1. Take A Hint, Dani Brown – Talia Hibbert
Let’s just say, this is beyond a feel-good read. This story follows Danika Brown, a Black, bisexual PhD student, allergic to commitment, manifesting the universe to find her the perfect person for a ‘friends with benefits’ situation.
Enter Zafir Ansari, a Muslim Pakistani-British ex-rugby player who works as a security guard at her school, reads romance novels in his spare time, and runs a sports charity for children.
After saving Dani from a fire drill gone wrong, the video of Zaf rescuing her goes viral and he begs her to help him gain publicity for his sports charity by being in a fake relationship.
*This is the second book in Talia Hibbert’s The Brown Sisters series, following Danika Brown, but it can be read as a standalone. I’d also really recommend the first book, Get A Life, Chloe Brown. The third instalment, Act Your Age, Eve Brown, comes out March 2021!
2. The Hating Game – Sally Thorne
This is the perfect enemies-to-lovers read. Following Lucy Hutton and Josh Templeman, executive assistants to the two owners of Bexley & Gamin Publishing House, who have hated each other from the moment they met. They’re opposites in every way and have come up with many games to play at work, such as ‘The Mirror Game,’ ‘The HR Game,’ and ‘The Staring Game.’
Everything seems to get worse when they discover that they’re both in competition to become the other’s boss, but the dynamic between the two of them completely shifts after they kiss.
3. The Score – Elle Kennedy
This story follows Allie Hayes, a confused college student who doesn’t know what she wants to do after graduation and is also nursing a broken heart after the end of her long-term relationship.
Dean Di Laurentis is the definition of a player, as a hockey player and ladies’ man. He just seems to get whatever he wants, until after him and Allie hook up and she just wants to be friends.
Allie knows Dean’s reputation and doesn’t want to be just another girl, and she definitely prefers relationships over casual sex. But Dean manages to convince her to let go of her no casual sex rule, especially after the end of her three-year relationship, for some rebound sex.
*This is the third book in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, following Allie and Dean, but it can be read as a standalone (although the whole series is great, as well as the spin-off series Briar-U).
4. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating – Christina Lauren
Hazel is weird. She’s loud, fun, a little crazy, and, frankly, a lot to take. Josh has known Hazel since college, from the first night they met, when she gracefully threw up on his shoes.
Fast-forward ten years, Hazel is best friends with Emily, Josh’s sister, and after running into Josh at a barbeque, she’s immediately determined to be his best friend. Despite his reluctance, Josh could use a friend, so they start spending time together.
They deem one another undatable but crave connection. So, they decide to start setting up each other so they can double date, but for some reason each date night ends with just the two of them.
5. The Proposal – Jasmine Guillory
Nikole goes to a Dogers game with her actor boyfriend and the last thing she expects is a proposal, on the scoreboard for everyone to see. Especially having only dated for five months, saying no isn’t hard – he didn’t even spell her name right on the scoreboard – but the stadium of disappointed fans is another thing.
At the game with his sister, Carlos comes to Nik’s rescue by rushing her away from the camera crew. He’s there for her when the rejection video goes viral and her social media blows up (and not in the good way).
Nik knows that a handsome doctor like Carlos wouldn’t be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound filled with fantastic sex, food, and fun.
*This is the second book in Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date series, following Nikole and Carlos, but it can be read as a standalone.
Interested in any of these romance reads? I encourage you to check out Bookshop.org which helps support local bookshops.
Words By: Anastacia Jido
Edited By: Olivia Flower