Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell are starring in the latest rom-com, Anyone but You — where a surprisingly great first date turns into contempt, and the two are unexpectedly reunited at a wedding in Australia. The two fake date to keep the peace, but they might be unable to keep up the facade.
If you loved the movie, there are so many great romance books that you might find just as good. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than picking up a good romance!
- Emily Henry – Happy Place
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Winning the 2023 “Best Romance” category on Goodreads, Happy Place is Henry’s newest second-chance romance novel full of pining, angst, and so much chemistry. Similar to Anyone but You, it involves a friend’s wedding and a fake relationship, with so many more elements added in. Henry does a great job of blending romance tropes and elements without it feeling overly cliché. She adds real-world feelings and situations that always make her characters pop out of the novel. Henry has mastered giving just enough information away to keep the reader engaged and wanting more.
☆ 4.04 stars on Goodreads
- Ashley Herring Blake – Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
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In a steamy queer romantic comedy, Delilah is practically forced to go back to her hometown to photograph her estranged sister Astrid’s wedding. While back, she runs into one of Astrid’s friends, Claire, and decides she might as well have some fun while she’s there. Though they’ve known each other for years Claire and Delilah definitely didn’t know each other like this. Some moments will have your jaw on the floor and throwing the book (hopefully not Kindle) across the room because of how much tension there is. And if you love this one, she has two more books that also take place in Bright Falls. One of my favorite romances and not at all rushed.
☆ 4.11 stars on Goodreads
- Lynn Painter – Better Than the Movies
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Soon to have its film adaptation, Better Than the Movies is a YA rom-com about going after the person you want and fighting for them. It’s one of those romances where you pretty much know what’s going to happen and it’s a bit cliché and predictable, but also extremely cute. It’s a good one for when you want to read something simple and fun. Swoon-worthy and an easy read, it has taken BookTok by storm as a rom-com favorite and has some of the most romantic lines.
☆ 4.29 stars on Goodreads
- Casey McQuiston – Red, White & Royal Blue
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Recently made into a movie over the summer, Red, White & Royal Blue follows the son of the President of the United States (a Texan woman running for her second term in office) and the son of the Queen of England and their cross-continental love. Full of secrets, tension, and steamy interactions, McQuiston’s bestseller is one of my favorites. It’s one I had on my shelf for years and the second I started reading it I wished I read it sooner. It is a giggle-and-kick-your-feet type of book and you get the added bonus of getting to watch the adaptation as soon as you finish it.
☆ 4.10 stars on Goodreads
- Rebecca Yarros – Fourth Wing and Iron Flame
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A bit of an outlier on this list is the Fourth Wing series by Rebecca Yarros. Full disclosure, I have not read this yet, but the other day I went ahead and got both on my Kindle because of how convincing the reviews are. As someone who works in a bookstore, I have heard non-stop praise from both co-workers and customers alike for how fantastic the books are. I’m not a huge fantasy reader other than Six of Crows (Go check that out. Please.) but all the chatter about them has convinced me. Violet Sorrengail, set to join the Scribe Quadrant, gets commanded to compete to join the dragon riders by the general, who is also her mom. Yarros has a great description of the plot the caption below. Winner of the ‘Best Romantacy’ category on Goodreads, this bestseller is sure to be a great one.
☆ 4.61 stars on Goodreads
- Emily Henry – Book Lovers
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Ending with another of Henry’s novels, Book Lovers is an absolute favorite of mine. Following a literary agent going on vacation with her sister, she runs into a grumpy book editor who is not a friend nor a fan of hers. Henry does a great job of mixing romance, tension, and spice. She somehow adds in small details that come into play later that are so perfect, that they always pull everything together by the end. You know who ends up with whom from the get-go, but she omits just enough that you’re not quite sure how they do. I ended up deeply caring about the characters by the conclusion, wishing for more.
☆ 4.15 stars on Goodreads