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Favorite Romance Books: Month by Month
67
items These are my monthly faves for romance books! Aiming for diversity and representation whenever possible with a mix of genres, new releases, and backlist titles.
Sections
12
August 2025 Faves
July 2025 Faves
June 2025 Faves
May 2025 Faves
April 2025 Faves
March 2025 Faves
August 2025 Faves
Excellent slate of new release historical romances, plus one very fun and quirky paranormal romance.
Read the substack round up of my favorite books of the month
Top Five Reads of August 2025 - Historical Romance Books
You want yearning? Here is a historical romance with yearning
My Best Friend's Earl|Paperback
Sure, let's fight the zombie outbreak with a burrito, save your doofy neighbor, only for him to be a vampire.
Zomromcom|Paperback
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Let's cross the Atlantic on a ship with your enemy who is also a duke and your brother-in-law's friend. Steamy and delightful historical romance set in Mexico.
Gabriela and His Grace|Paperback
Anastasia retelling, but make it take place in Gilded Age New York with a conman and wannabe Broadway singer. Excellent and steamy historical romance.
The Gilded Heiress: A Novel|Paperback
Sapphic historical romance featuring two middle aged women. Because widows need love and companionship too.
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows: Feminine Pursuits|Paperback
July 2025 Faves
A mix of new releases, paranormal romance, historical romance, and contemporary romance. Includes two historical romance clinch cover mass market paperback books.
Loved this paranormal romance. Plus cute dragons appear.
The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam|Paperback
Look at the thigh grab. You want this style of historical romance mass market paperback while they still sell them.
Road Trip With a Rogue (Her Majesty's Rebels #3)|Paperback
Everyone's a liar in this historical romance story
This Much Is True: A Novel|Paperback
Native American pop princess wrecks her reputation and gets sent down to the farm where the most handsome man ever on the planet hates her in this contemporary romance.
Love Is a War Song|Paperback
Sapphic historical romance between an astronomer and a widowed countess
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics (Feminine Pursuits Series #1)|Paperback
Top Five Reads of July 2025 - Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance Books
June 2025 Faves
Mostly new releases this month: two contemporary romances that are amazing, one young adult fantasy romance, one backlist historical romance with your classic clinch-style mass market paperback cover, and one new release historical romance.
Cutest rivals to fake dating contemporary romance. They're in a sleepy little town full of retirees who are the best side characters ever.
All's Fair in Love and Pickleball|Paperback
Who's ready for a historical romance with an inheritance scheme? The widowed duchess needs to get pregnant and fast.
The Duchess in His Bed: A Sins for All Seasons Novel|Paperback
Young adult fantasy with Beauty and the Beast vibes, and the dude shifts into a dragon.
A Forgery of Fate|Hardcover
Historical romance: She might be an American heiress who is engaged to a viscount, but she'd much rather bang the commoner who is a secret prize-fighter.
Eliza and the Duke|Paperback
Wildly nostalgic contemporary romance where the band gets back together for a teen dramedy cruise.
Never Been Shipped|Paperback
Top Five Reads of June 2025 - Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance Books
May 2025 Faves
I will read anything Ali Hazelwood writes. And this age-gap, brother's best friend, destination wedding contemporary romance is so good. It might be my favorite Ali Hazelwood book of them all.
Problematic Summer Romance|Hardcover
Historical romance with a really good revenge plot and of course all the twisty backstory that only Lorraine Heath can provide.
Beyond Scandal and Desire (Sins for All Seasons Series #1)|Paperback
Contemporary romance with a second chance romance story, sapphic relationship, and Korean representation.
Love in Focus|Paperback
Lots of deception and scheming in this historical romance.
Rules for Ruin|Paperback
Workplace enemies stuck together at a work retreat in Hawaii. Loved the banter and flirting in this contemporary romance with South Asian representation.
Not Safe for Work|Paperback
Top Five Reads of May 2025 - Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance Books
April 2025 Faves
One fake dating contemporary romance new release, two traditionally published historical romances in our beloved mass market paperback size, two indie published historical romances well worth the read.
Super steamy and flirty contemporary romance with fake dating and a pining grumpy hero.
Summer in the City (B&N Exclusive Edition)|Hardcover
Partners in crime-solving historical romance. If you want a mass market paperback with a clinch cover, grab this one. The second book in the series will be trade paperback with an illustrated cover.
The Duke and Lady Scandal: A Novel|Paperback
Historical romance with a fun setup where the guy just needs a fake fiancee til his elderly relative will release an inheritance.
How to Get Away with Marriage: Steamy Regency Romance
Historical romance. She pretends to be a housekeeper when she's clearly not. And she maybe meets him when he's fishing naked.
Hardly a Gentleman: A Novel|Paperback
Historical romance where a countess wants to divorce her husband and falls for her lawyer along the way.
The Lady Who Left: Steamy Forbidden Romance
My Substack review of April 2025 Faves
Top Five Reads of April 2025 - Historical Romance Books
March 2025 Faves
Beverly Jenkins is amazing. Plus two new release traditionally published historical romance books, one indie published historical romance, and one traditionally published contemporary romance that's a Shakespeare retelling.
Top Five Reads of March 2025 - Historical Romance Books
Historical romance. A golden retreiver of a duke rescues a widowed countess in distress through marriage.
