romance novel ratings

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The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe

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Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly

People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle

You Should be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

The Deer and the Dragon by Piper CJ

The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe

Fake Flame by Adele Buck

Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

Kiss and Spell by Celestine Martin

Impurrfections by Kaje Harper

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

Mystery Magnet by Gregory Ashe

Bridesmaid For Hire by Meghan Quinn

The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson

Undertow by Rachel Ember

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley

Funny Story by Emily Henry

The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George

My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long

Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday

An Extremely Opinionated List of the Best Romance Novels

I've read them all, and these are definitely the steamiest books.

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Whether you salivate over historical fiction that follows the fluttering hearts of yesteryear, witchy paranormal romance that proves you don't need flesh and blood to get frisky, rom-coms that pair hilarious hijinks with the steamier stuff or the type of stories that might get sidelong glances on public transit, we've got a romance book you'll want to read over and over again.

And to those who think romance is just for bored housewives picking up a bodice-ripper at the grocery store checkout counter, think again. The romance realm has a lot of romance-plus-other to offer that might surprise you — although we'd never turn down one of those fun, flirty grocery store standards either. Many of our favorite romance books also feature exciting adventure, LGBTQ+ love stories and lyrical prose. Add these to your TBR pile, and don't forget to check out the Good Housekeeping book club once you're done, for even more feel-good reads.

It Ends with Us Boxed Set by Colleen Hoover (2023)

Grab the box set so you won't have to frantically order the second installment of this smash hit from Colleen Hoover. If you haven't read her books yet, start with these two and then work your way through the back catalog. In them, you'll meet Lily, a woman who finds herself in a bit of a love triangle as she grapples with her new relationship with Ryle, and re-meeting her ex lover, Atlas. It contains a lot of heartbreak, as domestic violence is a critical part of Lily's story, but it's also extremely touching.

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The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2018)

More nerdy storylines, please! In this novel from Helen Hoang, Stella Lane is the genius mathematician who puts herself in remedial romance — by hiring escort Michael Phan to teach her the ins and outs of sex. We consider it the perfect equation for a great read.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (2023)

Rival physicists. Fake dating. Real love? Hazelwood's trio of STEM romances that sees her characters spar on both professional and personal fronts are definitely not homework. Did somebody leave a bunsen burner on, or are things heating up in here?

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan (2023)

Sports fans know how emotional a high-stakes game can get. Add actual romance into the mix, and all we can say is just remember to hydrate. This heartstring-tugger is all about missed connections, tarnished golden boys and the darkness that can lie beneath the most glittering exteriors.

Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (2023)

Sage Flores has been running from her ability to commune with plants ever since her sister passed away. But after she's forced to return to her hometown and slips back into her old life — including reconnecting with a high school flame who broke her heart — she can't deny her gift or her family any longer. You could cut the tension here with a knife, or should we say, a pair of gardening shears.

With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson (2023)

From the author of the hit Love in the Time of Serial Killers comes the perfect workplace romance for fans of a certain mouse-centric theme park. Lauren is a serious bookkeeper at a theme park where it's always winter, which doesn't get quite the crowds as its more famous counterparts. Asa is her fun-loving coworker who's always trying to spice things up around the office. Of course, their boss asks them to team up on a project. And naturally, sparks fly. Read to find out the rest.

Vision In White by Nora Roberts (2012)

The prolific Nora Roberts has penned more than 200 romance novels, but this one earned top marks from her fans as the first installment in The Bride Quartet . Wedding photographer Mackensie "Mac" Elliot operates a wedding planning company with three friends. When a day on the job introduces her to sweet and stable English teacher Carter Maguire, their casual fling might lead to her own happy ending.

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Violeta by Isabel Allende (2022)

Allende is one of the best romance writers of our time, and her latest doesn't disappoint. This epic story of a woman who perseveres through two pandemics, war, the Great Depression and the battle for equal rights is not only a passionate love story but a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (2013)

They say you never forget your first love. Test that theory by taking a trip down memory lane with Eleanor and Park, two lovestruck misfit teens in 1986. They're smart enough to know young love never lasts, but brave enough to try anyway.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day (2014)

If you like your romance in multiple installments, try the Crossfire series. Big city newbie Eva Tramell literally falls at the feet of billionaire tycoon Gideon Cross, kickstarting a steamy affair that reveals secrets from both their dark pasts. Sound familiar? There's a reason one Amazon reviewer called it the "soap opera version of Fifty Shades of Grey ."

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (2018)

You really can't go wrong with any of Jasmine Guillory's fun, romantic romps, but this sporty love story is especially great. Freelance writer Nik's boyfriend proposes at a Dodger's game, and the dude can't even spell her name right. She says no (obviously), and the video goes viral. Handsome doctor Carlos sweeps her away from the frenzy, but he can't possibly be the real deal. Or can he?

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The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (2016)

If you've ever carried a torch for a colleague (the scandal!) this novel will feel familiar. Coworkers Lucy Hutton and her sworn nemesis Joshua Templeman have a rivalry as bitter as they come, especially as they compete for the same promotion. At least, it starts out that way.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019)

McQuiston has earned their place in the canon of contemporary romance, and this sexy royals romance is one of the reasons. Ever wonder what would happen if, say, a Kennedy fell in love with a Windsor? With this book, you don't have to.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (2019)

After a health scare, Chloe Brown makes a list of things to do to help her "get a life," including doing something bad. Naughty doesn't come naturally to good-girl Chloe, so she enlists the help of rough-and-tumble handyman Red. But what she finds is more than meets the eye, in this first in an absolutely devour-able series.

Happy Place by Emily Henry (2023)

Harriet and Wyn’s friend group has spent languorous summer days at the same Maine house for a decade, so when it goes up for sale, they’re determined to soak up one last week of memories. There’s just one problem: Harriet and Wyn haven’t told their crew they’re no longer engaged, so they’re stuck sharing a room to keep up the charade. But is it all really just for show, or are sparks flying? Read this one now while you wait for the queen of beach reads' next hit to drop.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (2012)

Look, we understand that a retelling of The Iliad sounds more like history class than a romantic read, but pick this one up and get ready to eat your words. It's an action-packed epic with one heck of a love story that will change the way you look at the classic tale forever.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (2023)

If the title doesn't get your attention, and you've somehow missed Sittenfeld's other star-tier books, the sizzling plot will do it. This one's about a late-night comedy writer who falls for a pop star with a rep for dating knockouts, which she definitely is not. If you've ever shipped Saturday Night Live stars, this one's for you.

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Delta of Venus by Anais Nin (1977)

If you've never read Anaïs Nin and call yourself a romance fan , fix that right now. This vintage short story collection's erotic vibes still hold up. But don't take our word for it — turn off the lights, slip into something slinky and try it for yourself.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)

This 1847 classic tells the tale of courageous governess and heroine Jane Eyre and her brooding employer with a terrible secret, Mr. Rochester. Groundbreaking for its time, the first-person narrative set a new standard for what romance could be — no wonder readers still love it more than 170 years later.

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (2022)

Florence is a romance ghostwriter who no longer believes in love, which is kind of a problem for her career. But then, she returns home to bury her beloved father and finds a ghost (yes, an actual ghost) who might just change her mind.

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The 23 best romance books of 2022, according to Goodreads

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• Romance novels are heartwarming stories of people falling in love under all kinds of circumstances. 
• These romance books are the most popular and highest rated of 2022. 
• They include enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, and romantic comedy reads.

Romance novels follow characters in their search for love through heartbreak, loss, and doubt. They include all kinds of romantic plots, from cute love stories with a little bit of magic to erotic romance reads that are almost too hot to handle. 

These romance books are the best and most popular of 2022 on Goodreads — the world's largest platform where over 125 million readers rate, review, and recommend their favorite books. The books on this list had to be published in 2022 and are ranked by a combination of how often they were read this year and how highly they were rated: Any book with less than 3.5 out of five stars did not make the list. 

So whether you're looking for a fun rom-com or a spicy romance novel, here are the 23 best romance books of 2022, according to Goodreads reviewers. 

23. "Icebreaker" by Hannah Grace

Available at Amazon  and Barnes & Noble , from $15.54

Anastasia Allen is focused on her goal of becoming an Olympic figure skater when a misunderstanding leaves her skating team and the hockey team sharing a rink. In this frenemies-to-lovers romance, Nate, the hockey team's captain, gets benched and Anatasia finds herself in need of a partner, he steps up.

22. "The Dead Romantics" by Ashley Poston

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $12.48

Florence Day has just gone through a breakup and can't get a deadline extension at her job as a ghostwriter when her father passes away, drawing her to her hometown for his funeral. But when she sees her new editor as a ghost at his funeral, they're both confused about why he's there in this paranormal contemporary romance.

21. "Something Wilder" by Christina Lauren

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $17.13

The daughter of a notorious treasure hunter, Luly Wilder now uses her father's hand-drawn maps as a tour guide in Utah while dreaming of buying back her family's ranch. But when her ex unexpectedly comes back into her life as a tour guest and their trip goes terribly wrong, Lily begins to wonder if her father's maps may lead to a real treasure after all. 

20. "You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty" by Akwaeke Emezi

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $17.19

In this story about love and joy after loss, Feyi Adekola is almost ready to ease back into dating, five years after an accident that killed the love of her life. When a whirlwind summer brings her a perfect guy, a dangerous crush threatens to complicate everything as she's forced to face how far she's willing to go for another chance at love. 

