Letter of Recommendation: Your Romance Novel Starter Kit

Cutting through the cartoon noise

Welcome to ‘Letter of Recommendation,’ a segment of VOTED MOST TALKATIVE in which I share the best of what I’ve been consuming lately. My Letters of Recommendation will always be free, but they will include affiliate links! That means I will make a small commission off of any purchases you may make from my recommendations.

If you follow me on any social media platform, but especially Instagram, you know that I am something of a voracious reader. I’ve always loved reading, but fell out of the habit as I grew into adulthood and life got in the way. One pandemic later, and I’m back to my reading roots; I’ve already read over 100 books this year.

(Often, people are like, “wtf HOW are you reading SO much?!” and the answer is: It is almost exclusively how I spend my free time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ What can I say, I’m a nerd.)

What has surprised me the most about my newfound reading habit, though, is how many romance novels I plow through. I was most decidedly not a romance reader growing up and didn’t really know anyone who was. I remember visiting the bodice ripper section at my local Books-a-Million and feeling titillated by the covers of men with sheer, blousy white shirts flapping in an invisible breeze, but I would’ve been far too embarrassed to ever pick one up. (Damn you, internalized misogyny!)

These days, romance is arguably my favorite genre. I try to have a solid rotation of non-fiction, romance novels, and commercial or literary fiction in my TBR (To Be Read) pile in case I’m in the mood for something in particular or I need a palate cleanser. But frankly, the world is hard, and sometimes all I want to read is something soft and lovely with a guaranteed happy ending—and, okay, you got me, I love a good spicy scene. (There ain’t nothing wrong with a bad spicy scene either tbh.)

I am a big, big advocate for the humble romance novel; I firmly believe that, when it comes to romance novels, there’s something out there for everyone. We are also living through a drought of great romcoms, and the very best romance novels can fill that hole in your heart. You just have to figure out what you like: Are you an enemies-to-lovers or friends-to-lovers fan? More sap or more sex? Historical or contemporary? First person or third person? Dual POV or singular? etc, etc.

Pop into your local romance section these days, though, and you’re far more likely to be faced with a wall of candy-colored cartoon covers than you are heaving busoms and ripped abs. There’s much to be said on this as a trend! HOWEVER, I will save that for another day and merely say that it can be hard to cut through all the cartoon noise to figure out what might be good.

You could go on BookTok or some other social media platform and hope to find a good recommendation, but then you might end up going home with some garbage and thinking, “God, romance novels suck.” I don’t want this to happen to you! That’s why I’ve assembled this Romance Novel Starter Kit.

Now, I won’t claim to be an expert in the genre and I’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to what’s out there. But I have read a lot of romance novels—the sublime, the so-so, and the sucky—and I feel confident in my ability to guide you gently into the romance waters.

So take my hand—I’ll even flex it for you Mr. Darcy-style, if you’d like—and let me introduce you to the world of romance.

P.S.: I’ve included both my Bookshop.org and my Amazon affiliate links. Support your local indies when you can, but I understand that sometimes you just gotta use BezosMart! (It goes without saying that I love libraries, but I can’t link those.)

P.P.S.: Many of these picks are my favorite romance novels (lists of those can be found on Amazon and Bookshop.org!) or by my favorite authors, and some are the start of connected series, so if you like one, you can continue on to find more.

The Books That Hooked Me:

The Idea of You, Robinne Lee: In the thick of the pandemic, my friend Celine texted me and was like, “omg you have to read this book.” I would trust Celine’s recommendations with my life so obviously, I bought it immediately. It’s about a 39-year-old mother who meets the 24-year-old star of her daughter’s favorite boy band and then embarks on a jet-setting affair with him. (Yes, it is basically Harry Styles fanfic.) It is very sexy and it’s also currently being made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine so get on it.
Amazon | Bookshop.org

Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade: I saw this interview with author Olivia Dade on Jezebel’s Twitter feed and I was like, whoa, I gotta know more. Until that moment, I didn’t realize romance heroines could be fat. And while the body representation was a plus, what really hooked me was the concept: Marcus Caster-Rupp, a star of a GAME OF THRONES-esque show, secretly posts fanfic about his own character (!!!) and asks out a fan, April, after she’s the target of a fatphobic internet pile-on when her cosplay goes viral. But—wouldn’t you know it?—the two are already fandom besties, totally anonymous to each other. FUN!!!
Amazon | Bookshop.org

And Now, the Rest:

Beach Read, Emily Henry: Including Emily Henry on this list at all is a cheat, considering she is a regular on the New York Times Bestseller list and #BookTok and all, but still, this is where I point most romance newbies. She is, in my opinion, the Nora Ephron of romance novels. I have yet to read an Emily Henry book where I didn’t fall in love with the guy; I mean, one of them tells the heroine “You fucking undo me” while they’re hooking up, and like, are you kidding me. You might think, “She has a newer book out, I’ll just buy that” but DO NOT DO THAT!!! Happy Place is great but it is Emily Henry 201 and we need to start you at 101 with Beach Read OR…
Amazon | Bookshop.org

People We Meet On Vacation, Emily Henry: You’re probably thinking, “TWO Emily Henry books?! 🙄” I know, but trust me. The EH fandom is deeply divided between these two novels and that’s why I need to give you both options. Beach Read is an enemies-to-lovers story featuring two novelists stuck in creative ruts; PWMOV is about two polar opposite best friends who used to vacation together every year until something mysterious tore them apart. I personally think both are great, but I know Poppy, the heroine of PWMOV, is quirky and that doesn’t always work for people, so, know thyself etc. (I am a Beach Read girlie myself.)
Amazon | Bookshop.org

