Love is in the air and on the page, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. While it has come to be known as a holiday centered on romantic love, I choose to celebrate other forms of love on V-Day. Like the love you have for friends and family. Or in this case, the love of reading.
Whether you have a partner or plan on practicing some self-love, here are 6 romance books to make your heart race.
The Match by Sarah Adams
This book is a closed-door romance (meaning no outright spice scenes) and the first in the It Happened in Charleston series. Evie works for Southern Service Paws, a company that matches clients with service dogs. Evie believes in the company wholeheartedly after being paired with her own dog, Charles, who gave her back her independence. Through the powers of a scheming ten-year-old named Sam, Evie meets Jacob Broaden, Sam’s father. Sam was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and desperately wants a service dog. As Jacob and Evie get to know each other during the matching process, they can’t deny the growing attraction between them.
I adored this book. Found family is a favorite trope of mine, and the way that Evie is so easily accepted into Jacob’s immediate family warmed my heart. I love seeing characters rediscover their faith in familial love after being denied it for so long. There were times I got frustrated with Jacob for almost making decisions on Evie’s behalf, but he was so devoted to her that I allowed it.
Buy this book on Amazon or Thriftbooks
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
Penny is ready to leave her hometown, including her embarrassing mother, behind her. College and the pursuit of her creative writing degree provide the fresh start that she needs. Meanwhile, Sam can’t seem to find his footing on a path to a better life. He dropped out of school, has $17 to his name, and lives on a mattress in a storage room. After Sam has a panic attack and crashes into Penny’s life, Penny gives him her number and saves herself as his emergency contact. Though the two are strangers, everyone needs someone to call in emergencies, right? The two begin to correspond behind their screens and become more vulnerable with one another than they have ever been with anyone else. Can their relationship survive in the real world, or are Penny and Sam destined for virtual friendship only?
Emergency Contact is a YA romance book that perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to navigate the uncertainty of early adulthood. This was the book that solidified my love for contemporary romance, and I could not recommend it more. Choi fleshed out both characters very well, and their vulnerability made me feel less alone. It’s important to note that there is a content warning for coerced sexual activity (not from the love interest).
Buy this book on Amazon or Thriftbooks
7th Time Loop The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! (Light Novel) Vol. 1 by Touko Amekawa
This is not your typical reincarnation story. Rishe has lived 6 exceedingly different lives. She’s been a merchant, a hypothecary, a maid, an alchemist, a spy, and even disguised herself as a man to be a knight in her 6th life. Now on her 7th time around, Rishe just wants to relax. However, she catches the eye of Arnold Klein, the future Emperor, who starts the very war that killed Rishe in each of her previous lives. Determined to live a longer life this time, Rishe accepts Arnold’s marriage proposal and makes it her goal to end the war before it can even happen.
I personally found 7th Time Loop after watching the anime inspired by these light novels. The anime only covers the first two books in the series, so fans like me were left foaming at the mouth for more content. One main difference distinguishing the novels from the anime is the changes to the love interest, Arnold’s character. He has more quips and smiles, or more accurately smirks, in the novel than in the anime. It gives him a sassier vibe that enhances the growing romantic tension. Regardless, I highly suggest that you give either the anime, the light novel, or the manga a try. The more fans, the higher the possibility that we’ll get more anime.
Buy this book on Amazon or Thriftbooks
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hilbert
Bradley and Celine used to be best friends, but a sudden surge in Bradley’s popularity has left Celine in the dust. If the two of them can’t be friends, naturally, they must become enemies. Cue an intense academic rivalry rife with petty insults thrown at each other in the halls. Years of getting on each other’s nerves come to a head when the two sign up for the same survival course to build their resumes. A truce is made after they realize that the course is much harder than they expected. Celine and Bradley must work their butts off to make it to the other side of this course together. Can these friends-to-enemies become enemies-to-friends? Or maybe even something more?
A YA book set in the UK that explores adolescence, feelings of isolation, and a sincere portrayal of OCD that helps audiences feel connected and seen, this title also marks a major source of representation for POC readers.
Buy this book on Amazon or Thriftbooks
Loveless by Alice Oseman
Georgia dreams about falling in love but has never even had a crush. At least, not a real one. She adores watching romance in movies, is obsessed with fan fiction, and admires her parents’ happy relationship. Georgia loves love, and university seems like the perfect gateway to a whirlwind romance of her own. Georgia’s hopes are encouraged by her best friends Pip and Jason and even her zany roommate Rooney. But as Georgie pursues love, she feels…nothing. Or more accurately, she feels uncomfortable. She begins to wonder, is there something wrong with her?
Loveless is a story that primarily focuses on self-love, with a protagonist on a journey of self-discovery as she comes to understand new labels such as aromantic and asexual. There is a side story that is more steeped in romance, but the main story is the one I want to highlight this Valentine’s Day. No love is more important than self-love. Oseman does it again in this fantastic story with beautiful queer representation.
Buy this book on Amazon or Thriftbooks
Loathe to Love You: A Novella Collection by Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood is a giant in the romance genre. I personally love many of her titles. I could go on and on about Bride (or you could read my review of Mate here) or The Love Hypothesis. But I want to shine some love on this novella collection. The three stories are tied together by a friend group of three women and their respective love stories. I loved each of the open-door novellas, and when I first read them, I was kicking my feet and screaming into my pillow.
The blurb on the back of the book describes the three Novellas as such:
“Under One Roof – Mara:
“An environmental engineer discovers that scientists should never cohabitate when she finds herself stuck with the roommate from hell–a detestable big-oil lawyer who won’t leave the thermostat alone.”
Stuck with You – Sadie:
“A civil engineer and her nemesis take their rivalry–and love–to the next level when they get stuck in a New York elevator.”
Below Zero-Hannah:
“A NASA aerospace engineer’s frozen heart melts as she lies injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station and the only person willing to undertake the dangerous rescue mission is her longtime rival.”
Buy this book on Amazon or Thriftbooks
As I said before, I have read all of these books and personally recommend them if you are in the mood for romantic (or at least love-filled) reads. If you’re looking for science fiction or fantasy recommendations, check out this article.
And so marks my last article as a writer with Trill. As always, happy reading!
