🏷️ Soft For Her Only
135 entries tagged with this trope
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas · 2015
Feyre kills a wolf and gets dragged into the Fae lands as punishment. What starts as captivity turns into something much more complicated. And then book 2 hits and Rhysand enters the chat.
Twisted Love
Ana Huang · 2021
Alex Volkov feels nothing. No emotions, no warmth, no empathy — until Ava Chen crashes into his life. He's her brother's best friend. He's supposed to protect her. He's definitely not supposed to want her.
The Love Hypothesis
Ali Hazelwood · 2021
Olive panic-kisses a hot, grumpy professor to prove a point. He agrees to fake-date her. Started as Reylo fanfic and you can FEEL it. The 'he's only soft for her' energy is off the charts.
Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo · 2015
Six outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz Brekker is the definition of 'soft for her only' — the entire world gets the monster, Inej gets the boy. If you love morally grey characters, this is everything.
Haunting Adeline
H.D. Carlton · 2021
He watches her. He's obsessed. And somehow this book has a million 5-star reviews. Not for the faint of heart. If you know, you know.
Things We Never Got Over
Lucy Score · 2022
Naomi gets stranded in a small town after her twin sister steals her car and abandons a kid. Knox is the grumpy bearded bar owner who reluctantly helps. He's mean to everyone. Except her. EXCEPT HER.
Things We Hide from the Light
Lucy Score · 2023
Nash Morgan got shot. He's the police chief dealing with PTSD and he does NOT need Lina — a gorgeous, stubborn woman hiding her own secrets — crashing into his recovery.
It Happened One Summer
Tessa Bailey · 2021
Socialite Piper gets exiled to a small fishing town. Brendan is the grumpy sea captain who thinks she's ridiculous. He's a WALL of restraint until he's not. Tessa Bailey writes the best 'he wants her so bad it's killing him' scenes in the game.
Hook, Line, and Sinker
Tessa Bailey · 2022
Fox is the charming player everyone underestimates. Hannah is the serious film scorer who sees right through him. He falls so hard, so fast, and he's terrified she'll never see him as more than a friend.
Icebreaker
Hannah Grace · 2022
Figure skater Anastasia has to share ice time with hockey captain Nate. He's golden retriever energy in a hockey player's body. She's focused and driven. He's so soft for her it's embarrassing and we love it.
Terms and Conditions
Lauren Asher · 2022
Declan proposes a fake marriage to his assistant to secure his inheritance. He's cold to everyone. EVERYONE. Except slowly, painfully, her. The contract-to-love pipeline hits different.
A Court of Mist and Fury
Sarah J. Maas · 2016
THE book that broke BookTok. Feyre is shattered after Under the Mountain. Then Rhysand shows up and everything you thought you knew gets flipped. This is where the series goes from good to legendary. Rhys is the gold standard for 'soft for her only.'
Assistant to the Villain
Hannah Nicole Maehrer · 2023
Evie gets a job as the assistant to the kingdom's most feared villain. He's dark, brooding, and murderous. She brings him coffee and organizes his evil lair. It's cozy villain romance and it's DELIGHTFUL.
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love
isthisselfcare · 2021
Eighth year. Draco is lazy, dangerous, and trying very hard not to be in love with Hermione Granger. Features hyper-competent fiery Hermione and a Draco who's too smart for his own good. The title is the whole mood — and the fandom abbreviation (DMATMOOBIL) has become legendary.
The Duke I Tempted
Scarlett Peckham · 2019
Archer needs a governess for his daughter. Poppy needs work. Neither expects the fierce attraction that blazes between the scarred duke and the radical bluestocking.
Kiss an Angel
Susan Elizabeth Phillips · 1996
Daisy marries a stranger to escape scandal and finds herself working in a circus. Her husband Alex is nothing like she expected—and everything she needs.
Taming Demons for Beginners
Annette Marie · 2019
She accidentally summons a demon. He's terrifyingly powerful and should want to destroy her. Instead he keeps saving her life with a bored expression. The slow burn will END you.
The Exception
Adriana Locke · 2018
He doesn't do relationships. She doesn't do one-night stands. They do a lot of arguing before admitting they're each other's exception.
