Reverse harem consists of one female protagonist and three or more male love interests. At the end of the book/series, the woman does not choose one of the men but instead has a relationship with all the men in her harem. In a way, you could compare it to a found family trope.
I started reading reverse harems about two years ago. I have to admit, I didn’t think it would be my thing. Boy, was I wrong. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite romantic sub-genres. I think there are a lot of misconceptions about this particular subgenre. I think a lot of people think these books are just full of sex. Look, some are, but they aren’t all like that. And even the steamier ones have great stories.
If you read my ode to romance novels on the other blog, you will know that I used reverse harems to illustrate how romance novels are fantasy. If you are looking for a realistic read, then reverse harem is probably not the genre for you. I mean, let’s be real; three or more dominant alpha males would all be cool sharing one woman? But that’s what makes them so great, all these guys worshipping and loving one woman.
A friend of mine mentioned that she thinks there are three different characteristics of the men in reverse harem books: the alphahole, the one who holds out, and the charming/sweet one. I agree with this assessment. In some form, usually, all three of these are present. They might be combined into one character. For example, a lot of times, the alphahole is also the one who is holding out. I would also add a tortured/broody one to this list. What’s great about that is you get all the angst from the hold-out guy, and there can still be steam with the other guys. It’s a win-win!
If you’re looking to start reading reverse harem, then I have some recommendations for you. I have ordered these from least steamy to steamiest. These are certainly not my only recommendations, but these are ones that I personally enjoyed, and I think would be a good entry into the genre.
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Reverse Harem Recommendations
Curse of the Gods by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington
If someone wanted to read their first reverse harem, this would be the one I will tell them to start one. The first three books have very little steam, so it’s a little easier to gradually get used to the idea of one woman being with multiple men. This is not the best reverse harem, and honestly, the men in this one are so similar that it is tough to tell them apart, which helps with the idea of them sharing the female protagonist. While this isn’t my favorite reverse harem, I did enjoy it. If I had not read this one after reading several other reverse harems, I would have liked it more.
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Four Psychos by Kristy Cunning
This was my first reverse harem. The first book is not all that steamy, but the guys certainly fit into the stereotypes I mentioned above. This one has a great plot with lots of mystery. It’s also paranormal, so if that’s something you enjoy, this one is a great read!
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Shunned by Steffanie Holmes
This is a bully high school reverse harem read. Also, this one is full of twists and turns. This one doesn’t have ton of steam, but it’s an interesting story and a great introduction to the Reverse Harem trope.
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Madison Kate by Tate James
It can’t be a surprise that this made the list. This series is one of my all-time favorite Reverse Harems. Hate is wonderful, but the series truly gets better and better with each book! The characters are absolutely phenomenal, but this one is on the steamier side so just keep that in mind.