If you’ve ever finished a romance and thought “this is great, but what if they were also on a spaceship?” — welcome. You’re exactly where you need to be.
Sci-fi romance is the genre that gives you everything you already love — slow burns, enemies to lovers, found family, heart-in-your-throat tension — and then sets it against a backdrop of alien worlds, distant futures and technology that makes the impossible feel inevitable.
And here’s the thing: it has almost nothing in common with the science fiction that might have put you off in the past.
There are no dense technical manuals to decode, no homework required before chapter one. You won’t be quizzed on the mechanics of faster-than-light travel or expected to care deeply about the political structure of a fictional galactic empire (unless you want to — some of us do).
That’s not because sci-fi romance cuts corners.
The best authors in this genre build their worlds with genuine care — the technology is thought through, the universe feels real, and the setting does serious narrative work. The difference is that the story never loses sight of the people living in it.
Space isn’t just a backdrop; it shapes the characters, raises the stakes, and makes the romance feel like it couldn’t have happened anywhere else.
The genre has exploded in recent years, with readers crossing over from contemporary and fantasy romance in droves — and staying. Once you’ve had a love story set against the vastness of space, it’s hard to go back.
Whether you’re a romance reader who’s never ventured beyond our solar system or you’ve already dipped a toe in and want more, this list of sci-fi romance books is bound to have something for you. I’ve rounded up 9 authors whose work will make you laugh, ache, and seriously reconsider your feelings about fictional aliens.
1) Nicole Johnson
“I write science-y, sassy, emotionally deep stories that are also sexy.”
Nicole Johnson’s novel Despite Destiny: Abducted in the Five Sectors was inspired by Nicole’s childhood dream of becoming an archaeologist — until she got sidetracked by the ancient aliens side of antiquity. Now she’s written a book to address those questions, and you can enjoy it as an MMF romance featuring alien abduction, size difference, and forced proximity!
Favourite quote from the book: “Do not run, my treasure. Not unless you wish to be caught.”
You can find out more about Nicole’s books on her website or follow her on Instagram.
2) Lissa Sharpe
“I write bonkers, mood-based, swoony, funny stories about awkward heroines and the hunky heroes who love them.”
Lissa Sharpe’s novel Down to Ursa was inspired by all the exciting action/adventure and sci-fi romance Lissa loved watching as a kid – just with oodles more romance!
Favourite quote from the book: “Where Mina is, Ursa is home.”
You can find out more about Lissa’s books on her website or follow her on Instagram.
3) R. Lynn Hanks
“I write flirty space academia with poetic prose.”
R. Lynn Hanks’s novel Gamma Raids I: The Adventures of Kat and Lee was inspired by daring to dream and be curious, wondering what’s out there among the stars, and finding the things that are worth fighting for – and falling in love along the way.
Favourite quote from the book: “Like with the moon dust flower, there were 8.515×10^13 km, nearly 9 light-years of reasons why this thing between them might go nowhere. But if he took the risk, and finally went for it, for once… Maybe there stars could collide. And that chance of collision was everything.”
You can find out more about R. Lynn’s books on her website or follow her on Instagram.
4) Rhea Ridge
“I write out of this world happily ever afters that are sweet, campy and goofy that also have spice and swoon-worthy characters.”
Rhea Ridge’s Sanctuary Station is a first-in-series and inspired by Rhea’s drive to create a post-Earth paradise that was as full of aliens as it was green flags.
Favourite quote from the book: “Because now that I’ve felt her tiny hand in mine, her warm cheek pressed against my arm, she is mine. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.”
You can follow her on Instagram.
5) Dahlia Amy
“I write dark, unhinged, speculative sapphic stories with moral ambiguity.”
Dahlia Amy’s The Cold Light of Code is a spicy sapphic sci-fi romance set in 2055 and features a human x AI relationship. It was inspired by the growing concerns around how people are already forming deep emotional (and in some cases romantic or sexual) attachments to AI systems and the unsettling question of what happens when that trend doesn’t slow down but instead accelerates alongside the technology itself, becoming more immersive, more convincing, and harder to disentangle from genuine human connection.
Favourite quote from the book: “I’d call it love if I didn’t know better, but can you truly love something that’s programmed to mirror your desires?”
You can find out more about Dahlia’s books on her website or follow her on Instagram.
6) Bea Tama
“I write stories that hurt so good.”
Bea Tama’s Exiles on Earth is a spicy alien romance about alien clones who crash-land on Earth and dig into a new life — literally. It was inspired by agribusiness and farm diversification, and the question of what happens when you drop a group of hardworking, women-worshipping aliens into that world and let them put down roots.
Favourite quote from the book: I dig my fingernails into the palms of my hands. “Aliens. Crash landed into the barn. It’s a mess, and I need help deciding what to do.”
You can find out more about Bea’s books on her website or follow her on Instagram.
7) JJ Hynd
“I write fun, light-hearted sci-fi romance that is as accessible as it is spicy.”
JJ Hynd’s Merry and Bright is a quick, fun fake dating rom-com that is the perfect place to start. This holiday romance takes place on a space station and it was inspired by schmaltzy Hallmark romance and Christmas movies, but with a spicy, alien twist.
Favourite quote from the book: “Out here I watch the stars and think of you.” —”Of me ?” —”Every night.”
You can find out more about JJ’s books on her website or follow her on Instagram.
8) M.D. Engel
“I write nerdy books that are easy to read, feel conversational and familiar even in space.”
M.D. Engel’s Christmas Amid the Stars is a cheesy holiday rom-com that M.D. wrote as a challenge to see if she could write a Christmas story on a colony ship and still make it feel cosy and familiar despite being set out in the cold vacuum of space.
Favourite quote from the book: “Wanna raise some wood?“
You can find out more about her books on her website or follow her on Instagram.
9) S.T. Arsheep
“I write gritty, queer stories where morally grey pansexuals fall in love at an agonisingly slow pace.”
Ravaging Phantom is the sci-fi noir story that kicks off the whole slow burn epic. It grew out of me grieving my cat – I needed a way to process that loss, so I wrote about learning to live with pain that feels like it’s cleaved you in half, but still finding hope in the end.
Favourite quote from the book: “I should have at least tried to kiss you.”
You can find out more about my books here or follow me on Instagram.
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One snake bite. One moment of clarity she really didn’t ask for. Sasha Barrett has survived two years at the Praetorian Academy — turns out her captain was always going to be the most dangerous thing in the field.
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