Contemporary Romance Books for Your Reading List in 2026
"It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there…"
Hello fellow book lovers! Welcome to Cozy Book Cafe. Thank you for visiting our website. Here you will discover the most anticipated books of 2026. Dive into captivating new stories, discover new authors, and let your imagination soar. 🖤
Contemporary romance books sparkle with relatable settings and modern dilemmas—careers, family dynamics, tech’s influence on dating, and personal growth. A dash of witty exchanges, a pinch of awkward misreads, and a sprinkle of personal breakthroughs make these feel instantly familiar—and impossibly delicious to binge.
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⭐ BOOK CLUB TOP PICK ⭐
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart…
When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago....
When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.
At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world.
But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.
Across the Vanishing Sky by Catherine Cowles
He spent a lifetime trying to escape his dark past…but to save her, he’ll wade back into the shadows.
Braedyn Winslow never expected to return to Starlight Grove—the town that took everything from her. Not after her best friend, the one who’d sacrificed so much for her, vanished without a trace. But with a young son to raise and a past that won’t stay buried, Brae is back…and determined to uncover the truth.
She just didn’t count on the brooding, reclusive mountain man living next door.
Dex Archer is the stuff of local legend—silent, rugged, and surrounded by whispers of his and his brothers’ violent father. But Brae sees through the scowl and his parentage to the man beneath: fiercely loyal, unexpectedly kind…and just dangerous enough to protect her when someone starts warning her off her search.
The closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to stay away from Dex. And as things get more perilous, Brae realizes the only person she can rely on is the one man who swore never to trust again.
Only someone isn’t happy that Brae has been digging, and they’ll do anything to stop her. But Dex? He’ll do anything to save her, even slip back into the dark…
Whiskey, Words and Whispers by Sawyer Bennett
Penny Pritchard thought she’d traded in small-town chatter for political banter when she left to build a big career in Washington, D.C. But when her beloved Aunt Muriel needs help running Central Café—the local hotspot for gossip, grits, and good intentions—Penny comes home with a suitcase full of high heels and denial about just how much she’s missed this place.
Enter Sam-Pete Rochelle, the easygoing bartender at Chesty’s with a smile that could make a girl forget her rules and a secret bigger than the town itself. Everyone thinks he’s just the guy pouring whiskey and fixing the jukebox. No one suspects he’s actuallya wildly popular, very rich, and very anonymous author of steamy fantasy romance novels.
When the truth is revealed and it’s time for Sam to stop hiding behind his pen name, Whynot loses its collective mind. The church ladies are clutching their pearls, Floyd’s hosting a “Banned Books & Bourbon” club, and the mayor’s calling an emergency meeting about moral decay. And Penny? Penny is learning firsthand that Sam doesn’t just talk the talk where his books are concerned. Sam excels at walking the walk, if you know what I mean.
Now, Penny is torn between her two worlds. Does she go back to the career that provides a sense of fulfillment and purpose or stay in the small town with the man who writes about epic love stories and might just be her own real-life happily ever after?
And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison
Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster.
While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field.
When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.
Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal: If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side.
With unexplored chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.
But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains stay in the mountains?
Mistakes Were Made by Lucy Score
As literary agent to a romance novelist, Zoey Moody's life currently revolves around love - which is ironic, as she is practically allergic to the L word. She's also a city girl through and through, and yet here she is in tiny Story Lake, Pennsylvania, trying to wrangle author Hazel's next big hit. Life isn't exactly going to plan.
It takes all of five minutes in town before chaos finds her, sending her directly into the path of Gage Bishop, one of the stupidly handsome Bishop brothers. He is exactly the kind of romance hero that could entice a heroine to succumb to the charm of small-town life - but Zoey is no romance lead, and Gage can't seem to stand her.
It's clear they're all wrong for each other. She's allergic to commitment and can't work a calendar app; he's looking to settle down and has the next five years all planned out. But when Gage's world is rocked by a devastating family secret, he turns to Zoey for one night to forget everything. That one night might just change everything . . . or ruin it.
Zoey suddenly finds herself wanting to be the one to save him - and maybe even be saved in return. Can Story Lake inspire a woman who is terrified of love to finally write her own happy ending?
Kissing the Sky by Lisa Patton
It’s the summer of ’69. While her peers revel in free love and rock and roll, Suzannah is home from college, sequestered inside her conservative Southern home. Her domineering father has condemned rock music and driven away her best friend. She’s counting the days until fall.