The Kiss Quotient
Helen Hoang · 2018
Stella hires an escort to practice kissing because she's autistic and dates overwhelm her. Michael is Vietnamese-Swedish and way too good at his job. The tenderness in this book will ruin you for all other romances.
Manacled
SenLinYu · 2018
The war is lost. Hermione is a prisoner, her memories gone. Draco Malfoy is assigned as her handler. What follows is one of the most devastating, beautifully written slow burns in all of fanfiction. This fic broke an entire fandom.
The Auction
LovesBitca8 · 2018
In a dark AU where Voldemort won, Hermione is auctioned off. Draco buys her. Not out of cruelty — out of desperation to protect her. The 'touch her and die' energy in this fic is unmatched.
Remain Nameless
HeyJude19 · 2020
Post-war. Ministry coworkers. Draco is trying to be better. Hermione doesn't trust him yet. The banter in this fic is *chef's kiss*. Fluffy with just enough angst to keep you hooked.
The Measure of a Man
inadaze22 · 2020
Draco is trying to be better. Hermione doesn't trust it. Watching him earn her respect inch by inch over 330k words is the most satisfying slow burn in the fandom.
Crooked Crowns
Lexigent · 2016
Post-Crooked Kingdom continuation. Inej hunts slavers, Kaz builds his empire, and they circle back to each other. The payoff of their slow burn actually happening? Worth every word.
No Mourners, No Funerals
soulgust · 2018
Five times Kaz almost told Inej he loved her and one time he didn't have to. The restraint in this fic mirrors the restraint of their relationship perfectly.
A Court of War and Starlight
illyriantremors · 2018
Post-ACOWAR continuation that feels more like ACOTAR 4 than anything SJM actually wrote. The Inner Circle dynamics are perfect and the Feysand is at its most powerful. Fan-canon status.
Under Night Court Stars
writteninstarlight · 2019
Domestic Feysand moments between the wars. Painting, stargazing, Rhysand being annoyingly romantic. For when you just want to live in the Night Court for a while.
Stars and Flowers
the_bookish_soul · 2017
Modern AU Feysand. Feyre runs a flower shop. Rhys runs the nightclub next door. Modern-day enemies-to-lovers with all the SJM tropes transplanted perfectly into a contemporary setting.
Every Saint Has a Past
renegaderunaway · 2018
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz and Inej navigate what comes after — trade routes, healing, and learning to touch without flinching. The tenderness in this fic will wreck you.
The Weight of Gloves
noctiluca · 2016
Five times Kaz removes his gloves for Inej and one time she removes them for him. The 5+1 format is used perfectly here. Every Kanej shipper has read this and cried.
Traditions
hystaracal · 2019
Hermione and Draco keep running into each other at holiday events. Each encounter shifts something. A quiet Dramione that builds intimacy through seasonal moments. Understated and lovely.
The Thing with Feathers
MalTease · 2019
Ben Solo surrenders to the Resistance. Rey is assigned as his guard. Neither of them expected what happens next. Tender, hopeful, and built on the quiet moments between two broken people.
Shadows and Petals
winterbloom · 2021
Azriel and Elain in the garden. Azriel and Elain in the shadows. The quiet tension SJM planted, this fic grows into a full bloom. For everyone waiting for their book.
The Weight of a Crown
thundersnowstorm · 2016
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz builds his empire. Inej sails the seas. They write letters. The letters get longer. A masterclass in writing intimacy without touch.
If We Cease to Believe in Love
kaz_brekkers_hat · 2017
Five years after Crooked Kingdom. Inej returns to Ketterdam. Kaz is still Kaz — except for the ways he's quietly changed. The gloves come off (literally) in the most earned way.
A Crow's Lullaby
silverandgold · 2018
The Crows deal with the aftermath of everything. Kaz can't sleep. Inej watches over him anyway. A found-family fic that gives every Crow their moment while keeping Kanej at the center.
Criminal Minds
corvidae · 2019
Modern AU. Kaz runs an underground gambling ring. Inej is an investigative journalist. They keep crossing paths. The Kanej dynamic translated to modern day with all the tension intact.
Correspondence
brekker · 2017
Letters between Kaz and Inej after she sails away. Kaz Brekker trying to express feelings through pen and paper is exactly as painful and perfect as you'd imagine. Short and devastating.
