It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and I love celebrating love. And so, I thought what better way to enjoy this holiday season and share the love than by sharing my favorite book recommendations? Here are five romance books I’ve been enjoying reading this season.
‘Ugly Love’ by Colleen Hoover
Even though I haven’t read all of the popular Colleen Hoover novels, I know with certainty that this will be one of my favorites from her. I rarely rate books on my Goodreads with five stars, but this was a five-star book, no questions asked. This book will take you through all the emotions: love, anger, sadness, excitement, nervousness and a broken heart. Hoover flips between the point-of-view of Tate Collins in the present and Miles Archer’s past, as he opens up about his experiences until the timelines blend. Tate and Miles will have you flipping page after page trying to keep up with their undeniable connection and attraction they have to one another.
‘In the Weeds’ (Lovelight #2) by B. K. Borison
Evelyn St. James, social media influencer and businesswoman, finds herself needing an oasis away from her busy work life. She ends up finding herself in a small town in Maine, searching for an ignited source of happiness within herself and her life. She runs into Beckett Porter, the man she shared a passionate one-night stand with several months before. Now, before you find yourself already lured in – this is the second book in the series! The first novel is titled Lovelight Farms, and I have yet to read this one. I know that you should read books in order… but I sometimes have a habit of starting books without double-checking. In the Weeds happened to be the one that I did not double-check. I listened to this novel using an audiobook app, Hoopla, and I loved the transitions between narrators. I have a long commute to work, so audiobooks like this one have been my new source of happiness.
‘Instructions for Dancing’ by Nicola Yoon
This is a great story, especially for those of you readers who have had your heart broken before, or maybe are questioning the idea of love. The main character, Evie Thomas, has visions when she sees other couples kissing. Not only is she able to see the kiss, but she can see how the couples met one another and also how their relationship ends. Due to this, Evie believes that all love stories will end with at least one broken heart, meaning she never wants to find love. Of course, the novel does not end there. She meets a boy named X who is not her love at first side guy, but he makes her question her ideologies about avoiding love. The two of them end up crossing paths in a dance class where Evie ends up second-guessing her feelings about romance and love.
‘Keys to Love #1: Island Affair’ by Priscilla Oliveras
If you don’t have time to read this around Valentine’s Day, be sure to read this one over spring or summer break. Imagine having plans to go on a family vacation for your family to meet your fiancé and then he doesn’t show up for the trip. Pretty brutal, right? In this story, Sara Vance’s partner is MIA, leaving her scrambling to find someone who can play her pretend fiancé for the vacation. Luis Navarro happens to be that lucky man who finds himself joining her on the family trip. Imagine having to pretend to be in love, making up all the stories of your first kiss, first date, first “I love you,” and so forth. If you want a book that’ll keep you on your toes, this is the one. Also, this is the first book in the series – so if you LOVE it, there’s more to read!
‘The Hating Game’ by Sally Thorne
Sometimes love stems from hate… but sometimes that hatred can be an underlying sense of tension or romance that is budding under the surface. In this story, Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are using the same office space but are complete opposites. They share a mutual feeling of constantly trying to one-up one another in the office, and eventually begin working towards the same promotion: to be the boss. The only catch is only one of them can get the job, and they make a deal that the other person will quit. Even though this is The Hating Game, they also play the starring game, the mirror game, and the HR game. If you have ever found yourself unsure of whether you like someone or whether they simply drive you crazy, this is a great read. As an aside, in 2021 they created an American comedy film of this movie if you are someone who loves reading a book, watching a movie, and then comparing the two. After all, maybe Joshua and Lucy don’t hate one another… maybe that’s all part of their game
I hope you enjoyed reading over the summaries of five of my favorite books, you should consider reading or watching this Valentine’s Day season. There’s no greater way to share the love than by sharing my favorite reads.
HCXO,
Lynn