With the final stretch of winter lying ahead, the day of love serves as a cozy safe haven to get us through. Whether you’re celebrating with friends, family, or a partner, romance novels are a staple escape to get into the spirit.
“The No-Show” – Beth O’Leary
This rom-com is told through the perspectives of three girls, Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane, all of whom were stood up by the same guy, Joseph, on Valentines Day—and all of whom were personally apologized to the day after. As the book goes on, the reader starts putting the pieces together on why exactly he stood each of them up on the same day. I loved O’Leary’s characters, and how she had me rooting for each of the women as the novel progressed. As much as I tried to hate Joseph, I couldn’t help but feel for him by the end of the book, especially after the massive plot twist that revealed everything. If you’re looking for a funny, heartwarming book with shocking twists, this should be your next read.
“Better than the Movies” – Lynn Painter
From childhood friends, to enemies, to reluctant partners, to lovers, this book has almost every rom-com trope. The story follows Liz Buxbaum as she navigates graduating senior year after her mom passed away, attempting to do every activity and trend how her mom would have wanted. The book explores grief and self-love all the while being one of the corniest, sappiest romance novels I’ve ever read. I fell in love with the love interest, Wes, almost immediately, and rooted for them until the very last chapter. While this novel was a little cringy, it was also loving and explorative. I couldn’t recommend this book more.
“Book Lovers” – Emily Henry
This has to be one of my favorite books of all time. The book follows Nora, a big-city book editor, as she reluctantly agrees to a month-long getaway trip with her sister. Unfortunately, she can’t stop running into her editing rival, Charlie, an annoying, brooding, workaholic. I’m normally not the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers, but this book had me living for their banter, screaming at the characters as if they could hear me, and cheering when they finally got together. One thing I love about this book is how it combines romance with humility, focusing just as much on character growth as it does on the love story. I cried, smiled, screamed, and everything in between. If you’re looking for an emotional rollercoaster, or just a good read in general, read this book.
February and winter can be depressing times (especially since Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, predicted six more weeks of winter), but these books make the biting cold just a little bit warmer.