Happy Valentines Day to all you hopeless romantics out there! We may not have chocolates and red roses, but we obviously have a Valentines Day treat that’s even better… BOOKS! We’ve got all of the romance your heart is yearning for… from matchmakers and witches, to secret societies and…. tacos?! Keep reading, and prepare to have your heart stolen by these irresistible stories.
The Runaway Duchess by Joanna Lowell
9780593198308 / Berkley US / PB / £13.99 / OUT NOW
Hands up if you’ve been missing Bridgeton lately?? There are only *so* many times we can re-watch our favourite regency romance play out before we need a new will-they-won’t-they to focus on. Luckily Berkley have some fabulous romances to supplement our Bridgeton obsession for a bit, one of which is The Runaway Dutchess by Joanna Lowell…
Pretty and pampered, Lavinia Yardley always dreamed of becoming a duchess. But family disgrace forces her into marriage with the most vile duke in England, and she finds herself desperate for a way out. When plant hunter Neal Traymayne mistakes her for globe-trotting botanist Muriel Pendrake at a train station, Lavinia has a split second to decide whether to submit to her fate or steal someone else’s. As they tramp the Cornish moors together, Lavinia and Neal discover a wild and rare desire. But this blossoming love is rooted in lies, and when the real Muriel Pendrake shows up, they cant hide from who they are.
Heart & Seoul by Jen Frederick
9780593100141 / Berkley US / PB / £13.99 / OUT NOW
Jen Frederick has clearly mastered the art of romance, having co-authored the bestselling romances Broken Prince and Paper Princess, amongst others. Frederick has brought her usual charm, drama and nuance to Heart & Seoul, and the sequel Seoulmates, which is already out now!
A Korean adoptee living in the middle of Indiana, Hara Wilson has never felt a true sense of belonging – until a data breach from a DNA matching service reveals the name of her biological father. Hara knows that this is something that she can’t ignore. As much as she loves her adoptive parents, this is a chance to finally discover her roots and know more about where she came from, so she does the only logical thing: she books a one-way ticket to South Korea.
Love at Café Lompar by Anna and Jacqui Burns
9781912905379 / HONNO / PB / £8.99 / OUT NOW
Anna and Jacqui Burns are the mother-daughter romance writing duo you need on your bookshelf… their stories follow an equally iconic mother-daughter duo as they start a new life and business in Montenegro. Sit back and let this and the follow-up A Wedding at Café Lompar (out 23rd June 2022) give you sun, sea and an uplifting story.
Grace is clearing her late husband’s things, when she finds evidence her husband had another family. She and her daughter Kat travel to Montenegro to find them, but when they meet Rosa and her son Luka they have different reactions – Grace is deeply hurt by her husband’s betrayal, while Kat is fascinated by her brother. Kat works as a chef and Rosa owns Cafe Lompar, so they are drawn together by their shared passion for great food. Where does that leave Grace? Can mother and daughter navigate painful emotions, new opportunities and new loves, without tearing their relationship apart?
Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim
9780593335611 / Berkley US / PB / £13.99 / OUT 18/08/2022
Roselle Lim is a rising star that’s catching the eye of the romance world right now. Her other brilliant #OwnVoices novels Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune & Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop are both uplifting, heartfelt and full of love. Sophie Go will undoubtedly be a wonderful addition to Lim’s romance portfolio…
Newly minted professional matchmaker Sophie Go has returned to Toronto after spending three years in Shanghai. Her job is made difficult when it is revealed she never actually graduated from matchmaking school. In this competitive field, no one wants to take a chance on an inexperienced and unaccredited matchmaker. In dire search of clients, Sophie stumbles upon a secret club within her condo complex: the Old Ducks, seven septuagenarian Chinese bachelors who never found love. Somehow, she convinces them to hire her, but her matchmaking skills are put to the test.
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
9780593546024 / Berkley US / PB / £13.99 / OUT NOW
The romance booktokkers amongst you will recognise this title in an instant… these steamy and other-worldly books have truly taken the internet by storm. Now we’re welcoming them to the UK, with these new covers that’ll look positively stunning on your bookshelves…
You’d think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you’d be wrong. Because now the aliens are having ship trouble, and they’ve left their cargo of human women – including me – on an ice planet. We’re not equipped for life in this desolate winter wasteland. Since I’m the unofficial leader, I head out into the snow to look for help. I find help all right. A big blue horned alien introduces himself in a rather… startling way. Vektal says that I’m his mate, his chosen female – and that the reason his chest is purring is because of my presence. He’ll help me and my people survive, but this poses a new problem. If Vektal helps us survive, I’m not sure he’s going to want to let me go.
I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson
9780593334447 / Berkley US / PB / £12.99 / OUT 24/02/2022
Do you believe in second chances? You’re reading a blog about romance novels so we can guess the answer to that question… With second chances and one of our fave romance tropes (fake boyfriend), this one is for fans of Paul Rudnick’s Playing the Palace (Berkley, 2021) and Red, White and Royal Blue (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2019).
It’s been months since aspiring journalist Kian Andrews has heard from his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, but an urgent text has them meeting at a cafe. Hudson has a favour to ask – he wants Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town, and Kian reluctantly agrees. The dinner doesn’t go exactly as planned, and suddenly Kian is Hudson’s plus one to Georgia’s wedding of the season. Soon their fake relationship is starting to feel like it might be more than a means to an end, and it’s time for both men to fact-check their feelings.
Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson
9780593336229 / Berkley US / PB / £13.99 / OUT NOW
Who can resist one of the ultimate crossovers in romance? Sure, we love paranormal, historical and fantasy romances as much as the next hopeless romantic, but one type we can never resist is FOODIE romances!! They’re always a delicious feast for the heart and the stomach, but you should keep some snacks close in case of reading-induced hunger…
When fate and tacos bring Ramon and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them.
