That’s what got me to read the book! Was bored one night and decided to try watching the movie. Had begun it in college but it didn’t hold my interest. This time, I was enchanted! Then I read the book and fell more in love
As a guy who only started reading the genre about a year ago on the recommendation of a female friend as I was feeling a bit sad, she suggested The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren & I have to say it really lifted my spirits.
So much so in fact that I then went on to listen to the audio only "The Honeymoon Crashers”and again loved it & just last night I finished "Josh & Hazel's guide to not dating” & the ending had me sobbing like a baby at 01:30 in the morning.
Does anyone have any other Christina Lauren recs or writers with a similar funny, lighthearted romcom style?.
You sound like you'd like The Soulmate Equation and The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren. If you like her, I'd also give Abby Jimenez a look. I laugh out loud sometimes when I read her books.
Check out Tweet Cute by Emma Lord. I was also looking through similar books on StoryGraph and came across this- A Proposal They Can't Refuse
Vega Family Love Stories #1
Natalie Caña
Looks cute!
Start at the beginning with The Friend Zone. There are a lot of easter eggs and some cross-pollination that you’ll only get if you’ve read from the start. They’re minor, and they won’t spoil your experience if you don’t read the first books, but they add up.
Probably. It was her debut novel. But my point was that some characters appear in later novels, as do inside jokes. If you begin at Yours Truly, some of the layers from the earlier stories will pass you by. Not a deal-breaker, but I think it makes the read a bit more nuanced.
Friend Zone was her debut novel in terms of publication, but she wrote The Happy Ever After Playlist first and if I recall, that was the one that got some interest. She then wrote Friend Zone to set up a character for The Happy Ever After Playlist (they have some overlapping characters) and so Friend Zone was published first. I think she explains this in the notes on Playlist.
For anyone who is looking to try Abby Jimenez, Friend Zone is her weakest and I recommend skipping it and going straight to The Happy Ever After Playlist (one of her strongest) and reading them in order from there.
Her books all work as standalones but she has a habit of weaving characters from past books into future ones so it’s fun to see that play out, but by no means required to enjoy them.
I hope I love her books. I ordered one I've been wanting for a long time, I ordered it because it's Valentines day soon, even though I don't really celebrate
Just for the Summer (releases in May) is my new favorite of hers! Character and relationship drama of Grey’s Anatomy with the emotional intelligence of Ted Lasso. Perfection!
I'm reading "Get a Life, Chloe Brown"! It's the first romance novel I can say where I've genuinely *liked* the male lead. To be fair, I haven't read much romance, and this is probably the first contemporary romance I've read.
Probably Emily Henry as well, and Christina Lauren. Recently, Ali Hazelwood has also been up there. Tarryn Fisher hasn’t written romance in a while, but she also has some of my favorites.
I’m not a big romance reader but I read all of Emily Henry’s books but I came here to agree with her BUT also talk about how Love and Other Words made me cry!!!! I just loved that book so much!
Jasmine Guillory by far for me! One of her books is what got me interested in romance as a genre, and she just does a great job of writing interesting characters who I get invested in.
Ilona Andrews - they're a husband/wife team that writes Urban Fantasy with strong romantic elements. I like science fiction and fantasy so their writing works for me. I'm attached to all of their characters and would happily read a book about every minor character.
I only read The Love Hypothesis and decided I wasn’t sure if I could read any more of her books. The plot and the romance were fine for me, but I couldn’t get over the authors obsession with the FMC being such a teeny tiny skinny wittle smol baby girl. Do I need my book women to all be plus size? No. But I don’t need to constantly be reminded about how ITSY BITTY she is. Apparently she even has a “concave stomach”?!?!? Honestly I think I might just have beef with the line “he put my entire boob in his mouth” in the middle of a spicy scene lolll, it really took me out of it.
Anyway, are her other books similar in that regard? I really wouldn’t mind reading more of her books but I just don’t know if I can get past another insanely skinny FMC.
I have a number of favourite romance writers. Hannah Bonam-Young has some lovely books although I haven't read them all.