Remain Nameless
HeyJude19 · 2020
Post-war Ministry AU. Draco and Hermione are forced to work together. He's reformed, she's suspicious. The slow thaw is exquisite. Probably the most recommended Dramione of 2020.
A Court of Nightmares and Starlight
humanwrites · 2021
Post-ACOSF. The Night Court faces a new political threat. Feyre navigates motherhood and High Lady duties. Captures SJM's voice while actually giving Feysand a proper follow-up arc.
The First and Last
thegoldenlocks · 2017
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz learns to be touched. Inej learns to stay. Every tiny gesture of trust carries the weight of everything they've survived. Patient and devastating.
The Crows Rest
aslightbreeze · 2017
The Crows open a bar. It's their retirement plan. Kaz cannot stop running schemes. Inej cannot stop chasing slavers. Post-canon ensemble fic with Kanej at the center. Cozy and chaotic.
Without Armor
Vesper_Lind · 2018
Kaz takes off his gloves. Not all at once. Not easily. A fic about the hardest kind of bravery — letting someone see you without your walls. Every Kanej fan needs this.
Old Tricks
bazaar_encounters · 2019
One last heist. The Crows get back together for a job that's personal. Kaz's plan has seventeen backup plans. Inej's has one: trust her crew. Ensemble heist fic with peak Kanej moments.
Between Saints and Sinners
CaptainFlint · 2020
Inej returns from hunting slavers. Kaz is not the same person she left. Reuniting is harder than either expected. Explores what happens when healing isn't synchronized. Raw and honest.
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love
isthisselfcare · 2021
Draco realizes he's in love with Granger. It's mortifying. He handles it terribly. The inner monologue is comedy gold. Peak 'he falls first and he falls harder.'
A Court of Nightmares and Starlight
illyriantremors · 2016
Post-ACOMAF. Feyre adjusts to the Night Court while war looms. The Feysand domesticity mixed with political intrigue fills the gap between books perfectly. Illyriantremors IS the fandom.
Wings and Ruin
manicpixiedreamdraco · 2018
Post-ACOWAR. Feyre and Rhys navigate peace, parenthood rumors, and new threats. Domestic Feysand with enough plot to keep it interesting. Comfort fic for when you miss the Night Court.
The Barrel King
gracie_and_the_sun · 2021
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Inej returns from hunting slavers. Kaz is still Kaz — except the walls crack when she's near. The 'every inch of this city breathes your name' energy is immaculate.
The Hand You Deal
Zoueverlasting · 2021
Modern AU. Kaz runs the Barrel as a casino empire. Inej counts cards. They're not supposed to be partners. They're definitely not supposed to be anything else. Modern Kanej WORKS.
Ketterdam Nights
inkbender · 2020
Missing scenes from the duology. Every glance, every almost-touch. The spaces between Bardugo's pages filled in with devastating tenderness. If you need more Kanej, start here.
Remain Nameless
HeyJude19 · 2020
Post-war. Draco is working at the Ministry. Hermione keeps running into him. He's different — quieter, careful, trying. The rehabilitation arc is one of the best in the fandom. Pure slow-burn perfection.
Shadows and Embers
VelvetNightSky · 2021
Elain and Azriel's story that SJM hasn't written yet. The shadow-singer and the seer. The forbidden angle (Lucien's bond) adds delicious tension. For everyone waiting for the Elriel book.
House of Wind
theladyofthelake · 2021
Gwyn and Azriel training together at the House of Wind. The sparring-as-flirting is immaculate. Whether you're Elriel or Gwynriel, the dynamic here is undeniable.
Crows and Kings
barelybaroquefanfic · 2017
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz and Inej navigating what comes after the heist. The intimacy building between two people terrified of touch is handled with surgical precision. Everything Kanej fans crave.
The Barrel
dreamsofglassandmist · 2019
Pre-canon. How Kaz and Inej met and built the Dregs. The origin story we needed. Watching Kaz realize she's the exception to every rule is devastating. Dark and tender in equal measure.
Gloves Off
kanejbrekker · 2020
The first time Kaz takes off his gloves. The first time he reaches for her hand. A character study of healing through micro-moments. Each scene is a breakthrough. Understated and powerful.
