Sometimes, a romance lover needs an easy, lighthearted escape from suspenseful heart-thumpers, emotional nail-biters, and mind-blowing, head-scratching prose. That’s where lovable romance novels come in.
I call them book-chasers, like having a beer after several shots of tequila—it’s a book that won’t knock me on my ass or keep me up at night (I’m talking to you, Colleen Hoover), but they offer a fun time without asking for too much from me. They should be snatched up, devoured, and shown book love. You might adore these stories, and many people have! It just means something was missing FOR ME, so they fall into the 3ish – almost 4-star range.
A glance at my reading history tells me I’ve read quite a few of these lately, probably because they’re stress-relievers, too. Here are my favorites:
#1 It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
This fish-out-of-water story features two unlikely lovers—a deep-sea fishing boat captain and a rich party girl/influencer from L.A. It’s not exactly relatable, but in a way that’s hard to mind, like Clueless and Legally Blonde. It’s fun, flirty, and definitely the spiciest on this list.
From a writer’s viewpoint, I’m still working out my feelings about sex in romance novels and how detailed it should be (a future post?), but I’m willing to try books throughout the spectrum if the writing’s good and the story holds. I’m a literary Goldilocks testing my comfort level book to book, fully aware that everyone is different. The sex in this story definitely had me saying, “Enough already” by the third or fourth encounter, but I appreciate the progression Bailey tried to accomplish. Even so, I take an author’s approach to sex scenes these days—if it doesn’t move the plot along, it shouldn’t be in there.
Regardless, Piper and Brendan are a sexy escape, and as far as romance novels go, this one’s worth the read. Consider it like stepping into a recharging station (wink).
Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar… in Washington.
Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.
Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.
#2 I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos
Well-written with a great premise, this novel intrigued me. I loved the idea of it—a stranger gifting a “lost” woman a house with a mystery attached. Who doesn’t love a good mystery? The parallel stories kept me interested, and I especially liked Clare and Dev’s pursuit of the truth (and each other). It’s a meaningful story, sweet, but it took time for me to get into it, and I thought the payoff scenes could’ve been better.
Perhaps it’s my writer’s side talking, but I have a serious thing for payoff scenes—the fights, the first kisses, the wild discoveries, etc., and these weren’t as exciting as I wanted and had me saying, “More, please?” (another future post?).
Oh, and though it’s a standalone, this book is a part of a series that wasn’t made clear to me upon purchase, probably because it was an audiobook. It’s more clear under the Kindle or Paperback editions. If I’d read the others, perhaps I would’ve loved it more.
But if you like a good story with a unique premise and a sweet romance—this is perfect for you.
On the weekend of her wedding, Clare Hobbes meets an elderly woman named Edith Herron. During the course of a single conversation, Edith gives Clare the courage to do what she should have done months earlier: break off her engagement to her charming – yet overly possessive – fiancé.
Three weeks later Clare learns that Edith has died – and has given her another gift. Nestled in crepe myrtle and hydrangea and perched at the marshy edge of a bay in a small seaside town in Delaware, Blue Sky House now belongs to Clare. Though the former guesthouse has been empty for years, Clare feels a deep connection to Edith inside its walls, which are decorated with old photographs taken by Edith and her beloved husband, Joseph.
Exploring the house, Clare finds two mysterious ledgers hidden beneath the kitchen sink. Edith, it seems, was no ordinary woman – and Blue Sky House no ordinary place. With the help of her mother, Viviana, her surrogate mother, Cornelia Brown, and her former boyfriend and best friend, Dev Tremain, Clare begins to piece together the story of Blue Sky House – a decades-old mystery more complex and tangled than she could have imagined. As she peels back the layers of Edith’s life, Clare discovers a story of dark secrets, passionate love, heartbreaking sacrifice, and incredible courage. She also makes startling discoveries about herself: where she’s come from, where she’s going, and what – and who – she loves.
Shifting between the 1950s and the present and told in the alternating voices of Edith and Clare, I’ll Be Your Blue Sky is vintage Marisa de los Santos – an emotionally evocative novel that probes the deepest recesses of the human heart and illuminates the tender connections that bind our lives.
#3 The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay by Kelly Harms
A down-on-her-luck artist retreats to the small town of Minnow Bay to fix a dreadful mistake—never completing the annulment of a spur-of-the-moment Vegas wedding to a one-night stand—and is “forcibly” fated to find love and happiness where she least expects. The combo of art, cold weather, fun lighting, and nosey townsfolks give the story a Hallmarkian feel… mostly in a good way.
I loved Kelly Harms’ book The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, so picking this audiobook on a 2-for-1 deal was a no-brainer (I’ll be Your Blue Sky was the other one). But if you can only read one Kelly Harms book, pick The Overdue Life… I liked a lot about The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay—Harms is a great writer, and the premise is fun. The only downsides are that it needs more Ben (I felt like I never got to know him) and a better payoff scene. Plus, it took me a minute to like Lily.
