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Tessa Bailey is the No. 1 best-selling author of “It Happened One Summer,” “Fangirl Down,” and dozens of other popular romance novels. In her latest, “Dream Girl Drama,” sparks fly between a harp prodigy and a hockey pro before a major complication arises.
‘Kulti’ by Mariana Zapata (2015)
This is the greatest friends-to-lovers book of all time. There, I said it. We have a professional soccer player and her legendary coach. He is hard to read and she is oblivious to his affections, so there is no end to the delight at the big reveal. And with Valentine’s Day having arrived, I’m ready to place it atop this selection of my favorite romance novels from past and present. “Kulti” and these others are stories that have stuck with me through a lifetime of reading, and now writing, romance novels. The characters are carved into the heart-shaped nooks of my soul. Buy it here.
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‘Done and Dusted’ by Lyla Sage (2023)
Sage is newish to the genre, but she came in and kicked the rusted saloon doors open. Her Rebel Blue Ranch series is edgy and endearing all at once. It’s also packed full of characters that are relatable, flawed, and worthy of the swoony love stories that Sage crafts. Buy it here.
‘How to End a Love Story’ by Yulin Kuang (2024)
An incredibly authentic look into a television writers’ room and tension you couldn’t cut with the sharpest knife. Heavy at times. Incredibly smart and memorable. Buy it here.
‘The Secret’ by Julie Garwood (1992)
This author made me want to be a romance author myself. Her tattered paperbacks will forever grace my mantel. She wrote brave heroines and strong heroes who learn to bend for the woman they love. Every one of her books is utterly perfect, but “The Secret” is my long-standing favorite. Buy it here.
‘On Dublin Street’ by Samantha Young (2012)
Young’s debut gave us Braden Carmichael, one of the hottest heroes I’ve come across in all my reading to date. Set in Scotland, it’s about the romance between Braden, a millionaire, and an American with a troubled past, and it is addictive, sexy, and satisfying. Buy it here.
‘The Hating Game’ by Sally Thorne (2016)
This is the book that made me want to write romantic comedy. A story about workplace enemies who are secretly hot for each other, it’s plucky and clever, but it punches you in the chest at all the right moments. Buy it here.
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