Essential Books for Romance Readers

Read before (or after) you watch! Experience the book that inspired the now-streaming movie, and fall in love with Alex and Poppy. From the author of Beach Read and Funny Story comes a classic friends-to-lovers slow burn with Emily Henry’s signature quick wit and charm.

Sparks fly in Ali Hazelwood’s STEM-based rom-com about a fake relationship between a PhD candidate and a young professor. Find out whether this experiment goes awry in this swoon-worthy love story full of tension and pining. A film adaptation was recently announced, starring Lili Reinhardt and Tom Bateman.

From Christina Lauren, the author of The Unhoneymooners and The Paradise Problem, comes a second-chance romance that will tug on your heartstrings. Told from then and now, read how Macy and Elliot met and forged a beautiful friendship that eventually developed into something more.

Kennedy Ryan’s one-of-a-kind romance explores grief and healing with raw honesty. Yasmin and Josiah give their love another chance in this deeply-moving story about vulnerability, hope and unconditional love.  

The first book in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series follows perfect student Hannah and bad-boy hockey player Garrett, as their palpable chemistry and hilarious banter takes them from fake dating to real feelings.

In this emotional slow-burn from Sara Cate, Charlie and Emerson’s romance is spice on top of spice in this first book in the Salacious Players’ Club series. If you’re a fan of love stories with an age gap and plenty of drama (he is also her ex-boyfriend’s dad!), this book will get all your praise.

Recently adapted for the big screen, Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us is not your average romance novel. Dealing with themes surrounding domestic abuse, this tender love story is about what can happen when the rose-colored glasses are lifted.

Romance meets fantasy and historical fiction in this love story from India Holton. Set in Victorian London, Cecilia is a lady pirate who spends her days drinking tea and robbing people. Ned, an assassin after her, finds himself delightfully smitten with his target, and antics ensue. Whimsical, heartwarming and full of hijinks!

In the first installment of the Brown Sisters trilogy, meet Chloe, a quirky web designer with chronic illness who doesn’t get out enough. Tired of being the boring sister, she makes a list of things that she thinks constitute “living” and recruits her neighbor, Red, to help her achieve them. Talia Hibbert’s hilarious and heartfelt rom-com is a celebration of adventure and living life to the fullest.

Luc and Oliver are complete opposites — except they both need a new boyfriend. And fast. This is a delightfully fresh take on the fake-dating trope with Alexis Hall’s witty and ridiculous laugh-out-loud humor sprinkled throughout (and your new favorite rom-com).

After receiving some unwelcome news, Nadia retreats to her childhood home in the Jersey Shore for the season. When she is set up on a date with a former TV star, they decide to spend the month of May swept up in a summer romance. From the author of Summertime Punchline, this brilliant read is perfect for fans of Tarah DeWitt.

Read the book that inspired the hit TV series. This book in the Game Changers series follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the two best hockey players in the league, throughout their infamous rivalry — and their secret romance.

Some supernatural species are always sworn enemies. But what happens when the werewolf Lachlain follows the scent of his fated mate to find… a vampire? A modern classic of the subgenre, Kresley Cole’s paranormal romance is perfect for fans of Bride or The Mating Game. 

Daisy Devereux is given an ultimatum by her father: go to prison or marry the man of his choosing. When she finds herself wed to a stranger (who claims he is incapable of love) and forced to join a traveling circus, she has no idea what to expect next. Kiss an Angel is a surprisingly touching and beautifully-written love story from Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Post-Civil War, a former Confederate is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, and infamous con-artist Raven Moreaux is called upon to get it back. She goes undercover as a housekeeper, along with her assigned partner, Braxton Steel, who is posing as a valet and her husband. Together, they have to navigate this bonkers plot and put their lives (and hearts) on the line in this romance from Beverly Jenkins.