19. "The Kiss Curse" by Erin Sterling

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $13.12

In this sequel to " The Ex Hex ," Wells Penhallow has come to the magical town of Graves Glen to re-establish his family's connection to the town they once founded, now run by a powerful coven of witches. When he opens a new witchy shop just across the street from Gwyn's, it's clear this is personal — until her powers begin to fade and she and Wells must work together to find out what's happening before Gwyn's magic is gone for good. 

18. "Thank You for Listening" by Julia Whelan

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $14.39

"Thank You for Listening" follows Sewanee Chester, an audiobook narrator and former movie star, who learns that one of the most beloved audiobook narrators, the seductive and anonymous Brock McNight, wants to record a romance novel with her. Though Sewanee doesn't believe in romance novels, she feels compelled to help the book's prolific author. As she begins to form a bond with Brock, secrets are spilled in this story of self-discovery and love.

17. "Electric Idol" by Katee Robert

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble, from $9.37

"Electric Idol" is a fantasy/romance retelling of the story of Psyche and Eros, the second novel in the "Dark Olympus" series. In this book, Eros has been ordered to kill Psyche but finds he cannot go through with it. When he marries her to keep her safe, Psyche is determined to ruin Eros — until the lines of loyalty begin to blur and she realizes her heart may be with him after all.

16. "Dating Dr. Dil" by Nisha Sharma

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $11.99

Kareena Mann needs to get engaged to keep her father from selling her mother's home when she gets in an argument with Dr. Prem Verma, the host of "The Dr. Dil Show," that goes viral, ruining her chance at finding someone. But when her aunts strike a deal with Prem to fund his clinic if he can convince Kareena they're soulmates, the two realize the line between love and hate may be thinner than they thought.

15. "Funny You Should Ask" by Elissa Sussman

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $12

10 years ago, Chani Horowitz was hired to write a profile about her movie star celebrity crush, Gabe Parker, but their interview resulted in a 72-hour tabloid whirlwind. Now, Chani still can't escape that profile when she's asked to do a second interview in this page-turning romance that jumps between Chani's world now and the interview she'll never forget.

14. "Delilah Green Doesn't Care" by Ashley Herring Blake

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $13.99

In this flirty, queer rom-com, Delilah Green returns to her hometown to photograph her stepsister's wedding when she runs into one of her stepsister's stuck-up friends, Claire Sutherland. With a host of problems of her own, Claire doesn't need Delilah's button-pushing charm until they're forced together in wedding preparations and begin to see each other's real sides.

13. "Part of Your World" by Abby Jimenez

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $10.88

When Alexis Montgomery needs a tow in a small town, she meets Daniel Grant, a gorgeous, 10-years-younger carpenter whose identity is closely tied to his tight-knit town. She decides to keep her identity as a wealthy, hot-shot ER doctor in the city a secret, and her fling with Daniel becomes a sanctuary from her stressful life until reality comes crashing down and she must find a way to have both her world and his — or risk losing everything.

12. "The American Roommate Experiment" by Elena Armas

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $11.70

From the author of reader-favorite " The Spanish Love Deception ," this new romance follows Rosie Graham as she finally pursues her career as a romance writer. When Rosie suddenly needs a new place to stay, she finds herself staying with her best friend's cousin, Lucas. When Lucas offers to help Rosie get over her writer's block with a series of romantic dates, Rosie begins to wonder if the romantic inspiration is turning into real romance. 

11. "The Wedding Crasher" by Mia Sosa

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $11.89

When Solange agrees to help her wedding-planning cousin on a stranger's big day, a secret she shouldn't have heard convinces her she needs to crash the wedding and stop the groom, Dean, from making a mistake. But Dean needs a significant other to get a promotion at work, so he pretends to be in love with Solange and begs her to pretend to be his girlfriend even though they're polar opposites.

10. "The Bodyguard" by Katherine Center

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $16.99

Though Hannah Brooks may look like a harmless schoolteacher, she's actually an Executive Protection Agent, hired to protect superstar Jack Stapleton from his stalker. When he returns to his family's ranch in Texas to help his sick mother, he doesn't want his family to know about his stalker or bodyguard, so he asks Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend in this sweet fake-dating romance.

9. "Terms and Conditions" by Lauren Asher

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $15.99

In this "Dreamland Billionaire" series sequel, Declan needs to find someone to marry to inherit his family's empire when Iris, his assistant, steps up. Though their marriage is one of convenience, their fake relationship begins to feel real, against all their rules that should have kept them from falling in love.

8. "Every Summer After" by Carley Fortune

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $10

Percy and Sam spent six summers forming a friendship and slowly falling in love until everything fell apart 10 years ago. Now, Percy is returning to the lakeshore for Sam's mother's funeral and the two find they have one weekend to fix everything or go their separate ways in this story of forgiveness and second-chance love. 

7. "Twisted Hate" by Ana Huang

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $14.99

In this third novel of the erotic, 18+ "Twisted" series , Jules Ambrose has consumed Josh Chen's thoughts, as she seems to be the only person impervious to his charm. Though the two have grown to despise each other, they arrange an enemies-with-benefits relationship with promises to not fall in love — until their pasts catch up with them in this steamy novel that can be read as a standalone from the rest of the series. 

6. "Love on the Brain" by Ali Hazelwood

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $11.24

From the author of the award-winning " Love Hypothesis ," this new "STEMinist" romance read is about Bee Königswasser, a scientist who is being forced to work with her sexy but sworn archenemy, Levi Ward. But when things start to go wrong on their project and Levi takes her side, Bee begins to wonder if there's a chance for something more between them.

5. "Hook, Line, and Sinker" by Tessa Bailey

  In this bestselling sequel to " It Happened One Summer ," Hannah Bellinger has managed to convince the producer at her job to move their film set to the fishing town of Westport, where her dad is from and her sister now lives. Though she's staying in Fox's spare bedroom, Hannah is determined to evade his ladykiller ways in favor of catching her producer's eye, but when her and Fox's moments turn into something more, Hannah finds she might be falling for the guy she thought was just a friend. 

4. "Things We Never Got Over" by Lucy Score

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $12.74

When Naomi meets Knox, she's stranded in his small Virginia town with no money or car after running away from her wedding, being abandoned by her estranged twin, and left with her 11-year-old niece. Though Knox only plans to help Naomi get back on her feet and out of his life, he finds he can't walk away when her challenging situation turns into real danger. 

3. "It Starts With Us" by Colleen Hoover

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $10.98

"It Starts With Us" is the highly anticipated sequel to " It Ends With Us " and continues almost a year later as Lily Bloom begins to navigate life once more after everything that happened with Ryle. In this book, readers follow Lily on her journey to a happy ending and learn more about her and Atlas' history together as teenagers. Readers everywhere love this book — check out our full review to find out why .

2. "Book Lovers" by Emily Henry

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $9.99

In this 2022 Emily Henry novel, Nora Stephens is a successful literary agent who is ready to take her story into her own hands when her sister, Libby, invites her to stay in the storybook town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. There, Nora is open to falling in love but keeps running into Charlie Lastra, a book editor from the city, in a series of not-so-meet-cutes too perfect for any romance novel. "Book Lovers" is one of our favorite beach reads of this year and you can check out our full review here .

1. "Reminders of Him" By Colleen Hoover

Available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $9.57

With nearly 600,000 ratings on Goodreads and over 530,000 4- and 5-star reviews, "Reminders of Him" is the most popular romance book of 2022 amongst Goodreads reviewers. The contemporary romance follows Kenna Rowan as she's released from prison and tries to rebuild her relationship with her daughter, though it seems everyone is trying to keep them apart. Colleen Hoover has become hugely popular on TikTok — check out more of her books here or, if you've already read every "CoHo" novel, check out our recommendations for what to read next .

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The Best Romances of 2023

Here are the novels our columnist loved most.

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By Olivia Waite

A best books list is one of my favorite rituals. As the calendar flutters to its final pages, we glance fondly back over the highest peaks climbed in 2023.

A quicksilver voice and a balance of humor and brutality keep Samara Breger’s vampire historical A LONG TIME DEAD (Bywater Books, 412 pp., paperback, $23.95) perpetually on my mind. The new vampire Poppy’s essentially buoyant nature makes her occasional descent into blood lust all the more horrifying, and gives her ingenuity and ultimate triumph an especially gratifying charge. This has become the No. 1 book I recommend to readers new to the genre.

Mary Renault’s midcentury queer classic “The Charioteer” lurks fitfully behind the scenes of WE COULD BE SO GOOD (Avon, 384 pp., paperback, $18.99) , Cat Sebastian’s story of two reporters becoming friends and then lovers in pre-Stonewall New York.

Irascible Nick avoids reading Renault for ages, convinced that all queer stories end in heartbreak. It takes Andy, hopeful and new to his bisexuality, to show Nick that happiness is within his grasp, if he’s only brave enough to reach for it.

“The Charioteer” also comes up in THE SLEEPING SOLDIER (Independently published, 300 pp., $12.99) , Aster Glenn Gray’s thoughtful queer historical novel. Russell Krause is a Civil War Union veteran magically cursed to sleep for a hundred years; he wakes in 1965 and has to learn to adjust to a mechanized world with vastly different ideas about romance and physical affection. His guide is the college sophomore Caleb O’Connor, who is hyper-conscious of being a gay man at a time when men’s queerness was highly stigmatized.

