Even if you don’t have a partner to celebrate this Valentine’s Day with, or if you’re looking to find love in fictional worlds, anyone can enjoy these fun romantic comedy books! I personally love picking up a book to relax in my free time at school, and I think reading romantic comedies is a great way to escape the stress of work.
All of these authors build investment in their stories with slow-burn romances, funny dialogue, loveable couples, and successfully bring in more serious topics that develop the plot and characters to deeper levels. The books definitely have some cheesy moments and romance cliches but are well written and relatable. And, if you don’t feel like reading about love when you’re surrounded by swooning couples and heart decorations this season, these are fantastic feel-good reads for any time of the year!
- People We Meet on Vacation – Emily Henry
-
Two best friends, Alex and Poppy, used to take a summer vacation every year together until a fight tore them apart two years ago. In this novel, we see them taking one last trip together to reconcile and fix their relationship all while dancing around their personal feelings. Emily Henry’s storytelling is so thoughtful and adventurous, and I immediately fell in love with this friends-to-lovers arch. If you enjoy this one, then I would also highly recommend Beach Read by the same author.
- Love and Other Words – Christina Lauren
-
Macy runs into Elliot, the first and only love of her life, for the first time in 11 years, and her life is flipped upside down. Together they struggle to piece together what broke them apart when they were teenagers and best friends and work to rekindle their new relationship without breaking their hearts again. When I read this one last week, I was crying the whole time from heartbreak, laughter, and joy. It’s the best kind of friends to strangers story, and Christina Lauren (a co-author duo) tells the story of Macy and Elliot through alternating timelines flawlessly.
- The Honey-Don’t List – Christina Lauren
-
Carey works for a television couple famous for home design and remodels, and engineer James is brought in in order to help The Tripps build their empire. But, behind the scenes, Carey and James have to make the seemingly perfect Tripp couple actually like each other, get along, and finish their press tour. Out of all the books on this list, this one is definitely the most underrated but one of my absolute favorites from Christina Lauren. It’s like a sweet, romantic comedy going on behind the scenes of an HGTV show, and I loved the additional depth and story given to the protagonist and love interest.
- The Flatshare – Beth O’LearY
-
Tiffy decides to rent a flat from Leon and share a bed with him without ever meeting him, but they never cross paths due to their nocturnal and diurnal work schedules. They leave sticky notes and letters throughout the apartment to communicate and get to know each other, never expecting to grow so close. All of the characters pull you into the story with their hilarity and great personalities, the romance is sweet, and it’s a perfect read if you’re looking for a good pick-me-up to make you laugh out loud.
- The Love Hypothesis – Ali Hazelwood
-
Stanford Ph.D. student Olive fakes a relationship with young professor Adam in order to help them both, but they hit some road bumps along the way while trying to pull off the hoax. The combination of scientific research and a fake dating trope is sure to make some hot chemistry for the characters! Ali Hazelwood’s first published book was a catalyst for her fame, as the book immediately got popular and gained traction over social media and book discourse.
- Reminders of Him – Colleen Hoover
-
Colleen Hoover’s newest book follows Kenna after she is released from prison, working to reunite with her four-year daughter in a place where no one wants Kenna to stay. Ledger, a man dangerously close to her past, is one of the only connections between Kenna and her daughter and chooses to give Kenna a chance. The book weaves together stories of familial relationships, past heartbreaks, newfound love, grief, and forgiveness. I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did, but the story and characters’ relationships are so well developed that you can’t help but root for them all and crave a happy ending.