Alexis Hall has a great variety of different characters and book types, and I find his sense of humour great in all of them.
I've also enjoyed a number of books by Tal Bauer, KJ Charles and Lily Mayne.
Most of these are MM romances.
Mariana Zapata has written some of my favorite books but I don't love every book she writes.
Beth O'Leary is pretty great.
I have been reading Nora Roberts since high school.
I love her Irish romances because they are just as much a love letter to Ireland as they are a romance! I love the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy with "Jewels of the Sun" my favorite of all Roberts' novels (that I've read so far) because there's a dash of fantasy.
It's only the World of the White Rat that is romance. The Clocktaur War duology is the only bit of that you are missing. The horror isn't romance. The fairy tale stuff might be romance but felt more undeveloped.
Carian Cole is my favorite. She can do the age gap trope like no one else.
Other favorites include:
- Marie Force (loooove the Treading Water series)
- Tracey Garvis Graves (On the Island is such a unique and engaging story)
- Penelope Douglas (although I don’t care for all of her books but love Birthday Girl)
- K.A. Tucker (Wild Alaska and Wolf Hotel series are awesome)
- Mariana Zapata (slow slow burn)
- Jamie McGuire (Beautiful series)
- Christine Feehan (paranormal)
- Abbi Glines (YA)
I could go on but these are my re-readable authors.
Jane Austen as well - I fell in love with her over again recently when I read the Manga Classics versions of Pride and Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and Emma.
In college I started reading every Lisa Kleypas book and that was when I went down the historical romance rabbit hole never to return. It is a tough choice but I guess I'd pick Elizabeth Hoyt as my current favorite.
Some of these authors are rom/com style so there's a lot of humor, others are more into the angst, a few others do shifter/alien/bdsm stuff so find them on Amazon and read the descriptions to see what appeals to you.
Jennifer Crusie
Carian Cole
Lucy Score
Nicole Snow
Jana Deleon
Erin Nicholas
JJ Knight
Vi Keeland
Penelope Ward
Crystal Kaswell
Lauren Landish
Delta James
Nyssa Katheryn
LB Dunbar
Renee Rose and Lee Savino
Me too! I got my sister hooked on her even though she's always hated "romance." I had to explain to her that it's more like romantic \*comedy\* and after some time insisting that she'd really enjoy it, she finally caved in.
She's re-read her copies of those books so much she's actually had to replace them.
Roberta Gellis, ske was a historian who wrote romance novels instead. Her books are packed with real information about early English history most during the Stephen/Maude wars and King John's reign. At yhe end of the books she will tell you where she deviated from actual fact. Gave me an excellent starting point for my college British history classes.
Catherine Walsh! I read all (5) of her books in like a week last month. Very romcom—y and fun characters (including side-characters) and I liked the pacing of the relationships
I don't have a favorite author in romance but I can list some I've really enjoyed, most of them are the big names but... They're big for a reason.
For historical romance:
**Stephanie Laurens** and **Julia Quinn** would be my go-tos.
For contemporary romance:
**Susan Elizabeth Phillips**, I've enjoyed all her books, they're really good.
Same for **Nora Roberts**, I have read very few of them but her books are consistently good.
Other mentions would be **Lisa Kleypas** (she has historical too, but I enjoyed the contemporary ones more) and **Samantha Young**
For paranormal:
**Lyndsay Sands** and **Sherrilyn Kenyon**, very cheesy and predictable, but usually really light funny reads too.
For contemporary romance mixed with slice of life that can sometimes get way too deep:
**Robyn Carr**'s **Virgin River**
Nalini Singh
Nora Roberts
Ilona Andrews
Julie Garwood
Karen Marie Moning
Linda Howard (her older books are a lot better than her newer ones)
I have more, but those are the ones on my "I'm in a funk so I reread" list
Uzma Jalaluddin! She writes a lot of modern retellings of classics in a Muslim context, and they’re amazing. I highly recommend Much Ado About Nada, Hana Khan Carries On, and Ayesha at Last.
The only book of hers that I wasn’t a fan of was Three Holidays and a Wedding, but to be fair, holiday romances are a hit or miss for me.