Like Sebastian’s book, Gray’s looks both backward and forward in time, asking us to question what it means to either over-romanticize the past or condemn it as less fully human than the present.

In Cathy Yardley’s ROLE PLAYING (Montlake, 333 pp., paperback, $16.95) , our main characters meet in an online video game forum. Aiden thinks Maggie is 20 years older than he is; Maggie thinks Aiden is 20 years old. In fact, they’re both 50-ish and using “Blood Saga” to vent the pressures they can’t escape in their offline lives.

Maggie is divorced and a bit of a hermit now that her son is off to college; Aiden moved home to help when his father died. Both are lonely but prefer being alone — or at least, not being pressured to socialize in ways that feel shallow and awkward. Once they connect in real life, the friendly bond they’ve built becomes a wild, enveloping passion.

It’s rare, and welcome, to see older romance leads treated with such complexity, and Yardley absolutely nails the particular way online relationships blossom.

Few things are more gratifying than a witty romance, and Rachel Lynn Solomon is becoming one of my favorite authors for contemporaries that blend insightful humor with unstinting emotion. In BUSINESS OR PLEASURE (Berkley, 384 pp., paperback, $17) , a ghostwriter gives her celebrity client sex lessons while they tour a series of fan conventions, and Solomon reaches a new gold standard for writing (deliberately) terrible sex at a relationship’s outset. It’s a grand contrast to the tender scene much later, where our leads are stranded in a motel with a single available bed and they have to sleep — actually sleep — together for the first time. This book is intimate and unflinching.

Speaking of longtime favorites: Lucy Parker’s newest, CODENAME CHARMING (Avon, 384 pp., paperback, $18.99) , picks up where “Battle Royal” left off and gives us a glorious romp in which a prince’s personal assistant, Petunia De Vere, has to date the royal bodyguard Matthias to stave off rumors she’s sleeping with the prince himself. Petunia’s past includes a wealth of familial neglect, and Matthias has the kind of looks that cause small children to quite literally run away screaming; so romance takes them unawares. This is a book for when you want all the emotions at high intensity, deployed by a virtuoso at playing on the heartstrings.

I picked up Alicia Thompson’s WITH LOVE, FROM COLD WORLD (Berkley, 400 pp., paperback, $18) after hearing raves from people whose tastes tend to mesh with mine. And they were right: This tale of sparring co-workers at a winter-themed tourist attraction in Florida (Lauren: restrained and precise; Asa: charming and secretly sensitive) is one of the most perfect books I’ve read this year.

Every moment of secret yearning is put down in exactly the right place, at exactly the right speed. This exquisite book doesn’t feel like it was written: It’s as though it slowly coalesced, words drifting down like snowflakes until, suddenly, the whomping weight hits you like an avalanche.

Collins Carter, the heroine of Alexa Martin’s NEXT-DOOR NEMESIS (Berkley, 368 pp., paperback, $17) , has always had a temper, and thanks to that viral video, now everybody knows it. With her Hollywood writing career in ruins, she flees back to her parents’ home in Ohio to find her former-best-friend-turned-nemesis running for president of the H.O.A. How dare Nathaniel Adams still be hot after the way he treated her in high school? Impulsively, Collins announces she’s running against him — but the sparks from their collision ignite more than just her competitive streak.

Martin’s prose is a live wire: There are little shocks of pleasure on every page. It’s incredible how epic this contest feels, even though the stakes are extremely local. Like Jodie Slaughter and Helena Greer, Martin has a knack for layering vast emotional geographies onto cozy physical spaces.

My personal canon of romance reading contains multiple firsts: the first author I read, Johanna Lindsey; the first I read again and again, Julie Garwood; and Courtney Milan, whose books make me feel like I’m looking at the genre with new and wondering eyes, even after decades.

Her latest Wedgeford story, THE MARQUIS WHO MUSTN’T (Independently published, 370 pp., paperback, $15.99) , takes up a foundational romance structure — the hero with a secret, and the heroine who’s getting too close to unearthing it — and shines such a blinding light on it that the whole architecture permanently shifts. It is both an extremely good romance novel and an extremely effective critique of many romance novels, an impeccable embodiment of the combination of loving something — or someone — and expecting the best from them.

In a year full of very funny books, Maria Vale’s MOLLY MOLLOY AND THE ANGEL OF DEATH (Sungrazer, 273 pp., paperback, $14.99) was hands down the funniest, as sharp and stunning as a bracing slap to the face.

Death as a love interest is not unknown in the genre, but usually it’s a sexy Death, like Lee Pace from “Pushing Daisies” or the brooding Hades from the gorgeous art of “Lore Olympus.” Death as Vale depicts him is an awkward, traumatized immortal struggling to understand humanity. This book creates its own language, and the romance beats are syncopated and complex, avoiding predictability while still offering the full-throated catharsis I’m in this for. Strange, sly and absolutely unforgettable.

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2021 was rough, but books about love gave us life. Here are 13 recommendations

Mia Estrada

Who doesn't love a good, well, love story? Whether it's the meet cutes, the crossed stars, the sheer passion, or a forbidden union, we're big fans.

Here are the Books We Love: 360+ great 2021 reads recommended by NPR

Books We Love , NPR's list of best reads from 2021, has hundreds of recommendations: 369 of them, to be exact. With that kind of lengthy list, it can be hard to know exactly where to start. So here are 13 suggestions from our colleagues and independent critics for what to read if you want a good love story or want to explore themes of love and relationships.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown: A Novel by Talia Hibbert

"Has there ever been a better time to read about a charming, hilarious young woman who just can't seem to get it together? This book follows Eve Brown – a talented cook, phenomenal singer, devoted sister and, at the start of the story, a notorious ne'er-do-well. As her story unspools, Eve winds up learning a lot about herself and what she's capable of; her struggle also helps illuminate how rigid and often misguided the expectations of our family, friends and communities can be." — Leah Donnella , supervising editor, Code Switch

A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria

"Childhood besties Michelle and Gabriel hook up one night after high school graduation – and for a moment it looks like the two might finally get together until Michelle discovers that Gabe is planning on leaving for college across the country. After a blowout fight, the two don't speak again for years – until the gym that Gabriel owns hires Michelle to work on a rebranding campaign. Once they reconnect ... well, let's just say they collaborate on more than a marketing campaign. It's hot, it's fun and it's a great chance to brush up on your Spanish vocabulary." — Lauren Migaki , senior producer, NPR Ed

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

"A crime novel wrapped up in a romance? Just what the doctor ordered for readers during the pandemic! There's a lot to love here, especially the criminal high jinks that Meddelin, her mother and her aunts find themselves immersed in as she rekindles a lost flame. Above and beyond, though, this is a love letter to the bonds of family and culture." — Tayla Burney , senior content manager

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

"I'm glad there's a wave of YA books with fat protagonists, but the characters often possess a level of self-confidence that's too good to be true. Crystal Maldonado has created a much-needed believable protagonist with teenage and adult readers. Charlie Vega is a fat, glasses-wearing, biracial Puerto Rican with a diet-pushing mother and a beautiful, athletic best friend. When her classmate Brian pursues a romantic relationship, Charlie is plagued with-self doubt. The book is propelled by conflicts both internal and external. I'm glad this book isn't body-positive escapism, but rather a well-observed story of fat teenage life." — Jessica Reedy , producer/editor, Pop Culture Happy Hour

12 books NPR staffers loved in 2021 that might surprise you

First comes like: a novel by alisha rai.

"Alisha Rai is one of my go-to writers when I need a romance. Her books are usually quite spicy, but with First Comes Like , Rai shows she can write a great slow-burn romance. When beauty influencer Jia Ahmed learns that she has been catfished by a man pretending to be Bollywood star Dev Dixit, she ends up striking up a friendship with the real actor. A paparazzi mishap leads Jai and Dev to begin fake-dating. Will their fake relationship lead to real feelings? (Of course it will – this is a romance after all.) It's a lovely story about decent people just trying to do the right thing." — Jessica Reedy

Author Interviews

Jasmine guillory recommends 3 summer reads for the romantic at heart, honey girl by morgan rogers.

"One night, Grace Porter – burned out and aimless after finally getting her Ph.D. in astronomy – gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she does not know, in Vegas no less. Cliché? Definitely. A bad idea? Maybe ... not? Through the mists of her epic hangover, Grace starts to piece together clues about her mysterious new wife. Yuki, as it turns out, hosts a radio show about the supernatural. What follows is a delightfully weird summer where together, Grace and Yuki learn about mythical monsters and even face down some of their own." — Lauren Migaki

Seeing 'Love In Color'

Love in color: mythical tales from around the world, retold by bolu babalola.

"This multifaceted, multitalented Nigerian-British writer – humorist, television creator and now bestselling author – searched the globe to find a radically diverse group of stories about love, from magical folk tales of West Africa to iconic Greek myths and ancient legends from the Middle East. Then, with an evocative and vivid style, she brought new life to old tales and wrote three original stories of her own. The result is a remarkable modern collection of 13 short stories about love." — Carole V. Bell , book critic

Book Reviews

Love rides the q train in this supernaturally sweet romance, one last stop: a novel by casey mcquiston.

