Raise your hand if you’ve ever been disappointed by the outcome of a love triangle or been indecisive about who you think the main character should choose.
Jacob or Edward?
Conrad or Jeremiah?
Stefan or Damon?
And the list could continue on and on. Love triangles have been a staple in literature for centuries and at the end of every book, the main character is forced to choose their One True Love leaving many fans disappointed at the outcome. However, with the rise and popularity of Why Choose romance books, that is no longer an issue for many readers (or even TV watchers).
But just what is Why Choose exactly? Why Choose is a romance subgenre where the main character – traditionally a female main character – has multiple love interests with a happily-ever-after. Instead of choosing only one character as their One True Love, they can choose them all. Why Choose is also frequently known as Reverse Harem, but has been moving away from that term in recent years due to its negative racial and cultural connotations. There is no limit to how big the “harem” can be, sometimes with as little as 3 or as big as 10+ people in them! Why Choose romance books have traditionally been centered around the main female character and the men who make up her harem, but this dynamic has been subverting genre norms as it continues to rise in popularity with the addition of queer MM and FF relationships within the harem.
What’s great about the Why Choose subgenre is that it can encompass many other beloved romance tropes and subgenres. Whether you want your Why Choose romance set in an epic fantasy setting or be a sports hockey romance, there are plenty of Why Choose books being published every day that can fulfill any of your TBR desires.
Why Choose romance can give you the opportunity to explore more complex and interesting dynamics (and we’re not just talking about the complex – ahem – body placements). When dealing with multiple characters, regardless of whether the relationship follows the FMC as the focal point or if there are off-shoots between the other characters as well, the reader gets the opportunity to see all these different characters with different backgrounds and traits come together to explore a relationship together.
And what makes why choose EXTRA special on audio is the distinct, full-cast narrators they are typically produced with. Instead of one singular narrator voicing the full-cast of the harem, it’s typically standard to have multiple narrators to voice each individual POV/harem character bringing more depth and dynamic to the performance.
Read on to discover your next romance audiobook where you finally don’t have to worry about what ‘team’ you’re on!
Frozen Hearts
Book #1 in the Halston U series
Written by R.A. Smyth, narrated by Helena Walters and Oliver Highpoint
Secrets… Desperation… Shattered Dreams… My life is one big balancing act. But what happens if I fall?
Halston University was supposed to be my fresh start, my chance to prove I can stand on my own, except it’s not only passing classes I have to worry about.
And then there’s them. Three guys, each with their own darkness and allure. My demons.
As the scars of the past come knocking on my door, I’ll need to embrace the darkness to forge a path of redemption, maybe even love. A future for myself, one where I survive my demons.
*This series contains trigger warnings.
Tropes & Themes: dark romance with 3+ love interests, college, hockey, stepbrother romance.
So Wrong
Book #1 in the Boys of South Chapel series
Written by Abby Millsap, narrated by Liam DiCosimo, June deBorahae, and J. River Pierce
No wrong moves. Those were the words the first boy I ever loved whispered in my ear on graduation weekend.
Naively, I believed him. Now those three little words feel like a bad omen I can’t escape. Every move I’ve made since I returned to South Chapel hurts my ex-boyfriend, Greedy. But it’s for his benefit. That’s what I tell myself. Intentionally hurting him is for the best. It has to be. I said goodbye to the possibility of forever with him the moment my mom and his dad “introduced us” at their engagement dinner.
Three years have passed, but that doesn’t matter to Greedy. He’s hell-bent on making sure I remember it all. On my darkest nights, the memories win. Since his bedroom is just two doors down, he’s the anchor I seek when it all feels like too much. But now Greedy’s best friend is back in town, and he and I are “dating” to get his meddling mother off his back. Not only is Levi my new fake boyfriend, but he’s also our new roommate too.
No wrong moves, Greedy assured me years ago.
What if there are no right moves either?
*A list of triggers can be found on the authors website here.
Tropes & Themes: Now and then timeline, College football, Second chance, “He’s NOT my brother”, Stepbrother’s best friend, Fake dating, Jealousy and groveling, Book girlie FMC, Mental health rep (PMDD)
The Complete Blood and Ruin Trilogy
Written by Rumer Hale, narrated by Benjamin Walker, Scarlett Everdeen, and Chase Walker;
Six years ago, my world was ripped from under me, and I was taken to Cardinal Three. A place where pain has been my endless companion and where witches, demons, shifters and humans all live under one rule.
King’s.
What he says goes. So, trying to get the hell out of here hasn’t been easy. But turns out King has his own plan. One that involves trading me off to the five alphas of Manhattan.
Turns out the five alphas are my mates… And also, the boys I left behind six years ago.
This audiobook collection includes every installment in the Blood and Ruin trilogy: Blood and Ruin, Blood and Wrath, and Blood and Reign.
*The Blood and Ruin trilogy is a paranormal romance that contains violence, adult themes, strong language, and content that some may find upsetting. Listener discretion advised.
Tropes & Themes: fated mates, 5 love interests, EXTRA spicy, action-packed paranormal romance, shifters
Heathens
Book #1 in Heathens Hollow series
Written by Atla Hensley, narrated by Marie Hawkins and Robin Blake
She invited the darkness in, so she had no one else to blame. I came for her in a sinister game of submission. I should be protecting her. Instead… I am a Heathen.
Tropes & Themes: Stalker romance, Primal Play, Why Choose, Enemies to Lovers, Touch Her and Die, Masked Men, Stalking, MMF, Dark Romance
The Oath
Book #1 in the Secrets Series
Written by T.M. Richardson, narrated by Lacy Laurel
Miles, Deacon, and Cassidy are Franklin’s best friends, brothers in every sense of the word. When Franklin asks his brothers to do something unorthodox as his dying wish, the trio has some reservations. When they tell his widow about the oath that they were bound in brotherhood to uphold, will she run or embrace a new phase of her life that includes the three of them?
Tatum thought she’d found forever until tragedy struck. When her husband of twenty-two years dies, Tatum feels her world has ended. Little does she know that Franklin’s last request opens a Pandora’s Box to something even greater and fulfilling than she ever imagined.
Will dating three men open up her world and give her heart a second chance at happiness?
Tropes & Themes: short and spicy, 3 love interests, second chance at love, Black and BIPOC representation, LGBTQIA+, older MC’s
The Kings
Book #1 in the The Kings of Castle series
Written by Eve Newton, narrated by Bella Lowe, Keval Shah, Elliot Fitzpatrick, Kayden Lukakis, Preston Capes
They call themselves the Kings of Castle.
Raphael: the strong, inked, seductive twin who leads this crew.
Tarquin: the equally sexy twin but with a lighter cloak on his shoulders.
James: the smart and silent assassin with a seriously tempting dark side.
Oliver: the fun money man who knows me just by looking at me.
In this ruthless world, you’re either a king or a pawn, and I’m fighting not just for my legacy—I’m fighting to survive. Will I rule Castle… or will it crush me?
*See author’s website for trigger warning details here.
Tropes & Themes: dark academia, mafia, fictional world set in the UK, 4 love interests, strong female lead, college setting
