Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (M/M, forced friendship, secret relationship, rivals to lovers)
If you’re looking for the swooniest romance of all time (Prince Henry’s words, not mine), Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is the perfect read. McQuiston blends political drama, a turkey named Cornbread, and gut-wrenching 1800s love letters in a modern rivals-to-lovers MM romance. The story follows FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry Fox of Wales as they navigate clearing up a political scandal and falling in love all at the same time.
Sweet and Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley (F/F, grumpy x sunshine, reluctant allies, fairytale elements)
Sweet and Bitter Magic is a YA sapphic fantasy about a witch who has been cursed to be unable to love. She is forced to team up with a source (someone who is made of magic) to save the world from a plague created by dark magic. It was a book that I continued to think about well after the reading experience. The writing itself is magically atmospheric and lighthearted, giving off similar vibes to those that are classified as cozy fantasy.
Funny Story by Emily Henry (Fake dating, forced proximity, slow burn, opposites attract, revenge dating)
Emily Henry’s Funny Story is an absolute slow-burn masterpiece. It’s messy, it’s romantic, it’s sarcastic, and it’s downright glorious. The story follows Daphne and Miles – exes of each other’s exes who are now living together. As expected, they begin faking dating in an attempt to make each other’s exes jealous. What starts off as an act ends up becoming the most real romance either of them have ever experienced.
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone (Grumpy x sunshine, found family, slow-burn)
Promise Me Sunshine is a slow-burn contemporary romance that follows a woman, Lenny, trying to put her life back together after losing her best friend from cancer. She partners with the grumpy uncle of the girl she is babysitting to complete a “live again” list and in return she will help him connect with his niece. I was captivated by the banter and found family elements throughout the novel. Despite the heavy discussions of grief, Lenny has a vibrant, sunshine personality.
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (Slow burn, he falls first, dark rom-com, morally grey main characters)
Searching for an absolutely killer read? Look no further. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver follows the story of Sloane and Rowan, two serial killers known… affectionately-ish as the Orb Weaver and the Boston Butcher. Once a year, Sloane and Rowan challenge each other to a “who can kill the target first” challenge, specifically targeting other serial killers in a Dexter-esque fashion. How does one navigate falling in love with their fellow serial killer? I suppose there’s only one way to find out.
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller (Enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, morally grey characters)
Daughter of the Pirate King is about a female pirate captain, Alosa, who lets herself be imprisoned by the enemy in order to search their ship for a hidden map. It is an enemies-to-lovers romance between the captain and the enemy ship’s first mate. I adore fiction about pirates, sirens, and the ocean so it’s no surprise that this book makes it on the list as one of my favorite fantasies of all time.
Cleat Cute by Meryl Wisney (WLW, grumpy x sunshine, teammates to lovers, workplace romance, forced proximity)
Sports romance is majorly trending right now (thank you for your service, Rachel Reid), and if you’re following the trend, the next thing on your TBR should be Meryl Wisney’s Cleat Cute. This sapphic soccer romance follows Grace Henderson, team captain, and Phoebe Matthews, the team’s talented rookie, as they navigate what it means to be queer in the public eye while still striving to achieve their dreams.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (Slow-burn, forced proximity, epistolary, rivals-to-lovers)
Divine Rivals is about two rival journalists who communicate by sending letters through magical typewriters while a war between gods goes on around them. I picked up this novel due to the epistolary element. The letters drive the emotional tension contrasting to the war that casts difficulties outside their communication.
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas (Slow burn, only one bed, he falls first, fake dating, grumpy x sunshine, family wedding)
Elena Armas’ The Spanish Love Deception is a staple for a reason – it’s funny, it’s swelteringly hot, and still an easy read. The story follows Catalina Martín and Aaron Blackford, coworkers who just so happen to hate each other, as they venture to Spain together for a wedding. Catalina is desperate for a date, and Aaron, for some reason, agreed. While overseas, this sharp banter slowly turns into quiet conversations and romantic gestures as their fake wedding date situationship develops into a real love story.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (Time travel, forced proximity, right place wrong time)
The Seven Year Slip is a magical realism romantic comedy featuring a woman, Clementine, who moves into her aunt’s magical apartment and falls for a man who exists seven years in the past. All of Ashley Poston’s magical realism novels are beautifully poetic but out of all of them, this is the one that stands out the most.
Upcoming releases
Mistakes Were Made by Lucy Score (Small town romance, opposites attract, forced proximity, found family)
Lucy Score has written over 30 hit romance novels, and this one is set to be one of the best. Mistakes Were Made follows the story of Zoey Moody, a former publisher, and her blue collar landlord, Gage Bishop. It is another stand-alone novel in her Story Lake series and is said to be similar to the TV show Gilmore Girls, with Zoey and Gage being akin to Lorelai and Luke. I’ve read numerous other Lucy Score books, one of my favorites being The Dead Guy Next Door, so this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year!
The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson (Found family, heist, slow-burn, hidden secrets)
The Library of Amorlin is about a con-artist and a librarian who must join forces to infiltrate a magical library. It is said to be Six of Crows meets Howl’s Moving Castle. I’ve never read anything by Kalyn Josephson but I enjoyed both comp titles and the premise sounds like it would be my kind of book. It’s currently my most anticipated release of the year.
Cover Photo by Janay Peters on Unsplash