"One Last Stop made me fall in love with Casey McQuiston's writing all over again. In this one, August, an inexperienced 20-something trying to figure out life in the big city, is an expert at keeping other people at arm's length until she meets Jane, an impossibly cool girl who always seems to be riding the subway at the same time as her. One Last Stop is queer romance with a side of time-travel shenanigans, but amid all the whip-smart banter and heartwarming rom-com tropes is a potent reminder to make room for love in all parts of your life." — Sharon Pruitt-Young , reporter, newsdesk

Your Laughing Muscles Will Get A Workout In This Sporty Romance

The dating playbook by farrah rochon.

"Any list of 2021's best romantic comedies must include Farrah Rochon's The Dating Playbook . The story she weaves about Taylor Powell, a fitness trainer in need of some clients, and Jamar Dixon, an injured football superstar in need of a secret but hard-core fitness regime, is fresh, funny and sexy. It also boasts a ripped-from-the-headlines plot that touches on topics like football and concussion, and how social media has made having a private life an artform for anyone with celebrity status. Rochon presents her themes with jump-off-the-page humor, and they go far beyond the ups and downs of romance to broader concerns about family, women, friendship and jealousy." — Denny S. Bryce , book critic

Intimacy Is Nothing To Be Ashamed Of In Helen Hoang's Powerful New Romance

The heart principle: a novel by helen hoang.

"Anna Sun is a talented violinist in the Bay Area whose disappointing boyfriend springs a proposal on her: an open relationship. While processing her boyfriend's request and battling a creative block, Anna meets Quan and wonders if he might be the real deal. I love this book because it deals with issues that feel really relevant to today, such as creative burnout, bad boyfriends and neurodivergence, which Helen Hoang explores through these deeply rich and heartfelt characters." — Candice Lim , production assistant, Pop Culture Happy Hour

Love And Hope Are At The Heart Of 'The Prophets'

The prophets: a novel by robert jones, jr..

"This book broke my heart in a necessary way. It's spectacular. A poetic queer love story and an excruciating portrait of life on a Mississippi plantation, it deserves every accolade. At the center are Samuel and Isaiah, two enslaved boys who grow up as best friends and eventually become lovers, and an older enslaved man, Amos, who takes on the role of preacher as a way of securing some semblance of safety and power. Jones excels at ensemble storytelling, treating each character with compassion while being brutally unsparing about the system they live under and the desperate compromises they have to make." — Carole V. Bell

Trust: A Novel by Domenico Starnone, translated by Jhumpa Lahiri

"In author Domenico Starnone's Italian-to-English translation, a couple named Pietro and Teresa are on-again, off-again until the day Teresa says, essentially, "Let's tell each other our worst secret." What she thinks will bind them together forever turns out to be what drives them apart; they've revealed the worst and it's unforgettable. For a lesser writer, this might be enough. For Starnone, it's a jumping-off point, even in a slim, taut book with no wasted words or ideas. When Pietro and Teresa meet again in the evening of their lives, the power one of them holds over the other still matters." — Bethanne Patrick , book critic

While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory

"Jasmine Guillory is the queen of charming romance novels. In her sixth book, we meet ad exec Ben Stephens and movie star Anna Gardiner, who hit it off at a marketing campaign meeting and end up falling into a just-for-cameras relationship (with some fun benefits too). Unfortunately, romantic feelings (as they always do) get in the way of this arrangement. You might remember Ben from one of Guillory's last books, The Wedding Date – the brother of uptight Theo. The best part about Guillory's books is revisiting these characters and guessing who will show up in subsequent novels. Not to mention the descriptive California references (as a California native, I eat those up). Guillory's writing style is addictive, but she also tackles heavy themes. I can guarantee you'll finish this book quickly and want to check out her other ones." — Anjuli Sastry Krbechek , producer, It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

To read more recommendations from staff members, you can explore the "Staff Picks" section on the 2021 Books We Love website.

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Hot Stuff: Spring 2024 romance novels bring sibling bonds to the forefront

EW reviews five of our favorite romance novels of spring 2024

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine , The Hollywood Reporter , and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight , is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.

Siblings are our first best friends — and sometimes our first rivals.

The romance novels of spring 2024 bring sibling bonds to their forefront. Whether it's a heroine who is extremely protective of her sibling, two protagonists haunted by the death of a sibling, or the support system that comes from sisterhood, each of the love stories we've chosen to review this season delve into the ways those relationships shape and buoy the love in our life.

Here are our five favorite romance novels of spring 2024.

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

If you are tapped into romancelandia with an IV drip, you’ve probably heard of Yulin Kuang. The TV writer is adapting Emily Henry’s Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation for the big screen, but she's making her fiction debut with How to End a Love Story . It's a tale that feels cut from the same cloth as Henry’s stories, albeit peppered with even more angst. Don’t be fooled by the pink cartoon cover of Kuang’s book; this is a heavy read, not a lighthearted escape. That’s not to say it’s not beautiful and heartrending. Helen Zhang and Grant Shepard share a tragic past — her younger sister committed suicide in high school by stepping in front of Grant’s car. Helen and Grant are forced back into each other’s orbit when he’s hired as a writer on a TV adaptation of her best-selling novels. Once they move past the shock and knee-jerk resentment, they realize there’s a simmering mutual attraction between them. But to make it something real, they’ll have to be willing to overcome the guilt of their pasts. Kuang deals very frankly with the collateral damage of suicide, including how Grant, Helen, and their families have never healed from the trauma of the accident. While Grant has struggled to find his voice amidst his crippling anxiety, Helen has shoved herself into a box of people-pleasing, particularly looking to make her parents happy. Their relationship untethers them from the expectations they and others have placed upon them, but they run the risk of getting pulled under without that familiar rope to hold on to. At times, it can be a bit challenging to see what makes Grant and Helen a good fit beyond their sexual chemistry. But by the book's conclusion, Kuang sweeps readers up in their unlikely romance. She writes with a brisk, bruising emotion, innately understanding how tragedy can overtake our lives if we don’t fight to get out from under it. How to End a Love Story is a tale of grief and how love does not stop the pain of loss, but can help us to reframe it. 

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Grade: B+

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

Etta Easton makes her debut with this delightful novel about an astronaut and an event planner who's fake relationship becomes something real. Amerie Price is having a hard time — her mom is sick, she's lost her job, and she might lose her apartment. A chance meeting at a coffee shop with astronaut Vincent Rogers offers her an unusual solution: a rent-free room in his house if she agrees to pretend to be his partner in front of his family until his next mission (to the moon). But the second they start sharing a living space, Amerie can't stop thinking about Vincent's caring attentiveness and rippling muscles. Soon, remembering that it's all pretend becomes more challenging than the charade itself. Easton delivers a sparkling fake dating rom-com that is both delectably tropey and utterly believable. Vincent is a fascinating hero, a passionate student of the cosmos who is trying to make peace with his family's fear surrounding his career choices. Amerie has spent a lot of time bending herself into a pretzel to please others, and it's refreshing to see her putting herself first in her relationship with Vincent. The Kiss Countdown is a tribute to unexpected romantic connections, crackling chemistry, and the value of family.

Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman

Felicia Grossman returns to her Once Upon the East End series with this gender-bent retelling of Snow White . To repay the brother who raised him, Solomon Weiss is determined to make good, working hard for money, influence, and respectability. But when Sol crosses paths with pawnshop owner Hannah, he's irresistibly drawn to her, even if she can only imagine herself as a villain in his story. Grossman's tales are creative and smart in the ways they invoke the fairy tales she spins them from (in this case, her use of apples, mirrors, and her twist on the seven dwarves are all quite clever). But what is so moving and engrossing about her novels is how she reclaims not only fairy tales but history itself. Using the history of antisemitism against Jewish pawnbrokers (one of the few professions permitted to them in the 19th century), Grossman crafts a gripping tale of a woman who has swallowed the prejudices of society as surely as a poisonous potion. In her own eyes, Hannah cannot escape the shadow of her crimes, which are the innocent mistakes of a young woman criminalized by a prejudiced populace. But it's Sol’s kindness and care that helps her to understand that she deserves happiness and a second chance. Both Hannah and Sol have complicated relationships with their siblings, and Grossman offers a compelling view of the lengths they will go to for the siblings they love. But while Hannah’s sister wants her to find love, Sol’s brother has internalized antisemitism to a dangerous degree. The portrait of sibling dynamics adds extra depth to the love story at the novel’s center. Wake Me Most Wickedly is an outright invigorating yarn, a tale of back alley wheeling and dealing and daring rooftop escapes. Beyond its mere charms as a gripping romance, it heightens Grossman’s revolutionary storytelling. It’s not only that she’s centering Jewish stories within the trappings of Western fairy tales, but it’s how she’s subverting and exposing historical reality. In taking the Jewish stereotype of the pawnbroker and making her a complex heroine, Grossman is asking readers to examine long-established caricatures — and offering those historically besmirched their chance at redemption and happy endings.  

