Contemporary
A tale of when algorithms and romance combine
"The Kiss Quotient" by Helen Hoang, available on Amazon and Bookshop
This steamy romance is about Stella, a 30-year-old math genius with Asperger's who wants a bit more experience in the love department. When she hires Michael, an escort, to help her practice everything from kissing to complicated positions, he can't resist her offer — and she soon finds that she can't resist him. This one has a ton of sexy scenes but also takes us on Stella's journey of accepting that romance might not fit her careful computations.
Read if : You love a truly original romance.
A sexy, inclusive romance novel
"Take A Hint, Dani Brown" by Talia Hibbert, available on Amazon and Bookshop
After reading this book, I will buy anything Talia Hibbert writes, no questions asked. This is the second of three "Brown Sisters" rom-com books, each standing alone and featuring a sexy romance and characters that are unapologetically themselves, flaws and all. Dani is on the hunt for a friend-with-benefits when she and Zafir, the flirty security guard, go viral for a video of him carrying her out of a building during a fire drill. Monopolizing on the publicity by faking a relationship is mutually beneficial: Zafir gets the publicity he needs for his rugby charity, and Dani gets to see him naked. It's fun, it's flirty, it's down-right sexy— but this rom-com is also fantastic for tackling (pun intended) toxic masculinity, anxiety, and witchy spirituality.
Read if : Unique characters are what keep you turning the page.
A second-chance romance
"The Devil Wears Black" by L. J. Shen, available on Amazon and Bookshop
You will love to hate some of these characters in a romance that's as entertaining as it is delicious. Maddie has set up everything for her perfect life until her ex walks back in with an outrageous proposition that lands her in the middle of a fake engagement. It combines the fake relationship and enemies-to-lovers tropes to a unique plot with Grade-A characters. It's romantic, funny, angsty, and full of all kinds of heartbreak.
Read if : You love sassy heroes and heroines.
A dramatic and sexy romance between two actors
"You Had Me At Hola" by Alexis Daria, available on Amazon and Bookshop
This romance reads like a Netflix special — a little dramatic, a little funny, and fully captivating. Jasmine is returning to NYC after a messy and public breakup to film a new telenovela with co-star Ashton, who fears his career is dead after his last character was killed off. Ashton and Jasmine make a pact to rehearse in private in order to generate on-screen chemistry. As their behind-the-scenes romance heats up, so does their performance, until the press threatens to ruin everything. Despite their initial awkward meeting, the chemistry between these characters nearly explodes off the pages and makes for a wildly sexy read.
Read if : You need a romance that sizzles.
A story of what happens after a rejected proposal
"The Proposal" by Jasmine Guillory, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Nikole attends a baseball game with her boyfriend of five months when he very publically proposes, despite his inability to spell her first name and the fact that they aren't even in love. After she says "no," — and Carlos, a stranger sitting nearby, rescues her from a stadium of disapproving onlookers — Nik sets off on an epic rebound with her new hunky doctor/hero until they start breaking all the hookup rules. This is one of those books that made me forget I was reading because the story played out so smoothly.
Read if : You love the drama of a rebound.
A fantastical romance to binge-read
"In Five Years" by Rebecca Serle, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Once I started this book, I didn't put it down until I reached the end. It's such a well-constructed novel about destiny and self-realization. In a job interview, Dannie is asked where she sees herself in five years. That night, Dannie accepts the job offer and a proposal but wakes up five years into the future in a different apartment next to a different man. Dannie struggles to figure out what happened — until she's back in 2020 an hour later, the experience remaining barely more than a visceral vision. This is a fast read that had me so interested in the balance between what we want and what we need.
Read if : You're hungry for a true page-turner.
An emotional romance
"The Light We Lost" by Jill Santopolo, available on Amazon and Bookshop
I cried actual tears on public transit because of this book and I am not sorry. This is a 13-year journey of the battle between fate and choice between Lucy and Gabe, starting from their senior year at Columbia. They reunite a year later, just before Gabe receives a photojournalism assignment in the Middle East and Lucy pursues a career in New York. This book is overflowing with emotion, fantastic prose, and heartbreak. It explores all kinds of love, especially the kind that changes you forever.
Read if : You don't mind breaking your own heart.
A super-sexy relationship between a former sex worker and a Rabbi
"The Intimacy Experiment" by Rosie Danan, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Naomi's sex-positive business has taken off and Ethan is looking to bring more congregants to his synagogue. An unlikely pair, the two team up to host a seminar series on "Modern Intimacy," a solution that will save Ethan's synagogue and expand Naomi's business to higher education — until their attraction for one another threatens their success. This book is beloved for its strong plot and for the way it doesn't follow the common tropes of many new releases. It's also extremely sexy while tackling real issues, making it an enriching (and very steamy) read.
Read if : You root for sex-positive protagonists.