But everything changes when her free-spirited best friend, Livy, resurfaces, urging Suzannah, a talented singer, to join her for three days of peace and music in upstate New York. Fed up with her father’s rules and fearful for her brother’s fate in Vietnam, Suzannah agrees to the road trip, sneaking off without her parents’ knowledge.
Miles outside her comfort zone, the electrifying bedlam of Woodstock jolts her into a journey of self-transformation. But it’s not all incense and peppermints. Suzannah’s falling hard for Leon, a boy she meets at the festival, and the seductive bud of first love conceals a thorn of heartache. Lies uncover betrayal, and Livy’s wild behavior leads to a startling revelation.
A nostalgic trip through the turbulent ’60s, this is the story of a lovable heroine who lets go of the girl she was to embrace the woman she’s becoming while she learns to lift her voice—for herself and perhaps for the world.
The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez
In everyone's life, there's a split-second decision that can change everything . . .
For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she'd met the perfect man.
She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favourite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!).
For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.
But Chris isn't the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago - Chris is her boyfriend's best friend.
All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else.
And he's just not that guy.
Things That Break Us by Michelle Heard
Some happily ever afters begin in tragedy.
I’m an actor who hates the limelight. Everyone wants Easton Rowe’s attention—my money, my fame. It’s impossible to have a real relationship with a woman, so I don’t even try.
But then there’s Nova. My sister’s best friend. She’s been there our whole lives, and she’s here now to help us when we need her most. When I need her most.
I should keep my guard up, focus on my dying sister and her daughter. But I can’t ignore Nova. Not with the way she carries this grief with me. The way she flinches when I move too fast, the ghost of something lurking in her eyes. The way she blushes when I get too close, making me wonder how close I can get.
For once, I don’t want to keep my distance. Nova thinks she has nothing to give, but all I need is a chance. I know we can take our broken pieces and make something whole.
The Epicenter of Forever by Mara Williams
Eden Hawthorne spent idyllic childhood summers in Grand Trees, a mountain town perched along a restless earthquake fault in the heart of California’s fire country.
But her family and future were shattered there, and she vowed never to return—until news of her estranged mother’s illness forces her back twenty years later.
Still reeling from her recent divorce, Eden has to confront her mom’s found family, including single father Caleb Connell, who blames Eden for the seismic rift that drove her away.
But as they move beyond a battle of wills, Eden and Caleb discover shared wounds and intertwined histories—and succumb to an attraction that feels fated.
When her mother’s condition worsens, Eden faces an impossible choice between the man she’s falling for and the mother she’s just beginning to forgive.
And with time running out, Eden fears her decision will doom her to relive the aftershocks of past heartbreak.
Even After This by Deborah Clack
When you're ready to live again, love often has a way of finding you.
Four years after tragedy, Meredith Harper is tired of hiding in her corner of Texas and living life like a game of dodgeball. She packs up her grief, awkward social graces, and sizable life insurance in search of a vacation and investment property in Colorado Springs.
A botched dinner reservation throws her into the path of a bona fide movie star, and Meredith pushes through her comical celebrity neurosis to discover he is charming but a terrible dancer.
A viral video of a daring rescue makes Harlan Holcombe's celebrity star stronger, with millions of his fans deeming him a real-life Hercules. But a minute of heroism doesn't absolve his past mistakes.
As Harlan and Meredith spend more time together, he helps her believe there might be more for her not just in life but in love. And she might be part of the solution to restore the legacy he fears is tarnished.
But what happens when the path to redeem his mistakes collides with the path to redeem her loss?
No Place Like You by Jillian Meadows
Fable Oaks never planned to return to Fern River. But after a string of failures, here she is, living in her parents’ backyard, watching her beloved late grandfather’s A-frame crumble around her. She can't seem to find her direction, and to make matters worse, Theo Nikolaou, her ex-best friend, has also resurfaced, distracting dimples and charming grin in tow.
Theo knew it was only a matter of time before he came back. The demons of his past once drove him to leave, but Fern River always seemed meant to be. So, when Theo’s boss, Arthur, announces he is selling his veterinary practice, it feels like the perfect opportunity. He just needs to show Arthur he’s sticking around for good. And when Fable—Fable, with her smart mouth and sexy curls—quite literally falls into Theo's lap, an idea forms.
