Romance bestsellers

“I am blown away, out of the water, and through the roof. If this book doesn't make ALL the best of 2020 lists, I will burn them to the ground. Legendborn had me hook, line, and sinker from the start, and it just kept getting better. Bree is a force to be reckoned with and I loved her wholeheartedly. Deonn never reduces her or holds back the anger that is rightfully hers, nor does she reduce Bree to that anger. This is a story of overcoming grief and turning it into something hopeful. This is an ode to family (both found & born), to Black Girl Magic, to overthrowing that which only serves a privileged few. And that Twilight reference? Slayed me! A blazing beauty of a book. My only complaint is that now I have to wait for the next one.”

“What an amazing written and performed tale of love, mystery, and magic. This homage to books and storytelling is like nothing I’ve read... ever. Morgenstern has achieved a wondrous feat that defies measure.”

“What do you get when you cross a disillusioned romance author with a Hemingway wannabe? A compulsively readable book where you kind of hope for your train to be delayed so you can spend a few more minutes with January and Gus. These two, saddled with writer’s block, make a pact to write the other’s genre. Literary snobbery is (rightfully) called out, and the two begin to navigate a friendship outside of writing as they explore the other’s process. Reader, I loved it.”

“I have never been so mad to realize a title was an author's debut. Sweet, tender, funny, I devoured this book. I wanted to cancel plans for this book! Spending time with these characters was the literary equivalent of curling up by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate while it's snowing outside. McQuiston's words were a direct line to my 23 year-old self. I couldn't believe they stared back at me from the page. And while I wish this book had been around when I had just come out, when I was figuring myself out, reading it now is almost just as good (we all need disaster bisexual role models).”

“If you want an instant mood lifter, these books are for you! Hibbert writes a romance that is both cute and fun and STEAMY. Over the course of three books, she follows three sisters and their love lives. The Brown family is delightfully erratic. The sisters each have their own unique personalities and life troubles though were born into a certain level of financial privilege. Eve Brown, the youngest and most unmoored, is the subject of this third novel. Hibbert crafts great characters and a story that is easy to fall into. It will entertain the h*ll out of you if you let it! Eve is fun. Normally, her listlessness would stress me out but she had such a fun personality that was determined as well as indecisive and I enjoyed her internal monologues. I liked that Brown tackled autism in both males and females and demystified it a little (reminded me of Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient). Ione Butler was a fantastic narrator. I had listened to Hibbert's last installment about middle sister Dani with Butler at the helm too and thoroughly enjoyed it. She has a very smooth and flirty voice that draw you in and adds sass to her characters. The ending was a little crazy, the entire Brown family once again making things difficult, but I was smiling by the end. Highly recommended to romance fans, Jasmine Guillory/Helen Hoang readers, and those that need a light, fun mental break.”

“In the late 1930s, the Works Progress Administration developed a number of projects intended to provide employment opportunities for unemployed artists, writers, and craftsmen. One of those projects was the Pack Horse Library Initiative, in which mounted horsewomen picked their way along snowy hillsides and through muddy creeks with a simple goal: to deliver reading material to Kentucky’s isolated mountain communities. In The Giver of Stars, Moyes has brought to life the amazing, funny, adventurous stories of a few of these trailblazing women. Historical fiction lovers will devour this story of a little-known piece of U.S. history.”

“Le swoon. I feel so healed. This book is pure and wonderful and and hilarious and utterly charming. Talia Hibbert has made a fake-dating trope convert out of me - her execution was just that perfect. Dani Brown is the career-focused nerd so many women have been told not to be and I felt so seen in her struggles to balance her needs in a relationship. Zafir Ansari is one of the kindest souls and his mental health and grief struggles were all too relatable. Add a dash of smash the patriarchy, all the sarcasm, and a hint of steam and I do believe you have a perfect concoction to escape the 2020 madness.”

“Smart, steamy, and fun! I listened to this one through Libro.FM and loved everything from the author's voice to the female friendships to the recognition that internet fame is an emotional burden. (I was also deeply amused by the fact that the male lead had lived/worked in Vienna, in the building locals affectionately refer to as "The Toilet Bowl.")”

“Get a Life, Chloe Brown is the ultimate book candy! Chloe, a Black British thirty-something web designer, has been living in her family home ever since a diagnosis of fibromyalgia upended her life several years prior. After years of semi-hermithood, a near-death experience prompts her to make a list of things she’d like to do in order to “get a life.” As fate would have it, the apartment building she soon moves into contains a devilishly handsome superintendent. With a beautiful and long overdue representation of fibro and plenty of glorious, woman-focused sex, this audiobook is absolute bliss.”

“For Science Fiction lovers we have the Nebula awards, released at the end of May each year. Winning Best Novella in 2020, THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone is one of those books that uses the science-y elements of time travel and other worlds to tell a very familiar story about human nature and the unpredictable and identity-shaping effects of falling in love. This is a book I recommend listening to especially, because the two readers help you to hear the nature of the two characters shift, as they hunt each other in a cosmic battle across eons, while also seeing the brilliance in the other. Their plight is alluring, dangerous, and romantic. The writing is cutting and fierce. You will listen to this story, and then want to start over and listen to it again.”

