As summer comes to an end and sweater season begins, book lovers everywhere go about searching for new reads to cozy up with in the colder months ahead. As an avid reader myself, I’m here to give you some recommendations for your favorite genre and mine: romance novels.
- The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han
I couldn’t write an article about romance books without mentioning these iconic books that have just come out as an Amazon Prime series. This series chronicles Isabella “Belly” and her family friends throughout summers of growth, love, and life. I would highly recommend reading the books before watching the show, but I might be biased. If you’re looking for a cute summer read, this is the series for you! An honorable mention also goes to the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han, which has been adapted to Netflix films.
- On the Fence by Kasie West
The classic boy next door romance that begins for Charlotte “Charlie” and
Braden, her neighbor, when they have a late night convo through the fence in between their backyards and they begin to realize they know each other better than they originally thought. As the book continues, their fence conversations are the lifeline to their relationship, even when other things seem to be getting in the way. On the Fence hits all the feels of family, friends, and romance in one swoop and makes you wish you had a cute neighbor to talk to through the fence.
- The Selection series by Kiera Cass
This series calls all fans of royal romance to sink their teeth into a post war United
States (now called Illéa), that has changed drastically. There is a caste system, Halloween doesn’t exist, and the government is a monarchy. Since this change, a process known as “the Selection” has commenced, which is basically a royal version of The Bachelor. Applications are sent out to all the eligible ladies in the land and if they fill it out and are selected to go to the palace, they compete for the prince’s hand in marriage. The series follows the process of these women as they go through the trials of attempting to win the prince’s heart. It is truly an emotional rollercoaster that anyone who loves good royal drama will appreciate.
- The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
“Sometimes I think that everyone has a tragedy waiting for them, that the people buying milk in their pajamas or picking their nose at stoplights could be only moments away from disaster.” This is the striking first sentence in The Beginning of Everything. The book focuses on Ezra and Cassidy and a somewhat slow burn romance that comes out of their respective tragedies that are more interconnected than originally appears. The ups and downs of this relationship will have you questioning whether true love exists, and in the end, realizing that sometimes things don’t work out for a reason, even if you can’t see why in the moment.
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
Who would I be to write a list of romance novel recommendations without including one from John Green? John Green is a romance classic, and one of my personal favorite books of his is Looking for Alaska. If you need a good cry, reading this book is the perfect opportunity to let the tears flow. The main character, Miles, goes off to boarding school to “… seek a Great Perhaps,” as one of his favorite poet’s last words’ stated. While there, he makes friends of a lifetime, including Alaska, a wild, mysterious girl who is full of life. He is captivated by her and spends time getting to know her and in the meantime, getting to know himself. Tragedy eventually befalls Culver Creek boarding school, and nothing is the same afterwards. But in the before times, a romance deeper than most could ever hope for occurred.
If any of these brief synopses sounded interesting to you, I hope you pick up a book and begin to read! It’s a great way to pass the time and get off your phone for a while, which is always much needed. There are endless romance novels that never get old, so it was difficult to pick just a few. With luck, these suggestions will draw you into more and more wonderful books to get lost in.