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It’s love day!! Time to share some heartwarming romance novels for Valentine’s Day! But honestly, these sweet romance books are perfect for any day of the year.
From cute romance novels for young adults to interesting romance novels with a little more oomph, shall we say, these are the most swoon-worthy romance books to read in 2025!
Easy-to-Read Romance Novels to Pick Up Next
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Nora Goes Off Script is one of those easy-to-read romance novels if you’re new to the genre. A perfect read for summer! It does have a miscommunication/misunderstanding trope that can so often be found in romance books—but with an interesting spin. It didn’t bother me at all.
Nora Goes Off Script is one of those heartwarming romance novels for adults, especially mothers, because her family is such a big part of the book. This is open door with a couple of steamy scenes, but you can easily skip those scenes if it’s not to your taste.
Nora and Leo are so charming, as are her children. This is on my sweet romance books of all time list because you just root for them the whole way through! Her new book, Summer Romance, comes out in June 2024 (eeek!).
Nora Goes Off Script was published on June 7, 2022, from G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
RELATED: Book Review: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Thank you to @prhaudio for the complimentary book!
Buckle up, friends: This won’t be the last Emily Henry you’ll see on this list. I am an unapologetic Emily Henry girlie. She’s the queen of witty dialogue! Beach Read is the perfect romance novel if you like funny romance books with banter. Her books always have substance. Complicated plots, incredible characters, and the best witty banter/dialogue.
Beach Read is one of the most interesting romance novels with all the best tropes: Enemies to lovers with forced proximity. A little bit of second chance romance and the grumpy-sunshine trope in there, too.
It’s sweet love story, steamy, full of heart, and tackles some heavy topics like grief and loss, complicated family dynamics, identity crises, and more. One of the most heartwarming novels I’ve ever read. Plus, it’s about writers, which is always the best kind of book. January Andrews is the quintessential small-town girl going through her own personal struggles.
Beach Read was published on May 19, 2020, from Berkley.
Gigi, Listening by Chantel Guertin
Thank you to Libro.fm for the complimentary book!
Gigi, Listening is a heartwarming romance novel with a bit of the grumpy-sunshine trope thrown in. There’s also the heroine keeping a secret trope, but the heart of this book is Gigi’s romantic hope to find the person whose voice she’s fallen in love with.
Definitely check this one out if you love a travel romance! Gigi spontaneously travels across the world to go on a ten-day bus ride through the English countryside. Translation? If you have the itch to travel, this is it. Definitely one of the best contemporary romance novels for travelers, full of unexpected love and the promise of love.
It’s warm, funny, sweet love story, and full of found family. Plus, Gigi owns a bookstore, which is always a fun addition for the book lover.
Gigi, Listening was published on March 28, 2023, from Kensington.
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
Thank you to Libro.fm for the complimentary book!
The Heart Principle is definitely one of the sweet romance books with spice to look out for!
While this is a fairly steamy novel, it also tackles some pretty heavy topics, including grief, perfectionism, familial expectation and dysfunction, terminal illness, and more.
The main character, Anna Sun, finds out she has autism while in therapy, which is a fascinating part of the story! I learned so much about autism and how it presents in girls/women.
This is also on my list of the best books for music lovers since Anna is a violinist and so much of her life is about music!
The Heart Principle was published on August 31, 2021, from Berkley.
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
Thank you to Libro.fm for the complimentary book!
The premise of this sweet and steamy romance novel is perfection! Three women who become friends after discovering they’ve been duped by the same man? A young woman stepping out of her comfort zone and past hurts to go out on a limb for love? Sign me up. This book has female friendship, women in tech, and swoon-worthy romance.
Tropes include office romance, lying/identity reveal, and friends to lovers. Love the Black representation, especially in STEM, and the mystery thrown in kept me turning pages.
I loved that beyond the fantastic characters, witty banter, sisterhood, and entertaining plot, she also shines a light on racial and sex inequity in the workplace.
The Boyfriend Project was published on June 9, 2020, from Forever.
First Comes Like by Alisha Rai
Thank you to Libro.fm for the complimentary book!
We love an influencer romance! Add in a catfish angle, and I’m hooked (pun intended). Nothing is as it seems with this charming romance novel.
This is an online-romance-turned-offline-fauxmance story that is so charming while also handling sensitive topics with care, such as religion, tradition, grief, and more.
