We don’t believe in “guilty pleasure reads” here. You can catch us on the tube with our smutty romance held high, preferably with a hunky shirtless cover-guy and outrageous title to match. There is no room for shame in romance anymore – now is the era for enjoying all of our favourite tropes and waving our “hopeless romantic” flags for all to see! If you agree, you’ve come to the right Valentine’s day reading list.

Keep scrolling for the most sickly-sweet, steam-exuding, kicking-our-feet levels of romance, including a list of the tropes you’ll find in each book. From regency forbidden affairs to bisexual pop stars in forced proximity, your TBR won’t be left lacking love after this.

Romantic tropes: forbidden romance, enemies-to-lovers.

Starting off strong with a witchy romance with echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story, in the tradition of Practical Magic and Witch of Wild Things. Hecate Goodwin, Kate to her friends, has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company.

Kate’s solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven’s annual Halloween gathering. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate’s past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate’s duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay! Dark magic is lurking behind every corner, and Kate must figure out who she can truly trust.

Romantic tropes: Marriage of convenience, monster romance, enemies-to-lovers & there’s only one bed.

From the author of the romance-world-shattering, bestselling Ice Planet Barbarians series, Ruby Dixon, comes an equally steamy romantasy Bull Moon Rising. As a Holder’s daughter, Aspeth Honori knows the importance of magical artifacts… which is why it’s a disaster that her father has gambled all theirs away. Now that her family is in danger of losing their hold — and their heads — if anyone finds out the truth, Aspeth decides to do something about it. She’ll join the Royal Artifactual Guild and the adventurers who explore ancient underground ruins to retrieve the coveted arcane items.

It’s a great plan — with one big problem. The guild won’t let her train because she’s a woman. To get around the rules, she needs a chaperone of some kind. The best way to get around this problem? Marry someone who will let her become an apprentice. Who better than a surly guild member who requires a favour of his own? Woven with secret royalty and fake relationship tropes, this one is the perfect book for your romantasy TBR. Read more about Ruby Dixon’s hit Ice Planet Barbarians series here on our blog!

Romantic tropes: action-adventure romance with fake dating.

Andee Paxton knows she’s good at her job as a pyrotechnic engineer and fireworks designer. What she doesn’t know is that her mystery biological father is Holt, a dangerous arms dealer who has escaped prison. And now he’s searching for his long-lost daughter dearest.

After the CIA surprises her with this news, they drop another bombshell: they want to use Andee as bait to capture Holt once and for all. But before the CIA can even attempt the trap she’s kidnapped along with the very hot Officer Adam Chan — all because they were too busy flirting to worry about silly things like “safety protocol.”

A fake relationship — for their protection, of course — and just a few explosions bring Andee and Chan closer, but there’s more than their growing connection at stake. If Holt’s plan succeeds, the world will be brought to its knees. Andee and Chan must rely on each other to stop him… or else everything (including their feelings for each other) might just blow up in their faces.

Romantic tropes: forced proximity & fish-out-of-water.

A centuries-long curse is no match for rom-com shenanigans when a medieval knight is brought to life in modern-day Chicago. Forgotten by time and abandoned by hope, Sir Griffin de Beauford’s existence stretches out before him. Cursed by a ruthless enchanter to see, hear, and think, but never to move or speak, Griffin suffers the long, lonely centuries trapped in stone… until an unexpected kiss from a fair maiden breathes new life into his soul — and his body.

Emily Porter, a recently divorced conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago, is charged with the restoration of a statue of a medieval English knight. Breaking curses was not part of the job description. And yet, here he is, the man of her dreams come to life, resplendent in shining armour as he joyously barrels into priceless antiquities… and goes on to dismantle her defenses, wreak havoc on her senses, and tempt her to believe once more in happy-ever-afters.

Romantic tropes: regency romance, fake dating & mistaken identities.

When Arabella Grant’s wicked aunt dies suddenly, both Arabella and her cousin Lady Isabelle cannot help but feel relieved. She’d made their lives miserable, and now Lady Issie is free to read to her heart’s content, and Bella is free from taunts about her ignoble birth.