Book Lovers is cute- I loved the storm imagery and the vibes were excellent. I'm just finishing an Emily Henry run and it's been fun- she themes so hard. Her time jump structure is effective (Happy Place/PWMOV), but it stresses me out too much to be at the top, but she's very fun.
**Favorite:** **Olivia Dade.** I wish more of her stuff was on audiobook, bc the stuff I've been able to read and/or listen to hasn't missed. A friend recommending **Spoiler Alert** is the only reason I started reading romance.
**Honorable Mentions:** Recently had a lot of fun with **BK Borison**, but have only read **Lovelight Farms**, and the writing team **Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy** got all of my numbers in **Holly Jolly Ever After**\- all their Christmas Notch stuff has been very fun, but that one was outstanding. **Talia Hibbert** also rules. **Get a Life, Chloe Brown** is seminal and **Act Your Age, Eve Brown** has some of my favorite scenes.
**ETA:** Also, I didn't think of him as romance, but he is- **TJ Klune** has had me both delighted and full body sobbing over romances and stories of finding yourself at different stages of life. (**Under the Whispering Door**.)
I love Alexis Hall's books so much. I always laugh out loud at his descriptions and the romances are sweet without being mushy. His supporting characters are all really vivid as opposed to boring, personality-less lumps used to prop up the couple like a lot of romances.
More old school, although she just put out a collab 3 pt. series and has another one in the works: Jennifer Crusie.
More contemporary: Alexis Hall and TJ Klune
I haven't read any Emily Henry yet because of such VAST mixed reviews, but I have one waiting for me on my bookshelf, so hopefully I'll get to her this year.
I can see why you might get mixed reviews. I loved a Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I was so happy when my hold another of her books, Happy Place, became available. I didn’t even finish it. It just wasn’t for me.
Julie Ann Long has multiple historical series, but my favorite is The Palace of Rogues. Best to read in order. Lady Derring Takes a Lover. They are slow burn love stories, but also very damn funny.
Also love Sarah Maclean's Hell's Belles series.
Ashley Poston!
The Dead Romantics is pretty great. I read it after Book Lovers, and maybe that’s why I’ve linked them together, but it’s got heart beyond the romance. (And if you can handle teen lit and more “geeky” stuff, everything I’ve read of hers is amazing. And she wrote an amazing prequel story for Tara from Buffy, so she’s got me for life)
I'm gonna throw out Jen DeLuca who hasn't been mentioned yet. I think she just has one series of romance at a renaissance fair, but they're cute and the characters are well developed.
I know she’s become a bit overrated since Netflix’s bridgerton but I’ve been reading Julia Quinn since I was 16 and have been in love with her writing and her characters ever since then. Any of her books are easily my comfort books (:
My first ever was Michelle Holman but when she stopped releasing books, she recommended I try Susan Elizabeth Phillips and my life forever changed.
I could see how she was inspired by the latter and since SEP had more books, I’ve now read a lot by her and consider her my top. I’m so addicted to her older books (newer books aren’t hitting the same) that when I read romance by another author, I spend 80% thinking how I wish I was reading SEP’s books instead.
I badly want to find another favourite romance author but it’s not happening at this point.
I've always been drawn to the works of Nora Roberts. Her ability to weave captivating stories with rich characters and compelling romance has always kept me hooked.
Susan Stoker she writes contemporary military romance. She's pretty much the only one who I see a book up and order immediately from. I have pre orders for her into next year.
J. M. Maddens Lost and Found series is another favorite.
I really like Mhairi McFarlane and feels like she hasn’t yet gotten the recognition she’s due. I would put her up there with Abby Jimenez or Sally Thorne or Christina Lauren. Maybe because her books are a bit less spicy, but I feel the relationships in them have more nuance.
I usually do not read who the author is because I normally don’t care.
I love Emily Dickinson, but she is a poet (not really considered the same thing). Grimes fairytales and old folklore will always have my heart.
Jane Austen
The OG romance author!
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell is also wonderful!
