Books aren’t very big anymore. No one reads in their free time. It takes too much time. It’s a big commitment. There’s school, work, and a social life to uphold. So why waste that precious time reading, right? Well, listen up. I believe that a good book binge can do wonders for the psyche. And what better way to do it than with a warm and fuzzy romance that is bound to have a happy ending? Reading a good romance involves getting giddy with your protagonists, crying with them, laughing with them, and falling in love with their love. There is no better mood booster than a good book. I also know that there is no better mood wrecker than a shitty book, so don’t worry – your fairy book-mother has arrived and she’s ready to wow you.
If you haven’t read in a long time or if you’ve never even read for fun, I beg you to trust this random stranger you’ve never met and give it a try.
When I decided to make a list of my top 10 all-time favorite romance reads, I was thinking that it would be difficult but doable. Boy was I wrong. This was one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do up there with saying goodbye to my dog when I left for college. I’ve probably read over a couple hundred of these books, so trust me that I have seen and read the best and worst of this genre. That isn’t to say I haven’t missed a gem here or there. But that’s the beauty of reading, there’s always a new book to hunt down and crack open. This list includes some series as well as some stand-alones because I do know that not everyone has enough hours in a month to commit to a three-book-shake-your-world kind of moment.
So here’s my top 10 – and if may I add that you shouldn’t judge these based on the placement in which I ranked them. If I’ve read over hundreds of books, that means each of these books at the time that I read them was my favorite. They’re all pretty damn magnificent. So let’s get started.
1. Beautiful Disaster – Jamie McQuire
This book will forever hold that number one spot in my heart. It’s gonna take a really groundbreaking book for me to take this gal off of her thrown and lower her down. This is simply put a damn good book. I can’t really pin why I love it so much, it is just – wow. Maybe it’s the bad boy thing, maybe it’s the bet, or maybe it’s just Travis freaking Maddox. If you haven’t read this, just stop reading right now, go buy it, pop some popcorn, put on your comfiest clothes, and then tuck yourself into bed book in hand. Have fun.
This may not be your classic second pick on an all-time-favorites list, but I’m happy to argue that this book deserves to be here. This book is cruel. You’re gonna feel a lot and you’re gonna scream a lot. It may demonstrate an unrealistic relationship, but who the hell is the world to say that a girl can’t dream right? This book just really hit all my marks. Penelope Douglas is an amazing author and I was so close to adding another one of her novels Punk 57 – it also deserves a place on this list.
3. The Hating Game – Sally Thorne
This one was a fun one for me. I had been in a book rut when I read it, and it was just the read to pull me out of it. This is a love-hate kind of relationship. Who doesn’t love one of those right? It was a slow burn at times and just a jolly good time. Enjoy this one kiddos.
This series is very famous and recently became a movie that hit theaters last Spring. As most readers would say, I don’t think the movie did it justice. I highly suggest just skipping the movie and reading the books. This is all about the classic good girl gone rogue and never looking back. Or shall I say, the good girl gone Hardin. This was actually a Harry Styles fan-fic turned novel by popular request, so I suggest giving it a go.
5. Thoughtless – S. C. Stephens
I read this one many years ago, so my memory of it is a bit hazy. But the fact that it has always held strong as an amazing book means it’s a heart-stopper. We all love a good forbidden romance and sneakiness, don’t we?
6. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me – Mariana Zapata
Oh, this is a cute little thing. Nothing beats taking a stone-cold, rugged man and making him the next Teddie from Build-A-Bear. I am such a sucker for this adorable book. It took patience but let me tell you – it’s worth it. If you’re a football girl as well, this read is for you!
7. Did I Mention I Love You – Estelle Maskame
So maybe it’s just me, but the things most off-limits are always much more fun. There is nothing quite as off-limits as your hot ass stepbrother. I loved this book. I loved this series.
I read this entire series and all other books from Karen Lynch. I loved this world she created in her writing so much that I emailed Lynch a long, drawn-out thank-you-for-being-awesome email. I only wish there were more to read. There are vampires and werewolves, and no this isn’t Twilight. It’s very much its own beautiful world of super natural beings and love lust.
This was my most recent find. It was different from anything I’ve read in the past and extremely refreshing. I adored this book. It was packed with a lot of feels and a lot of excitement. It was the only book I’ve read about someone who willingly chooses not to speak to people, and what better person to bring the words out of her like her childhood best friend who also happens to be super charming?
10. Can You Keep a Secret – Sophie Kinsella
So this precious book had to be added to this list due to the fact that it took my romance novel virginity many, many years ago. I read it in one sitting, and by 7 A.M. I was exhausted, but it was the beginning of a long journey of book love for me and for that, I will always love this book.
Now this list would not be an honest review if I didn’t mention the wonderful authors such as Colleen Hoover, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Abbi Glines, and Simone Elkeles. There are many others but those are four of the ultimate bests that just didn’t happen to make it onto this short, little list. But I highly suggest if you’ve already been there and done that with this list, check them out. Everyone has a different taste. It’s all about finding what you like and going from there. So, hopefully, you found something that sparked your interest. This list is a culmination of my last decade of reading so hopefully you can enjoy them as much as I did.
Happy reading!