u/lumpyjellyflush

July is Disability Pride month. (You can celebrate by giving me kudos, cookies or cash- your choice)

In honor of that- and my weird niche project of reading 200+ books with disability rep- I present my personal hall of shame, and a truly excessive list of better options. Enjoy.

(For context: I’m neurodivergent and multiply disabled, but disabled readers are not a monolith. Your mileage may vary.)

Truly trash books that consistently get recommended here:

1.) My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid
The disability is portrayed wildly inconsistently. It’s somehow exactly as severe—or as mild—as the plot needs it to be in any given chapter. I wish my disability was just a plot device. I’d love to be able to completely turn it off to swim a rushing river to rescue drowning people or climb trees.

2. {Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros
Blindness is portrayed very unrealistically, and then the aggressively whiny MMC recovers his sight anyway (while somehow retaining every ounce of his dumbassery). Heaven forbid a disabled character get a happily-ever-after that still includes being disabled. 🙄

3. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
So. Many. Consent. Issues. Especially at the beginning. Also, it dragged on forever. All 19 hours of the audiobook felt like standing barefoot on legos.

4. {Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas
This entire book is powered by a miscommunication that could have been resolved with a single conversation. The FMC’s limp is treated as this enormous, life-defining tragedy despite being portrayed as a complete nothing burger most of the time. Also, the MMC gets rich by building tenement housing… so our romantic hero is basically a slumlord?
Just read {The Footman by S.M. LaViolette}. It’s essentially the same story, but executed infinitely better.

5. Ever Yours, Annabelle by Elisa Braden
The disability representation was fine I guess… . The book itself? Boring as hell. I’d rather count grains of rice for an hour.

6. The Scandal of the Perfect Kiss by Merry Farmer
Not super frequently recc’edhere, but I need to scream about it. The FMC decides the MMC’s paralysis gives her carte blanche to drag him around against his will, flip over his wheelchair, and strip off his clothes in public1 while
He is begging and pleading for her to stop. all followed by dubious-consent/non-consent sex. That’s straight up assault, not romance.

My alternate recs (because I’m not ALWAYS a hater)

{The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews}
MMC has a traumatic brain injury, aphasia, and a stutter. Watching him slowly regain confidence and step out to chase both his dreams AND FMC was awesome

{The Madness of Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley}
MMC is autistic and was previously institutionalized by his parents. My personal favorite autistic representation in Har . Ian is brilliant, direct, quirky, and the book actually treats his autism as part of who he is rather than a problem to be fixed. Also, both MCs are sexually experienced and the FMC is a widow, which is refreshingly uncommon.

{Duke the Halls by Felicity Niven}
A novella and prequel to the Bed Me series. MMC is autistic and the FMC personally reads as ADHD-coded to me. They're delightful little weirdos and I mean that as the highest compliment.

{Friends and Foes by Sarah M. Eden}
The FMC was trampled by a horse and now has lingering seizure activity and a significant mobility impairment. She uses a cane and still struggles with walking. The banter in this book could strip paint. Enemies-to-lovers perfection. It's low spice, but the spy subplot and absolute verbal carnage make up for it.

{The Truth About Dukes by Grace Burrowes}
MMC has profound epilepsy and faces the threat of institutionalization. A good reminder that historical disability wasn't just about the disability itself—it was also about living under the constant threat of losing your autonomy. MOC / friends to lovers. FMC really goes to bat for MMC.

{Silent Revenge by Laura Landon}
FMC is deaf. MMC has PTSD.
CW: Part of his trauma involves sexual violence against a secondary character. It's summarized in flashbacks and not graphically depicted.

{The Silent Duke by Jess Michaels} and {When the Earl Met His Match by Stacy Reid}
Both feature mute MMCs who use sign language to communicate. Also, both heroes are absolute sweethearts. Sometimes you just want to watch kind people fall in love without wanting to chunk anyone into the sea.