I love the chemistry between Jia and Dev, love the family bond, love the stakes . . . this is a sweet romance book, light on the stream, heavy on the fake-dating trope. If you’re looking for sweet romance books without the spice, this might be a good one for you!
First Comes Like was published on February 16, 2021, from Avon.
Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler
Thank you to @prhaudio for the complimentary book!
This is one of the best grumpy-sunshine romance books, if you’re into that trope! It’s pretty steamy, but there’s a lot going on outside of the romance, too. And wow is it cozy.
Tropes: Opposite attraction, grump/sunshine, forced proximity, fake dating (kind of), only one bed, misunderstandings . . . she does it all!
Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is much more than a love story. It’s a compelling story and one of those interesting romance novels and a sweet road-trip story with intergenerational friendship. We navigate grief, some really heavy topics in a secondary queer romance storyline, and the main characters battles some dark thoughts about past toxic relationships and childhood stardom trauma.
The second storyline has timeless themes of love and reads more like a historical fiction.
It felt very similar to The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley—except Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is very open door.
Mrs. Nash’s Ashes was published on May 23, 2023, from Berkley.
Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
You all know I loved this book and was so excited to be able to interview Sarah Grunder Ruiz on the blog! This is a beautiful, cozy neurodivergent romance book for the travel lover! Love the main heroine and the emphasis on mental health.
Tropes include workplace romance, small town romance (in beautiful Ireland), opposites attract, forced proximity, sunshine/sunshine.
The neurodivergent representation, found family, banter and spice—plus the quirky side characters—are why I loved this sweet romance book. The witty banter is excellent too, so if you’re looking for heartwarming romance novels for adults, it doesn’t get much better than this sunshine/sunshine romance.
Last Call at the Local was published on January 2, 2024, from Berkley.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
I mean, of course there’s another Emily Henry book on this list. Book Lovers has a soft spot in my heart since it was my first Emily Henry! This is one of the most interesting romance novels that really turns a lot of the popular romance tropes on its head.
That’s what I like about Emily Henry—she isn’t afraid to play around with the genre and somehow always has something fresh come from it.
Book Lovers has all of the tropes I love, especially small-town romance, enemies-to-lovers romance, workplace romance, and the grump/sunshine dynamic. There’s also a lot about grief, sisterhood and family, and an inside look into the publishing world (which is always so fun for people like me!).
Book Lovers was published on May 3, 2022, from Berkley.
The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
Thank you to @prhaudio for the complimentary book!
Okay, look: This isn’t sitting on your classic novels shelf, but I loved the premise of this romance novel! It’s so charming, and the love interest is perfect (with all the chemistry!). This is yet another grump/sunshine dynamic, but I really liked how so much of the book goes beyond the romance part.
I also think this book is perfect for spring. Just in case you’re looking to curate your spring reading list!
I loved learning about Sasha’s work and career crisis and how she ultimately finds herself and learns to start again. This is light on the romance, but what’s included is perfect, and the setting was so fun to read about—I loved the staff at the nostalgic hotel she decides to stay at for a little R&R.
I really enjoyed the emphasis on mental health and how to navigate work stress, which is so relatable for so many of us. The small town setting was also a perfect addition.
The Burnout was published on October 10, 2023 from The Dial Press.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Thank you to @prhaudio for the complimentary book!
I couldn’t write this list without my favorite Emily Henry book, Happy Place. I loved this book so much. You can read the full review here! The exes to lovers, second chance romance, fake dating with the forced proximity and misunderstanding tropes were all **chefs kiss**.
The main characters and friend group was what made this book. Wyn (the top of the book boyfriends) is such a delightfully real love interest, and Harriet’s internal struggle of navigating familial expectation and career crisis makes her so . . . approachable. She’s definitely my favorite character. Perhaps it’s because I’m a millennial, but I found everything about this book so endearing and relatable.
Having to say goodbye to a chapter of your life that was perfect but things are different . . . a friend group that has to grow with you (or not), and just coping with the pressures of being in your late 30s early 40s… it really is the millennials anthem!
Happy Place was published on April 25, 2023, from Berkley.
Love and Other Words by Christian Lauren
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren is a beautiful romance novel about love, loss, friendship, and overcoming the past to embrace the possibility of what-if. Childhood best friends to lovers and a second chance romance? The best!
