Remember my previous post highlighting the shiny, Kindle Unlimited gems that can be found when you look past the slimy fog of bookstuffing? Well, you guys seemed to like that, so I’m back with more KU recs! I was indeed born this selfless. Mother Theresa who?!
This time, I’m serving you badass heroine realness, AKA four romance novels available in Kindle Unlimited that have powerful heroines. Don’t think this is necessarily a paranormal list, though; heroines don’t need superpowers to qualify as powerful, at least not to me. Even the ladies on this list who do have superpowers aren’t here purely because of those skills.
Often, ‘power’ is thought of in a way that prioritises violence—like, if a character can wipe out cities in the blink of an eye, she’s automatically a badass. And yeah, maybe she is… but maybe she’s not. Because being naturally great at mass-murder isn’t power in and of itself; the important part is the inner strength (whether that’s courage, tenacity, loveeeeee, or whatever) that allows her to murder responsibly. Or to not murder at all! You get what I’m saying here, right? No? Maybe?
Practical examples work best, so let’s get into it!
Prince in Leather by Holley Trent
I know I said this list wouldn’t be all paranormal, but this book is paranormal. Or urban fantasy. There’s magic, is what I’m saying. But the magic part isn’t what makes this heroine, Simone, such a badass, so my point still stands!
Why She’s Powerful:
- She’s cursed! Only cool people wind up cursed. Or evil people. Or cool, evil people.
- To protect her best friend from said curse, she isolates herself from her loved ones for six year. Six years.
- There’s magic inside her that’s designed to stop her getting laid, but she really wants to, so she does it anyway.
- When kissed by a handsome fairy prince in leather, she complains that he smells like ‘motorcycle exhaust’. He, of course, falls desperately in love with her.
Why You Should Read:
- Did I mention the hero is a handsome fairy prince in leather?
- The world’s magic system somehow includes gods and goddesses from multiple pantheons, fairies, werewolves, and Vikings. Epic.
- There is some vaguely-BDSM threesome action, plus magic sex. Who doesn’t love magic sex?
- It’s like an urban fantasy SOAP OPERA except the HEA is sacred and assured. Best of both worlds!
- This quote:
“Antagonizing you even in her sleep. If you two aren’t a match, I don’t know who is.”
Tyburnby Jessica Cale
This historical romance is set in 1671 and focuses on the seedy London underworld. Both are less common choices, and both are things I adore. But what really makes this book for me is the heroine, Sally. She’s a much-abused sex worker who has truly been through it—but women’s pain is so ubiquitous in our society that I don’t like painting it as an inherent source of power. She’s badass for a wide range of reasons, possibly too many to list…
Before I moon over her, though, fair warning: firstly, this book is truly a slow-burn (albeit so compelling that you barely notice). Secondly, this book needs many, many content warnings. Mainly for assault, drug and alcohol abuse, and rape.
Why She’s Powerful:
- She loves her friends with her whole heart, even though it’s arguably dangerous to do so.
- After witnessing a highway robbery, she laughs. Then she shares pie with the highwayman.
- She smuggles contraband into prison like a boss.
- When all is said and done, and her HEA is assured… let’s just say, she doesn’t forget where she came from!
Why You Should Read:
- Dukes + ballrooms + privilege = fun, but murder + criminals + the lives of the working classes = UNDERRATED fun.
- The hero is the sweetest human being on planet earth. Virtue by name, Virtue by nature!
- He will cut you if necessary, though. It’s 1671, fam, what do you expect?
- The non-romantic relationships are so beautiful and deep and give me so many feelings.
- This quote:
“I may have broken his leg.”
“Good.”
Stranded with the Mountain Man by Aislinn Kearns
I adore mountain man stories, possibly because I live in England where neither our mountains or our men are particularly impressive. (That was a joke. Please don’t show this article to my brothers, my boyfriend, or Idris Elba.) I’m into the whole ‘survivalist’ element, mostly because I am so not a survivor, and this one has great attention to detail!
But, as with every book on this list, my absolute favourite part is the heroine. This one, Gia, is escaping an abusive relationship with a dangerous criminal. And while her hero is the mountain man survivor, Gia is the other kind. The general kind. The powerful kind!!!!!!! [Read that as me dragging out the word in a dramatic blockbuster-voiceover way.]
Why She’s Powerful:
- She doesn’t just run away from her husband; she runs away with his money because fuck you.
- In the middle of every disaster, even while massively freaking out, she somehow forces herself to think sensibly. That, my friends, is a superpower.
- Gia… really goes for what she wants. I mean, what she wants. If you know what I mean. (Read it. You’ll know what I mean.)
- Even though she’s not a natural mountain girl, when push comes to shove, she copes—while demanding the compromise she deserves, of course.
Why You Should Read It:
- Did I mention it’s a mountain man romance?
- A virgin mountain man romance? Did I mention that? No? Well now I have.
- This book is so serious about the whole ‘survival’ thing, it will make you smarter and possibly better equipped to face a minor plane crash.
- I have literally never been so satisfied by a villain’s comeuppance. I <3 righteous suffering and so does this book. Huzzah!
- This quote:
She chuckled… Yes, Ray’s death would be convenient right about now.
Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones
This contemporary story could be classed as new adult because it takes place at a university, but the hero is a (relatively) mature student and the heroine, Reese, is a grad assistant. She’s also brilliant, loyal, funny, and kind of a snob, which is key to this romance’s enemies-to-lovers vibe. The fact that she grows and improves while remaining a sarcastic ballbuster is one of the many things that makes her amazing.
Why She’s Powerful:
- Reese is never afraid to stare her demons in the face, and she heals from her trauma through unflinching self-examination. AKA the scariest thing ever.
- She always gets the last word and is never without a comeback, as opposed to me who wakes up in the middle of the night 5 years after an argument with the perfect zinger.
- She throws drinks in the faces of the men she hates rather than the women she hates, because she knows that’s tired af.
- She is determined—determined—to change the course of her own life. (So many italics in this list. Are you seeing how deeply I feel for her?)
Why You Should Read It:
- ENEMIES TO LOVERS AND THEY GET ON EACH OTHER’S NERVES SO BAD AND WOW IT’S SO GREAT
- The hero is the definition of a loveable rogue/charming bad boy.
- He is also an amputee, and who doesn’t love disability rep? Not I.
- The women’s friendships are (mostly!) wonderful—especially the mother-daughter tag-team of badassness.
- There’s frequent social commentary via the essays we see the heroine marking!
- This quote:
Which one of you is going to impregnate me with your socially-conscious babies?
And there we have it: four Kindle Unlimited romances with badass, powerful heroines. I think you guys like reading these lists, and I certainly enjoy writing them (if you couldn’t tell), so look out for more in the future! Every list will have a theme, and I am definitely open to requests! If you’re looking for a certain kind of book, let me know via Twitter. You may end up finding the KU recs you’ve been missing here on Frolic…