Harbor
sixofcrowsfanatic · 2021
Inej returns from sea. Kaz built her a fleet. Now they build something together. The Crows reuniting is everything. Found family and Kanej learning to want things for themselves.
Waifs and Strays
kyonomiko · 2020
Post-war Draco is a wreck. Hermione keeps finding him. The hurt/comfort in this is DEVASTATING — Draco's redemption feels earned because kyonomiko makes you feel every step of it.
Force Sensitive
Damn_Damn_Darling · 2018
The Force bond intensifies after TLJ. They feel everything. Every emotion, every sensation. The intimacy of being psychically linked to your enemy-but-not-really is explored beautifully. Achingly tender.
Bring Me to Life
inthegardenia · 2020
Ben survives Exegol. Rey has to figure out what that means. Healing fic done right — no quick fixes, just two broken people learning to build something together. The domesticity sneaks up and destroys you.
Painted in Starlight
nessiantrash · 2018
Feyre's artistic talents manifest as a new kind of power. Rhys has to train her. The art metaphor woven through their relationship adds a layer of intimacy the books hinted at but never fully explored.
Crows and Consequences
jojosiewa · 2020
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Inej is hunting slavers. Kaz is running Ketterdam. They keep finding excuses to be in the same city. The yearning when they're apart is UNBEARABLE. Every almost-touch is electric.
Without Armor
kaznej · 2017
Kaz learns to be touched. It's not linear. Inej is patient. The intimacy of small gestures — a bare hand, an unclenched fist — is more romantic than any explicit scene could ever be.
The Harbor
dreamslikeoceans · 2017
Inej's ship needs repairs. She docks in Ketterdam. Kaz pretends not to have been counting the days. The push-and-pull of two people who chose each other but don't know how to stay. Yearning for DAYS.
Gloves Off
QueenWithABeeThrone · 2016
Five times Kaz wore his gloves and one time he didn't. The 5+1 format is perfect for Kanej because every barrier lowered is a declaration. Minimalist and devastating.
One More Impossible Thing
sixofcrowns · 2018
The Crows take on one last job. Because of course they do. A heist fic that captures Bardugo's ensemble energy perfectly. Kaz plans, Inej climbs, and somehow the team bickering is the best part.
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love
isthisselfcare · 2021
Draco is a disaster. He's pining and everyone knows except Hermione. The internal monologue is comedy gold. If you want a Dramione that makes you laugh-cry, this is the one.
Turn
Saras_Girl · 2013
Harry steps into an alternate universe where he and Draco are together, with kids. The slow realization that this life might be better than his own? Devastating. The gold standard of Drarry fic.
Of Shadows and Starlight
NightCourt_Dreams · 2019
Rhysand's POV of ACOMAF. Every scene rewritten from behind those violet eyes. Turns out he was falling apart the entire time and hiding it behind smirks. The Under the Mountain chapters? DEVASTATING.
Starfall
WrittenInStarlight · 2019
Night Court domesticity. The Inner Circle being a family between wars. Feyre painting, Rhys being insufferably in love, Cassian and Nesta bickering. The comfort food of ACOTAR fic.
What Fools These Mortals Be
middlemarch · 2018
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz learning to be a person and not just a weapon. Inej returns from sea. The tenderness between two people who communicate in loaded silences is Bardugo-level brilliant.
No Mourners, No Funerals
bardugo_trash · 2017
The Dregs take on a new heist. Kaz's plans are brilliant. His feelings for Inej are a vulnerability he can't afford. The heist mechanics are genuinely clever and the Kanej moments are perfectly rationed.
The Ungloved Hand
ABookAndACoffee · 2019
Five times Kaz couldn't touch Inej and one time he could. The restraint in this fic mirrors Kaz's own — every moment of contact is earned and devastating. Short but it'll live in your head rent-free.
Harbor Lights
inkstainedfingers · 2020
Inej's ship docks in Ketterdam. Kaz is waiting at the harbor pretending he's not. The reunion is everything — tentative, terrified, and achingly hopeful. Post-canon Kanej perfection.
Blood and Honey
rosemaryandrue · 2019
Elain and Lucien navigating the mating bond on their own terms. No rushing, no pressure — just two people learning each other. The gentleness is a deliberate counterpoint to every other ACOTAR ship's intensity.