If they can convince the town that they're madly in love, it could solve all their problems. Theo can prove to Arthur he's settling down, and Fable can get some much-needed help fixing up the A-frame, a task she is determined to see through.
The only problem is, the more time they spend together, the blurrier the line gets between fake dating and falling hard.
She’s lost her way. He’s finding his path. Together, they might discover there's no place like home.
No Matter What by Cara Bastone
Roz and Vin can't look each other in the eyes anymore, let alone share a bed. It's been a year since they survived a traumatic car accident and their marriage hasn't been the same.
But Roz has held out hope that they can fix things . . . until she discovers that Vin has signed a new lease.
So she does what any soon-to-be-divorced Manhattanite would do: she signs up for figure drawing class.
Ignoring Vin's impending move-out date would be a lot easier if he wasn't her best-friends brother - and if he hadn't just offered to let her draw him. After all, that's known to make a separation easier, right? Focus on every detail of your estranged spouse's body while drawing them in the nude?
But after the year they've spent avoiding each other, it feels good to see and be seen by one another again. As Roz works to capture the wholeness of the person she fell in love with, will they both be able to draw upon the feelings they buried deep inside to finally heal together?
Love Song by Elle Kennedy
Join us at the Logan family lake house in Tahoe...
After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family's lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a "bad idea," and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.
With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He's spent years keeping his distance, convinced he's all wrong for her, but she's no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She's confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It's catching fire fast.
They both know this can't last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they're tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.
But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance...or the final verse.
How to Write a Love Story by Catherine Walsh
One writer, one editor, one hot summer... A romance for the books?
Ciara Sheridan's father has left her with three things: a sprawling and distinctly ramshackle estate on the Irish coast, the outline for the finale to his bestselling epic fantasy series that he wanted her to finish - and writer's block.
Enter Sam Avery: Frank-Sheridan-fanboy and hotshot editor, sent from the New York publishing house direct to her doorstep - against Ciara's wishes and red pen at the ready.
With the deadline looming, Ciara and Sam have just a few weeks to stop bickering, write this novel and secure Frank's legacy.
But as the summer heats up, so too does the tension between them. Will their own love story be the plot twist neither of them sees coming?
A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert
She's hard to hold onto, but he's good with his hands...
Prickly, autistic, and shadowed by a scandalous past, Ruth Kabbah will always be Ravenswood's black sheep. It's a lonely life, but at least it's safe… until Evan Miller comes to town.
Calm, confident, and instantly accepted by their small English town, Evan is Ruth's opposite in every way—yet he meets her suspicion with a smile, handles her awkwardness with ease, and watches her with a hunger that threatens to tear down her all her defences.
The gossips want to know how she's bewitched him. Ruth just wants to know when he'll get bored and leave. Because if there's one thing she's learned, it's that girls like her don't get happily ever afters.
But when a monster from Ruth's past comes back to haunt her, she's forced to make a choice: should she trust Evan completely? Or is her heart safest alone?
Heart the Lover by Lily King
You knew I’d write a book about you someday.
Our narrator understands good love stories—their secrets and subtext, their highs and free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the simple rules.
In the fall of her senior year of college, she meets two star students from her 17th-Century Lit class: Sam and Yash. Best friends living off campus in the elegant house of a professor on sabbatical, the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academic fervor, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. They nickname her Jordan, and she quickly discovers the pleasures of friendship, love and her own intellectual ambition. But youthful passion is unpredictable, and soon she finds herself at the center of a charged and intricate triangle. As graduation comes and goes, choices made will alter these three lives forever.
Decades later, the vulnerable days of Jordan's youth seem comfortably behind her. But when a surprise visit and unexpected news bring the past crashing into the present, she returns to a world she left behind and must confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self.
The Breath Between Us by Bianca Miller
Miller Morgan—or MJ, to basically everyone—once dreamed of a future in New York City with her best friend, Olivia Mitchell, by her side. They had plans. Big plans.
Until tragedy struck. At seventeen, the world MJ knew shattered into a million pieces, scattered across the quiet sands of her sleepy beach hometown.
Now, at twenty-eight, MJ's life is a far cry from what she imagined. She’s stuck in a never-ending loop, each day blending into the next. By day, she bartends at her parents' seaside restaurant; by night, she chases elusive words for a book that feels like it’ll never exist. The past—and the grief—still lingers, keeping her trapped in a life that doesn’t seem to move forward.
