some of the links included here are Amazon Affiliate links, which means if you purchase through said links, The Nora Theory gets a cut.