Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Standalone Novels I Recommend

Top Ten Tuesday blog post

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but is now run by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Do you prefer standalone novels or series?

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday was a freebie, so the theme of my list is a recommendation list of my favorite standalone novels. I actually made a top standalone list way back in a 2017 post – it has changed drastically!

I enjoy both standalones and series equally and read from each about the same.

I like standalones because they’re one, singular moment versus a story that spans several books. These tend to be longer but well-worth it reads. They work best when every comes full circle into a satisfying conclusion. And with standalones, you never have to worry about cliffhangers or waiting a whole year – which is like waiting forever and a day – to continue the story. It’s one and done. Perfection.

Romance novels are my preferred standalones to read, but I’m still on the lookout for more really good fantasy standalones. The latter are so hard to find – such rare gems!

I also like reading series where each book can be read as a standalone because you get to really know more characters in their own books. Sometimes you can read them out of order with a few minor spoilers. But other times it’s better and necessary to read each book in order because they are connected by an overall story arc, which is an equally awesome thrill ride.

Here are 10 five-star standalone novels I recommend:

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Genre: LGBTQIAP+, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Enemies to Lovers