14 great new romance books you should read

polygon.com:

There is nothing quite so delicious as a good romance novel.

Whenever the world is a bit Too Much, life is overly stressful, and my Twitter timeline is on fire, I turn to romance novels as a way to relax and heal my soul. The wide variety of subgenres, the emotional highs and lows of falling in love, larger-than-life characters, steamy love scenes, and a guaranteed happy ending provide a perfect balance of satisfying storytelling and escapism, and they have been the only reason I have read anything over the past few years.

And so to encourage everyone to read more romance, I have compiled this list of romance novels that, in this humble bookseller’s opinion, are well worth picking up for your next read!

Most love stories don’t start with somebody getting hit by a car (they’re fine), but Talia Hibbert is an author who can weave utterly magical romances from even the wildest of storylines. Her most recent romantic comedy follows Eve, a human embodiment of sunny chaos, and Jacob, an icy uptight perfectionist, as they begrudgingly work together to save the Jacob’s B&B, delivering heated attraction, hilarious hijinks, and a screamingly adorable romance. Featuring two neurodiverse protagonists, excellent body diversity, and sparkling dialogue, Act Your Age, Eve Brown is a book to hug to yourself and savor.

If you’ve ever wished that the Great British Bake Off had more sexual tension, then I have the perfect book for you. A sunshine-and-rainbows baking show contestant and the dour, grumpy judge who eliminated her from the competition square off to win a coveted baking commission for a royal wedding—what could possibly go wrong?!

Battle Royal is a perfect introduction to Lucy Parker, who made her name with her