{Charity Nightingale Heals Her Husband by Aydra Richards}
MMC has PTSD, a limp, an eye loss, and significant facial scarring from war. The FMC was the one who stitched his face back together. They entered a MOC during the war, believed the other had died, and reunite seventeen years later only to discover they're still married. This one has the best dialogue when MMC has a moment of vulnerability and asks if FMC thinks anyone could ever find him attractive. She’s basically like “fuck yes I’m into you… obviously”

{How to Woo a Wallflower by Virginia Heath}
The FMC has a limp from being thrown from a horse and now works helping rehabilitate patients with similar injuries. The MMC runs a gambling hell next door to the rehab hospital. Friends-to-lovers and very charming. Heavy on the “found family” aspect

{Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner}
MMC walks with a cane from a war injury. FMC is chubby and reads as ADHD-coded to me. The MMC leans hard into being an extravagant dandy to divert attention from his limp.

{I Want You to Want Me by Shana Galen}
MMC has extensive damage to both legs from battlefield injuries and struggles significantly with mobility even with a cane. He also has serious body-image issues and is terrified of the FMC seeing his legs. Disability and vulnerability are handled with a lot of tenderness here. This is the end of a series similar to Mary Balough’s survivor’s club. It features a few other characters with war injuries.

{A Notorious Vow by Joanna Shupe}
MMC is deaf and just wants everyone to stop bothering him so he can work on his inventions. Relatable. Marriage of convenience, excellent chemistry, and refreshingly little bitterness surrounding his deafness.

{Enchanting the Earl by Lily Maxton}
MMC is an above-knee amputee due to injuries from the Napoleonic Wars and also has PTSD. He inherits a title in Scotland only to discover FMC and her aunt already live there. TBH the ptsd is a bigger impediment than his amputation. He has to work through some stuff first.

{How to Catch a Duke by Grace Burrowes}
MMC requires one or two canes depending on distance due to childhood abuse. FMC is a spinster private investigator, which immediately earns points from me. MMC is also bisexual, and it comes up in his backstory. (Also FMCs Quaker background seems way more realistic, non sanctimonious more accurate)

{always remember by Mary Balough} FMC is a wheelchair user. MMC works with her and her doc/ the blacksmith to work on better mobility aids and bracing so she can walk a little bit by the end of the book. I don’t count that as a recovery- just better supports= better mobility. The biggest barrier to them being together in the book is actually class difference- not her disability.

{The Escape by Mary Balogh}
MMC has severe war injuries and can walk only with great difficulty using two canes or a wheelchair. A major plot point involves him realizing that using a wheelchair is not failure and can actually improve his quality of life. I wish more books embraced this idea instead of treating using mobility aids as a failure

{a hero to hold by Sheri Humphreys } MMC was injured in Crimean war, he uses a wheelchair- not paralyzed but unable to walk or stand. FMC is a widow. This one has a revenge subplot/mystery against FMC (not by MMC)

{A Walled Garden: A Romance of the Jazz Age by Rowan Mai}
MMC has profound spastic cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair, experiences severe upper-body spasms, and is highly intelligent and well educated. This one has a special place in my heart because The MCs meet and hook up in the same night. Not alot of angst of overthinking, just “there’s mutual attraction, let’s GO” I feel like we so rarely get a a situation where - even for a minute- the disabled character is just allowed to be hot and sexually desire able without a ton of angst.

{A Marquess of No Importance by Sadie Bosque}
MMC has cerebral palsy affecting one leg. He can walk short distances with canes but requires a wheelchair for longer ones. He also has balance issues but rides impressively with an adaptive saddle. Plus: virgin MMC and experienced FMC, which is always fun. Personally obsessed with this one because FMC (the owner of an all women’s gambling hell) accepts a bet that she can seduce reclusive MMC- and is initially really bad at it.

{The Footman by Minerva Spencer/S.M. LaViolette}
This is wildly similar to Again the Magic, except it fixes basically all of my complaints. Rich FMC and servant MMC fall in love, he gets in trouble for kissing her, leaves, and returns for revenge. The difference? The entire book doesn't hinge on one giant misunderstanding that could have been solved if two adults had exchanged literally six sentences. Also, the FMC's limp has existed since childhood, everyone already knows about it, and nobody treats it like the world's most shocking plot twist.

