Love is in the air, and in the pages! Romance novels have only gotten more popular in recent years, but I’m here to save you time on which are worth reading, and which ones you can skip. These books are more than just a trope, they’re filled with love, excitement, and good writing. Anyone can write a book, but not everyone can tell a story. Let’s dive in!
Let It Snow
“A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks.”
I loved this romance pick, it was wholesome, beautifully written, and satisfying! It was also turned into a movie in 2019.
Ties That Tether
“At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture, even after immigrating to Canada. But when Azere falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family.”
While I haven’t read this one (yet), I do like the ‘realistic romance’ theme it has!
Everyone’s Fav Romance: You Again!
Ari and Josh have to bump into each other a few times over the years before they can be friends. Sleeping with the same woman, firing a friend, and embarrassing reconnections were all obstacles that kept them from ever being more than enemies. But after a particularly unusual reunion, they decide that watching movies, late night chats, and platonically spending everyday together sounds like what they need amidst both of their breakups. But when friendship blurs into romance and leads to a night they can’t take back, Ari and Josh must decide if it’s scarier to lose their friendship, or to take the leap into love.
This one is definitely my next romance pick.
In Five Years
Dannie Kohan lives her life by the numbers. She is nothing like her lifelong best friend—the wild, whimsical, believes-in-fate Bella. Her meticulous planning seems to have paid off after she nails the most important job interview of her career and accepts her boyfriend’s marriage proposal in one fell swoop, falling asleep completely content. But when she awakens, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. Dannie spends one hour exactly five years in the future before she wakes again in her own home on the brink of midnight—but it is one hour she cannot shake. In Five Years is an unforgettable love story, but it is not the one you’re expecting.
This book left me in tears, the last line is entirely true – it is an unforgettable love story, but not your traditional one. Read at your own risk.
Eleanor and Park
Set over one school year in 1986, Eleanor & Park is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
This was one of my first romance reads, and it definitely was a good pick. A relatable, young adult read you won’t regret.
Need some more winter read? Check out this article.