You, Again, Kate Goldbeck: I will confess that this pick may be recency bias, because I just finished it a few days ago. Still, this debut novel was so good it made me actively furious (complimentary). The BANTER in this book??? Again, Nora Ephron-level good while still feeling real, which, I have to tell you, is a very hard balance to strike. You, Again is a WHEN HARRY MET SALLY retelling that started life as a Kylo Ren-Rey, aka Reylo, fanfic (hence the Adam Driver-esque man on the cover) which is surprisingly popular in romance novels at the moment. Ari and Josh continually butt heads in chance encounters that take place over several years, before reconnecting and bonding in a moment of heartbreak. They spark all over the page from the beginning. It immediately became one of my favorite romance novels ever so that should say a lot.
Amazon | Bookshop.org

Before I Let Go, Kennedy Ryan: It’s a funny thing to say, because all romance novels are centered around adults, but the characters don’t always feel like grown ups. This is a romance novel for grown-ups. I am not normally into second-chance romances—plots where the characters have been together before, but split up for some reason—but Kennedy Ryan sold me with Before I Let Go. Yasmen and Josiah divorced after a devastating loss (you’ll definitely want to mind any triggers with this one, fyi; check Storygraph for CW) but they’ve never stopped feeling drawn to each other. The chemistry? Oh it’s sexy. And their love story is so genuinely moving.
Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Charm Offensive, Alison Cochrun: Calling all BACHELOR fans! Charlie is a recently-disgraced tech mogul trying to make a comeback by starring on a popular dating competition, despite the fact that he is as cold as a dead fish. Dev is the show’s bubbly producer who believes in happily-ever-afters. What could they possibly have in common—other than MASSIVE CRUSHES ON EACH OTHER OF COURSE! I loved the way this book tackled mental health issues and how love isn’t a cure-all for our problems.
Amazon | Bookshop.org

Dating Dr. Dil, Nisha Sharma: In my opinion, the best romance novels include plenty of detail about the lives of the characters outside of the brewing romance. It just creates a more robust portrait of each character, even if it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with them falling in love. (Of course, it always has something to do with them falling in love because that’s how life works, but you understand my meaning.) Nisha Sharma is incredibly good at doing just that. In this TAMING OF THE SHREW retelling, Kareena is trying to find her soulmate in the next four months, and Prem is a heart doctor who doesn’t believe in love. Guess what happens next?!
Amazon | Bookshop.org

Love, Theoretically, Ali Hazelwood: Alright, this one is also a cheat, considering that Ali Hazelwood is also all over the place and topping the NYT best-seller list. Here’s the thing, though: I just love her work. I love all her MMCs (male main characters) and I love their goofy little scientist romances and I may have nearly failed high school chemistry but even I can see that Ali has a skill for crafting it. Elsie and Jack are two physicists who take rival points of view on their field: Elsie is theoretical and Jack is experimental. (I am not even joking when I tell you that this book helped me understand a large chunk of OPPENHEIMER.) Jack also happens to stand between Elsie and her dream job at MIT. Uh oh! Ali’s best yet, imo.
Amazon | Bookshop.org

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, Ashley Herring Blake: I simply love a little type-A freak as a main character. (Something I should probably discuss in therapy, tbd.) Astrid is an interior designer on the verge of blowing up her life. Jordan is a carpenter whose life has been blown up for her. They’re both working on the restoration of a local inn with equally high stakes. Who will win in the end? We will, because Ashley Herring Blake is a master at building tension and even better in the moments where it breaks. This is actually the second book in a series, but as is so often the case in romance, you don’t have to read the first to understand what happens here.
Amazon | Bookshop.org

How to Fake It In Hollywood, Ava Wilder: I will always, and I mean always, go feral for a celebrity romance novel. There’s something about the ripped-from-the-gossip-mags aspect that just does it for me. What I love about How to Fake It In Hollywood, though, is how real Ava Wilder makes the romance feel. Ethan is an A-list actor with a drinking problem, and Grey is trying to make the transition from teen star to bonafide actress. They get into a fake relationship to help each other’s image, but not even the real deal can fix their problems. You root for them to work it out, even as you’re like, please, god, go see a therapist.
Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, Adriana Herrera: My big caveat here is that I am not a big historical romance reader. Eep! I know. I read all the Bridgerton books and I think that’s about the extent of it. THAT SAID: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris is a banger. It (and its equally-banger follow-up, An Island Princess Starts a Scandal) might be the thing to get me into historical. Luz Alana is in Paris for the 1889 World Exposition, trying to sell her rum, when she meets Evan, a Scottish earl with a whisky brand. Circumstances lead them to a marriage of convenience and hoo-hoo-hoo how convenient it is!
Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang: This pick is spice-forward, which means it comes out of the gate strong. If you’re reading a romance novel and thinking, “Get to the good part already,” The Kiss Quotient is for you. Stella is autistic, and decides she needs practice being intimate, so she hires Michael, a professional escort, to help her. It is hot—hot, hot, hot. But also, Helen Hoang is so funny, and your heart melts for Stella and Michael as they become more than just hook up partners. (Helen! I miss you! Where are you?)
Amazon | Bookshop.org

Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston: Okay, honestly, if you haven’t read Red, White & Royal Blue already I am going to need you to tell me how that happened, because this thing was everywhere for several years. But if that means that I get to be the one to introduce you to it, and to Casey McQuiston, all the better! Alex is the son of the President of the United States (a woman, thank you very much) and Henry is the second prince of the United Kingdom. A romance that could also cause an international scandal? Count me in. Also, if you haven’t watched the movie, please do; I think it’s a different beast than the book, but it’s a very very cute romcom.
Amazon | Bookshop.org