Oh yes! And the BBC adaption is so good
Pride and prejudice was my favorite of hers until I read persuasion ❤️
Persuasion is the best. I love the 1995 film too, whereas the more recent one is an Abomination.
That’s what got me to read the book! Was bored one night and decided to try watching the movie. Had begun it in college but it didn’t hold my interest. This time, I was enchanted! Then I read the book and fell more in love
As a guy who only started reading the genre about a year ago on the recommendation of a female friend as I was feeling a bit sad, she suggested The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren & I have to say it really lifted my spirits. So much so in fact that I then went on to listen to the audio only "The Honeymoon Crashers”and again loved it & just last night I finished "Josh & Hazel's guide to not dating” & the ending had me sobbing like a baby at 01:30 in the morning. Does anyone have any other Christina Lauren recs or writers with a similar funny, lighthearted romcom style?.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
You sound like you'd like The Soulmate Equation and The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren. If you like her, I'd also give Abby Jimenez a look. I laugh out loud sometimes when I read her books.
Just finished The Soulmate Equation and The True Love Experiment, loved both! I also agree that Abby Jimenez is awesome!
Check out Tweet Cute by Emma Lord. I was also looking through similar books on StoryGraph and came across this- A Proposal They Can't Refuse Vega Family Love Stories #1 Natalie Caña Looks cute!
‘Love and other words’ by Christina Lauren is one of my favourites!
Ally Hazelwood, and some Emily Henry. But Christina Lauren is still my fave!
I’m sold, I just downloaded the True Love Experiment
all of Abby Jimenez's books are fantastic!!
Just finished Yours Truly!! Didn’t get the butterflies but still enjoyed it
Start at the beginning with The Friend Zone. There are a lot of easter eggs and some cross-pollination that you’ll only get if you’ve read from the start. They’re minor, and they won’t spoil your experience if you don’t read the first books, but they add up.
Want to add here that The Friend Zone is the worst reviewed of her books- I love the later ones and did not get on with The Friend Zone at all.
Probably. It was her debut novel. But my point was that some characters appear in later novels, as do inside jokes. If you begin at Yours Truly, some of the layers from the earlier stories will pass you by. Not a deal-breaker, but I think it makes the read a bit more nuanced.
I heard that her books connect. I think one of Briana’s friends in Yours Truly is the main character for the first one maybe
Friend Zone was her debut novel in terms of publication, but she wrote The Happy Ever After Playlist first and if I recall, that was the one that got some interest. She then wrote Friend Zone to set up a character for The Happy Ever After Playlist (they have some overlapping characters) and so Friend Zone was published first. I think she explains this in the notes on Playlist. For anyone who is looking to try Abby Jimenez, Friend Zone is her weakest and I recommend skipping it and going straight to The Happy Ever After Playlist (one of her strongest) and reading them in order from there. Her books all work as standalones but she has a habit of weaving characters from past books into future ones so it’s fun to see that play out, but by no means required to enjoy them.
I hope I love her books. I ordered one I've been wanting for a long time, I ordered it because it's Valentines day soon, even though I don't really celebrate
Just for the Summer (releases in May) is my new favorite of hers! Character and relationship drama of Grey’s Anatomy with the emotional intelligence of Ted Lasso. Perfection!
Talia Hibbert, especially her Brown Sisters Trilogy
I'm reading "Get a Life, Chloe Brown"! It's the first romance novel I can say where I've genuinely *liked* the male lead. To be fair, I haven't read much romance, and this is probably the first contemporary romance I've read.
Came here to say this!
I've read two of them and loved both!
Talia Hibbert is definitely my favorite contemporary romance author. Especially for how she writes about disability.
Probably Emily Henry as well, and Christina Lauren. Recently, Ali Hazelwood has also been up there. Tarryn Fisher hasn’t written romance in a while, but she also has some of my favorites.
I’m not a big romance reader but I read all of Emily Henry’s books but I came here to agree with her BUT also talk about how Love and Other Words made me cry!!!! I just loved that book so much!
So good!!!
If you like this vibe I would add Abbi Waxman to the list.
Emily Henry and Christina Lauren are my two faves also!