Running on Air
eleventy7 · 2015
Draco Malfoy disappears. Harry follows a trail of enchanted paper cranes across the world. The prose is luminous and the romance is achingly tender. A work of art.
What the Night Whispers
Illyrianwings · 2017
ACOMAF from Rhysand's POV. Finally getting inside his head during the starfall, the Court of Nightmares, the cabin — it's everything. The 'I've been in love with you for 500 years' energy hits different.
If We Cease to Believe in Love
thefaeriequeene · 2016
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz tracks Inej across the sea. Their reunion is everything — the careful touches, the unspoken words, the 'I will burn the world for you' energy. Devastatingly romantic.
The Barrel Wife
kaztrice · 2018
Inej returns to Ketterdam. She and Kaz navigate their relationship while building their respective empires. The crime lord domesticity angle is genius — mundane moments made extraordinary.
Gloves Off
writingontheclouds · 2017
Literally about Kaz removing his gloves. The metaphor. The vulnerability. The fact that this ship's most romantic gesture is bare hands touching. Nobody writes this dynamic like SoC fandom.
No Mourners, No Funerals
ketterdam_crows · 2020
Five times Kaz reached for Inej's hand and pulled back, and one time he didn't. A character study in vulnerability and trust. Each chapter peels back another layer of armor.
Harbor
dirtyhands · 2019
Inej returns to Ketterdam after a year at sea. Kaz has built an empire but it means nothing without her. The reunion scene will physically hurt you.
Gloves Off
wraith_writer · 2019
Kaz takes off his gloves. Not all at once — over months, years. Each bare touch is a victory against his own demons. The most tender, patient love story in all of fandom.
Love on the Brain
Ali Hazelwood · 2022
Bee and Levi are rival neuroscientists forced to co-lead a NASA project. He's grumpy, she's chaos, and he's been in love with her since grad school. Another Reylo retelling done right.
To the Stars
EmmieSweet · 2018
Alternate ACOMAF where Feyre's time Under the Mountain leaves deeper scars. Rhys is patient. The Night Court becomes sanctuary. Extended slowburn that gives SJM's worldbuilding room to breathe.
The Heart Is an Arrow
Lydia_Martin_trash · 2018
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Inej's pirate adventures with Kaz waiting in Ketterdam. The letters between them are everything. The reunion will make you sob.
Without Armor
thefudge · 2016
Kaz learning to touch without flinching. Inej learning to trust without armor. The most intimate 45k words you'll ever read and they barely touch. Kanej at its purest.
Crowded
arewefalling · 2017
Five times Kaz and Inej share space and one time they choose it. Each vignette peels back another layer of Kaz's walls. Bardugo herself would approve.
The Crows' Last Job
sixofcrowsnet · 2020
The Dregs take on one final impossible heist. All six together again. The banter is pitch-perfect and Kaz being quietly protective of Inej will end you.
Bride
Ali Hazelwood · 2024
A vampire bride is traded to the werewolf Alpha as part of a political alliance. Misery is part vampire, part human, and Lowe is a giant grumpy wolf who is annoyingly protective. Peak monster romance.
A Spring Awakening
HighLadyOfTheNightCourt · 2018
Elain and Lucien navigate their mating bond. He waits. She blooms. The patience in this fic is exquisite — watching Lucien earn Elain's trust one garden visit at a time.
We Can Be Heroes
inkwellofstars · 2017
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz follows Inej to sea. The man who never reaches for anyone learns to reach for her. The touch progression alone will end you.
Barrel Born
BarrelRat · 2016
Pre-canon. How Kaz and Inej built the Dregs from nothing. Every heist, every betrayal, every moment Kaz's mask slips around her. Origin story done right.
A Thousand Cuts
WretchedWriter · 2019
Inej's perspective through both books. Every time Kaz's armor cracks. Every time she sees the boy beneath the Barrel boss. The restraint in both characters makes every moment monumental.
King of Wrath
Ana Huang · 2022
Dante Russo doesn't want a wife. Vivian Lau doesn't want a husband. Their families disagree. The ice-cold CEO slowly melting for the woman he was forced to marry? Inject it directly into my veins.