{A Scandal by Any Other Name by Kimberly Bell}
FMC has spina bifida, visible spinal differences, and a significant limp. She also deals with secondary symptoms, including recurrent UTIs due to bladder issues, and has to maintain a strict bathroom routine. I appreciated seeing secondary symptoms acknowledged because disability doesn't conveniently stop at the most visually obvious feature. (Also this is inconvenient for the plot- but doesn’t magically resolve to fit the plot)

{How to Romance a Rake by Manda Collins}
FMC has severe leg injuries from a carriage accident and hides the extent of her impairment. Bonus points for letting disability be messy and complicated rather than inspirational wallpaper. Also like this one because MMC is not deterred AT all by the revolution.

{Shattered Dreams by Laura Landon}
FMC has a very obvious limp and is considered unmarriageable because of it. Her brother pays the MMC to flirt with her to distract from the fact that she's essentially been catfished. The MMC is delighted because he's already met her and already has a massive crush. The premise sounds ridiculous, and yet it's adorable.

{Interview for a Wife by Ruth Ann Nordin}
Widowed, single father MMC lost both legs below the knee in a tractor accident and uses a wheelchair. FMC is recently widowed after being a mail-order bride to an abusive husband. MOC/ found family. This one is quiet, cozy, domestic and low stakes .

{beauty and the beast of thornleigh by Kate Westwood} FMC has a significant limp and requires a cane. MMc has significant burn scarring down one side of his face. A huge plot point is that FMC wants to dance anyway, which angers her family/ puts off ALOT of men because they would prefer her hide her injury. MMC is enthusiastic about being her partner and encourages it. This one gets complicated because FMC is initially really upset that she is being “set up” with MMC since they are both considered “damaged”. As a friendship grows, they discover camaraderie

{marquess of Mayham by Scarlett Scott} FMC has a limp.MMC compromises her on purpose to force her into marriage due to his revenge quest against her half brother. I will say that MMC falls hard pretty fast and gives up ok the revenge angle .

{the sum of all kisses by Julia Quinn} MMC requires a cane to walk after a duel goes badly. FMC - who has sworn herself his enemy- sprains her ankle at a month long party and has to spend alot of time with him since they can’t participate in alot of the activities. The snappy dialogue between the two of them is 10/10. One thing I appreciate about this is the MCs tendency to make dark jokes about his own disability. When FMC calls him out on it- he’s like “yeah, it’s MINE… I have to right to approach it however” (a convo I had frequently had myself)

{the muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Mathews } MMC is a full time wheelchair user after surviving scarlet fever. He is also a very accomplished painter that wants to be able to paint FMC so SO bad. FMC went completely white haired at in her early 20s and the ton decides that this is scandalous and shameful. MMC thinks it’s the most magical thing he’s ever seen. Unfortunately, FMC’s aggressively religiously overbearing brother would never allow her to *gasp* sit for a portrait! FMC want to escape his draconian rules, MMC wants to make her his muse. It’s a slow burn and about 1/3 in the middle is just angsty letter as they both fall super hard. (virgin FMC and MMC- mostly closed door

{to beguile a beast by Elizabeth Hoyt} MMC has extensive facial scarring and is missing an eye. FMC is on the run with her two young children so she flees to Scotland to take a job as his housekeeper

{When a Scot ties the knot by Tessa Dare} FMC is neurodivergent coded(personally she reads on the spectrum for me)but also has extreme social anxiety / agoraphobia

{the spinster and the Rake by Eva Devon} MMC is autistic. FMC is also an introverted nerd who likes to hide in the library so they get each other. They do have to work on communication with each other but it’s a process they both work on.

{flaming June by Emma V. leech} MMC has autism, selective mutism, gets overstimulated in public settings. The FMC is irritating the first few chapters but she grows up quickly. This one also deals with the threat of forcible institutionalization.

Fan favorites I DO like:
{my darling rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt} FMC is progressively losing her eyesight. Her bodyguard MMC has a leg injury that causes a limp/ requires a cane at times.

{romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare} MMC has very little residual eyesight but is almost completely blind. He is under threat of being declared incompetent so others can seize his estate (this one is super quirky)

This list is not comprehensive-

I've read around 120 books with disability representation so far year, But if you're looking to branch out beyond the same handful of recommendations that circulate every month, hopefully there's something here for you. I’m