Romance novels to me are like Hallmark movies are to others: a feel good story that isn’t real life but leaves you feeling good at the end. The couples end up together and there is a certain level of predictability to the stories, but you don’t really care. You are there to relax and just enjoy.
I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 romance novels because while these stories are there to be simply enjoyable, there are certain stories and series that stand out in my opinion.
Well Met series by Jen DeLuca. So far this series has four titles in it (Well Met, Well Played, Well Matched, & Well Traveled). These stories center around a Renaissance Faire that is put on for charity in the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland. The first book is about a woman who comes to the town to help her sister after an accident and gets roped in to volunteering for the faire with her niece. There’s the classic enemies to lovers trope in that story. You meet other characters and get their loves stories in the following books. Other tropes include fake dating, mistaken identities, and the good girl falling for the bad boy. These are cute stories for those who have an interest in Renaissance Faire culture.
Meant to be series by various authors. These are modern romantic retelling of the classic Disney Princess tales. So far there are retellings of Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, Little Mermaid & Tangled (coming out summer 2024). The series gets authors like Jasmine Guillory, Christina Lauren & more to write these retellings and they are so cute! I read By the Book by Jasmine Guillory & Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova. If you love Disney movies (like me, a Disney adult) then you’ll enjoy these books.
The Bromance Book Club series by Lyssa Kay Adams. These books are centered around men who read romance books to help solve their own romantic problems. They are funny, cute and alternate between excerpts of what the Bromance Book Club is currently reading and the general story narrative. What I love about these books is that they show men being vulnerable with each other. It changes the narrative around toxic masculinity and shows that it is okay to enjoy a good romance.
November 9 by Colleen Hoover. I read this book for a book challenge that my library hosted last year (the goal was to read a book that played around with time). November 9 is a special day for the main characters. They meet on this day and meet on this day every year. It’s a beautiful story of two people whose lives are connected to the day November 9 (and in ways that surprise you at the end). It’s romantic, heart wrenching and this book just pulls at your soul (which most of Hoover’s books do for me).
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren. While this book is related to The Soulmate Equation, I read this book first and still found both to be enjoyable. I absolutely loved this book. First of all, if you read my previous review of The Soulmate Equation, you know that I find the premise of an app that uses your DNA to match you with your soulmate fascinating (and I wish it truly existed). What stood out to me about this book is that the main character, Fizzy, is so relatable. She struggles with finding true love despite being a romance author. She’s in her 30s and just hasn’t found that right person. As I am in my 30s (and haven’t found love yet) I enjoy feeling seen and heard in a novel. Plus, the spicy scenes are just very good and very enjoyable.
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey. I just loved the main characters in this book. A hopeless romantic hoping for a meet cute. There are cliche moments in this book, but it’s all a part of the story and the charm. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put this book down.
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. I love a good romance that will teach me about things, like in this book, a condition called face blindness. Who even knew that was possible? It got me thinking about what if I couldn’t recognize those around me? It makes for an entertaining story of a woman who thinks she met the man of her dreams, but then doesn’t recognize him when she sees him. It’s a cute story that will keep you on your toes.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry. It’s a classic enemy to lovers story, but the characters are just so interesting. The chemistry between Nora and Charlie is impalpable. Whenever I read one of Henry’s books, I find myself reading all hours of the night. There’s the perfect amount of spice and wonderfully woven storylines that just draw you in. Book Lovers is definitely one of her better books, however, I have enjoyed them all.
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. What sets Hazelwood apart is that she writes about women in STEM and academia. Main character Elsie is an adjunct professor, but she supplements her income by being a fake girlfriend for various clients. She is a classic people pleaser and tends to put other people’s wants over her own. This is another enemies to lovers story but there’s a twist. The love interest is the brother of one of her clients (who thinks she is his brother’s girlfriend). Elsie and Jack’s worlds collide in synchronistic ways in this beautifully written novel. I highly recommend Ali Hazelwood (who is also debuting her paranormal romance novel, Bride, soon if not already).
The Cocky Kingmans by Amy Award. These books are self published (and I love supporting self published authors) and yes, my number one. Heres’s why: These books feature plus size female main characters falling for professional football players. In high school, I had crushes on all the football players, so this is like my dream come true. Award features cute and interesting pets for her female main characters: a rooster in the first book & a dachshund in the second. What makes these books stand out to me is the author note in the beginning. Award shares parts that may be triggering for us plus size babes and also points out where you can skip the story if you get easily triggered. She also explains why these scenes are part of the book (because in real life, people can be mean to plus size people) and these stories combine realistic circumstances with a bit of whimsy. I love the artwork on the cover and I just love the stories. They do get a little spicy, but there’s more to the story than just that element.
Comment below with the books you have read and if you think I left anything off this list!
-Amy
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