Books for the Heart: 10 Beautiful Romance Novels That Will Warm Your Soul

You and Me on Vacation – Emily Henry

12 YEARS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they’ll never speak again.

11 YEARS AGO: They’re forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.

10 YEARS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.
Poppy holds his hand the whole way.

7 YEARS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans.

2 YEARS AGO: It all goes wrong.

THIS YEAR: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives. A popular one among romance novels.

One Last Stop – Casey McQuiston

Moving to New York City is supposed to prove cynical twenty-three-year-old August right: magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist.

But then, she meets this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile.

August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane is displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help Jane. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things after all. For New York fans among romance novels.

The Dating Playbook – Farrah Rochon

The dating game is on. And the rules just went out the window.

When it comes to personal training, Taylor Powell kicks serious butt. Unfortunately, her bills are piling up, rent is due, and the money situation is dire. Taylor needs more than the support of her new best friends, Samiah and London. She needs a miracle.

And Jamar Dixon might just be it. The oh-so-fine former footballer wants to get back into the NFL, and he wants Taylor to train him. There’s just one catch – no one can know what they’re doing. But when they’re accidentally outed as a couple, Taylor’s game plan is turned completely upside down. Is Jamar just playing to win…or is he playing for keeps? A cute one among romance novels.

The Soulmate Equation – Christina Lauren

Jess is a numbers genius, but when it comes to love she’s had to accept there is no magic formula. Juggling a career with raising her daughter, it’s not surprising that her love life is. . . non-existent. When yet another date ends in disaster, she’s prepared to give up on love for good.

But then she hears about a buzzy new matchmaking company that claims to find you the One using a DNA equation. Suddenly, love doesn’t seem quite so far out of reach…

Until her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility with the company’s founder, Dr River Pena. Jess already knows Dr Pena, and this man is 100% not her soulmate. Yet as the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the ultimate ‘Diamond’ pairing, Jess begins to realise that there might be more to the scientist – and to the science behind a soulmate – than she thought. A fun one among romance novels.

The Heart Principle – Helen Hoang

When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself overwhelmed trying to live up to it. And when her boyfriend of five years announces that he wants an open relationship, a hurt and angry Anna decides to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.

Enter tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second and their third – because being with Quan is about more than sex. But when tragedy strikes Anna’s family, she takes on a role that threatens to destroy her. Now, Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves. A popular one among romance novels.

One Italian Summer – Rebecca Serle

A cute one among romance novels. When Katy’s mother dies, she’s left reeling from the loss. Carol had been her best friend, her anchor, and they’d been so close to their dream of travelling to Positano together.

Feeling untethered from her own life and unable to connect with anyone, Katy makes a rash decision. In a bid to keep her mother close, she follows in a young Carol’s footsteps, flying to Italy alone.

Katy had imagined a holiday painted by grief but finds more comfort than she had expected. Then, in a sharp twist of fate, Carol’s past and Katy’s present collide, leaving Katy to wonder if she ever really knew her mother at all… For Italy fans among romance novels.

Second First Impressions – Sally Thorne

A romcom among romance novels. First impressions aren’t always what they seem . . .

Ruthie Midona is twenty-four (going on ninety-four) and fully committed to her job at a luxury retirement village. Keeping herself busy caring for the eccentric residents means that Ruthie can safely ignore her own life – what little there is of it.

Teddy Prescott is practically allergic to a hard day’s work. When he rocks up as the retirement village’s newest employee, Ruthie is less than impressed. The last thing she needs is a distraction as irritating (and handsome) as this selfish rich kid. Lucky for Ruthie, her favourite pair of mischievous residents need a new assistant to torture… so she hands over Teddy, ready for them to send him running.

Except Teddy may be about to surprise her – not just by surviving the old women’s antics, but by charming Ruthie so much, she starts to remember that there’s more to life than work.

And just maybe, her second first impression will lead to the love of a lifetime. An interesting one among romance novels.

The Spanish Love Deception – Elena Armas

Catalina Martín desperately needs a date to her sister’s wedding. Especially when her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiralled out of control. Now everyone she knows – including her ex-boyfriend and his fiancée – will be there. 

She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic for her and aid in her deception. NYC to Spain is no short flight and her family won’t be easy to fool. . . But even then, when Aaron Blackford – the 6’4″, blue-eyed pain in the arse – offers to step in, she’s not tempted even for a second. Never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling and insufferable man. 

But Catalina is desperate and as the wedding gets closer the more desirable an option Aaron Blackford becomes. . . 

The Spanish Love Deception is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating romance. Perfect for those looking for a steamy slow-burn with the promise of a sweet happy-ever-after among romance novels. 

Heartstopper – Alice Oseman

Charlie and Nick are at the same school, but they’ve never met … until one day when they’re made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance.

But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realised.

By Alice Oseman, winner of the YA Book Prize, Heartstopper is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small moments of Nick and Charlie’s lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us among romance novels.

People Like Her – Ellery Lloyd

People like Emmy Jackson. They always have. Especially online, where she is Instagram sensation Mamabare, famous for telling the unvarnished truth about modern parenthood.

But Emmy isn’t as honest as she’d like the fans to believe. She may think she has her followers fooled, but someone out there knows the truth and plans to make her pay. An unexpected romance among romance novels.