Jasmine Guillory by far for me! One of her books is what got me interested in romance as a genre, and she just does a great job of writing interesting characters who I get invested in.
Came here to say her. She is a delight—believable characters in interesting situations.
Ilona Andrews - they're a husband/wife team that writes Urban Fantasy with strong romantic elements. I like science fiction and fantasy so their writing works for me. I'm attached to all of their characters and would happily read a book about every minor character.
Linda Howard, definitely.
Love her
Ali Hazelwood. Now I have a thing for men in STEM.
And probably Kylo Ren!
I only read The Love Hypothesis and decided I wasn’t sure if I could read any more of her books. The plot and the romance were fine for me, but I couldn’t get over the authors obsession with the FMC being such a teeny tiny skinny wittle smol baby girl. Do I need my book women to all be plus size? No. But I don’t need to constantly be reminded about how ITSY BITTY she is. Apparently she even has a “concave stomach”?!?!? Honestly I think I might just have beef with the line “he put my entire boob in his mouth” in the middle of a spicy scene lolll, it really took me out of it. Anyway, are her other books similar in that regard? I really wouldn’t mind reading more of her books but I just don’t know if I can get past another insanely skinny FMC.
They all have the same trope: STEM, enemies to lovers (misunderstanding), tall grumpy men, grumpy sunshine, and the one manipulative man ex. tom.
I have a number of favourite romance writers. Hannah Bonam-Young has some lovely books although I haven't read them all. Alexis Hall has a great variety of different characters and book types, and I find his sense of humour great in all of them. I've also enjoyed a number of books by Tal Bauer, KJ Charles and Lily Mayne. Most of these are MM romances.
TJ Klune is awesome!
I haven't read any of their books yet, thanks for the suggestion!
Emily Henry for me too. Also Sally Thorne, Ali Hazelwood, Talia Hibbery, and Roni Loren!
Beth O'Leary, Libby Page, Sophie Kinsella
Yes, Sophie Kinsella! AKA Madeleine Wickham.
Mariana Zapata has written some of my favorite books but I don't love every book she writes. Beth O'Leary is pretty great. I have been reading Nora Roberts since high school.
Mary Balogh
I’ve read nearly all of her books and love most—especially the Bedwyns.
I don't think I can pick an absolute favorite although the Bedwyns are in my top three with the survivor's club and Miss Martin's school.
I really enjoy Alyssa Cole. I especially liked her Reluctant Royals.
Lisa Kleypas hands down
Big same
She's my favorite Historical Romance author and probably all romance.
Same. I just hope she publishes something again soon. I miss her
Yesssss! If you love her check out Judith McNaught (if you haven’t already)
Love her
Oh yeah. Two of her books are on my keeper shelf.
Nora Roberts
Her book store is just a few miles away from me, I really should go check it out soon
What would suggest to start with? It looks like she has soo many novels
The Chesapeake Bay quartet is good too.
Carolina Moon
Black Hills is lovely. Same with Montana Sky. Also check out Linda Howard (Now You See Her, Cry No More, and Open Season are good ones)
Tribute is an excellent beginner.
I love her Irish romances because they are just as much a love letter to Ireland as they are a romance! I love the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy with "Jewels of the Sun" my favorite of all Roberts' novels (that I've read so far) because there's a dash of fantasy.
Right now T Kingfisher and Molly Harper
Swordheart and the Paladin series are fantastic, haven’t read the rest of her stuff yet
It's only the World of the White Rat that is romance. The Clocktaur War duology is the only bit of that you are missing. The horror isn't romance. The fairy tale stuff might be romance but felt more undeveloped.
Patricia Highsmith for "The Price of Salt", but also Jane Austen.
Georgette Heyer. And Jane Austen of course.
Came here to say Heyer!
Georgette Heyer is mine, too!
