🧢 Dads in Fiction: The Good, the Bad, and the Surprisingly Hot
He’s a Single Dad With Emotional Baggage and I Love Him
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#23: 🧢 Dads in Fiction: The Good, the Bad, and the Surprisingly Hot
Not to get all introspective, but fictional dads? Are definitely my soft spot.
They can be soft and cinnamon roll-y (with a toolbox). Or they’re emotionally stunted, haunted by the past, and about to fall for the quirky woman next door who teaches their kid how to finger paint. Sometimes they’re the surprise plot twist in a thriller. Other times, they’re just trying their best, and failing spectacularly, in a cozy mystery set in a town with more cats than people.
Whatever the genre, dads sometimes make things messy. And interesting. And, depending on the trope… very swoonworthy.
So this week, we’re leaning into stories with dad energy to celebrate Father’s Day. Not necessarily the “tie-and-mug” kind of dad. But the kind who shows up late, maybe in jeans and a hoodie, and does something quietly heroic, like cooking dinner or showing up at the school play when it matters most.
Some are romantic. Some are complicated. All of them are on my mind this week.
3 Single Dad Romances on my TBR
So let’s start with three books sitting at the top of my TBR right now, all giving “dad energy” in wildly different ways:
Homebound by Meredith Trapp
A second chance rodeo romance with a hockey player turned flower farm dad? It’s giving soft core country Taylor Swift. I’ve got this queued up for release week (June 17), and honestly? I’m ready for outdoor showers and childhood crushes that never died.
Funny Business by Kayley Loring
He’s a single dad, a comedian, and a disaster. She’s his Twitter troll turned nanny. It’s enemies to lovers with stand-up tour chaos, cute kid energy, and banter I already know I’ll highlight.
Single in Sitka by Katy Regnery
A state trooper dad of three places a personal ad for a no-strings hook-up (I guess pre-Tinder days?), and a journalist on assignment answers it. I mean, come on. Trope heaven. I’m picturing misty Alaskan mornings and emotional slow burns.
What single dad romances are on your TBR?
Did you miss last week’s Insider? Check it out here:
Just Dropped: This Week’s New Books
This week’s romance releases are not playing around. Here are 3 standouts that immediately made my list:
Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle
A dragon egg thief and a rival crime lord are forced to work together in this morally gray romantasy full of tension, betrayal, and dangerous magic.
Grab this book on Amazon [Check out Amanda’s thoughts on this one here]
Caught Up by Navessa Allen
He’s a masked stalker, she’s the girl he let go. Now she’s confident, bold, and not so innocent. Obsession, kink, and second chances collide.
I read this one already and recorded myself a voice note with my first impressions around 30% in and it still held up by the end. I gave it 3.5 stars.
▶️ Hit play to hear my light spoilery voice note:
A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
A dancer-turned-spy is caught in a royal power struggle. Secrets, slow burn tension, and a rival prince make this fantasy debut unforgettable.
🎥 Want the full list?
Check out this week’s new releases video with 10 new books across romance, mystery/thriller, and historical!
→ Watch the full list of this week’s releases
The Book Vault: Filter and search through our calendar of releases and backlist books by trope and genre (for paid members).
This Week on the Blog: All the Dad Energy
It started with one book and suddenly I was deep in a dad-core spiral. This week’s posts lean into single dads, guardian arcs, nanny tropes, and found family chaos—across romance and thrillers alike.
Here’s your roadmap:
Soft grumps, kid chaos, and HEAs? Start with our fresh roundup of Contemporary Single Dad Romance and then the new Kindle Unlimited Single Dad Romance list is serotonin on a page.
Obsessed with the nanny trope? We’ve got Single Dad + Nanny pairings, plus chaotic Governess Romances for historical lovers, and yes, even Nanny Thrillers if you like your childcare with a side of murder.
Dads who bite (literally): Paranormal Dads bring the fangs, fur, and fatherhood.
Regency dads deserve rights too: Get swept away with our Historical Single Dads.
Guardianship arcs are elite. Don’t miss our top Single Guardian Romance Books for even more dads that chose the role, because they deserve their flowers too.
Found family, but make it twisted: If you're craving a darker take, Inheritance Mysteries and Cult Thrillers explore what happens when family is chosen, or forced, under the worst circumstances.
TV and movie dads that left a mark: A little nostalgia, a lot of feelings. Don’t miss our Best TV and Movie Dads roundup.
And for a genre deep dive this week on Mysterylandia it was all about Methods of Murder → From cozy poisonings to full-on slasher mode.
On YouTube This Week
This week’s episode of Novel Hour got into some father’s day recommendations, upcoming releases, and book adaptation news. You can catch the full replay here
Join us every Thursday at 12PM EST for our Novel Hour show on Youtube.
If you just want the book recs, check out my 3 historical single dad romance picks here.
And more on Youtube this week:
Gemini Season Reading Reset: the tropes, the habits, the books
Romanceopoly Spring Readathon: Fairy Legends Recommendations: romance books about fae creatures
Romanceopoly Spring Readathon: Flowers in Bloom Recommendations: romance books set at a flower shop
Romanceopoly Spring Readathon: Garden Party Recommendations: historical romances with a strong female friendship group
Romanceopoly Spring Readathon: Medical Response Recommendations: books that feature a main character in any medical profession
Romanceopoly Spring Readathon: Baseball Game Recommendations: sports romances that feature baseball
Ready to earn your next badge? This week’s Romanceopoly prompt recommendations are part of our Spring readathon event. Anyone can join in.
From the Vault: Vintage Dad Vibes
On this day in 2019 I posted some of my all time favorite single dad romance books. It’s a whole vibe. Honestly, it still holds up.
This Week’s Vibe Check
Listening to: Battito by Fedez – Italian pop energy for emotional resets
Watching: Animal Kingdom, Season 3. Because if we’re talking dysfunctional parent figures… this show gets it. I chatted a bit about this show on this week’s Novel Hour, by the way.
Currently Reading:
Here’s what’s currently open on my Kindle and in my headphones:
Nightshade by Autumn Woods (eARC)
Murder, dark academia, and romantic suspense in a foggy Scottish castle. Enemies to lovers. Also? Swimmer x rugby player. I see you, Autumn. Currently available on Kindle Unlimited, print dropping June 24.
Grab this book on AmazonHomemaker by Ruthie Knox & Annie Mare (ALC)
A midlife mom with homemaker-for-hire energy starts sleuthing when a friend goes missing. FBI agent love interest included. Currently available on Kindle Unlimited (both ebook and audio).
Grab this book on Amazon
Did you know that Ruthie Knox wrote romances before mystery?
Read our Ruthie Knox backlist reviews
Also still on my list: Big Name Fan by Ruthie & Annie Mare (sapphic mystery romance, KU).
Grab this book on Amazon
Final Little Note
If you made it to the end, congrats, you’ve officially survived the weekly insider. Same time next week? Bring snacks.
Hit reply and let me know who are your favorite single dads!
Talk soon,
Francesca
P.S. If you're an author or brand and think you might be interested in advertising on our Substack, you can find more info here.
Sharing our love for books as Under the Covers Book Blog since 2011, running the Romanceopoly yearly reading challenge since 2019 and hosting the Reading Under the Covers podcast since 2020. Launched Mysterylandia in 2025.
You are not alone in your single dad soft spot. I like the sound of that Katy Regnery one in Alaska.