Rom-Coms
A hysterical enemies-to-lovers romance
"The Unhoneymooners" by Christina Lauren, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Truly one of the funniest books I've ever read, "The Unhoneymooners" takes place on a romantic Hawaiian vacation between sworn nemeses Olive and Ethan. When food poisoning at her sister's wedding leaves everyone but Olive and Ethan heaving, the two head on the abandoned, all-expense-paid honeymoon with the intention of avoiding each other. All of it works out — until Olive's new boss is at the same resort and the couple fakes being madly-in-love newlyweds to avoid being caught in a lie. The banter between these two characters made me want a whole series of just their conversations.
Read if : You live for snarky, flirty dialogue.
A summer rom-com with all the feels
"People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Emily Henry is quickly becoming the queen of unique summer rom-coms (her last one, " Beach Read ," blew readers away) and this one continues the trend. Alex and Poppy are complete opposites and were inseparable best friends until two years ago. They decide to take a weeklong vacation together again to mend their friendship and find their old happiness again. This is a romance that's wholly cute and emotional at the same time.
Read if : You loved " Beach Read " (and if you haven't read "Beach Read" do that immediately, thank you.)
A holiday love story
"In A Holidaze" by Christina Lauren, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Okay yes, this is a holiday read but it's such a fun "Groundhog Day"-style romance that it's worth reading any time of year. At her favorite cabin with her family and friends, Mae awkwardly makes out with Theo — a family friend on whom she's had a crush since she was 13. On the drive back to the airport, Mae finds out that the beloved family cabin is being sold, just before a truck crashes into the side of their car. She tumbles into living the same day over and over until she finally allows the universe to tell her where to find happiness.
Read if : You feel the holiday spirit all year long.
Young Adult
A secret, royal romance
"Red, White, and Royal Blue" By Casey McQuiston, available on Amazon and Bookshop
The sheer comedy and sweet enemies-to-lovers story make this is a queer, YA, royal romance staple in the genre. When a confrontation between Alex (the First Son in the US) and Henry (British royalty) hits the tabloids, the PR teams decide the best course of action is for Alex and Henry to stage a very public, fake friendship. But as their time together buds into a secret romance, Alex and Henry know so much more is at stake than teenage heartbreak.
Read if : You're ready for a queer royal romance to steal your heart.
A teen love story in the confines of a hospital
"Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott, available on Amazon and Bookshop
This is a YA love story about two teens living with cystic fibrosis. Perpetually stuck in the hospital, Stella is on the waiting list for new lungs and Will can't wait to turn 18 so he can walk away from all the treatments. They have to stay six feet apart in order to not risk infection — but six feet for a budding teenage love might as well be a universe away. I was so emotionally invested in the characters while also learning so much about cystic fibrosis and the trials each patient endures.
Read if : You're in the mood for a truly moving romance.
An 80's teen romance
"Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell, available on Amazon and Bookshop
A love story between two completely different (but equally quirky) teenagers, Eleanor and Park begin to fall for each other over mixtapes and late-night conversations in 1986. Anyone who's ever felt that all-consuming, first-love feeling can attest that this book captures it perfectly. It's told with alternating points of view, so you really get to understand the souls of these characters as they navigate a teenage romance in the midst of two separately difficult lives.
Read if : you miss that first-love feeling
An absolute heartbreaker
"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green, available on Amazon and Bookshop
How could I list YA romances without "The Fault in Our Stars"? A cult favorite, "The Fault in Our Stars" has earned every tear dropped onto its pages. Hazel is living on borrowed time with her terminal cancer diagnosis when she meets Augustus in her support group, who lights up a world that's felt so dark. This is a magical love story that will fill your heart just to break it and put it back together again. I think this book is still so deeply loved because the writing is so moving and the testaments between Hazel and Augustus feel incredibly real.
Read if : You don't mind shedding many, many tears.
A teenage love with everything on the line
"Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon, available on Amazon and Bookshop
As the moving truck next door brings Olly into Maddy's exceptionally small world, she knows love and disaster are inevitable. Maddy's immunodeficiency confines her to her home, but Olly is the key to a world she can't help but ache to explore. This and Nicola Yoon's other YA stories have garnered so many readers in need of a happy ending. "Everything, Everything" comes with a great message, eager and aching characters, and a classic teen romance.
Read if : You love optimistic and adventurous characters.
A YA about mental health and love
"All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Theodore Finch is always thinking about death and dying, but every time he comes close to taking his life, something stops him. Violet is pining for the future where she can escape their small town and the memories of her late sister. After Violet and Finch meet at the bell tower, each saving each other in some small way, they set out to discover the wonders of their state. This book tackles the delicacy and importance of mental health in young people. It's a memorable and surprising story sprinkled with many kinds of love that I absolutely cherished.
Read if: you need a powerful and important YA story
Classics
A swoon-worthy tale
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Published in 1813, "Pride and Prejudice" is the epitome of a classic love story. It explores the contrast between marrying for love and marrying out of societal and familial pressure, all as Elizabeth's witty and flirty relationship with Mr. Darcy unfolds. This story is a masterful, high-society classic that is enchanting from the very first page.
Read if : You love a classic that reads like a modern novel.
A classic coming-of-age romance
"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Jane Eyre is a Victorian, gothic romance that follows Jane from her teen years to adolescence. This, at least on the surface, is a story woven and sometimes driven by romance but it is so much more than the love between Jane and Rochester, the contemplative and mysterious man by whom she's been hired. "Jane Eyre" feels so ahead of its time, telling the story of an intellectual and morally driven young woman navigating the secrets held by Rochester and his home.