Remain Nameless
HeyJude19 · 2020
Post-war. Draco is working at the Ministry in obscurity. Hermione keeps running into him. He's quiet now, nothing like the boy she knew. The slow unraveling of who he's become is devastating and beautiful.
The Measure of a Man
inadaze22 · 2020
Post-war. Draco is a healer working quietly to atone. Hermione is struggling with PTSD. Their paths cross at St Mungo's. The character development is phenomenal — this Draco earns every inch of redemption.
Away Childish Things
lettered · 2018
Draco is de-aged to a child and Harry has to take care of him. When Draco is restored, neither can forget the tenderness. Surprisingly devastating premise executed with incredible emotional depth.
Starfall
illyrianwingspan · 2020
Rhys's POV during ACOMAF. Every moment he fell for Feyre, every sacrifice he made, every thought he buried. SJM's best love story from the perspective that makes it even better.
Shadows and Light
elriel_dreams · 2021
What SJM hasn't given us yet. Azriel and Elain's story as it should be — shadows meeting sunlight. The bonus chapter expanded into a full novel. Every Elriel shipper's dream.
The Price of Survival
barrel_rats · 2019
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz and Inej navigate the impossibility of being together when touch is both desired and terrifying. The consent negotiations are beautifully handled.
The Hands of a Thief
crows_and_waffles · 2019
Inej is hunting slavers. Kaz can't let her go alone. The Crows reunite for one more impossible job and Kaz Brekker learning to be vulnerable might be the most suspenseful part.
When the Wraith Returns
ketterdam_streets · 2020
Inej returns to Ketterdam after two years at sea. Kaz has built her a ship. He still can't say the words. The harbor reunion scene is the most romantic thing I've ever read.
Love on the Brain
Ali Hazelwood · 2022
Bee gets her dream NASA project but has to co-lead it with Levi Ward — the man she's convinced hates her. Plot twist: he's been silently in love with her for years. More Reylo DNA in the best way.
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love
isthisselfcare · 2021
Draco POV. He's in love with Granger and handling it terribly. The internal monologue is hilarious and devastating. Title says it all — being in love IS a mortifying ordeal when you're Draco Malfoy.
Away Childish Things
lettered · 2018
Draco is accidentally de-aged to a child. Harry has to care for him. Watching Harry see Draco as the child he was — before everything went wrong — is devastating. Then adult Draco comes back.
In Her Garden Grew
Peppermint_Prose · 2020
Cottage-core Reylo AU. Rey runs a botanical garden. Ben is the brooding neighbor. There are metaphors about growing things and being rooted. The tenderness will wreck you.
Stars Eternal
illyriantremors · 2017
ACOMAF retelling from Rhysand's POV. Every moment you wondered what he was thinking? Now you know. The 'I was drowning and she was my lifeline' energy is overwhelming.
The Deal
midnightbrekker · 2019
Post-canon Kanej. Inej's journey as captain of her ship, with Kaz appearing at ports like clockwork. The way he loves her — at arm's length, then closer, then devastatingly close — is peak Bardugo energy.
Crows and Saints
ketterdarling · 2020
Five times Kaz almost touched Inej and one time he did. Structured around heists and impossible jobs, but really it's about two people learning to be vulnerable. Gloves have never been so loaded.
Without Armor
wrathofkaz · 2021
Kaz's internal monologue as he learns to let Inej in. Every removed glove is an earthquake. The water metaphors are gorgeous. If you thought Bardugo didn't give us enough Kanej, this fixes it.
Harbor
ghafasWraith · 2020
Inej comes back to Ketterdam after a year at sea. Kaz has been counting the days. The reunion is everything. Domestic Crows energy with Kanej at the center. A warm blanket of a fic.
An Entire Reality
Perry_Downing · 2017
The Force bond becomes a lifeline for both of them. Slow and deliberate — every conversation through the bond shifts the dynamic. When they finally meet in person, you feel the weight of every word they've shared.
The Painted Lady
Liselle · 2016
Katara channels the spirit of the Painted Lady. Zuko is drawn to her — in both forms — without knowing they're the same person. The dual identity tension is masterfully handled.
