With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, love is in the air for many readers—and romance can be in your to-be-read pile too! As a lifelong reader, I’ve fallen head over heels for many literary couples and below you’ll find a few of my favorites—some old and new—for whatever mood you’re in! Just don’t blame me when you ditch your Valentine’s Day plans in favor of reading!
Historical
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole The American Civil War is maybe not the sexiest backdrop people can think of for a romance novel, but Cole gives us hope in some of our country's darkest times with this first book in her Loyal League series. An Extraordinary Union follows Elle Burns, a former slave turned Union spy, as she falls for Pinkerton detective, Malcolm. You'll fall for this couple as thoroughly as they fall for one another.
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes within the romance genre and no one pulls it off better than Tessa Dare. A grumpy duke bound by duty finds himself marrying an innocent vicar's daughter-turned-seamstress—and when you enter your marriage with a list of rules a mile long, the only way to a happy ending is to break ever last one of them.
LGBTQ
Hold Me by Courtney Milan Hold Me walks the awkard line between enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers. When Jay, Maria's real-world nemesis, ends up being the commenter she's been flirting with for months, sparks fly—and they're not all the good kind!
An Unseen Attraction by KJ Charles A slow burn romance and mystery mix beautifully together in this first book in the Sins in the City series. Clem Talleyfer likes his quiet life as a lodge-house keeper and he likes his quiet evenings with lodger, Rowley Green, even better; but when the body of a fellow lodger is found, secrets may be the thing that keeps these two apart.
Contemporary
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren Christina Lauren is one of my favorite authors and Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating is by far one of my favorite books by them. Not only is this book the epitome of what romance novels can be, Hazel, the heroine, is a character for every person who has felt they were too weird for love. This book will have you laughing out loud as these two knuckleheads go on date after date... with other people... before finding their way to a happy end.
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne If you’ve already read and loved The Hating Game then get ready for Sally Thorne’s sophomore effort. This follow-up (though it’s important to note this is not a sequel and so can be read on its own) bring Thorne’s trademark humor and spark and adds depth to these characters you’ll surely be rooting for.
Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole At this point, Cole is many books into her Immortals After Dark series so reading A Hunger Like No Other will be the perfect start to your next binge read. In this first book, Cole pairs a tortured (sometimes literally) werewolf with a young half-vampire. As you can imagine, the two don’t always mix well but when you’ve found your fated mate, not even a little interspecies warfare can get in the way.
The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy For those looking for a more female-friendly Game of Thrones, look no further than Kennedy’s The Twelve Kingdoms Series, which starts with The Mark of the Tala. This book follows Princess Andromeda, who discovers she has magical powers—in a country where magic is outlawed. Swept away into a neighboring kingdom, she “finds her life taking a drastic turn when the king of a supernatural land of shapeshifters and demons takes her as his queen.”
Young Adult
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han While we’ve all been watching Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on repeat since its release this summer, there’s more joy to be had for those who love all the boys that Lara Jean Covey does. Not only is this movie based on a book—it’s based on a whole series. So go fall for Peter K., John Ambrose, and any of the other boys Lara Jean loved.
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi Life's hard enough without racking your brain for someone to be your "emergency contact." A chance meeting leads two young college students to become each other's emergency contacts—and leads to love in this unique romance of the digital age.
So what do you say, will you be adding any of these romances to your Valentine's Day plans? See the full list here.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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