“Scintillating, ethereal, and utterly captivating. And with narration by Jim Dale, who could say no? Morgenstern writes in sparkling prose, slowly weaving tapestries that come together in beautiful, unexpected ways, though when you look back, the stage had been set from the beginning. The Night Circus is a beautiful tale of being open to the magic in the world and choosing your own path through it all. Now if only I knew where the Cirque was making its next stop. Perhaps I'll email the proprietor... ”

“A sweet romance about a professor who decides to take a chance when she finds herself out at a bar by herself seated next to an attractive man in town on business. Naya never would have imagined that their one-night stand would turn into a week-long fling with the potential for even more. And because of her toxic past relationships, she is hesitant to trust Jake. I loved reading about a professor as a romance leading lady!”

“I loved the dual back and forth narration between Sloan and Jason after their hilariously fun meet-cute involving Jason’s dog and international phone calls and texts. Having two narrators for the audiobook brought the characters to life. What really made this story work for me was the substance provided by a realistic portrayal of a woman finally allowing herself to be released from her cocoon of grief and learning how to live again alongside the challenges of dating an up and coming musician. The music side of it also gave it an extra layer of specialness and made it more interesting. Each chapter starts with a song title giving you a sneak peek into what to expect from that chapter along with an actual playlist to create and enjoy. ”

“Wedding planner Lina is a master at planning everything, except the moment when she’s left at the altar by her fiance. Fast forward to an important job interview when she’s forced to work with Max, her ex-fiance’s brother who may have broken them up. An ultimate enemies-to-lovers journey, this was an overall delightful read. The characters were especially dynamic, showing growth and development. The audiobook was an especially fun listen, with dual narrators really bringing the story to life.”

“Deborah Harkness' books are brain candy for the educated person. Her contemporary fantasies, filled with vampires, witches, and deamons, veer into historical fantasy (thanks to the long lives of characters). With a reader who can shift accents with ease, this audio book is enthralling. You'll be just as smitten by Harkness' descriptions of libraries, laboratories, and research as you will by her romances, making this a romance for the sapiosexual.”

“Three second-born daughters take a life-changing trip to Italy in hopes of breaking the family curse dooming all second-born daughters in their family to never find love. You will just adore these three main characters, who spend this journey celebrating love and family, and you will become fully invested in their stories. I just loved the wisdom of Aunt Poppy, the beautiful setting of Italy, and the family tales. Just wonderful!”

“This fake-dating, opposites-attract romance is simply perfect. A social media astrologer is set up with her new business partner’s actuary sister. While the date goes terribly, how helpful it would be for both of them to have a date for certain upcoming events. The two leads are wonderful, flawed women with their own baggage and hang-ups (hello, family drama!), and it’s a joy to watch them fall in love with each other in spite of everything.”

“Steamy, spicy, and tender, if this book were a gourmet meal it would be worth a thousand bucks for sure. Lyssa Kay Adams has outdone herself; her sophomore novel in the Bromance Book Club collection is even better than her debut. Liv is a firecracker, taking nothing from nobody. Mack is a big softie with a heart of gold. When they team up to take down a famous and powerful chef with a history of abusing women, there is nothing these two won’t risk — including their hearts. Please read this lovely romance; you will not regret it and it will make you a better person. And if you are a man, this should be required reading — study up, dudes.”

“After a night of not even that much debauchery, Luc finds himself in the tabloids again. Though he is not famous, his estranged father is and consequently, Luc is constantly in the eye of the paparazzi. To repair his image in the press, he needs a respectable boyfriend. Oliver is Luc’s last option, but luckily Oliver needs a boyfriend for a family event. They agree to a fake relationship, but can any relationship stay fake for long? This is an adorable love story perfect for turning your brain off for a bit.”

“Damn, this was cute. Definitely a mood-lifter, definitely a light read. Any fan of Jane the Virgin or One Day at a Time (or even an "I enjoyed an episode once" person) would devour this. Filled with representation, strong leading ladies, family drama, secrets, and pure sass, You Had Me at Hola has you entertained from the first page. Honestly, though this book includes some steamy romance, it wasn't the most exciting thing for me. I was really impressed with Daria's world building. She layered scenes of Carmen in Charge (the show Jasmine and Ashton are filming) in throughout and captures the families of both characters very well. Yes, there is sex but there is also a really sweet relationship blooming that involves multiple layers and I was honestly more in a "cute" mindset throughout that a "sexy" one. There was a lot of talk about being a Latinx actress in today's entertainment world and the difficulty with tokenism, racism, and stereotypes. Daria also touched on the multitudes within the Latinx community and how many different countries, languages, culture, and skin colors that covers. Of course, being a romance, there are always bad decisions and stupid people involved. Jasmine and Ashton, though super cute, are no exception. Just as much eyerolling happened on my face as grinning but in a romance, I guess I wouldn't have it any other way!”

“An interesting premise that could have turned too cheesy, but managed to remain a compelling and enjoyable read. Always appreciate a book that leaves the reader with a question or perspective to ponder, as this one does: If I knew then what I know now, what would I do?”

“Everyone has played the game of selecting five favorite people to attend their ultimate dinner party. For Sabrina, however, the game has become a reality. The Dinner List is a magical night full of wistfulness, nostalgia, love, and loss. Who among us has not wished for an opportunity to reconnect with a loved one or converse with someone admired from afar? Readers everywhere will sink their teeth into this delicious and heart-warming tale of one enchanted evening.”

“Isabel Allende’s latest novel couldn’t come at a better time for American readers heading into an election season. With immigration and desperate people seeking asylum as its central narrative thread, the novel reminds us of the uncanny resiliency of the human spirit and the power of love — both of others and of country — to restore and heal. From his awe-inspiring feat in the novel’s opening pages to his persistence in the face of a lifetime of adversity, cardiologist Victor Dalmau will live long and well in readers’ minds.”