To All the Earls I've Loved Before: Regency Romance
Ok, so maybe, the lady was exiled for treason not too long ago. But the sweetest sunshine guy falls for her anyway in this historical romance.
The Lady Sparks a Flame|Paperback
For all the horse girls who just want to keep their stables going. Historical romance and somewhat of an arranged engagement.
The Trouble with Anna|Paperback
Historical romance set in America that starts with a bank robbery.
Topaz
Contemporary romance with Much Ado About Nothing vibes
Two Wrongs Make a Right|Paperback
February 2025 Faves
The best romcom new release this month. I finally read the almighty Gorilla Twins historical romance, plus a few other historical romance new releases.
Top Five Reads of February 2025 - Historical Romance Books
Sleepless in Seattle retelling. Contemporary romance with the best banter ever.
First-Time Caller|Paperback
I love it when a duke is secretly a prize fighter. And when he falls in love with his sister's companion. Historical romance.
Where Have All the Scoundrels Gone (Dukes in Disguise, #2)|Paperback
Historical romance fans call this one the Gorilla Twins book. Twin brothers go on an African safari. The earl one gets mauled by a gorilla and asks his surviving twin to go home and pretend to be him so his pregnant wife won't grieve herself into a m...
The Earl Takes All|Paperback
Female Latina doctor in historical Paris provides access to care for her female patients in this historical romance. She also maybe falls in love with a rakish duke.
A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke|Paperback
The worst but funniest fake governess is trying to investigate her charge's uncle but falls in love with him instead. Historical romance.
Never Gamble Your Heart|Paperback
January 2025 Faves
Two contemporary romance new releases (one night stand, fake dating, marriage in trouble), one historical romance classic (Beverly Jenkins), one traditionally published historical romance new release (with a grumpy reclusive earl), and one indie publ...
Top Five Reads of January 2025 - Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance Books
Married couple in trouble goes on a wilderness retreat to reconnect. Except they both are terrible at outdoorsy stuff. Contemporary romance.
Out of the Woods: A Novel|Paperback
One night stand to friends who help each other with datelike activities. Contemporary romance.
Unromance|Paperback
Historical romance classic. We've got danger and excitement with a nearly dead Underground Railroad conductor who turns out to maybe be a secret millionaire.
Indigo|Paperback
Showing up to an earl's castle in Scotland uninvited to marry him is especially messy when it turns out his brother has been the one writing letters to you. Historical romance.
Earl Crush: A Novel|Paperback
If you get married pretending to be someone else and it's not really your name on the register, you're not really married, right? Well, at least not til you fall in love and share your secrets. Historical romance.
A Beastly Kind of Earl (Longhope Abbey)
December 2024 Faves
A contemporary romance with a marriage of convenience plot, and four historical romance books (including one freebie from the author).
Top Five Reads of December 2024 - Historical Romance Books
Contemporary romance with a marriage of convenience to access some trust fund money. Super steamy and flirty.
Unfortunately Yours: A Novel|Paperback
I love a historical romance with a himbo duke.
A Duke in Shining Armor (Difficult Dukes Series #1)|Paperback
I love Lorraine Heath historical romances, but she's kind of obsessed with train accidents.
A Tempest of Desire: A Novel|Paperback
Historical romance with a lady who works for her wealth.
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris: A Historical Romance|Paperback
Super steamy historical romance novella free on the author's website.
Historical Romance | Lydia Lloyd
November 2024 Faves
Three contemporary romance and two historical romance, all an absolute delight to read.
Top Five Reads of November 2024 - Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance Books
This contemporary romance was so much fun. I swear these two are fated mates and they have to try to get their former bandmate moms back together for a show.
Wreck the Halls: A Novel|Paperback
Contemporary romance with a mystery plot. Guys, he thought he was teasing her with an inside joke for all these years.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year: A Novel|Hardcover
She inherits a farm and they may be growing something secret in there. Contemporary romance.
Love in Bloom|Paperback
Look, she's trying to swindle him, but he knows something fishy is going on. And then he turns into the most protective duke ever. Historical romance.
The Duke and the Lady in Red (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Series #3)|Paperback
Childhood friends turned estranged friends when one of them becomes a duke. And then they need to team up to find someone. Historical romance.
Duchess Material|Paperback
October 2024 Faves
Two contemporary romance books, two historical romance books, and one historical romance with a paranormal flair.
Five Favorite Books from October 2024 // Historical Romances and Contemporary Romances
So much angst in this second chance romance. One person left the other at the altar. How do you bounce back from that?
Make the Season Bright|Paperback
If you love romance novels, this one has lots of great inside jokes. Secret best-selling romance novelist goes to a big family birthday party. And her enemy/boss is there too.
Love Story - Lindsey Kelk
Historical romance where the marriage in trouble starts with the guy bailing his wife out of jail.
The Beast Takes a Bride: The Palace of Rogues|Paperback
Historical romance. Super interesting set up here with a prologue that starts with Devon running into a pregnant Leah in the countryside unexpectedly. We then jump a year backward to their first meeting, initial flirtation and secret relationship, un...
A Scandalous Marriage
Historical romance with a hint of paranormal because our characters have some gifted powers.
Silver Lady|Paperback
September 2024 Faves
The round-up of my faves on my Substack
Top Five Reads of September 2024 - Historical Romance and ...