Enter Grey Prescott. Charming, wealthy, and undeniably attractive—Grey is everything MJ usually avoids. A summer transplant, the type who lives for the thrill of a whirlwind romance and vanishes before fall, leaving nothing but disappointment in his wake. And despite his persistence, she’s not falling for it.
Or so she thought. As the summer unfolds, MJ finds herself irresistibly drawn to Grey, discovering a connection and a passion that deepens by the day. But even as he inspires her to look towards the future once again, she can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to Grey than meets the eye.
Can one summer really change everything? Or is the past just too hard to leave behind?
Chasing Stars by Linny Mack
Miles Corbin lives his life on his own terms. A successful real estate agent by day, and a surfer Casanova by night, Miles lives every day like it’s his last. Scarred by his recent divorce, Miles prefers to keep love at arm’s length. He’d much rather chase thrills in the ocean over risking love again. That is until Jenna Rossi walks into his life.
When Jenna Rossi inherits her family's neglected beach house in Cape May, New Jersey, she plans to sell it quickly and move on with her life. But charming property manager Miles Corbin has other ideas. As he helps her navigate necessary repairs, he also becomes her personal tour guide through the tranquil beach town’s romantic charm, determined to give her even more reasons to stay.
As their new friendship blossoms, deeper feelings begin to take root. Miles hasn’t opened his heart again since his divorce, but something about Jenna makes him want to take a chance. Jenna swears she doesn’t need a white knight, nor does she want one, but Miles’ thoughtfulness and guidance has her dropping her guard and falling hard.
But just when they’re settling into the idea of forever, a secret from the past threatens to tear them apart for good—one that connects them in ways neither could have imagined.
Burn Bright by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie
Ben Cobalt is number six. Not sixth place—in fact, he’d be considered at least third draft pick for the NHL if he didn’t quit hockey during college. And he’s not sixth-in-line for any throne. Though, most consider his larger-than-life, billionaire family American royalty.
He is the sixth-born Cobalt.
Out of a normal family of seven, he might get lost in the shuffle. But being the black sheep of the Cobalt Empire comes with its own intense spotlight. After he hits a major low at college in Philly, his four older brothers convince him to move in with them in New York City. Transferring to Manhattan Valley University—piece of cake.
Living in an apartment with all of his brothers while harboring a giant secret among a family who’s more tight-knit than a secret society—total effing chaos.
He has to find a way out of the tense living arrangement, especially as he clashes with his oldest brother Charlie. Ben turns to an unlikely source for help. A grumpy, punk-rock girl with a troubled past who's already pissed off one Cobalt brother.
So when an undeniable attraction ignites, Harriet Fisher is expecting the flames to die out. Except…what happens when they don’t? Falling for a Cobalt brother with secrets might be a Shakespearean tragedy she can't rewind.
Gracie Harris Is Under Construction by Kate Hash
Gracie Harris never intended to become the queen of grief. But when an essay she writes the night of her husband Ben’s memorial goes viral, she lands a popular column on love and loss and an impressive book deal.
Now, the biggest tragedy of her life is the center of her world. With a looming book deadline and her kids at summer camp, Gracie escapes for a summer of solitude to the ramshackle mountain house she and Ben bought for their family before his death.
When charming contractor Josh arrives on her doorstep to help renovate the home, Gracie discovers an unexpected connection that is energizing . . . and surprisingly flirtatious.
As her feelings and resilience grow, Gracie must decide whether she’s ready to embrace a new version of her life. Gracie’s first Happily Ever After didn’t last as long as she’d expected.
Now she has to wonder: Could Josh be her chance for a second great love story?
August Lane by Regina Black
Every Thursday night, former country music heartthrob Luke Randall has to sing “Another Love Song.” God, he hates that song. But performing his lone hit at an interstate motel lounge is the only regular money he still has. Following another lackluster performance at the rock bottom of his career, Luke receives the opportunity of his dreams, opening for his childhood idol—90’s era Black country music star, JoJo Lane, who’s being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But the concert is in Arcadia, Arkansas, the small hometown he swore he’d never see again. Going back means facing a painful past of abuse and neglect. It also means facing JoJo’s daughter, August Lane—the woman who wrote the lyrics he’s always claimed as his own.
August also hates that song. But she hates Luke Randall even more. When he shows up ten years too late to apologize for his betrayal, she isn’t interested in making amends. Instead, she threatens to expose his lies unless he co-writes a new song with her and performs it at the concert, something she hopes will launch her out of her mother's shadow and into a songwriting career of her own. Desperate to keep his secret, Luke agrees to put on the rogue performance, despite the risk of losing his shot at a new record deal.