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn

Kensington Books

The arrival of a new Kate Clayborn book is the only thing that can make me actually excited about the prospect of being emotionally devastated. Her latest, The Other Side of Disappearing, delivers her usual bruising authenticity and signature ability to combine a deeply romantic love story with a tale that explores the snarled and wounded corners of our hearts. Here, she also adds a page-turning mystery to the mix. Hairstylist Jess Greene has spent the last decade of her life raising her half-sister, Tegan, after her mother disappears with her latest beau. But when Tegan discovers that their mother ran off with Lynton Baltimore, the man who was the subject of a hit true crime podcast, she pulls Jess into a quest to find their absent parent, sending them on a road trip destined to bring them heartbreak and answers in equal measure. Handsome, wholesome podcast producer Adam Hawkins complicates Jess' life further, as she finds herself drawn to his corn-fed brawn and innate decency. As a world of hurt and selfishness swirls around them, the two find unexpected refuge in each other. Jess hasn't let anyone into her heart in years, fearing abandonment, but Adam makes it easy with his upright honesty and deep sense of care. The Other Side of Disappearing is, in so many ways, a novel about heartbreak. It's about the shattered pieces left in the wake of someone's disappearance and the fragile loved ones left with no choice but to attempt to put themselves back together. Clayborn writes of how someone can sneak into your heart, wiggling their way into the crevices and sinews of your body and soul when you least expect it. There's a soulfulness to her work, a beauty in how she grants her everyday characters dignity and depth. The Other Side of Disappearing is a cathartic, emotionally attuned novel about the double-edged sword of emotional boundaries — and the trust required to open the gates to one's heart. In Clayborn’s novel, heartbreak really does feel good in a place like this. 

Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle

G.P. Putnam's Sons

Sarah Hogle's whimsical, charming novels have a new member in their bookish family with Old Flames and New Fortunes, a tale of second chances and light magic. Romina Tempest is a floral fortunist, meaning she uses the language of flowers and floral arrangements to help manifest love in her customers' lives. But her track record when it comes to romance isn’t exactly blooming. And things go from bad to worse when she discovers that the future stepbrother of the friend she's pretending to date is none other than the boy who got away: Alex King, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life. When Alex and Romina re-enter each other’s orbit, there's plenty of hijinks and bursts of enchantment. But the real magic comes in their mutual sensitivity, as they uncover all the wounds etched in their hearts during the years they spent apart. Neither of them ever really stopped loving the other. Hogle's books are as spritely as a perfect spring day, packed with genuine heartache, deep romanticism, and a fanciful sense of humor. Old Flames and New Fortunes grants us two lovers whose greatest lesson is that the true magic of love lies within our own vulnerable hearts.

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥

Related content:

• Hot Stuff: The 8 best romance novels of winter 2024
• Snow White gets gender-bent (and Jewish!) in Felicia Grossman's next fairy tale-inspired romance
• Hot Stuff: The 10 best romance novels of 2023

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by Amanda · May 13, 2024 at 11:30 am · View all 8 comments

Spellbound at Pemberley  by Abigail Reynolds is $2.49 at Amazon! I thought this might appeal to the Bitchery as there is a magical Darcy. And also the description mentions dragons!

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Blood on the tide by katee robert.

by Lara · May 13, 2024 at 4:00 am · Leave a comment

I’m having a bit of a tryst with Katee Robert books lately and this one did not disappoint. After the events of Hunt on Dark Waters which I reviewed, I was desperate for what promised to be an epic sequel. In book one, we are introduced to Lizzie, a truly fearsome vampire. At the start of book one, Evelyn (the heroine of book one) steals Lizzie’s family jewels and disappears into Threshold, a fantastical place between … Continue reading Blood on the Tide by Katee Robert →

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Cover Snark: Pecs on Pecs on Pecs

by Amanda · May 13, 2024 at 3:00 am · View all 5 comments

It’s Cover Snark time and upon reflection, there is clearly a theme. From Pam G: I’m killin’ in the flame, just killin’ in the flame, What a glo-o-o-orious feeling, I’m gassy again My farts are azure, so blue down below My sword isn’t stuck, and I’m ready to glow And can I just mention the inspired fashion statement of attending a paintball tournament in your grandma’s boiled wool jacket and Uncle Willie’s clip-on tie. Must … Continue reading Cover Snark: Pecs on Pecs on Pecs →

Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 65

by Amanda · May 12, 2024 at 3:00 am · View all 2 comments

Welcome back, everyone! This edition of Get Rec’d has mostly recommendations that I’ve received elsewhere and not ones that I’ve given. I love when my interests align and the book communities I’m part give me new titles to add to my out of control TBR pile. There’s manga, fae, sci-fi, and an Alice in Wonderland retelling. Get any good recommendations you want to share? Let us know!

Transcript Announcement

Podcast 614, your transcript (of convenience) is ready.

by SB Sarah · May 10, 2024 at 3:30 pm · Leave a comment

The transcript for Podcast 614. Dollar Princesses and Marriages of Convenience with Harper St. George has been posted!

Books by xio axelrod, alexandria bellefleur, & more.

by Amanda · May 10, 2024 at 11:30 am · View all 8 comments

Never Rescue a Rogue  by Virginia Heath is $2.99! This is book two in  The Merriwell Sisters series. I believe I’ve seen some good comments about this series, but for the most part, it seems to have flown under the radar.

Whatcha Reading? May 2024, Part One

by Amanda · May 10, 2024 at 3:00 am · View all 36 comments

Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! It’s our first WR post of May 2024. Here’s what we’re reading at SBTB HQ: Lara: Shana inspired me with an idea to get out of a reading slump. I’ve returned to a series that is totally different to what I had been trying to read: GA Aiken’s dragon series. I’m currently devouring How to Drive a Dragon Crazy and it’s a bloodthirsty, lusty adventure. Finally I can settle into … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? May 2024, Part One →

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by Amanda · May 9, 2024 at 11:30 am · View all 8 comments

RECOMMENDED: Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco is $3.99! I enjoyed this one and it reminded me a lot of sexy, early 2000s paranormal romances (which may or may not be your thing). I gave it a B+ :

Throne of the Fallen is a “yes, and…” sort of book that you just have to lean into, which I happily did. It’s extremely cliched and tropey, and I’d eat this nonsense for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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by Lara · May 9, 2024 at 4:00 am · View all 8 comments

I am no stranger to m/m hockey romances and I’ve reviewed a few here. This one has been on my TBR for a while and my library hold finally came in yesterday. Yes, I read it that quickly, folks. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I devoured it. Ezekiel Boehm, or Zeke as he is more commonly known, is a gym teacher at a relatively posh private school. (The school is a Quaker … Continue reading Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary →

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by Amanda · May 8, 2024 at 2:00 pm · View all 7 comments

Welcome back to Wednesday Links! Big thank you to everyone who gave me eyedrops advice. It’s much appreciated and I’m excited to sally forth into allergy season with my new tools! I’m currently in a giant reading slump. I can’t seem to focus long enough to make progress, like I’d rather play a mindless phone game or grind out levels in Final Fantasy XIV. Is anyone feeling the same way? I may try the “30 minutes … Continue reading Links: Figure Skating, Romance, & More →

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Best Romance Novels of 2023

JAN. 24, 2023

by Kate Clayborn

A modern yet timeless love story. Full review >

APRIL 4, 2023

by Liana De la Rosa

An enjoyable start to an exciting new series and a new direction for historical romance. Full review >

AUG. 8, 2023

by Felicia Grossman

A masterful, original take on a beloved fairy tale is sure to please romance readers. Full review >

JUNE 6, 2023

by Alexis Hall

Part historical, part fantasy, all top-notch queer romance. Full review >

MAY 2, 2023

by Farah Heron

A beautiful, compelling romance celebrating second chances and forgiveness. Full review >

MAY 30, 2023

by Adriana Herrera

Empowering and exhilarating. Full review >

JULY 25, 2023

by Julie Anne Long

A Regency romantic drama seething with emotional quakes in the vein of Lisa Kleypas. Full review >

AUG. 22, 2023

by Sarah MacLean

This sensational romance completely lives up to its title. Full review >

JULY 4, 2023

by Rachel Lynn Solomon

A must-read modern romance that emphasizes silliness and sexiness in equal parts. Solomon’s best yet. Full review >

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Book review: Thrills, romance, 1980s coastal life — Dan Strickland’s debut novel has it all

“The Snow Fell Off the Mountain”

By Dan Strickland; Palmetto Publishing, 2024; 305 pages; $17.99.

Beginning in the 1970s Dan Strickland fished commercially all over Alaska — in Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound and Bristol Bay. He and his wife now make their home in Palmer, where they run a small-batch coffee roastery. Clearly, though, he never shook fishing from his system, and his experience permeates “The Snow Fell Off the Mountain,” his first book.

Set in the summer of 1980 in and around the fictional coastal town of Coroglen (a barely disguised Cordova), the novel features two young salmon fishermen — one experienced and one newly arrived — plus a young woman/love interest who works on a tender. There’s also a charming older immigrant from Malta, an eccentric hermit, two brutal villains and a pair of heroic dogs. The action largely surrounds the small-boat drift gillnet fishery where a major salmon river (a lightly disguised Copper River) empties onto flats and on nearby bays and fjords (a lightly disguised Prince William Sound). It also involves drug running, martial arts, boats burned and sunk, a tsunami warning and multiple murders.

While the action is fast and furious, Strickland is especially skilled at evoking both the halcyon days and joys of salmon fishing and the terrors of crossing bars and breakers and fighting through storms. He’s thoroughly adept at recreating a time in the fishing industry before cellphones, refrigerated seawater, fish pumps for offloading fish, and sophisticated electronics. The main character, Rafe, fishes by himself on a 26-foot wooden bowpicker he calls a “skiff,” with a small cabin and a hold that fills, on a bountiful day, with a few hundred salmon.