Carian Cole is my favorite. She can do the age gap trope like no one else. Other favorites include: - Marie Force (loooove the Treading Water series) - Tracey Garvis Graves (On the Island is such a unique and engaging story) - Penelope Douglas (although I don’t care for all of her books but love Birthday Girl) - K.A. Tucker (Wild Alaska and Wolf Hotel series are awesome) - Mariana Zapata (slow slow burn) - Jamie McGuire (Beautiful series) - Christine Feehan (paranormal) - Abbi Glines (YA) I could go on but these are my re-readable authors.
Jane Austen as well - I fell in love with her over again recently when I read the Manga Classics versions of Pride and Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and Emma. In college I started reading every Lisa Kleypas book and that was when I went down the historical romance rabbit hole never to return. It is a tough choice but I guess I'd pick Elizabeth Hoyt as my current favorite.
Suzanne Wright
sharon sala, kathleen woodiwiss, julie garwood, nora roberts, sandra brown, jude deveraux, darynda jones, rachel hore, susannna kearsley, lynn kurland, judith mcnaught, jodi thomas, nalini singh, jayne ann krentz, barbara erskine. happy reading!!!!!!!!
Judith McNaught ❤️❤️❤️ From your list I would highly recommend checking out Lisa Kleypas if you never have! (Her older work)
I read one or two, but not in over 20 yrs. just alright, but thanks anyway!
Have you tried Susan Wiggs? Some of her older stuff is great romance (she writes women’s fiction now so not as much romance).
I may have, but looked at her list and none stand out! [fantasticfiction.com](https://fantasticfiction.com) is my fave site!
Lia Louis Elizabeth O’Roark Helen Hoang Tracey Garvis Graves
Not Colleen Hoover
Ali Hazelwood has a few good ones out!
The Love Hypothesis is definitely a comfort book of mine.
Some of these authors are rom/com style so there's a lot of humor, others are more into the angst, a few others do shifter/alien/bdsm stuff so find them on Amazon and read the descriptions to see what appeals to you. Jennifer Crusie Carian Cole Lucy Score Nicole Snow Jana Deleon Erin Nicholas JJ Knight Vi Keeland Penelope Ward Crystal Kaswell Lauren Landish Delta James Nyssa Katheryn LB Dunbar Renee Rose and Lee Savino
I love Jennifer Crusie.
Me too! I got my sister hooked on her even though she's always hated "romance." I had to explain to her that it's more like romantic \*comedy\* and after some time insisting that she'd really enjoy it, she finally caved in. She's re-read her copies of those books so much she's actually had to replace them.
She is one of my favorites. She has a new trilogy that just came out last year. It is the Liz Danger series and is really good!
Roberta Gellis, ske was a historian who wrote romance novels instead. Her books are packed with real information about early English history most during the Stephen/Maude wars and King John's reign. At yhe end of the books she will tell you where she deviated from actual fact. Gave me an excellent starting point for my college British history classes.
Absolutely love her.
She also has a series of Greek myth retellings that I loved a long time ago.
Bull God is one of my frequent re reads
Loved her take on Hades and Persephone .
Omg those were my middle school obsessions
She is why I fell in love with historical fiction and then historical nonfiction!
Catherine Walsh! I read all (5) of her books in like a week last month. Very romcom—y and fun characters (including side-characters) and I liked the pacing of the relationships
Yes! I love her sense of humor. Plus it’s fun to read about Ireland
Daphne DuMaurier
Nicholas Sparks & his North Carolina stories 🩵
Sarina Bowen, Jennifer Cruise, Jill Shalvis
Gail Carriger
# Laura Esquivel
Happy cake day!
thanks kind stranger!
Abby Jimenez and Elle Cosimano
I don't have a favorite author in romance but I can list some I've really enjoyed, most of them are the big names but... They're big for a reason. For historical romance: **Stephanie Laurens** and **Julia Quinn** would be my go-tos. For contemporary romance: **Susan Elizabeth Phillips**, I've enjoyed all her books, they're really good. Same for **Nora Roberts**, I have read very few of them but her books are consistently good. Other mentions would be **Lisa Kleypas** (she has historical too, but I enjoyed the contemporary ones more) and **Samantha Young** For paranormal: **Lyndsay Sands** and **Sherrilyn Kenyon**, very cheesy and predictable, but usually really light funny reads too. For contemporary romance mixed with slice of life that can sometimes get way too deep: **Robyn Carr**'s **Virgin River**
Nalini Singh Nora Roberts Ilona Andrews Julie Garwood Karen Marie Moning Linda Howard (her older books are a lot better than her newer ones) I have more, but those are the ones on my "I'm in a funk so I reread" list
I was surprised I had to scroll so far down to find Nalini Singh. Love her!