Read if : You love darker, brooding romances and iconic female protagonists.
A monumental piece of literature
"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Catherine and Heathcliff are doomed lovers, selfish and borderline monstrous as characters. Their two families are linked by fate — the actions of one inevitably affecting the other. The love and lust that runs through this story is just one component of the careful balance between good and wicked that continues to uphold this classic's epic status to this day.
Read if : You thought you hated this in high school. (Seriously, give it another chance.)
A historical romance within the Great American Novel
"Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, available on Amazon and Bookshop
"Gone With The Wind" is rightfully one of the bestselling novels of all time, beloved for the tragic and emotionally absorbing story of Scarlett O'Hara and how the Civil War changed her life forever. Scarlett is a character designed for us to hate — she's selfish, self-absorbed, and seems to have little to no redeeming qualities, but must tear herself from poverty after Sherman's March to the Sea. This classic is simply a masterpiece, with nearly every line meticulous and memorable.
Read if : You love an epic and revolutionary novel.
A 20th century masterpiece
"A Room with a View" by E. M. Forster, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Published in 1908, "A Room with a View" is a love story between independent Lucy and the handsome George Emerson, but it's also a wide-angle portrait of the human condition. Set in Italy and England, this book gives us a great look at the societal changes of the early 1900s and the charming love between two characters as Lucy finds the bravery that will set her free. It's a short classic, but the progression of Lucy's character development and love story is unforgettable.
Read if : A passionate period piece piques your interest.
Historical Fiction
A steamy story starring a wallflower
"Secrets of a Summer Night" by Lisa Kleypas, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Annabelle's situation is tense — she must wed a wealthy man to help her family, no matter what. But Annabelle's only persistent suitor is Simon, an entrepreneur who wants Annabelle as his mistress. This might be easy to resist, considering what's at stake — if Annabelle's attraction to Simon was remotely resistible. The tension and magical romance in this novel keep this historical read at the top of my list.
Read if : You're looking for a slow-burn romance with a ton of chemistry.
The first book of a fun, sexy 1800s series
"The Duke Heist" by Erica Ridley, available on Amazon and Bookshop
Chloe Wynchester is able to blend into any crowd, a curse she finds highly useful when recovering a missing painting becomes her father's dying wish. In the heist, she accidentally kidnaps the hunky Lawrence Gosling, a Duke who must marry an heiress to mend his family's reputation, complicated by his immediate attraction to Chloe. If you've read an Erica Ridley novel in the past, you know most of her romances are slow burns with low steam. In this series, she cranked up the heat to deliver a fast-paced, sexy, and playful heart-melter of a story.
Read if : You want adventure and steamy romance packed into one book.
A time travel romance in 18th century Scotland
"Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon, available on Amazon and Bookshop
The plot of this book is a rollercoaster of motives and morals that so many readers can't resist. Claire is a former combat nurse on a second honeymoon in 1945 when she finds herself inexplicably thrown back in time to a war-torn Scotland in 1743. In her potentially impossible mission to get back home, she meets James Fraser, a complex man with whom love is easy, and finds herself romantically torn between her husband (who she may never see again) and her newfound protector.
Read if : You can't resist the tear between two great loves.
A favorite historical romance that recently became a Netflix hit
"The Duke and I" by Julia Quinn, available on Amazon and Bookshop
In Regency-era London, Daphne Bridgerton should be poised, courteous, and perfectly ladylike — but her honesty and lack of desire to play the games to get a husband leaves her without a suitor. She finds that a fake courtship with Simon, Duke of Hastings — who wants to shun marriage completely — could be more than mutually beneficial...until she begins to fall for him. In this book, we get to know the families and histories of Daphne and Simon really well, which multiplies our empathy for the characters. This is a really sweet story with a couple of sexy scenes that will have you reaching for the rest of the books.
Read if : You're looking to become completely obsessed with a new romantic series.
A post-World War II story we've come to know and love
"The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks, available on Amazon and Bookshop
I've read a lot of sometimes-cheesy, super-romantic Nicholas Sparks novels over the years but this one is still my favorite. Noah is restoring a home in North Carolina after returning from WWII, reminiscing about the love-filled summer he spent with Allie 14 years ago. When she suddenly returns to town to see him again, their love story continues to unfold. "The Notebook" is every bit as sappy and cheesy as we've come to want from a Nicholas Sparks story, but this romance will likely draw out the waterworks, too.
Read if : You need a good tug on your heartstrings.
A feel-good historical romance
"Bringing Down the Duke" by Evie Dunmore, available on Amazon and Bookshop
In 1879, Annabelle is among the first women accepted into Oxford University. The only stipulation? She must support the women's suffrage movement by recruiting Sebastian Devereux-a Duke to their cause — while denying the attraction she has for a man who stands against everything she's fighting for. This book is a chemistry-filled debut with an interesting look at the women's suffrage movement in Britain.
Read if : Smart women and historical accuracy make up your perfect novel.
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