Here’s Rafe fishing when we first meet him, early in the season: “He peered into the fluid blackness where the night and the water melted together, until at last he could see the faint bobbing of his net light and the sinuous curve of the net in the channel. Within seconds the fierce sweep of the ebb would catch at the curtain of web hanging in the muddy water and coax it into a gentle convexity, like a strong wind fills a sail. Even as he watched, a salmon hit the net in mid-channel, near the corkline, and raised a futile splash in its struggle for freedom.”

Soon after, the secondary character, Paul, arrives by ferry “into the heart of Alaska, the last great bosom of anonymity.” He has a black eye and swollen face, looking very much as though he’s been in a fight, and is clearly fleeing something. The mystery will hold until almost halfway through the book.

And then there’s the beautiful Sophie, who cooks and cleans and handles grocery orders on the tender, working for an obese and unsavory man named Moose. Rafe is smitten at his first sight of her. “Her legs were long and slender, her hips narrow like a boy’s, and there was a swelling fullness to her breasts that caused a momentary breathlessness in Rafe.” The two of them very soon declare their love for each other.

Fishing, fighting, conspiracy, accidents and murder all drive the story as a literary thriller, while the love portion seems to want to carry it into the territory of a romance novel. Reading about so much hugging and kissing may make a reader feel as uncomfortable as being around newly-in-love friends who are completely infatuated with one another and embarrassing to those outside their circle of two.

Two minor characters are perhaps most memorable. The old Maltese fisherman gives Paul his first deckhand job and is charming, kind and humorous. He shouts sometimes in Maltese and otherwise speaks with a heavy accent. “Ze devil takes hees chance wi’ me!” The begrimed Gene, a hermit who lives in a hut in the woods, dresses all in black except for the white cotton gloves he wears to read Dostoyevsky. When he hears a spirit voice call him out at night, he finds a dead man in a ditch and carries him all the way into town to the police station.

Alaska readers may particularly enjoy the portrait of a town like Cordova in a time when residents left their keys in their trucks at the harbor for others to borrow, the whole community enjoyed potlucks with multiple fish and venison dishes, newpapers circulated with local news, and naked saunas were a chief source of relaxation. At least in this novel, fishermen fished long and hard but also took time off to go hiking, to listen to birds and admire the views. Some of Strickland’s most lyrical writing captures such moments.

In one passage, Rafe and Sophie hike up a mountain in a light rain. “They could see for fifty miles, maybe a hundred. The trees had yielded to scrub juniper and grass on the mountaintop, but below them only a couple hundred yards the forest lay wet and dark, with the wind singing lowly through it and causing the branches to dance.” Rafe admits that he likes to imagine that it’s a hundred — or two hundred — years earlier, how things would have looked much the same, how he’d have fit into the landscape.

“The Snow Fell Off the Mountain” is an invitation to readers to turn back the calendar and imagine for themselves what Alaska’s coastal life might have been like in a simpler, more slowly moving time, not that long ago.

[ Book review: In the novel ‘Cold to the Touch,’ Alaska provides a dark setting for a series of killings ]

[ Book review: A whodunit convincingly set in Dutch Harbor captures a recognizable Alaska ]

[ Book review: ‘Fireweed’ blends historical and supernatural, brings an Alaska author into the spotlight ]

Nancy Lord is a Homer-based writer and former Alaska writer laureate. Her books include "Fishcamp," "Beluga Days," and "Early Warming." Her latest book is "pH: A Novel."

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New romance books to read in 2024

Reading romance is the ultimate form of escapism. Here are the best new books to look out for this year.

We read to escape to another world – one without real life’s complications and anxieties. That might explain why so many of us enjoy romance books, with their perfectly formed characters, off-the-charts chemistry, grand gestures, and happily-ever-afters. You might be happily in love, lovesick, or out in the dating trenches, but whatever your relationship status, there’s something undeniably fun about being whisked away for a few hundred pages.

While we all have our tried-and-true love stories we turn to for escapism , there are plenty of new romance books coming out in 2024 that will make for perfect beach reads. Whether you’re looking for enemies-to-lovers books, a second-chance romance, historical romance, or a good love triangle, we’ve got you covered with our selection below.

Best romance books of 2024

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Daphne is heartbroken when her fiancé leaves her for his best friend Petra. She moves in with the only person who can understand: Petra’s ex, Miles. The pair bond over their shared heartbreak and come up with a plan to make their exes jealous – but the line between fact and fiction soon grows blurry…

Funny Story is full of the emotional depth, chemistry, and quick-witted dialogue you’d expect from Emily Henry. Read the first chapter here.

Key tropes: fake dating, friends to lovers, forced proximity.

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

One wild summer, Lucy has a holiday romance with Felix. Little does she know that Felix is her best friend’s younger brother. Every year since, Lucy has returned and tried (and failed) to resist Felix’s charms. Now, with her best friend in crisis, Lucy returns and vows this summer will be different. But Felix’s light-hearted flirting has been replaced by something more sincere, and now Lucy is in trouble…

Key tropes: summer romance, forced proximity, forbidden love.

My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes

Anna Walsh trades in her high-flying New York career for a tiny Irish town to help her friends set up a luxury coastal retreat. The locals are not happy, and they’re not the only obstacle to Anna’s new life: Joey Armstrong, the one who got away, is back. Marian Keyes’ latest novel is full of humour and heart; it’s the literary equivalent of a warm hug .

Key tropes: small town, new beginnings, second-chance romance.

Say You’ll Be My Jaan by Naina Kumar

Desperate for a date to bring to her first love’s wedding, Meghna asks her parents to arrange a match, which is how she meets the handsome (but commitment-phobic) Karthik. The pair strike a deal: they’ll pretend to be engaged for three months, so Meghna has a wedding plus-one and Karthik can avoid his mother’s set-ups. But what happens when real feelings get in the way?

Key tropes: fake dating, opposites attract, slow-burn romance.

That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey

Still reeling from her husband asking for a divorce, Garland Moore joins her friends at a summer camp. There, she runs into Mason, a handsome man she knew years ago. But it’s through sun-soaked afternoons and moonlit evenings with Mason’s beautiful sister Stevie that she uncovers parts of herself she never knew existed. Is this just a whirlwind summer romance, or could it be the real deal?

Key tropes: summer romance, new beginnings, forced proximity.

Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

It’s a scorching summer and all eyes are on Athens for the Olympics. Zeke is the star athlete for Team GB; Olivia is a law intern for the Games. Sparks fly when they meet, but the pair wonder whether love will hold them back – or push them to win. This is an uplifting, escapist read about overcoming insecurities and the transformational power of love.

Key tropes: sports romance, enemies to lovers, summer love.

Love in Provence by Jo Thomas

Del moved to the sun-drenched South of France three years ago and found a new lease of life, including a new love interest, Fabien. But when he’s called away for summer and newcomer Zacharie brings trouble, Del must bring the community together to complete the lavender harvest. This is a joyful read about friendship, love, and finding your happily-ever-after.

Key tropes: summer love, holiday romance, small town.

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

Delphie is in the waiting room for the afterlife when she meets a handsome stranger. They have an instant connection – until someone realises there has been a mistake and takes the stranger back down to Earth. Delphie is then offered a deal: she can return to Earth if she finds the man and makes him fall in love with her. The only catch? She has just 10 days – and he has no memory of ever meeting her.

Key tropes: cosy fantasy , new beginnings, second-chance romance.

Lies & Weddings by Kevin Kwan

The bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians returns with a standalone novel exploring the intrigue and romantic dilemmas of high society. Rufus Leung Gresham, future Earl of Greshamsbury, has been given strict instructions from his mother: seduce a woman with money who can settle his debts. But now Rufus is torn between a blue-blooded heiress, a venture capital billionaire, and the girl next door he’s been best friends with for years.

Key tropes: billionaire romance, forbidden love.

Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde

In this feel-good romance, photographer Cass flies to Dominica to capture images of a rare stone carving, accompanied by Ranulph, an attractive older journalist. As they grow closer and get more involved in the local community, Cass falls head over heels for Ranulph. But surely, given their age gap and his apparent disinterest, he doesn’t feel the same way…right?

Key tropes: summer love, friends to lovers, holiday romance.

You’re the Problem, It’s You by Emma R. Alban

This queer historical romance from the author of More Than a Best Friend is perfect for fans of Bridgerton . The shy Viscount James Demeroven and Bobby Mason, a resentful and ambitious second-born, despise each other. But when an extortionist targets their families, they have no choice but to work together. Soon they discover that there’s a thin line between love and hate.

Key tropes: enemies to lovers, historical romance, opposites attract.

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

When Amerie Price bumps into her ex-boyfriend, she pretends to date the handsome stranger she just met: an astronaut called Vincent. Then the pair realise they could help each other more long-term. For the three months leading up to Vincent’s next mission, Amerie will pretend to date him to keep his well-meaning family at bay. In exchange, Amerie can live rent-free in his home and save her business. Their fake relationship has a time limit, but love doesn’t play by the rules.

Key tropes: fake dating, forced proximity.

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

The author of the heartbreaking bestseller Eleanor & Park is back with a tender romance about first loves. Slow Dance tracks the decades of Shiloh and Cary’s friendship, as they grow from inseparable teenagers to adults leading very different lives. This is a romantic, poignant novel, with realistic, flawed characters, about the endurance of love in all its forms.

Key tropes: slow burn, friends to lovers, second-chance romance.

The Catch by Amy Lea

Fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen swaps her beloved Boston for a rural fishing village, hoping to get social media content that will save her business. There, she is mistaken for grumpy fisherman Evan Whaler’s fiancée. They strike a deal: Melanie will pose as his partner in exchange for Evan’s help with her brand. But over hikes and campfires, Melanie finds it harder to resist Evan and her new rural way of life.

