Riffs and retellings rule the day in this highly referential romance season, which also sees many authors making the switch from YA to adult romance.
Top 10
Bookshop Cinderella
Laura Lee Guhrke. Forever, June 20 ($16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5387-2262-6)
Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, endeavors to turn bookish Evie Harlow into the toast of the London season in bestseller Guhrke’s Victorian era twist on My Fair Lady.
End of Story
Kylie Scott. Graydon House, Feb. 14 ($17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5258-0479-3)
The couple at the heart of bestseller Scott’s latest rom-com discover their own divorce certificate from the future and must decide if it’s worth taking a chance on love when they already know how it ends.
Love Buzz
Neely Tubati-Alexander. Harper Perennial, May 2 ($16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-329291-8)
Serena met handsome stranger Julian only briefly during Mardi Gras, but she’s determined to find him again—even if it means derailing her picture-perfect life. 100,000-copy announced first printing.
The Neighbor Favor
Kristina Forest. Berkley, Feb. 28 ($17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-54643-7)
Forest’s adult debut reunites an introverted Black nerd with her favorite fantasy author and former flirtatious pen pal when he moves in next door—but neither knows the other’s identity.
Star Bringer
Tracy Wolff and Nina Croft. Red Tower, July 11 ($29.99, ISBN 978-1-64937-406-6)
Bestselling YA author Wolff teams up with Croft for her adult debut, a polyamorous romance set in outer space. 500,000-copy announced first printing.
The True Love Experiment
Christina Lauren. Gallery, May 16 ($27.99, ISBN 978-1-982173-43-2)
Romance author Fizzy, a fan favorite character from bestseller Lauren’s The Soulmate Equation, goes on a reality show to find love with contestants chosen to embody different romance archetypes—and winds up falling for the man behind the camera instead.
Unladylike Lessons in Love: A Marleigh Sisters Novel
Amita Murray. Avon, May 16 ($17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-329648-0)
Murray’s Regency debut and series launch stars Lila Marleigh, the British Indian daughter of an earl who eschews societal expectations by running a gambling hall, exploring pleasure gardens, and solving crime.
Wild Things
Laura Kay. Vintage, May 23 ($17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-47005-3)
A queer found family leaves the city for a co-owned house in the country—but long-buried feelings threaten their dreams of idealistic commune life.
Wings Once Cursed & Bound
Piper Drake. Sourcebooks Casablanca, Apr. 11 ($16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4926-8386-5)
Drake launches her Mythwoven series with a romantic fantasy that draws on the Thai myth of the kinnaree, a creature that is part bird and part woman.
Romance & Erotica
Alcove
Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok (July 11, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-63910-376-8) introduces an Orthodox Jewish woman who, having struggled to find a husband due to infertility, agrees to a fake marriage with a closeted acquaintance—only for her sexy new boss to sweep her off her feet.
Avon
Love at First Set by Jenn Dugan (May 23, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-330748-3). Personal trainer Lizzie accidentally talks her best friend’s sister, Cara, into abandoning her fiancé at the altar—leaving Cara adrift, Lizzie desperate to fix her mistake, and the women on a path for love.
Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey (Feb. 7, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-06-323898-5). A free-spirited gardener writes anonymous love notes to her high school crush turned dour new boss in bestseller Bailey’s latest rom-com.
Ballantine
Must Love Flowers by Debbie Macomber (July 25, $28, ISBN 978-0-593-60055-9). RWA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Macomber’s latest kicks off when a struggling young barista moves in with a misanthropic older widow. As the women become unlikely friends, each helps the other to find love.
Bantam Dell
Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia (July 18, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-59877-1) follows the enemies-to-lovers romance between a bisexual music critic in need of a big break and the boy who broke her heart in high school, who’s now a rising rock star.
Berkley
Ana María and the Fox by Liana De La Rosa (Apr. 4, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-44088-9). De La Rosa’s Luna Sisters series launch centers on heiress Ana María as she flees French-occupied Mexico for Victorian London, where she falls for abolitionist politician Gideon Fox.
Best Men by Sidney Karger (May 2, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-43948-7). Max’s best friend is getting married to Chasten’s best friend, throwing together these two polar opposite gay guys for screenwriter Karger’s debut rom-com.
Happy Place by Emily Henry (Apr. 25, $27, ISBN 978-0-593-44127-5). Exes pretend to still be in a relationship so as not to disrupt their friend group’s annual vacation in the latest from bestseller Henry.
Bold Strokes
Lucky in Lace by Melissa Brayden (Mar. 14, $17.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-63679-434-1) pairs an uptight stationery store proprietor with the charming but commitment-phobic owner of a lingerie shop for a steamy sapphic romance.
