TikTok is leading a new interest in romance fiction with a 15-year high in web searches.
(Bloomberg) — Romance books have for years been a foundational pillar of the publishing industry, and the spotlight on them is brighter than ever.
On Google, the number of searches for romance novels is the highest in at least 15 years. At the top of that list is curiosity about My Fault, a TikTok-viral novel by Mercedes Ron, whose Amazon Prime movie adaptation for the novel debuted on June 8.
It’s far from the only book to find fame on the social media platform, which is presently the leading driver for books, according to NPD Group. Clips using the #BookTok hashtag have amassed more than 149.7 billion views, and titles by authors who are platform favorites, such as Colleen Hoover, Hannah Grace and Tessa Bailey, regularly go viral—and land on best-seller lists.
The appetite for happily ever afters (or at least, happily for now) is only growing. Unit sales for romance novels grew 52.4% from 2021 to 2022, more than any other print genre. (For comparison, adult nonfiction unit sales declined 10.3%.)
Read more: A Romance Book Boom Fueled by TikTok and Pandemic Blues
Hoover, who publishes through the Simon & Schuster imprint Atria, sold more than 8 million copies of her romance novels last year, and that doesn’t include some 4 million books in other genres. Books by authors Emily Henry, Carley Fortune and Ana Huang are also leaving marks on readers’ hearts. Hollywood adaptations for some of Hoover and Henry’s books, as well as those from such other genre powerhouses as Jasmine Guillory, are in the works.
Binge-able, engrossing and steamy, romance books are great to pack in a beach bag or curl up with during a summer storm. Here are 11 new and noteworthy picks from the genre’s authors, industry-shakers, and yes, lovers.
If you like historical fiction …
An Island Princess Starts a ScandalBy Adriana Herrera
It’s summer in Paris, and Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan receives an invitation to show her paintings at the Exposition Universelle. She’s engaged to marry a wealthy man but has always dreamed of being with a woman, so she has decided to give herself one last summer of freedom in Paris. She doesn’t expect to meet Cara Kemp Bristol, a Duchess who turns her entire world upside down. I loved this one so much, not only because it’s a story that centers the love and tension between two lesbian Latinas but because it imagines us in Paris in the 1800s, where history books fail to show us. A captivating historical romance with tantalizing steamy scenes that makes for the perfect beach read! —Recommended by Lupita Aquino, book influencer and creator of @lupita.reads
If you’re into romance with crossover-genre appeal …
The BodyguardBy Katherine Center
Take one famous actor in need of a discreet female bodyguard, add in the fake dating trope with well-written female empowerment, and you have The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. This is the perfect sunshine book that you’ll feel comfortable sharing with anyone in your group, from your aunt to your mother—and once you read it, trust me, you’ll want to share. Equal parts sweet romance, action and humor, The Bodyguard has it all and balances everything perfectly, which is so difficult to do. Also, can I just mention? The characters are made for each other. Jack and Hannah have multiple laugh-out-loud moments that kept me turning pages and rooting for the characters to make it work. I had a smile on my face the entire time, which made it the perfect light, beach-y read when I was looking for an escape. —Recommended by Tiana Smith, author of “The Spy and I”
Witch of Wild ThingsBy Raquel Vasquez Gilliland; out Sept. 12
Readers looking for a little magic with their romance will love Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s adult debut,Witch of Wild Things. It’s got deep family roots, thorn-sharp characters and the sweet bloom of first (and re-found) love. As a forever lover of magical elements, I adored this unique, engrossing story. —Recommended by Elissa Sussman, author of “Once More With Feeling” and “Funny You Should Ask”
If you want to be a +1 at some very messy weddings …
Love at First SetBy Jennifer Dugan
Here’s the thing about a new Jennifer Dugan book: I’m gonna buy it. Readers meet Lizzie, an absolute disaster of a person who works at a gym where she’s totally underappreciated but in a career she simply loves. Helping people find the confidence that she herself lacks brings her a ton of joy. But when James, her best friend, pleads with her to attend his sister’s wedding as his plus one … things get messy. Fast. She accidentally ruins it all, inspiring his sister, Cara, to ditch the groom at the altar. And if things couldn’t get more complicated, her best friend? And his oh-no-she’s-gorgeous sister? Their parents own the gym where she works. Finding herself in the precarious position of helping Cara figure things out, the two of them grow close. Too close. And with her career and heart on the line, Lizzie has to figure out what she really wants and confront her own family trauma that’s been holding her back. It’s a swoony, utterly moving, wildly delightful book that made me laugh and cry. —Recommended by Eric Smith, author of “You Can Go Your Own Way”
The Secret to a Southern WeddingBy Synithia Williams
A barnburner of a Georgia genre-bending novel that is part romance, part women’s fiction (out Aug. 15), Williams introduces Imani Kemp, a fashionable diva, a big-city obstetrician who has fled her small town of Peachtree Cove, Georgia, with no genuine intent to return because of past trauma. Imani’s mother, Linda—a survivor of a shooting and a messy, gossipy triangle with her ex-husband and his mistress—has become engaged to Preston, a man she has just met. To protect her mother, Imani returns to Peachtree Cove, determined to stop the wedding at all costs. After all Linda has gone through, how can she be ready for love again? How can she help Imani see that some risks are worth taking? Linda’s own doubts intertwine with her daughter’s, adding to the tension Williams deftly crafts on each page. The love interests for both women—Peachtree Cove resident Preston and his bartending son, Cyril—add humor and depth and healing. It’s a late summer read but well worth the wait for a reverse coming-of-age, small-town dash to the altar. —Recommended by Vanessa Riley, author of “Queen of Exiles”
If you consider Yellowstone appointment TV …
RecklessBy Elsie Silver