This book alternates between a then-and-now timeline, and it’s so easy to be invested in both the past and present storylines. There’s definitely some open door scenes, so know that going in 🌶 , and this book is emotional! Add in main characters with a love for books and **chefs kiss.**
Christian Lauren, if you don’t know, is a pen name for a best friend duo, and while I’m normally hesitant to recommend any coauthored work (because really, who does that well?), their books are so great if you’re looking for easy-to-read-romance books when you’re new to the genre. Some of their work is smuttier than others!
Love and Other Words was published April 10, 2018, from Gallery Books.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Act Your Age, Eve Brown is one of the best opposites attract romance books, if that’s a trope you like! It’s also a workplace romance, enemies-to-lovers romance, sunshine/grump story with lots of banter and witty dialogue and lots of spice (know there are open-door scenes before picking this one up!).
There’s autistic representation and a big emphasis on mental health, which is always a plus. I also loved the setting of a B&B for a workplace romance. Most people are familiar with the first book all about Chloe Brown, and the second book, but I thought this one was fantastic, too.
The characters are endearing—especially the young woman, Eve—adorable, rough around the edges in the best way, and yes—if you read romance for the steam, this one has it.🔥
Act Your Age, Eve Brown was published on March 9, 2021, from Avon.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
This book is full of emotion, spice, a love for all things literary, and well-drawn characters with so much chemistry. 🔥 This book deals with some heavier themes and the main characters have a difficult time, including topics like drug addiction, generational trauma, and self-harm. But this second chance romance and enemies-to-lovers romance is just perfect.
Eva Mercy is a single young woman and mom, and I adored her relationship with her 12-year-old young daughter. As someone who works in the publishing world, I loved reading about her writing career.
I loved reading about the unapologetic Black joy and the power of love. I also loved the alternating timelines, which isn’t always easy to do well. If you pick up this book, just know it’s very open door.
Seven Days in June was published on June 1, 2021, from Grand Central Publishing.
RELATED: Book Review: The Unsinkable Greta James
Cute Romance Novels for Young Adults
If you’re looking for some sweet romance novels for young adults or just some romance novels without spice (or low to no spice), these are some adorable, heartwarming books for you! Most of them were published several years ago—oldies but goodies.
Note: Just because some of these are clean romance books doesn’t mean they don’t have heavier or inappropriate content like self-harm, abuse, or mention of sex, drugs, and alcohol, et. cetera. Sensitive or young teen readers should take care.
- Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
- When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
- Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
- The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen
- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
RELATED: 66 Best Book Club Books of All Time
5 New Romance Books to Read in 2025
These are my most anticipated romance reads for 2024—and let me tell you, there are so many! Let me know which books are on your 2024 reading list!
Funny Story by Emily Henry
No surprise, one of my most anticipated romance books is Funny Story by Emily Henry. It’s giving girl next door vibes. I’ve already started it, thanks to Berkley’s advanced reader copy, and even though I haven’t finished it yet, I’m really confident it’s going to be a favorite!
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
As I mentioned earlier, I love Annabel Monaghan’s romance books! She has a way of writing the most charming characters, and Summer Romance sounds so good. Apparently this isn’t a plot-driven novel since it’s all about the characters, but I don’t mind. I think I’m going to love it!
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Romance readers everywhere are so excited for a new Abby Jimenez! There’s definitely a trend of social media in books from 2023 and 2024, and usually I like how it all plays out. I’m here for a fake dating trope, of course!
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
Another Christina Lauren!! And another fake dating trope, but this time it’s all to receive a massive inheritance. I’m in. For some reason the “money or true love” plot just makes me think of every rom-com. It’s unclear the level of spice in this book, but knowing these authors, it will probably be steamy.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
I love the way Katherine Center writes! The first book I read of hers, Things You Save in a Fire, was such a good book. This romance novel sounds so good—and we’ll see if it tops my list for favorite grumpy sunshine romance books. Also, I don’t know what it is, but any story about a screenwriter is one I’ll probably love. I love that this book is a love story about love stories!
Popular Sweet Romance Books to Dive into Next
These are my most recommended popular, sweet romance books and absolutely must-read books for the hopeless romantic!
Whether you’re new to the genre and you’re looking for easy-to-read romance novels or you’ve been a romance reader for years and just want to add to your romance to-be-read pile, these are the most heartwarming romance novels (with spice and without spice) to pick up next.
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