Under the Mountain Retold
illyriantremors · 2016
ACOTAR retold from Rhysand's POV. Everything he did Under the Mountain recontextualized through his desperate love for Feyre. The mask he wears is heartbreaking when you see the cost of it. Essential Feysand reading.
Garden of Shadows
elrielfics · 2021
Azriel's shadows and Elain's garden. The quietest ACOTAR ship rendered with tenderness and restraint. Every touch is deliberate. Every stolen glance carries weight. For those who believe the next book is theirs.
A Court of Nightmares and Dreams
Abracafckyou · 2017
Fan-written sequel to ACOMAF that many readers consider better than the actual book 3. The political intrigue deepens, the stakes are higher, and Feysand's bond is tested in ways SJM never explored.
Gloves Off
RosebudBasilton · 2016
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Inej returns from hunting slavers. Kaz is trying to be worthy of her. Every small gesture of vulnerability from Kaz feels like moving a mountain. Quiet devastation.
Investments
barefoot_bby · 2016
Five times Kaz Brekker made a bad investment and one time he didn't. Each vignette reveals another layer of his walls coming down. The restraint in the writing mirrors the restraint of the ship perfectly.
Harbor Lights
hipsterchrist · 2016
Inej's journey hunting slavers across the True Sea, and Kaz waiting in Ketterdam. Told in alternating POVs. The distance between them makes every reunion scene land with devastating impact.
A Court of Shadows and Secrets
azrielsiphons · 2021
The Elriel book SJM hasn't written yet. Azriel's shadows, Elain's visions, and the forbidden tension between them. Beautifully written with SJM-style worldbuilding.
The Price of Survival
essiecorking · 2017
Post-Crooked Kingdom. Kaz and Inej navigate their relationship outside the pressure of heists. Every small touch is earned. The most in-character Kanej continuation you'll find.
Across Every Sea
InkWellStarlight · 2021
Inej hunts slavers. Kaz rebuilds Ketterdam. They write letters. The distance makes every reunion devastating. Epistolary Kanej done beautifully.
What Lingers
moonlitinks · 2019
Kaz Brekker learning to let someone touch him. That's the fic. Each chapter is a small moment of trust being built. If you love the 'he's broken but trying' trope, this is everything.
Gloves Off
BarrelRat · 2020
Five times Kaz couldn't touch Inej, and one time he could. The progression from flinching to reaching is told with excruciating tenderness.
A Court of Shadows and Singing
positivewitch · 2021
Azriel and Gwyn in the training ring and beyond. She's sunshine. His shadows literally reach for her. SJM better deliver what this fic promises.
The Birds and the Bees
thetolkienblackguy · 2016
Post-CK. Kaz learning to let Inej touch him. Each small victory is earned. The gloves come off — literally and figuratively. If you cried at 'I would have come for you,' bring tissues.
A Court of Shadow and Song
duskandstarlight · 2021
Azriel and Elain circle each other while the bond between them grows impossible to ignore. The restraint. The shadows reaching for her. Everything we're waiting for SJM to write.
ACOMAF: Rhysand's POV
somethingfulloflight · 2021
ACOMAF from Rhysand's perspective. Watching him fall for Feyre while pretending he hasn't, protecting her in secret, dying inside Under the Mountain. Emotionally devastating.
Five Times Kaz Brekker Said No (And the One Time He Didn't)
notbecauseofvictories · 2016
Kaz says no to everything. Kindness, help, vulnerability, touch. Until Inej. Short, devastating, and perfectly captures everything about Kanej in 8k words.
We Are Not Saints
inkandowl · 2016
After Crooked Kingdom, Kaz and Inej navigate what comes next. Every small touch is earned. Every moment of vulnerability is monumental. Kanej as only Kanej can be.
To Have and to Hold
kazbrekkxr · 2017
Kaz and Inej have to pretend to be married for a heist. Kaz Brekker playing a loving husband is both hilarious and devastating because you know part of it isn't pretend.
Terms and Conditions
Lauren Asher · 2022
Declan Kane needs a wife. His assistant Iris is the obvious choice. Contractual marriage, real feelings. The sticky notes will end you.
Second First Impressions
Sally Thorne · 2021
Ruthie Midona has been assistant at a retirement community for years. Then Teddy Prescott arrives and everything gets complicated. Classic Sally Thorne charm.