The fourth novel in Silver’s Chestnut Springs series lives up to the fairytale romance I have come to expect from her. In the midst of leaving her toxic marriage, Winter Hamilton finds herself in the small town of Chestnut Springs to reconnect with her estranged sister. At a mutual family dinner, she meets Theo Silva, notorious ladies’ man and hotshot bull rider. After the tension between them, sexual and otherwise, rises, they share one night together. By the time Winter learns of her pregnancy, of which there is only one possible father, Theo is back on the rodeo circuit. Through a turn of events, Winter spends the first several months of their baby’s life a single mother with Theo none the wiser. Sparks fly and lives change when Winter and Theo reunite. Who doesn’t want a cocky bull rider who only has eyes for one girl? This cowboy romance is centered around the secret baby trope—I am certainly in the minority, but I love a pregnancy-centric trope! I thoroughly enjoyed not only falling in love with Winter and Theo but falling for the little family they grow together. Readers can expect miscommunication, angst, small town antics, and delicious twists and turns that make the road to happily ever after oh, so good. —Recommended by Cassidy James Taylor, owner of Grump & Sunshine Bookshop in Belfast, Maine
Or if HGTV is more your vibe …
Astrid Parker Doesn’t FailBy Ashley Herring Blake
Like its title character, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail is surprisingly soft, with quite a bit of sizzle. The setting combines a small town with a popular renovation show on HGTV, pitting an uptight interior designer focused on modern style against the lead carpenter trying to preserve the history of her family’s inn. Astrid Parker is a perfectionist who would never admit to feeling adrift, while Jordan Everwood’s life has fallen apart. They are the type of delightfully messy characters I’ve come to expect from Ashley Herring Blake, whose adult romance debut was the delicious and rightfully well-loved Delilah Green Doesn’t Care. The follow up is even better. —Recommended by Meryl Wilsner, author of “Mistakes Were Made”
If you like a meta premise …
The True Love Experiment By Christina Lauren
Christina and Lauren are all-stars of the romance genre, and this juicy new novel is one of their best new releases to date. Fizzy Chen, a popular romance author who finds herself unable to write endings after her last relationship ended in infidelity, is tapped to star in a new reality dating show. The twist? She’s being fixed up with men who fit the essential “book boyfriend” tropes: the bad boy, the golden retriever, the “vampire,” etc. Fizzy is a master of happily ever afters, but when she falls for the show’s single-dad producer, she winds up in an ending she never saw coming. This book is truly a love letter to the romance readership. Christina and Lauren treat the audience with such care, thoroughly defending the genre and all those who dismiss it as trivial or speak with condescension toward its connoisseurs. The authors also cleverly put a spin on the “serial dater who can’t fall in love”: Fizzy falls in love with everyone and everything, multiple times a day. But what if love isn’t enough? This story answers that question tenfold. —Recommended by Iman Hariri-Kia, author of “A Hundred Other Girls” and “The Most Famous Girl In The World”
The Neighbor Favor By Kristina Forest
Is there any better catnip for romance book lovers than a story about a writer and editor striking up a romance? In the case of The Neighbor Favor, sweet and shy bookworm Lily has a crush on her charming (and hot) neighbor Nick—not knowing that he’s the mysterious author of her favorite fantasy novel, an author she fell for via confessional and intimate emails. Their romance unfolds genuinely and tenderly, with plenty of sizzling tension. As with all good romance novels, there is an endearing and hilarious supporting cast. Lily has two sisters (who will get their own love stories!) and an extended family that, all together, form an impressive example of Black excellence. Lily, struggling in her career as an assistant in a publishing house, feels like she’s always in the shadow of their outsized personalities. Nick helps her find her confidence, truly seeing her for the woman she is. In turn, Lily helps Nick reckon with his own demons through the … well, everlasting power of love. Call me a sap, but that’s all I really want in the end. —Recommended by Maurene Goo, author of “Throwback”
If you want to play hooky at a theme park …
With Love, From Cold WorldBy Alicia Thompson
Within a few chapters of With Love, From Cold World, by Alicia Thompson (out Aug. 1), I was deeply in love with straitlaced Lauren, prankster Asa, and the entire quirky theme park world around them. She’s a former foster kid, he was rejected by his religious family for being bisexual. And seeing the ways they coped with their secrets and baggage while learning to connect to each other had tears streaming down my face. And yet, there’s also seriously hot chemistry, steamy scenes, fantastic banter, and the best part of any queer book—found family—somehow all flowing together seamlessly. Definitely a great summer reading choice! —Recommended by Dahlia Adler, author of “Going Bicoastal,” “Cool for the Summer” and “Home Field Advantage”
If you want to subvert ’til death do you part …
The Grim Reaper’s LawyerBy Mea Monique
Defense Attorney Joyce Parker isn’t exactly living her best life, but she didn’t expect that life to be cut short by her own client. After she is transported instantly to the afterlife, Joyce pictures an eternity filled with gorgeous views and unlimited fruity cocktails. Too bad her lack of good deeds in the living world now have her strapped to a sexy grim reaper in need of her legal expertise. Something foul is afoot in the great beyond, and somehow reaper Aiden Kim is caught up in the thick of it. He can’t stand Joyce, but he can’t deny how good she is at her job and how badly he needs, and secretly wants, her. Consequences in the afterlife, you see, are forever. In this hilarious paranormal romance with hints of Ally McBeal and Insecure, Mea Monique weaves a quick-paced, enemies-to-lovers, magical courtroom dramedy filled with twists and sexy turns. Joyce and Aiden burn up the metaphysical sheets as they work together to track down the evil entities trying to ruin eternity for the rest of us. —Recommended by Rebekah Weatherspoon, author of “Her Good Side”
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