When Luke’s guitar reunites with August’s soulful alto, neither can deny that the passionate bond they formed as teenagers is still there. As the concert nears, August will have to choose between an overdue public reckoning with the boy who betrayed her, or trusting the man he’s become to write a different love song.
Frosting and Flames by Allie Winters
Rachel is no stranger to responsibility—or heartbreak. As the eldest of three sisters, she’s the glue holding their small-town bakery together, juggling taxes, recipes, and endless layers of frosting while quietly nursing the sting of her boyfriend’s betrayal earlier this year. Love? Not on the menu.
Her best friend, Jae, has other ideas, especially when it comes to the hunky local firefighter, Nick. Too bad Jae doesn’t know about the incident from their teenage years—the one where Nick burned down the bakery.
Nick’s spent years thinking Rachel despises him, and honestly, he wouldn’t blame her. But when Jae signs Rachel up to help with the fire station's fundraiser, he and Rachel are forced into close quarters. As sparks fly that have nothing to do with fire safety, Nick starts to wonder if there’s a chance to rebuild what they lost—and maybe even something more.
Rachel can’t ignore the heat between them, but trusting Nick means letting go of the past. Can she take the risk, or will the flames of their shared history consume them both?
All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles
Ridley Sawyer knows what it's like to miss someone, to feel like a piece of her vanished―because it happened to her the night her twin sister disappeared.
Now, Ridley channels that loss into hope, traveling the country covering cold cases for her true crime podcast. She might not have found justice for her sister but that doesn't stop her from finding it for others. Until Sheriff Colter Brooks gets in her way.
Colt knows what it's like to have reporters descend on his town in the wake of a tragedy, and he's not about to let a fiery podcaster stir up trouble. It doesn't matter that her haunting blue eyes tell him there's more to Ridley's story or that he can't stop imagining what it would be like to touch her.
But when Ridley's cold case turns hot and she's thrust into the crosshairs, Colt has no choice but to step in. Suddenly, Ridley's living at his house, drinking his whiskey, and stealing his dog's affections. But she's also proving that she's so much more than his first impression.
And as they get closer to the truth, the game they've been playing might just turn deadly…
Indulging Temptation by N.J. Weeks
Santino Amato is one of New York City’s hottest chefs and restaurateurs… in every sense of the word. Covered in tattoos, with no shortage of charm or talent, it’s no surprise that he’s captured the attention of those who watch him on TV, as well as anyone lucky enough to get a table at his popular SoHo restaurant.
Though his impulsive, and at times intensely passionate ways, have helped him thrive under the pressures that are synonymous with the hospitality industry, they’ve also earned him the reputation of being the bad boy of the culinary world.
After an incident with an industry rival that almost cost him being eligible for a coveted award that would solidify him as a top contender in his career, it’s at the advice of his attorney that a publicist joins his team to help repair his image.
Given Santino’s new-found celebrity status, something he has come to begrudgingly accept, having just any publicist won’t cut it. He needs the best. He needs Lorena Ramos. One of the most sought after publicists among high-profile clientele, who knows how to wrangle her clients in order to rebuild public perception.
As beautiful as she is intelligent, and as guarded - if not more - as Santino, she’s a force to be reckoned with. And being that she’s his best friend’s sister, she is no stranger to his antics, or his irresistible charm, as forbidden as it may be.
But it doesn’t take long for her to discover that the root of his issues is much deeper than anyone realizes, making her both the most qualified yet unprepared for the job, something she isn’t used to.
When professional lines become blurred, and a secret friends with benefits situation forms, with one wanting more, and the other afraid to admit they want the same, there’s no telling whose image will be on the chopping block next.
She may be off-limits, but there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make her his. Even if it costs him everything he’s ever worked for. Because the only image he cares about is the one they create together in secret, when it’s just the two of them doing what they’ve both avoided for too long…indulging their hearts while indulging each other, and allowing the other in.
A Yes or No Question by Lauren Monica
A story of love, found family, and self-discovery.
With graduation looming, Susan’s next steps are all laid out: go to an Ivy League school, follow in her parents' footsteps, and continue living the life that’s expected of her, even if it isn’t what she wants.
But her carefully planned future takes an unexpected turn when she meets three friends from the wrong side of town: a boy who grew up too quickly, a broken girl in need of saving, and a lonely boy who hides behind a sweet smile that Susan can’t get out of her head.
