Every avid reader has a genre of books that they gravitate towards. If you are a big fan of suspense novels that keep you on the edge of your seat, unable to put your book down, then you might read a lot of thrillers. If you love reading as a way to escape from the real world, then you might be a fan of sci-fi novels. If you like your books to feel like a nice, warm hug, then romance might be your genre of choice.
The romance market is easily one of the most saturated book markets out there and this can make it very difficult to know which books are worth reading. With every day that passes new romance novels are published, and this makes it very easy to get overwhelmed by the choice. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
In this complete guide, we’re taking a look at 5 of the best books for romance lovers. We’ve also included a handy buyer’s guide to remind you of the different factors to consider when choosing the perfect romance novel for you.
Keep on reading to find out more!
First up, we have Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover. We really couldn’t create this guide without including a novel by one of the biggest romance authors of the current day, and Heart Bones is definitely one of the best books that CoHo has ever written.
Despite having been a published author for a considerable amount of time, it is in the last few years that Colleen Hoover’s popularity has really soared. Colleen Hoover is incredibly talented at creating relatable characters and plots that really suck you in, and that is what has contributed to the huge success she has had in recent years.
Heart Bones focuses on two young adults who come from totally different backgrounds. Beyah has grown up poor with a mother who neglected her in favor of her drug habit, while Samson grew up wealthy with a father who owns a portfolio of stylish beach-front houses. When Beyah finds herself living with her father for the summer, she meets Samson for the first time, and she has no time for him. But the connection between them is far too intense to ignore.
In this novel that encompasses so many different themes and tropes the reader is taken on a journey with Beyah and Samson. It is the perfect romance novel to pick up if you want to read a novel that you will be unable to put down. With 368 pages it is the perfect length for a romance and an excellent summer read.
If you have already read any of Colleen Hoover’s other novels, then you will already have a good idea of just how good this novel is. CoHo is exceptionally talented and that is really exemplified in this novel. So be sure to check it out!
Another outstanding book that you should definitely consider reading is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Just like Colleen Hoover, Taylor Jenkins Reid has really established herself as one of the best romance authors of this generation. It is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo that is really responsible for cementing her position.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a novel that everybody should read in their lifetime. It is beautifully written and it takes you on a journey. Despite previously writing romance novels, it is this novel that allowed Taylor Jenkins Reid to enter her new era as an author. Since The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid has written a number of novels focusing on fictional celebrities, but The Seven Husbands is still her best by far.
This novel focuses on the titular character, Evelyn Hugo. Evelyn Hugo is an aging and reclusive Hollywood actress who really made her name in Hollywood’s Golden Era. Evelyn’s life was as scandalous as it was glamorous, and this is only highlighted by the seven husbands that she had throughout her lifetime.
The novel is written in a very interesting way as it divides the past and the present. Evelyn Hugo is giving one tell-all interview to an unknown reporter who she has asked to write her biography and this is the premise of the novel. The novel flicks between the present – when Evelyn is being interviewed – and the past and is divided up by the seven different husbands that Evelyn had.
The great thing about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is that it takes you on a journey that you never would have seen coming. As you learn more about Evelyn’s tumultuous life, you find yourself unable to put the book down, constantly telling yourself “Just one more page”.
From start to finish, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an entire experience, and it is definitely one we would recommend checking out!
Perhaps one of the most popular tropes across the romance genre is the enemies-to-lovers trope. The trope that comes in second place? Fake relationships, of course. If you love both of these themes in your romance novels then The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is pretty much made for you.
Olive and her twin sister, Ami, couldn’t be any more different from one another. Olive is always down on her luck, while her sister is the luckiest girl in the world until she isn’t. At her sister’s wedding, Olive is forced to play nice with her arch nemesis, and the groom’s best man, Ethan. But that all goes one step further when a mass bout of food poisoning leads Olive and Ethan to an all-expenses-paid honeymoon where they have to pretend to be newlyweds.
The Unhoneymooners really is an excellent novel. Christina Lauren is an exceptionally talented author and you can really tell that she has put her all into this novel. It is witty and funny and it will have you laughing out loud in parts. Likewise, when it needs to this novel really tugs on your heartstrings, just like any good romance novel should.
Just like Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover, The Unhoneymooners is an excellent novel to pick up if you are looking for your next vacation read. We adore this novel, and we’re confident you will too!
