Even though the outdated damsel in distress romance novel heroine has turned into detectives, cops, veterans, and CEOs, more often than not it’s still the man doing the chasing.

But sometimes you want the females to be the ones pursuing. Even though alpha female romance novels get lost among alpha male and wolf shifter romance novels, they’re still out there and can be a refreshing change of pace. So here are three alpha female books to read now.

1) Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLean

Genre: Historical

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.05 out of 5 stars

Page Count: 367 pages

There is no telling where a scandal might lead…

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society’s rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London’s most practiced gossips… and precisely the kind of woman the Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety.

She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

Get Eleven Scandals at your local bookstore today.

2) The Belle vs. the BDOC by Amy Jo Cousin

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT

Average Goodreads Rating 3.51 out of 5 stars

Shelby Summerfield is a Southern belle at a northern college in 1993, which is a challenge to begin with. And yes, Florence Truong, the object of Shelby’s lust and the only other woman on campus not wearing flannel, does catch her in what looks like a compromising position with a straight boy at pub trivia night.

But Shelby is a gold star lesbian and Florence’s dapper fashion sense makes her weak in the knees, so her rejection stings hard. To exact her revenge, Shelby cheats a little when putting together her own trivia dream team, because nobody strategizes to win like a Southern girl on a mission. And if trivia can’t settle their rivalry, then maybe the annual campus-wide game of assassin will do the trick.

Shelby’s gonna come out on top of Florence—in bed or out, one way or another. Bless her heart. And her silk pocket squares.

Get The Belle vs. The BDOC on Smashwords today.

3) A Gentleman in the Street by Alisha Rai

Genre: Contemporary

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.87 out of 5 stars

Page Count: 262 pages

Shameless. That’s what she was.

Billionaire businesswoman Akira Mori can get anything and anyone her heart desires. Anyone, that is, except for a certain aloof author who has been dominating her dreams for over a decade. Accustomed to Jacob Campbell’s stern disapproval, Akira has turned provocation into an art, using every trick in her arsenal to keep the man from guessing the depth of her filthy fantasies.

Shameless. That’s what she made him.

Since the moment the sexy, sultry socialite sidled up to him years ago, there hasn’t been a time when Jacob didn’t crave Akira. But as guardian to his younger siblings, responsibility has controlled his life. Confining his darkest desires to secret, stolen moments maintains his carefully disciplined world…but a cold bed is the price he pays.

A single touch is all it takes for their simmering need to explode. As secrets and fears are stripped away one by one, shame becomes a thing of the past. They find themselves becoming addicted to each other, in bed and out—a frightening prospect for a man just learning to live…and a woman who thinks she doesn’t know how to love.

Get A Gentleman in the Street at your local bookstore today.

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