Key tropes: small town, enemies to lovers, fake dating.

Seven Summers by Paige Toon

In this epic love story, Finn and Liv share a night of passion before he returns to LA, and she stays in Cornwall. He vows to return every year, and if they are both single, they’ll spend the summer together. Seven years later, Liv falls for a new man in town, Tom. But can she let go of her first love? Paige Toon has a well-earned reputation as “queen of the tear-jerker ”, and Seven Summers is no exception.

Key tropes: love triangle, first love, second-chance romance.

Ralph’s Party by Lisa Jewell

Six young tenants in a London house-share have interconnected, messy love lives. There’s Ralph, who’s in love with his new housemate Jem – a woman currently dating his best friend Smith. Across the hall, Karl and Siobhan’s domestic bliss is rocked by their upstairs neighbour Cheri. Everything reaches an explosive climax the night Ralph throws a party. Lisa Jewell’s bestselling first novel has been re-rereleased to mark 25 years since its initial publication.

Key tropes: forced proximity, love triangle.

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Hot Stuff: The 8 best romance novels of Winter 2024

EW rounds up 8 of our favorite romance reads from January and February.

Temperatures are finally beginning to rise, but if you've been staying cozy this winter, chances are you could also use a book to keep you warm.

EW has eight new romance titles that have metaphorically kept our fires burning through January and February. Read more below.

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise

If you’re looking to kickstart your romance year with a little bit of intrigue and adventure, look no further than Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise. Lovise crafts a yarn that is equal parts historical mystery and scintillating romance. Emily Leverton is determined to leave her dark past in the shadows when she embarks on a new life as a governess in the employ of a mysterious woman who pays her to spy on the ton. When Emily’s job puts her in the path of railroad magnate and police detective Zach Denholm, sparks fly. But she can’t risk exposing him to ruin if her past is ever discovered, making it difficult to navigate her mounting attraction. The two race against the clock to stop a Jack the Ripper-esque killer all the while circling their love for each other. Lovise writes with a spritely pen, her story bursting with cheek and humor while also remaining unrelenting in its twists and turns. It’s an extremely promising debut, one that blends the best hallmarks of each of its genres. If simply blowing a kiss stirs up this much excitement, we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

My bookshelf and the work of Emma R. Alban will be an everlasting love. Alban debuts with this swoony sapphic romance about two young Victorian women who decide to Parent Trap their widowed parents instead of seeking matches for themselves (and end up falling in love along the way). Beth Demeroven has one season to land an eligible bachelor and avoid the certain destitution that threatens her and her mother. But when she meets Gwen Havenfort, the daughter of a rakish earl who enjoys carousing and causing trouble as much as her father, it turns her plans (and her world) upside down. Alban writes with a energetic voice, impish and playful in tone, capturing the youthful exuberance of her heroines. But she also understands the sublime heartbreak of romantic angst, which appears in equal measure here. While Gwen is brash and impulsive, Beth is more reserved and thoughtful, and Alban captures each of their voices with twinkling, distinctive cadences. Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend is as divinely fun and romantic as a Nancy Meyers film trussed up with plenty of petticoats, hoop skirts, and lace.

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

Naina Kumar turns the arranged marriage plot on its head with her debut novel. When Meghna Raman agrees to meet a potential marriage suitor selected by her parents, she doesn’t expect to find an answer to her problems. But Karthik Murphy is no more interested in getting married than she is, and that’s how the two agree to pretend to be engaged to assuage their parents and ensure Meghna has a date to her best friend’s wedding (a guy she still carries a torch for, naturally). But as the two spend time together, they become increasingly protective of each other’s hopes and dreams, falling for the other’s quirks and unable to deny their chemistry. Until their own insecurities threaten to ruin the one thing they never planned on being real. Kumar writes with equal amounts of heart and humor, capturing the keen pain of Karthik’s home life and Meghna’s yearning for love and approval from everyone in her life. From Karthik’s backstage visit to watch Meghna’s school play to an unexpectedly sexy bachelor party outing, the book bursts with swoony set-ups that are classic rom-com catnip. Kumar is a sparkling new voice in the romance stratosphere, blending the cultural specificity of her own lived experience with her own unique spin on beloved romance tropes. Say You’ll Be Mine is a heartfelt examination of  Karthik and Meghna’s complicated relationship with their cultural identity and their parents. With poignancy, humor and heart, it unpacks the ways in which personal and external expectations can derail our best intentions and champions the courage and growth true love really requires.

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy

If you’re looking for an author who captures the frothy chick lit vibes of the aughts, then look no further than Elle Kennedy. Her new adult novel, Girl Abroad, follows Abbey Bly, the daughter of a rock star, as she embarks on a year abroad in London. When Abbey arrives, she’s startled to discover that the three roommates — Lee, Jamie, and Jackie — she assumed were women are actually men. But Abbey can’t give up her chance to escape her father’s overprotectiveness, so she decides to stay. Things quickly go haywire when she finds herself in a love triangle between her beefy rugby player roommate, Jack, and broody musician, Nate. Both men are exceedingly different — while Nate makes her feel adventurous and carefree, Jack is solid and comforting. As Abbey waffles between the two guys, she also dives into a research project about a love triangle between a maid and two aristocratic brothers in post-war England. Her search for answers leads her to question the vagaries of her own heart, as she tries to understand whether wild spontaneity or a more domestic life is what she craves. Kennedy’s prose sparkles, making it challenging to put the book down. She perfectly balances the gripping historical mystery with the romantic intrigue. Abbey’s confusion as she attempts to navigate her first adult romances rings true. It’s all trussed up in the delectable package of Anglophilia, with its odes to shadowy libraries, pub trips, endless cups of tea, and the pedestrian ease of navigating London. For any girl (like me) who dreamed of studying abroad and falling headlong into a romance with a hunky Brit (or Commonwealth citizen), Girl Abroad will make you swoon. It’s impossible to keep calm and carry on while falling head over heels for this book.

Girls With Bad Reputation by Xio Axelrod

Xio Axelrod returns to the world of all-female rock band The Lillys, this time turning her attention to drummer Kayla Whitman. Following the death of her brother as a teenager, Kayla has looked for a way out from under the suffocating expectations of her mother. Drumming with The Lillys has proved a godsend, but she’s determined to keep her life as an up-and-coming rock star a secret from her parents. But as their fame rises, that’s becoming increasingly difficult. She finds peace with quiet, reflective tour bus driver, Ty Baldwin, who is also nursing a secret from his past — the impact of a false accusation that destroyed his dreams of pursuing a college degree. The two form a steady bond, taking comfort in their mutual love of literature, their complicated histories, and the easy trust that springs up between them. Axelrod writes compellingly of the touring musicians’ lifestyle, from the challenges of hooking up on a tour bus to the grueling schedule and the absurd queries at press junkets. Girls With Bad Reputations is a tale of how to reinvent yourself while still honoring your past, speaking to the ways in which our histories can inform us without defining us. Ty and Kayla’s bond is steady but solid, and it’s a slow burn that feels refreshingly cast against the world of sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll. Kayla must also wrestle with toxic parental patterns and the ways that she can free herself from the weight of her mother’s expectations while still maintaining a relationship with her family. Axelrod expertly threads that needle, crafting a scene of reconciliation without letting anyone off the hook. Girls With Bad Reputations is a quiet little song of a book.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is more a piece of women’s fiction with a love story at its center than it is a romance novel, but it’s so lushly romantic with a capital “R” that it’s earned its spot in this column. Ricki Wilde has never fit in with her work-obsessed Atlanta family, so she jumps at the opportunity to pursue her dream of opening up a flower shop in the bottom floor of a Harlem brownstone. But when Ricki meets a handsome stranger one night, it throws her world wildly off-kilter. Because the stranger, Ezra Walker, is a Perennial, a man who has remained 28-years-old since the night he was cursed in the 1920s. His curse brings potentially horrific consequences for Ricki but the two can’t help but fall for each other. Williams paints the story of Ezra’s life, from his days as a jazz pianist during the Harlem Renaissance to his decades of loneliness to the life-renewing pull of Ricki. Ricki’s story is a familiar one, a family black sheep who has let her family chip at her confidence for far too long. Williams’ writing style, particularly in Ricki’s inner monologue, can veer to the simplistic — for a woman obsessed with poetry and history, Ricki’s thoughts don’t carry the poignancy or lyricism one might expect. Williams writing is glib where it should be expressive, plain where it should be flowery (or at least have a few flourishes). Passages that should be romantic are composed to be matter-of-fact, and on the whole, Ricki’s voice feels underdeveloped. Thankfully, Ezra’s story and voice is a vividly painted counter to that. As is the tale of Ms. Della, Ricki’s elderly upstairs neighbor whose cheek and vibrancy make her a standout character. These strengths make Ezra and Ricki’s love story a swoon-worthy tale that transcends time and space, one that captures the vicissitudes of fate, the power of love, and the promise of finding one’s destiny.