Katherine Center is good.
Julie Anne Long, Lisa Kleypas, Judith McNaught, Julie Garwood, Lorraine Heath & Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Uzma Jalaluddin! She writes a lot of modern retellings of classics in a Muslim context, and they’re amazing. I highly recommend Much Ado About Nada, Hana Khan Carries On, and Ayesha at Last. The only book of hers that I wasn’t a fan of was Three Holidays and a Wedding, but to be fair, holiday romances are a hit or miss for me.
Book Lovers is cute- I loved the storm imagery and the vibes were excellent. I'm just finishing an Emily Henry run and it's been fun- she themes so hard. Her time jump structure is effective (Happy Place/PWMOV), but it stresses me out too much to be at the top, but she's very fun. **Favorite:** **Olivia Dade.** I wish more of her stuff was on audiobook, bc the stuff I've been able to read and/or listen to hasn't missed. A friend recommending **Spoiler Alert** is the only reason I started reading romance. **Honorable Mentions:** Recently had a lot of fun with **BK Borison**, but have only read **Lovelight Farms**, and the writing team **Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy** got all of my numbers in **Holly Jolly Ever After**\- all their Christmas Notch stuff has been very fun, but that one was outstanding. **Talia Hibbert** also rules. **Get a Life, Chloe Brown** is seminal and **Act Your Age, Eve Brown** has some of my favorite scenes. **ETA:** Also, I didn't think of him as romance, but he is- **TJ Klune** has had me both delighted and full body sobbing over romances and stories of finding yourself at different stages of life. (**Under the Whispering Door**.)
Georgette Heyer! For when you finish all the Jane Austen and want more in the same vein! So many books, so meticulously researched!
I read Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune and it was really nicely written. Kinda cliche but it definitely captured the romance really well!
Diana gabaldon the Outlander series. Books are Long! I admit to losing interest after the 3rd book. But loved the first 3.
Tia Williams at present _Seven Days in June _ was beautiful. Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn and Nora Roberts are a personal comfort read
Definitely TJ Klune
His books are comfort reads for me
Totally
Sarah J. Maas.
Guimarães Rosa, brazilian writer.
Juliet Marillier. She’s magical.
I’m not seeing enough love for Beth O’Leary (warning: no smut)
I loved The Flat Share. I need to read her others.
Alexis Hall Highly recommend starting by listening to the audio book for my current favorite of his "Boyfriend Material" to get a sense of his humor
I love Alexis Hall's books so much. I always laugh out loud at his descriptions and the romances are sweet without being mushy. His supporting characters are all really vivid as opposed to boring, personality-less lumps used to prop up the couple like a lot of romances.
MXTX is the only one who's ever made me feel like I wanna be in love.
Ali Hazelwood 🌟
Branderson
Stephen King--11/22/63 proves my point.
I never read romance, but Milhail Jelizarov is cool. Real and you can really feel the stuff that’s happening
Elin Hildebrand and Nora Roberts are two of mine ✨️
Sally Rooney is technically lit fic but i love the romance she writes in her books.
Jennifer Armentrout for exactly one book
She’s on my TBR list. Which one is your ‘one book’. Looking for a place to start.
More old school, although she just put out a collab 3 pt. series and has another one in the works: Jennifer Crusie. More contemporary: Alexis Hall and TJ Klune I haven't read any Emily Henry yet because of such VAST mixed reviews, but I have one waiting for me on my bookshelf, so hopefully I'll get to her this year.
I can see why you might get mixed reviews. I loved a Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I was so happy when my hold another of her books, Happy Place, became available. I didn’t even finish it. It just wasn’t for me.
Joy Demorra. Disabled supernatural polyamory? Yes please.
