Whether you’re single, in a relationship or trying to navigate something in between this Valentine’s Day, there’s nothing quite like reading a romance novel to get in the spirit for the holiday. But with the incredible range of the romance genre these days, it can be tough to know what trope, pairing or subgenre is the ideal one to celebrate the season. Here’s a list of romances, some adult and young adult, that I think everyone needs to read.
1. Red, White & Royal Blue
Ever since its release last May, I can hardly think of a romance novel that’s gotten more buzz than Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. This hilarious and snarky story is set in an alternate version of the United States with a woman for president (I wish), whose son has beef with a prince of Great Britain. When the two are forced to convince the media of their friendship, unexpected sparks start to fly. This book has not only a royal gay romance but also enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes. I’ll admit, this one is still shamefully sitting on my To-Be-Read list, so I might finally pick it up for the holiday myself! (Warning: some of the scenes do get pretty steamy!)
2. The Kiss Quotient
Bring out your fans and get ready to clutch some pearls, because The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang will have you positively blushing! This book does not hold back and is one of the most refreshingly diverse, sex-positive reads I’ve ever encountered. Stella is thirty years old, a highly successful algorithm writer/statistician and on the Autism Spectrum. When she decides she’s tired of not enjoying sex, she hires a professional— a half Vietnamese, half Swedish escort who just might help her learn to appreciate even more than the physical aspects of love. Though this book is definitely steamy (read: explicit), I rooted so hard for Stella and Michael that I couldn’t set this book down until I turned the last page!
3. The Unhoneymooners
If you’re a big romance reader, you’ve probably heard of the infamous writing duo Christina Lauren (yep, it’s two different women). An addictive enemies-to-lovers romance, The Unhoneymooners is the perfect read for escaping the dreary winter weather of mid-February. On the day of her sister’s wedding, Olive witnesses the entire party get food poisoning at the reception dinner, and the only two people left standing are herself and her sworn enemy/the best man, Ethan. With a non-refundable honeymoon trip to Hawaii on the line, Olive and Ethan begrudgingly agree to go to paradise together. But their plans to separately enjoy the free vacation quickly fall by the wayside when the pair have to pretend to be newlyweds.
If this sounds a little chaotic and like the most amazing romance ever, you’d be right. It certainly made me believe that love can be found even (or maybe especially) in the strangest of circumstances.
4. Her Royal Highness
Coming at you with yes, another royal romance, but trust me when I say you won’t want to miss this one either! Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins features a Texas girl named Millie, who spontaneously decides to attend boarding school in Scotland when she finds out her girlfriend is cheating on her. But things get even more complicated when she discovers she’s attending class with the royal elite of the Scottish highlands, and that her roommate is a real-life princess.
This romance takes place in a school directly inspired by Gourdonston, the rigorous boarding school attended by Prince Charles—Her Royal Highness is even complete with a similar outdoorsy hiking championship! It’s hilarious and heartwarming, and a must-read for fans of The Crown.
5. Lovely War
Don’t worry, I saved the best for last. Although Lovely War is considerably more intense than the rest of the books on this list, it’s one of the most beautifully written stories I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a while. The book follows two different couples on their journeys to fall and stay in love during World War I and World War II, and is narrated by the goddess Aphrodite. It’s love on top of love on top of heartbreak, and had me tearing up more than a few times as I savored every page. If you’re a fan of historical romance (and generally of getting your heart crushed into a million pieces), I really can’t recommend this book enough!
I hope you all enjoyed this list of some of my favorite romance books and get a chance to pick one or two of them up this season. Happy reading!
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