The Speed of Slow Changes by Sander Santiago (Feb. 14, $17.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-63679-329-0). Polyamorous Al and Lucas are both already married to other people when they meet and start dating. Making it work takes a lot of, well, work when there are more than two people involved.
Carina
The Build Up by Tati Richardson (Mar. 28, $8.99 mass market, ISBN 978-1-335-62193-1). Richardson’s debut sends sparks flying between plus-size Black architect Ari James and her swoonworthy and ambitious new coworker Porter Harrison.
City Owl
Savage and Sage by A.N. Payton (Mar. 14, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64898-305-4). Natalie’s life depends on pretending she has greater control over her magic than she really does after she’s kidnapped by a handsome vampire who demands her help solving his father’s murder.
Dell
Not the Plan by Gia de Cadenet (Feb. 7, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-35664-7). The campaign manager of an aspiring U.S. congressperson falls for the handsome aide to her team’s fiercest political rival in this enemies-to-lovers workplace romance.
Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel (Mar. 14, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-59784-2) imagines the star-crossed relationship between two real medieval kings, Philip of France and Richard of England, as these secret lovers find them-
selves on opposite sides of a percolating war.
Dial
Just as You Are by Camille Kellogg (Apr. 25, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-59470-4). This queer contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice pits journalist Liz Baker against her insufferable, wealthy, and unfortunately gorgeous new boss, Daria Fitzgerald.
Dutton
The Déjà Glitch by Holly James (June 6, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-47158-6). Gemma has no idea that she’s in a time loop. Jack’s stuck right alongside her, but he’s painfully aware of their Groundhog Day dilemma. The only way to break free is to fall in love.
Entangled Amara
Highland Beast by Heather McCollum (Apr. 25, $8.99 mass market, ISBN 978-1-64937-077-8). The second Sons of Sinclair romance finds a love match for another dashing Black Highland warrior. 100,000-copy announced first printing.
Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart (May 23, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64937-392-2) offers a contemporary rom-com take on Planes, Trains, and Automobiles as strangers fall in love over the course of a disastrous road trip. 75,000-copy announced first printing.
Forever
Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard (July 18, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5387-3776-7). Howard again puts a Regency spin on classic ’90s rom-com tropes in the second Taming of the Dukes romance.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (Apr. 11, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5387-0439-4). The latest from bestseller Jimenez finds Dr. Briana Ortiz in a time of great emotional distress—but she discovers unexpected comfort through exchanging letters with her handsome rival.
Graydon House
Run Baby Run by Melissa Lenhardt (June 13, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5258-1151-7). Darcy’s on the brink of getting married when her best friend, Chloe, declares her love for Darcy out of the blue, and her estranged mother, Marja, reenters her life with a deadly secret.
Griffin
Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller (Mar. 28, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-80945-2) sends an American secret agent into the arms of a determined Viennese hotelier against the backdrop of Vienna’s decadent 1877 ball season.
Mr. & Mrs. Witch by Gwenda Bond (Mar. 7, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-84595-5). After witch Savannah Wilde discovers her husband is a witch hunter, the newlyweds are assigned to kill one another in bestseller Bond’s paranormal rom-com riff on Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Take the Lead by Alexis Daria (Feb. 14, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-81796-9). Partners on a Dancing with the Stars-esque reality show navigate falling in love in the public eye in bestseller Daria’s Dance Off series launch.
Harlequin
A Rogue for the Dutiful Duchess by Louise Allen (Mar. 28, $6.99 mass market, ISBN 978-1-335-72377-2) follows an upstanding widowed duchess who must team up with a rakish lord to stop her late husband’s treasonous secrets from toppling Regency England’s government.
Harlequin Special Edition
The Best Man’s Problem by Sera Taíno (Feb. 21, $6.25 mass market, ISBN 978-1-335-72454-0). Opposites attract when Rafael Navarro is reunited with the insufferable but irresistible Étienne Galois, the best man at Rafael’s sister’s wedding.
Hqn
Even if the Sky Is Falling by Taj McCoy et al. (May 30, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-335-45255-9). A false alarm leads six couples to believe the world is ending—and to finally take chances on love—in this collection of interconnected shorts; authors include Farah Heron, S.T. Cori, Charish Reid, Sarah Smith, and Denise Williams.
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (May 30, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-335-49824-3) returns to 1880s Paris, where a female artist visiting from the Caribbean escapes her responsibilities with an older duchess devoted to debauchery.
Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up by Charish Reid (June 6, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-335-45355-6). Chronically ill adjunct professor Mickey finds extra work at widower Diego’s struggling bar, bringing a dose of sunshine into her grumpy new boss’s life.
Kensington
For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding (Feb. 21, $16.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4967-3951-3). Spalding’s adult debut pairs heartbroken screenwriter Nina with up-and-coming actor Ari Fox for a queer Hollywood romance. 25,000-copy announced first printing.