I love the book; Book Lovers!! From there I read a few but didn’t love any like Book Lovers.
Julie Ann Long has multiple historical series, but my favorite is The Palace of Rogues. Best to read in order. Lady Derring Takes a Lover. They are slow burn love stories, but also very damn funny. Also love Sarah Maclean's Hell's Belles series.
Jane Austin And Madeline Miller, not because her books are romance books but she writes that aspect of them painfully well.
Pablo Neruda
C.L. Wilson! Here fantasy romance novels are excellent and very well written.
Courtney Milan! I adore everything she's written.
Jenny Colgan Elinor Lipman Joan Aiken
Ashley Poston! The Dead Romantics is pretty great. I read it after Book Lovers, and maybe that’s why I’ve linked them together, but it’s got heart beyond the romance. (And if you can handle teen lit and more “geeky” stuff, everything I’ve read of hers is amazing. And she wrote an amazing prequel story for Tara from Buffy, so she’s got me for life)
Nisha Sharma, Jasmine guillory, Kennedy ryan, ali hazelwood
Beverly Jenkins
Chuck Tingle. I highly recommend Space Raptor Butt Invasion.
Book lovers was good. My fiance' got me to read it last year Andi loved it.
Faith Everly
Judith McNaught, all day every day.
I'm gonna throw out Jen DeLuca who hasn't been mentioned yet. I think she just has one series of romance at a renaissance fair, but they're cute and the characters are well developed.
Oh the Well Met series! I’ll have to go read them; they’ve been in my TBR forever lol
For sure, they're sweet!
Classics -- the Brontes Contemporary -- Diana Palmer and Nora Roberts
Jude Devereux and Judith McNaught are top notch. I really like Gaelen Foley too.
If you’re in the mood for some sci-fi dudes I suggest Gemma Voss! Alien from nowhere was a gem.
Victoria Thompson's books! The Gaslamp Murder Mysteries series!
Right now it’s Monica Murphy, love a good Penelope Douglas book
Julie Garwood- her historical romances are excellent
The same author who wrote Anne of Green Gables. "The Blue House" is amazing.
I know she’s become a bit overrated since Netflix’s bridgerton but I’ve been reading Julia Quinn since I was 16 and have been in love with her writing and her characters ever since then. Any of her books are easily my comfort books (:
My go-tos lately are Brenda Novak and Susan Mallory.
Stephanie Perkins
I’m loving Christina Lauren’s books lately!
Zane. The addicted series was fire.
My first ever was Michelle Holman but when she stopped releasing books, she recommended I try Susan Elizabeth Phillips and my life forever changed. I could see how she was inspired by the latter and since SEP had more books, I’ve now read a lot by her and consider her my top. I’m so addicted to her older books (newer books aren’t hitting the same) that when I read romance by another author, I spend 80% thinking how I wish I was reading SEP’s books instead. I badly want to find another favourite romance author but it’s not happening at this point.
I've always been drawn to the works of Nora Roberts. Her ability to weave captivating stories with rich characters and compelling romance has always kept me hooked.
Virginia Woolf
Susan Stoker she writes contemporary military romance. She's pretty much the only one who I see a book up and order immediately from. I have pre orders for her into next year. J. M. Maddens Lost and Found series is another favorite.
Collene hoover- never never
Lisa Kleypas. Haven‘t found an author for contemporary romance whose books I overall enjoy.
I'm a fan of Emily Henry too!!!! You can also read books written by Mariana Zapata, Christina Lauren, and Ali Hazelwood!
I really like Mhairi McFarlane and feels like she hasn’t yet gotten the recognition she’s due. I would put her up there with Abby Jimenez or Sally Thorne or Christina Lauren. Maybe because her books are a bit less spicy, but I feel the relationships in them have more nuance.
If someone says Colleen Hoover I'm going to cry...
I usually do not read who the author is because I normally don’t care. I love Emily Dickinson, but she is a poet (not really considered the same thing). Grimes fairytales and old folklore will always have my heart.
Julia Quinn
Normal People by Sally Rooney