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Any romance novels you’ve loved recently? By the wonderful Grace Farris.
P.S. My ideal little free library and three steamy romance novels.
Choosing a Romance Novel
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“Love, Rosie” and “Me before You”
Anything by Katherine Center! Feel good romance. Just finished her latest, The Shippers (in one session). Things You Save in a Fire and Happiness For Beginners are my favorites.
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone is a romance but also explores how on earth you can rebuild your life while grappling with loss and grief. It’s gorgeous. You will probably cry, but it’s also gloriously hopeful all the way through.
I’m a little late to this party but I’ve recently just finished The Summer I Turned Pretty show. Gosh the longing between Belly and Conrad…I could watch another 50 hours of those two. I started the audio books last night. Who has some recommendations on longing??? A sentence I never thought I’d write lol.
A Song for Achilles…the longing was achingly beautiful.
Every Beautiful Mile by Ashley Manley
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (all of her books are great!)
Where are my “Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion” ladies at?
Oh my gosh, I read almost exclusively romance because I love a love story AND a HEA. Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune was probably my favorite one so far this year, but if you want a little more spice, the Lucky River Ranch series by Jessica Peterson, yeehaw! Also anything by Elsie Silver (small town romance). Less recently (maybe 2023 or 2024 releases?) Part of Your World and Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. I could go on for far too long about the merits of all different sub-genres, but I’ll calm down and just leave it there.
I was just sharing “wind down routines” with a girlfriend, and she said “Romance novels!” That is how she winds down at the end of the day. She was so enthusiastic about it that I am now motivated to try. This was the perfect and most fitting post. Thank you!
The perfect summer read! ☀️ Whether you’re in New England or just want to escape there for a little while, The Only Catch by Jess Turner will completely sweep you away. It’ll have you dreaming of Maine, cozy winter days, and making a million comfort dishes! I absolutely devoured it and was so sad when it ended.
I’m late to the game but does anyone have recs for a novel that combines lit fic with romance? I guess I’m going for more of a contemporary novel with writing that mirror kit fic, and has elements of romance.
It sounds specific but I feel like there should be a lot of novels that fit the bill!
Less- Andrew Sean Greer
American Fantasy- Emma Straub
Better Luck Next Time- Julia Claiborne Johnson
Romances that don’t necessarily feel like romances- Adore these. Also I adore more classic romances from Julia Quinn, Tessa Bailey, Tessa Dare!
Into the Blue! My new favorite book
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
The Violin Maker’s Secret by Evie Woods
A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory
I loved all of these. Great list!!
I’m very into monster and alien romance at the moment.
Can you share a title you liked, please? Never read an alien romance (werewolf yes, is that a monster?) and would like to start!
Have recently gotten into romance, thanks to a viewing of Heated Rivalry that needed follow up between seasons, combined with a new running habit that I’m trying to maintain through page turners I only let myself listen to on runs and commutes! Turns out I like witty banter, longing, spice, laughs, a touch of a mental health current, capable ladies, and green flag dudes who can ultimately communicate about feelings And it turns out, finding this often means queer. Faves have included:
Red, White and Royal Blue
Boyfriend Material
All of Rachel Reid’s books but especially Role Model
Business or Pleasure
How to End a Love Story
You HAVE to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller!!!!
Brand new novel, just released last week. (Reese’s August pick!)
A mesmerizing romance. The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson.
Big romance reader here! I’ve been reading a number of Black romances thi summer:
– “Curvy Girl Summer” by Danielle Allen (the banter! Swoon!)
– Farrah Rochon’s “Pugs and Kisses” (second chance romance between two veterinarians)
– “Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around” by LaQuette (two swoony MCs finding their way back to each other at their 25th reunion)
– “August Lane” by Regina Black (PHENOMENAL in every way)
– “Pride and Protest” by Nikki Payne, a fun update on P&P
I had to throw in some historicals too, of course, including Lydia Lloyd’s newest, “Rogue Around the Edges” and a good chunk of Grace Callaway’s backlist. Happy reading, friends!
I love Romance because I love a happy ending. Part of the fun of this genre is trusting an author to take you on a (sometimes wild) journey while knowing everything will work out in the end. These are some of my favorites:
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean: A romance-adjacent family drama in contemporary Rhode Island. A little bit like Succession… with a handsome outsider and more kissing.
My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long: This book has everything I love about historical romance. It’s funny, charming, romantic, there’s a heroine who is young but not naive, a hero who is jaded but totally smitten, everyone works to fix injustice… it’s the best!
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles: Heroes, villains, found family, revenge, swashbuckling adventure, secret love, and a romantic rescue.
Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn: A contemporary romance about a woman who’s a little bit messy and a guy who’s a little bit brooding told through dual POV. I accidentally fell in love with both of them.
Loved loved My Season of Scandal!