Little, Brown
For Twice in My Life by Annette Christie (Feb. 21, $28, ISBN 978-0-316-45103-1). A woman gets a second chance with her dream man when an accident leaves him with no memory of ending things—but his unpredictable brother may derail their happy ending.
Lyrical
This Is How It Started by Stacy Finz (Feb. 7, $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5161-1119-0). Grieving widow Rachel uncovers family secrets and reconnects with a man from her past in this standalone contemporary from bestseller Finz.
Microcosm
A Tight Squeeze: Smutty Trans and Queer Stories by Laura Q (June 1, $9.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64841-291-2) collects 12 erotic shorts centered on trans love, sex, and joy as part of Microcosm’s Queering Consent series.
Mira
My Heart Will Find You by Jude Deveraux (Apr. 11, $27.99, ISBN 978-0-7783-3348-7). Set against the backdrop of a global pandemic, the latest time-bending romantic epic from bestseller Deveraux details a young woman’s vivid dreams of her past life—and past love.
Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy (Apr. 25, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-7783-3352-4). Plus-size Black bookstore owner Zora is torn between a charming author she’s long crushed on from afar and his cynical but appealing best friend.
Montlake
Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall (Mar. 7, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5420-3528-6). Bestseller Hall’s sequel to Something Fabulous turns the focus from Valentine and Bonny to Peggy for another queer Regency romp.
Morrow
Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major (Mar. 7, $27.99, ISBN 978-0-06-323992-0). The heroine of Major’s latest contemporary relives the day of her estranged husband’s death over and over again, searching for a way to change his fate—and maybe even fall back in love.
Putnam
Love & Other Scams by Philip Ellis (Mar. 14, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-54247-7). Ellis’s debut follows a pair of con artists who must fake a relationship to pull off a jewel heist during a destination wedding.
Wanderlust by Elle Everhart (July 4, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-54508-9). A radio contest sends two strangers, scrappy writer Dylan and posh Jack, on a trip around the world in Everhart’s debut rom-com.
Shadow Mountain
A Heart Worth Stealing by Joanna Barker (May 2, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-63993-104-0). In Regency England, an independent heiress teams up with a flirtatious thief taker to track down the criminal who stole her late father’s pocket watch.
She Writes
Twelve Hours in Manhattan by Maan Gabriel (Apr. 18, $17.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64742-395-7). A chance encounter with the star of a Korean drama changes the course of Bianca Curtis’s life in Gabriel’s sophomore rom-com.
Simon & Schuster
Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess (June 6, $27.99, ISBN 978-1-98218-770-5). Rabess’s politically charged, enemies-to-lovers debut reunites a Black liberal heroine with her white conservative college rival during 2016.
Sourcebooks Casablanca
The Time of Your Life by Sandra Kitt (Apr. 11, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-72827-022-7). Strangers Eden Marsh and Beck Dennison each receive a windfall when their mutual father figure dies, leading to unprecedented opportunities, unexpected problems, and an unshakable bond.
Sparkpress
A Hundred Days Till Tomorrow by L.S. Case (June 20, $17.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-68463-188-9). Miranda Blair is reluctant to inherit her grandmother’s New England home—until she meets her gorgeous new neighbor, in Case’s debut.
St. Martin’s
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center (July 11, $29, ISBN 978-1-250-28378-8). A struggling artist with face blindness is torn between two very different men in the latest rom-com from bestseller Center.
Vintage
Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald (Apr. 18, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-46819-7) follows newly out bisexual Luna as she navigates L.A.’s queer dating scene and tries to make it in Hollywood.
W x Wattpad
The Bite by Z.W. Taylor (Feb. 7, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-990259-65-4). The heroine of Taylor’s paranormal debut flees an abusive relationship for the Alaskan wilderness—where she stumbles on a pack of werewolves.
Zebra
He’s My Cowboy by Diana Palmer, Delores Fossen, and Rebecca Zanetti (June 27, $9.99 mass market, ISBN 978-1-4201-5532-7) brings together three western romance novellas from genre stalwarts. 125,000-copy announced first printing.
Strawberry Lane by Jodi Thomas (Apr. 25, $16.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4201-5507-5) launches a new series with the love story between a desperate man who drives his car off the road and the woman who saves him from the wreckage. 65,000-copy announced first printing.
What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries (Mar. 28, $8.99 mass market, ISBN 978-1-4201-5379-8). The second Designing Debutants Regency romance pairs widowed party planner Eliza Pierce with her best friend, the Earl of Foxstead—who’s harboring a secret about Eliza’s late husband. 65,000-copy announced first printing.
Update: One of the titles on the top ten list was removed after its publication was delayed to 2024.