A shocking event sets them on a path Susan never could have imagined, and she finds herself at a crossroads, having to answer a question that will change everything.
Heartfelt, gripping, and brimming with raw emotion, A Yes or No Question is a poignant tale about the people who change us, the courage it takes to follow your heart, and the messy, beautiful ways we find ourselves along the way.
There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev
Mira Salvi has the perfect life―a job she loves, a fiancé everyone adores, and the secure future she’s always imagined for herself. Really, she hasn’t a thing to complain about, not even when she has to go on her engagement trip to New York alone.
While playing tourist in the city, Mira chances upon a lost ring, and her social media post to locate its owner goes viral. With everyone trying to claim the ring, only one person seems to want to find its owner as badly as Mira does: journalist Krish Hale. Brooding and arrogant, he will do anything to get to write this story.
As Krish and Mira reluctantly join forces and jump into the adventure of tracing the ring back to where it belongs, Mira begins to wonder if she is in the right place in her own life.
She had to have found this ring for a reason…right?
Maybe, like the owner of the lost ring, her happy ending hasn’t been written yet either.
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Ever since cancer stole away her best friend, she has been completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with her best friend, and the ever-laminated “live again” list of things she’s promised to do to survive her grief. But maybe if she acts like she has it all together, no one will notice she’s falling apart.
The only gigs she can handle right now are temporary babysitting jobs, and she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. The only catch: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of. . . a walking version of the grumpy cat meme. Worse – he seems to be able to see right through her.
Surprisingly, Miles knows a lot about grief and he offers Lenny a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again” list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the void her best friend has left behind, but between late night ferry rides, midnight ramen, and a well-placed shoulder whenever she needs it, Miles just won’t stop showing up for her. Turns out, sometimes your life has to end to find your new beginning.
What Did I Miss? By Holly Brunnbauer
Makayla has many regrets: a Chiko Roll impulse buy, not visiting the Big Pineapple and marrying her high-school dud.
Now, newly divorced, determined to hold on to her independence and facing the Big Three-O, Makayla makes a list of all the things she missed out on while her friends were single and running amok in their twenties.
But when her one-night stand turns up again, and a revenge plot on her ex spirals out of control, she has to decide if some things are worth missing.
And if Makayla can't sort herself out before her birthday, she might face the biggest regret of her life.
A fresh and feisty romantic comedy about what happens when you meet someone special before truly knowing yourself.
Julia Song Is Undateable by Susan Lee
Julia Song, CEO of Starlight Cosmetics, is at the height of her career. Then why does she feel like such a failure? Maybe because she’s thirty and single, with a terrible track record at dating. And in the eyes of her Korean family, that is just unacceptable.
It never really bothered her—that is until her beloved grandmother drops the bomb that she is sick and her dying wish is for Julia to get married. Impossible. So in a moment of weakness, Julia asks her family for help. Set her up on three dates to help her find The One. But it will never work—Julia is undateable. If only there was a coach for that…
Tae Kim knows about the weight of familial expectation. He’s currently unemployed, living in his parents’ basement to care for his ill father. Sure, he’s become somewhat of a fix-it man for the Korean community around town, but that’s not a real job. And the pressure to get his life together is getting to be too much.
So when the Julia Song—his childhood crush—asks for his help, it may be just the distraction he needs. He’ll do whatever it takes, even coach her for these three dates. Problem is, the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the more Tae wonders if anyone is good enough for Julia…including him.
Ten Thousand Light Years from Okay by Tracy Dobmeier
Four years after her husband Sam’s tragic death mirrored a fatal plotline in her debut novel, Thea Packer hasn’t written another word, afraid that what she writes could come true again.
Resigned to raising her young daughter in her in-laws’ guesthouse, Thea is on the verge of abandoning her literary career when inspiration strikes.
Her new book is a fairy-tale romance featuring a long-lost astronaut who miraculously returns home to his family, with the hero loosely drawn from Thea’s memories of Sam. Thea considers the fantasy a harmless way to process her grief.
That is, until a charismatic man walks into her life—and he’s an astronaut.
Thea can’t believe it’s happening again. Or is it? Her mother-in-law doesn’t think so—she sees only a woman increasingly detached from reality.
Now, as coincidences between Thea’s writing and reality pile up, Thea must unravel the secrets of her past and tackle her grief head-on before she loses more than she ever imagined.