12 Romantic Books Not to Read if You Like the Benedict-Sophie Dynamic

Chosen at birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. As the Girl, the future of the entire kingdom rests on Poppy’s shoulders. When Hawke, a golden-eyed honor guard bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, her destiny and duties become tangled with desire and need. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being deemed unworthy by the gods, but also her life, as every thread holding her world together begins to unravel.

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she would be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s famous masquerade ball—or that she would be twirling in the arms of her “Prince Charming”—the very handsome Benedict Bridgerton. But when the clock strikes midnight, Sophie’s enchanting night in this Cinderella retelling comes to an end. From that night onward Benedict could think of nothing but the bewitching young woman, and he vowed to find and marry the mysterious woman. But will someone else suddenly steal her heart—and her chance at fairytale love?

Rue Siebert is a successful biotechnology engineer working at Kline, a promising food science startup. One of his best friends is his boss, and he gets free lab access and time to work on his personal projects. This was a pretty sweet show…until it wasn’t. When Eli Kilgore and his business partners arrive at Kline, announcing their plans to acquire the company, they threaten to turn Rue’s career upside down. But Eli and Rue still can’t stay away from each other and forge a secret, no-strings-attached pact that has a clear end date: the day one of their sides wins in the fight for Kline.

Among the ashes of a dying world, agents of the Order find a letter. It says: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents determined to secure the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what had started as just a taunt, a boast on the battlefield, had become something more. Unless the discovery of their bond means the death of each of them. After all, there was still a war going on. And someone has to win.

Vuk Markovic is known for avoiding human interaction. The scarred billionaire rarely speaks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle. The only exception? Ayana Kidane. The beauty of his beast, the object of his obsession. He saw it the first time. He wanted it first. But now, she’s engaged to her oldest friend—and the closer the wedding gets, the more she’s torn between loyalty and desire. She had to be his… and he would probably risk everything to have her.

Imogen Nel is hiding. From a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monsters. From a king and his captain who cruelly hunted his people. And from his enchanting abilities. But when the neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows exactly who he is and believes he can save their kingdom from an even greater monster. When Imogen’s powers threaten to reveal themselves, the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee together, and the lines between duty to their people and desires for each other begin to blur.

When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo, she finally took the opportunity to live as herself. But freedom did not come without a price, and Viola paid for it with the loss of her fortune, title, and closest companion, Justin de Vere, Duke of Gracewood. Devastated without him, Gracewood has sunk into such sadness that Viola barely recognizes her old friend in the image of the lonely, brooding man. As Viola tries to return Gracewood to itself, new desires give new names to old feelings. The feeling that might cost him everything, recurred.

As the adopted daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya’s only chance to become more than just prey is to enter the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival. Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a cruel vampire, efficient assassin, and enemy of his father’s crown. However, what terrifies Oraya most is that she finds herself attracted to him.

Callum Prescott’s boring life working at an insurance service center in California takes an unexpected turn when, thanks to his badly behaved relative, he becomes the new heir to the British throne. England was ready to rebel against the monarchy, but he swore to his grandmother that he would do everything possible to help her save the crown. Then the very handsome prime minister, Oliver Hartwell, appeared in her life. Innocent messages of support turn into late-night chats—and unexpected feelings. But there is one big problem. The royal family must remain politically neutral at all times.

To the rest of the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the heir to a long-lost ancient jinn empire forced to hide in plain sight. The crown prince, Kamran, has heard a prophecy predicting the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he couldn’t get out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.

The rules are simple: keep his hands off the agent’s daughter and stay out of trouble. But professional bull rider Rhett Eaton doesn’t need a babysitter, especially one wearing tight jeans, a sexy grin, and a mouth that can’t stop running. A mouth he couldn’t stop thinking about. But there are lines they can’t cross, his reputation can’t take another hit—and neither can his damaged heart.

In 1926, Shanghai is home to two gangs that roam the streets, leaving the city in the grip of chaos. Juliette Cai is proud to be the heiress of the Scarlet Gang, a network of criminals far above the law. Roma Montagov is the heir to the White Flower, who has fought the Scarlets for generations. Rome was also Juliette’s first love—and first betrayal. As the death toll continues to rise, Juliette and Rome must work together, because if they can’t stop this chaos, then there will be no more cities left for either of them to rule.