To Woo and To Wed by Martha Waters

Martha Waters concludes her Regency Vows series with the long-awaited second chance romance of Sophie and West, To Woo and To Wed . Seven years prior, Sophie and West were all-but-betrothed when threats from his father and a horrible curricle accident split them apart. But now, the widowed Sophie needs West to feign an engagement with her in order to push her younger (also widowed) sister Alexandra into her own connubial bliss. But what starts as a charade quickly becomes all too real as the two cannot deny how much the old chemistry and feelings are still there right below the surface. Sophie and West have circled each other for four novels, but their love story is well worth the wait. Waters’ magically whimsical pen dots their romance with just the right amount of sentiment, the yearning oozing off the page. Whether readers have spent the last few years rooting for these characters or are new to Waters’ world, it’s impossible to read To Woo and To Wed with anything but an enormous grin on one’s face. The novel is a heartfelt testament to family, loyal friendships, and the hijinks of courtship. In some ways, this is Waters’ most emotional story because she’s been building to it for so long. The weight of the loss of the intervening years is potent, but it only makes the love story that much more enchanting. We wish this series didn’t have to end, but since it does, we couldn’t imagine a better happily-ever-after for Waters’ first series.

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

Jenny Holiday has long been a go-to for funny, feel-good romance and her latest has plenty of the hallmarks of her rom-coms, even if it can’t quite get the puck in the net. Aurora “Rory” Evans invented the titular fake boyfriend as a teenager after a run-in with a hunky hockey player at the mall. Over the years, he was an excuse and a lifeline. But things get messy when Mike Martin, the inspiration for her fake paramour, comes back into her life. Rory and Mike get close quickly, bonding over their love for his daughter, Olivia ,and finding connection as Mike recovers from the loss of his wife. Much of the novel is awash in trauma — Mike and Olivia’s grief and Aurora’s eating disorder and complicated relationship with her mother. Often that overshadows the sillier, more whimsical elements of Holiday’s plotting. It particularly makes it hard to buy into the central conflict — the fact that Aurora withholds the truth about her fictional Canadian boyfriend from Mike for so long. It feels trivial in light of the bigger issues the characters are facing, a rom-com conflict wedged in between monumental issues of real-life loss. As such, Canadian Boyfriend has a bit more emotional whiplash than Holiday’s tales usually do (not to mention some complicated power dynamics involving employment and monetary remuneration). But Holiday still remains a gifted spinner of yarns, and it’s impossible not to fall for Mike’s Canadian humility and unabashed love for his adopted daughter. 

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Related content:

• Enjoy an excerpt from Rebecca Serle's  Expiration Dates  as a Valentine's treat
• Smut is not a dirty word: Author Sarah J. Maas (and romantasy at large) deserves more respect
• Hot Stuff: The 10 best romance novels of 2023

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You Should Be So Lucky: A Novel Kindle Edition

An emotional, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine, queer mid-century romance for fans of  Evvie Drake Starts Over , about grief and found family, between the new star shortstop stuck in a batting slump and the reporter assigned to (reluctantly) cover his first season— set in the same universe as We Could Be So Good .

The 1960 baseball season is shaping up to be the worst year of Eddie O’Leary’s life. He can’t manage to hit the ball, his new teammates hate him, he’s living out of a suitcase, and he’s homesick. When the team’s owner orders him to give a bunch of interviews to some snobby reporter, he’s ready to call it quits. He can barely manage to behave himself for the length of a game, let alone an entire season. But he’s already on thin ice, so he has no choice but to agree.

Mark Bailey is not a sports reporter. He writes for the arts page, and these days he’s barely even managing to do that much. He’s had a rough year and just wants to be left alone in his too-empty apartment, mourning a partner he’d never been able to be public about. The last thing he needs is to spend a season writing about New York’s obnoxious new shortstop in a stunt to get the struggling newspaper more readers.

Isolated together within the crush of an anonymous city, these two lonely souls orbit each other as they slowly give in to the inevitable gravity of their attraction. But Mark has vowed that he’ll never be someone’s secret ever again, and Eddie  can’t  be out as a professional athlete. It’s just them against the world, and they’ll both have to decide if that’s enough.

• Print length 395 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher Avon
• Publication date May 7, 2024
• File size 4164 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

“It’s not about the events [of the plot], it’s about the going through [them]. And the going through is wonderful: At one point a character makes some soup, and then later a different character makes more soup, and here I am weeping and prostrate because the reader knows what that soup means . … Queer oppression, the civil rights movement, white supremacy—these are tangible contexts in this novel, but they are not the subject. The subject: joy as praxis, love as liberation. You can’t do the big rebellions if you can’t start with the small ones.” — New York Times Book Review on We Could Be So Good

“Irresistible…. There’s plenty of conflict to keep the pages flying, but it’s the scenes of Nick and Andy’s cozy domesticity that truly shine. This wonderful period romance will leave readers just as giddy as its leads.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on We Could Be So Good

"[A] sublimely romantic love story." — Booklist (starred review) on We Could Be So Good

"This sweetly angsty novel...will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading opposites-attract romances with found family subplots.” — Library Journal (starred review) on We Could Be So Good

“The writing is stellar, the characters are divine, and the setting is wonderful. [ We Could Be So Good ] is an incredible book, and I can’t recommend it enough.” — Romance Reviews Today

“Cat Sebastian is my desert island author." — Olivie Blake, author of the Atlas series

About the Author

Cat Sebastian writes queer historical romances. Cat’s books include We Could Be So Good and the Turner series, and have received starred reviews from  Kirkus ,  Publishers Weekly ,  Library Journal , and  Booklist . Before writing, Cat was a lawyer and a teacher and did a variety of other jobs she liked much less than she enjoys writing happy endings for queer people. She was born in New Jersey and lived in New York and Arizona before settling down in a swampy part of the South. When she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, having one-sided conversations with her dog, or doing the crossword puzzle.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CFM3SK19
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon (May 7, 2024)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 7, 2024
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 4164 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 395 pages
• Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0063272806
• #3 in American Historical Romance (Books)
• #4 in 20th Century Historical Romance eBooks
• #27 in Gay Romance

About the author

Cat sebastian.

Cat writes queer historical romance. In her spare time she acquires too many houseplants and misplaces things. She lives in a swampy part of the American south but also on twitter.

Visit Cat at CatSebastian.com

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‘Turtles All the Way Down’ Review: A Young-Adult Romance with an Original Dramatic Obstacle: The Heroine Has OCD

An adaptation of the latest YA novel by John Green ("The Fault in Our Stars") tackles a daring subject and deals with it safely.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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How’s this for a swoon-worthy romantic moment? Aza (Isabela Merced), darkly beautiful and shy, find herself alone with Davis (Felix Mallard), a rich-kid dreamboat, at his family’s woodside mansion. They’re having a gentle conversation; the sparks are flying. As the music swells, you feel the time arrive for them to kiss. At which point we hear Aza’s worried voice on the soundtrack saying, “You’ll get his bacteria in your mouth. His bacteria will make you sick.” Or as she puts it a little later to her psychiatrist (Poorna Jagannathan), “How can I have a boyfriend if I hate the idea of kissing him?”

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But you don’t need to read it that way, since OCD isn’t only a metaphor. It’s a syndrome that exists. “Turtles All the Way Down” makes Aza’s OCD just specific enough to draw us in, then deals with it in a way that’s just manipulative and sugar-coated enough to leave us thinking, “Yep, it’s another YA movie.” This one, directed by Hannah Marks, isn’t badly done, yet the film is as reassuringly formulaic in its use of OCD as Aza is ritualistic when it comes to dealing with it.

At heart, “Turtles All the Way Down” is a teen romantic fantasy about not having enough daddy love. Aza’s father died of natural causes when she was very young, and she connects with Davis, who she knew as a little kid, after his own billionaire father mysteriously disappears. As Davis, the Australian actor Felix Mallard comes on as a soft-edged preppie, with echoes of the young Leo, the young Robert Pattinson, the young James Spader minus the reticence. His Davis always has the perfect (empathetic) (witty) (non-mansplaining) thing to say.

That makes him a soothing suitor for Aza, who Isabala Merced invests with a forlorn agitation that’s convincing enough, but never too messy. The film’s most authentic performance is given by Cree, who plays Aza’s perky lifelong friend, Daisy, a magenta-haired writer of “Star Wars” fan fiction. She seems, for a while, like a cookie-cutter supportive bestie, but when her real thoughts about Aza come out (how difficult it is to be friends with her), the film hits a note of something genuine and even a touch daring: the self-centeredness that can result from dealing with a mental disorder.

But if the film, for a moment, looks like it’s trying to be realistic about a problem this chronic, how can it have the happy ending a YA movie requires? “Turtles All the Way Down” has its own quirky one, in which Daisy predicts that Aza is going to have a nice life, and we see it played out as feel-good reality. That’s all a bit much, though it’s a fitting wrap-up for a movie that feels, by the end, like it wants to be called “Germs of Endearment.”

Reviewed online, May 3, 2024. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 111 MIN.

• Production: A New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Discovery release of a Temple Hill, Rojas Green production. Producers: Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Issac Klausner. Executive producers: Elizabeth Berger, Isaac Aptaker, Richard Brener, Nikki Ramey, Pauline Sussman, Laura Quicksilver, Bart Lipton, John Green, Rosianna Halse Rojas.
• Crew: Director: Hannah Marks. Screenplay: Elizabeth Berger, Isaac Aptaker. Camera: Brian Burgoyne. Editor: Andrea Bottigliero. Music: Ian Hultquist.
• With: Isabela Merced, Cree, Felix Mallard, Judy Reyes, Maliq Johnson, J. Smith-Cameron, Poorna Jagannathan.

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