Alternatively, if you love the fake romance trope that we just mentioned, you should really check out Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey. Fix Her Up is the first in a series of interconnected novels that focus on the background characters from the first novel. If you love romance books, then the chances are that you will have already heard of Tessa Bailey.
Tessa Bailey has produced a huge amount of romance novels throughout her career, but Fix Her Up is definitely one of her best. This novel combines romance with comedy to create a light-hearted storyline, and the characters are so well-written and relatable too. These things are what make it such a great book to read.
Fix Her Up focuses on 23-year-old Georgie Castle. As the youngest member of the family, she has never been taken seriously. This was only further enforced when she shunned the family business in favor of becoming a children’s party planner. Her love life is non-existent, and a lot of that is down to the fact that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend since childhood.
Travis Ford was the hottest rookie in major league baseball, but when a nasty shoulder industry grinds his career to a screeching halt, he finds himself back in his hometown. Georgie can’t just sit back and see the love of her life throw his life down the drain, so she puts her romantic feelings to one side and steps up to be Travis’s friend.
Somewhere along the line, the two find themselves trapped in a wild scheme where they must pretend to date one another. But as is often the case with fake relationships, nothing is ever that simple. This novel will take you on a journey with the main characters, and we’re sure it is one that you’ll love!
Finally, we couldn’t create this guide without including the wonderful book that is The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. If you loved the fake relationship themes we’ve looked at in the last two novels, then this is the perfect book for you.
The Love Hypothesis focuses on Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. candidate who knows a lot about science, but not so much about boys. Olive doesn’t believe in love but finds herself locked in an experiment prompted by her best friend. That is what leads her to kiss the first man that she sees, Adam Carlsen.
Adam Carlsen isn’t the nicest of professors in the lab where Olive works, and that is why she is totally floored when he agrees to become her fake boyfriend. This book is perfect for any lover of science because just like romance, this is an integral theme in the book.
Ali Hazelwood is an incredibly talented writer and that is made clear in The Love Hypothesis. If you have enjoyed any of the other books written by this author we really would urge you to pick up this novel!
If you are searching for the perfect romance novel to read, there are a number of factors that you should consider. With such a wide range of books to choose from, considering these factors before you buy will help ensure you purchase the perfect romance novel for you!
Below are some of the main things we would recommend thinking about before buying a romance novel.
One of the first things that you need to consider when purchasing a romance novel is the length of the book. Like all genres, you will be able to get romance novels in a variety of different lengths, so you need to think about what suits you.
Some readers like a long novel to really sink their teeth into and will easily read a book with anywhere between 500 and 1000 pages. Other readers find longer novels overwhelming and might instead opt for a book that’s somewhere between 200 and 300 pages long. Think about what category you fit into before you buy to avoid feeling overwhelmed by your new book.
Another thing that you need to consider is the perspective from which the novel is written. There are a number of different things to think about when it comes to perspective, and they will all have a direct impact on your enjoyment of the novel.
Firstly, you need to consider if you want the novel to be narrated in the first or third person. Different authors will have their own preferences when it comes to this but generally, most authors will choose one perspective and stick with it. This is a huge part of what leads many readers to read all of the novels published by an author they enjoy.
Another thing to consider when it comes to perspective is the main character. Most romance novels are written from the perspective of a female lead, however, some will be written from a male perspective. Likewise, some novels will flick between the different characters in line with each new chapter.
To ensure you get maximum enjoyment from your new book, consider what you enjoy reading before making a purchase.
Finally, you need to consider whether you want to purchase a book that is part of a series, or a standalone novel. Often romance novels are written as standalone novels, generally because the entire plot will be wrapped up by the end of the book. But there are exceptions to this rule.
Many romance authors create a series of novels by focusing on a different set of characters in each novel. The first book will often focus on a specific couple, but the background characters in that novel will become the main protagonists in the sequel, and so on.
There are plenty of different standalone novels and romance series out there, so make sure to think about what you prefer before you sink your teeth into a new book.
The most-read romance genre at the moment is contemporary romance. There are lots of different types of romance novels out there, and romance plays a part in a variety of other genres. However, contemporary romance is a broad category that essentially includes any romance novels based in the modern day. This is mainly why it is the most-read romance genre at current.
There are lots of excellent romance novels out there that you should consider reading. From historical romance novels to contemporary romance novels, there is something for everyone. If you are struggling to choose your next book we would urge you to consider one of the novels we have looked at in this guide!