Their newfound freedom is threatened, however, when Issie’s great-aunt commands her to travel to London for a come-out Issie has never wanted. Issie, who is in poor health, is convinced she’ll drop dead like her mother did if she drops into a curtsy before the queen. So when her great-aunt turns out to be nearsighted and can’t tell the noble Lady Isabelle from her commoner cousin Arabella, Issie convinces Bella to take her place. But after meeting the irresistible Lord Brooke, can Bella keep up the secret and stop herself from falling in love?

Romantic Tropes: fake dating & second-chance romance.

When two former bandmates — and bedmates — are thrust back into each other’s lives in a fake dating scheme for publicity, they’ll be forced to face the music. After her recurring role in tabloid headlines, Valerie Quinn’s musical TV show is on the network chopping block. Desperate for good press, she hastily reassembles her wildly beloved pop punk band, Glitter Bats.

A reunion concert could be the former lead vocalist’s ticket to a media makeover, especially if it renews public speculation around her iconic situationship with bassist Caleb Sloane. The only problem? They haven’t spoken in six years. Making music together not only revives the harmony between them, but also the discord that led to the band’s downfall. With their futures — and the Glitter Bats — in the balance, can they survive a romantic reprise?

Romantic Tropes: enemies-to-lovers.

Cat Li thinks she’s made it big when she lands her dream job writing love storylines for the game Compass Hollow. Then she meets her boss: the infamous Andi Zhang, who’s not only an arrogant hater of happily-ever-afters determined to keep Cat from doing her job but also impossibly, annoyingly hot.

Forced to give Cat a chance, Andi begrudgingly realises there’s more to Cat than romantic idealism and, okay, a cute smile. But admitting that would mean giving up the single-player life that has kept their heart safe for years… Can these two put aside their differences and find a way to work together before it’s game over?

Romantic tropes: fated mates, only-one-bed & enemies-to-lovers.

Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she’s attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she’s saved! On the not-so-bright side, it’s because they’re abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has… dinosaurs? On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal.

Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can’t resist the attraction that’s developing in their trio… From the author of the hilarious That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf, comes an equally hilarious and steamy adventure comedy romp.

Romantic tropes: enemies-to-lovers (inspired by Much Ado About Nothing!)

Abigail Meyer and Freya Jonsson can’t stand one another. But could their severe hatred be masking something else entirely? When Abby and Freya cross paths ten years after graduation, their old rivalry doesn’t take more than a few minutes to begin anew. And now Naomi, Abby’s best friend, is falling for Freya’s producer and close pal, Will.

Both women are thrilled to see their friends in a happy relationship — except they are now only a few degrees of separation from the person they claim to despise… and they can’t seem to avoid seeing one another. After their encounters repeatedly devolve into warfare, Abby and Freya’s friends decide their age-old rivalry can only mean one thing: true love. Will their friends bring them together? Or will Freya’s refusal to admit who she is keep them from discovering their underlying passion?

Romantic tropes: forbidden love, slow burn.

In the heart of Soeria, where royal bloodlines carve the paths of destiny, Prince Darien Garros, the kingdom’s beloved second son, faces the age-old clash between duty and desire. For years, Darien has dodged the court’s expectations to find a suitable match, yearning instead for a love that values the man behind the crown. His longing seems answered in Tag Leara, whose charm and genuine affection ignite a hope Darien dared not admit.

Yet, fate is a fickle master. A sudden tragedy propels Darien into a role he never sought, challenging his deepest convictions. As the weight of legacy and the whispers of power threaten to suffocate him, Darien confronts the ultimate test. Torn between the call of his blood and the pull of his heart, he stands at a crossroads that could reshape the future of Soeria itself.

Romantic tropes: forbidden love & paranormal romance.

A young woman forced to live with ghosts in a mansion frozen in time must decide between forbidden love and the price of freedom in this gothic fantasy. Thorne bears the weight of her family’s curse to preserve their mansion as it was in the 1890s, using ancient folk songs to keep the spirits secret and silent in order to avoid deadly consequences.

When a mischievous child spirit wreaks havoc on the manor, the Thorne family calls upon their trusted preservationist to restore the mansion. He brings along his son, Atticus — a vibrant man full of life and ideas of modernization — and Elegy is captivated by him, igniting a longing for freedom she’s never dared to embrace. Torn between her desire to follow her heart and her duty to her family and its legacy, Elegy begins searching for a way to release the spirit collection back to the afterlife and set both herself and the ghosts free.