I love romance but usually just borrow them from the library. I bought my own copy of My Season of Scandal because I loved it so much and I wanted to visit Catherine and Dominic’s warm friendship turned longing and angst over and over again.
+1 to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen!
I heard somewhere that, in order to be classified as a “romance novel,” the book’s structure HAS to include a happy ending.
Anneka you heard right. I believe this is called HEA for happily ever after.
I’m currently loving Seven Days in June by Tia Williams.
loved seven days in june!
Curious if anyone has any recommendations for an audio book that parallels how brilliant it was to listen to The Husbands?
LOVE Nothing to See Here (by Kevin Wilson) on audio. Give it a try and report back!
The Husbands was heavily drawn from The Midnight Library by Matt Haig so you could try that one.
Try The Names, too – it’s kind of a “which way would life go” story, as well!
Any romance narrated by Julia whelan.
I cannot wait for these recommendations to start flooding in! The last great one I’ve found was Beach Read – looks like there’s film version coming next year and Tig Natoro will be in it, so I will be re-reading for sure!
Beach read is an fav. Emily Henry’s most recent one was Funny Story and I loved it too!
I read -a lot- of these, like probably 6 a month on average, and I’d recommend these lighter funny romances especially for anyone looking for cozy escapism.
Earls Trip series by Jenny Holiday – regency humor from the men’s perspective
Merriwell Sisters series by Virginia Heath – regency humor from the women’s perspective
Daughter of Montague series by Christina Dodd – Romeo & Juliet’s daughter is a detective!
Loch Morven series by Bella James – Scottish brothers’ lives get turned upside down by love
Ex Hex series by Erin Sterling – a bit Practical magic, a bit Twilight, a bit Gilmore girls
The Last Binding Trilogy by Freya Marske – so smart, queer protagonists, victorian, magical
I just started “Phoebe Berman’s Going to Lose It” and so far so fun. I have a crush on the library desk guy (I have had a crush on every library desk guy everywhere I’ve lived, I have a type, never mind that I’m in a relationship lol) and sheepishly try to hide my romance novel habit from him, sometimes more successfully than others hahaha.
Meghan, you absolutely must read Overdue by Stephanie Perkins. From one stranger on the internet to another: it was written for you.
Omg Sonja this book synopsis is too applicable to my life!! I put it on hold and will double make sure my library crush isn’t working when I pick up!
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
Seconding this Wendy! And adding, anything by Annabel Monaghan
Yes! Dolly All the Time was wonderful!
I just stayed up until 4am to finish this book – it was so so so so so good.
This book was one of my all time favorites this summer!! What each to very highly recommend… One& only by Maurene Goo and Love You More by Emily Giffin
Stupid predicted text error, meant to write: Also want to highly recommend One & Only by Maurene Goo and Love You More by Emily Giffin
Jojo Moyes’ ‘Someone Else’s Shoes.’ Not sure if it’s strictly romance, but it is the best story I’ve read in a good long while! It has it all, and I didn’t want it to end, now I am looking at reading her other books too, of which I’ve read a few already..
Romance novels aren’t for me. My favorite of my recent reads was Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young, by Zayd Ayers Dohrn. It’s a memoir of his experience growing up as the child of two prominent members of the Weather Underground. Really fascinating, would definitely recommend for anyone who is interested in reading about complicated families.
“Complicated families” is my favorite sub genre !! :) I had read about this book but forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder. It does look good !
Fun fact: Random House Books curates playlists for books! So do many community members (including me!) I’m currently listening to a (long) playlist for the Rebel Blue Ranch series.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1NEtUzkZN1N5gurkfntVZ5?si=p7-ULmDiTgiM6rYQvDwtOw
Love this comment. Give that department a raise!
“On the Calculation of Volume (Book 1)” by Solvej Balle, some 20 pages in. Books 2,3 and 4 await patiently on my shelf…
I would not call these books Romance, but they are very very good. Every time my mind started to wander, or I would have a question about the mechanics of the world Balle is building, she would either answer the question in a surprising way, or the story would turn in a new direction that was way more interesting than whatever I was thinking about before.
Thanks for sharing Sofie, I’m enjoying even more pages into the first volume. Agree these are not romance books, I made the comment really early when the tag question was asking what books we readers enjoyed lately. That tag question got updated to what it is now in the post, so my comment seems out of context…
These have been sitting on a table in my house, quietly staring at me as I walk past it everyday … this is what I needed to see to pick them up next. Thanks Lykke.
I just read Into The Blue by Emma Brodie and was CONSUMED. Will someone else please read so we can discuss…
Same!!! Stayed up way too late reading multiple nights.
Oh Liz me too. I spent 75% of that book with a lump in my throat and the other 25% forgetting to breathe. The writing is incredible.
Came here to rec this one! Beautifully written. Noah Kahn’s “Orbiter” sends me right back into my feels for this book every time I hear it too.
Yes! What an wonderfully deep, moving and intelligent romance!
In love!!!
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