But I enjoyed the side characters and Minnow Bay. Romance novels are always better in a lovely setting.
Lily Stewart has reached a crossroads in her life. Her painting career hasn’t taken off, her best friend has changed beyond recognition, and now she can’t keep up with the rising cost of living in the city. With no one to turn to, Lily is forced to move from her apartment, but while packing she comes across a piece of mail that had slipped to the back of her junk drawer: a letter detailing further action needed to finalize the annulment of a quickie Vegas wedding. From 10 years ago!
Lily decides it’s time to gather up the pieces of her life, and the first item on her list of things to fix is that annulment. This is something that must be addressed in person, so Lily decides to track down her husband – the charming, enigmatic man she connected with all those years ago.
Ben Hutchinson left a high-profile dot-com lifestyle behind to return home to the small lake town he loves, Minnow Bay. He’s been living off the grid, and the last thing he expects is a wife he didn’t know he had making her presence known.
By chance, Lily finds her way to Minnow Bay Inn. There she will discover not just a place to lay her head, but new friends, new inspiration, and maybe even a new chance to fall in love.
#4 Always on My Mind by Beth Moran
A teenage romance between Jessie and her twin brother’s best friend Elliot takes a turn when a beautiful night at the prom ends in tragedy. Her life is derailed by regret, and Elliot’s by a traumatic brain injury. Then, Jessie faces another setback when forced home to confront her past. Set in a small British village and a day center full of rambunctious seniors, this story is charming, funny, and sweet.
Its best feature is how it addresses Elliot’s traumatic brain injury and his daily struggles. I would’ve liked more of this, especially how his injury will impact them as a couple. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say they get together at the end; it’s not a bad payoff scene. But it felt abrupt. I love a good secret, but the secrets in this story, which created the conflict in the novel, were a little hard to believe within these circumstances.
But definitely a worthwhile read, charming and sweet, and… oh, did I say British?
Sometimes when you can’t see the way forwards, the best thing to do is to look back…
When Jessie left home at eighteen, she swore she’d never go back. But when life takes a turn for the complicated, she’s forced to move in with her twin, Isaac, and his two best friends. To her dismay, one of these is Elliot, the boy Jessie once loved, until his life was changed forever by a terrible accident that Jessie still blames herself for.
Cohabiting with three alarmingly unhouse-trained males was not in Jessie’s life plan so when Isaac, Elliot and Arthur offer her a generous rent discount if she’ll help them with their ‘Boys to Men Project’, designed to end years of disastrous dating, she reluctantly accepts the challenge.
As Jessie embraces the comfort of being home, revelling in her new job at her parents’ day centre full of people determined to grow old disgracefully, she realises her housemates aren’t the only ones needing to make some changes. And maybe, if she can finally forgive herself for Elliot’s accident, she can start to look forward to a future, with or without him by her side.
#5 The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams
Britta—a reporter researching and writing about a fitness app.
Wes—part owner and creator of said fitness app and Britta’s trainer.
What starts as helpful banter across the app leads to a sweet friendship and, eventually, love as the two grow close and their bond strengthens (much like Britta’s muscles—ha!). It’s a fun love story, my favorite on this list, and ranks as a 3.5.
What the blurb doesn’t tell you (read it below) is one of the best and most relatable parts of the story—Britta is a heavyset woman who wants to get in shape and feel stronger, even beyond her work assignment because she wants to feel good naked. Britta is so relatable! There’s depth to Wes, too, with his family struggles. So, although some elements of the story were predictable, the characters definitely kept me engaged.
Oh, and compared to the sex scenes in Tessa Bailey’s book (#1 on this list), these were less gratuitous and more in line with the story (though, yes, I’m still working out my sex scene thoughts).
It’s always a bonus when romance novels motivate readers to have better self-images and good habits. I may have to hire a personal trainer (wink).
Britta didn’t plan on falling for her personal trainer, and Wes didn’t plan on Britta. Plans change, and it’s unclear if love, career, or both will meet them at the finish line.
Britta Colby works for a lifestyle website, and when tasked to write about her experience with a hot new body-positive fitness app that includes personal coaching, she knows it’s a major opportunity to prove she should write for the site full-time.
As CEO of the FitMi Fitness app, Wes Lawson finally has the financial security he grew up without, but despite his success, his floundering love life and complicated family situation leaves him feeling isolated and unfulfilled. He decides to get back to what he loves – coaching. Britta’s his first new client, and they click immediately.
As weeks pass, she’s surprised at how much she enjoys experimenting with her exercise routine. He’s surprised at how much he looks forward to talking to her every day. They convince themselves their attraction is harmless, but when they start working out in person, Wes and Britta find it increasingly challenging to deny their chemistry and maintain a professional distance.
Wes isn’t supposed to be training clients, much less meeting with them, and Britta’s credibility will be sunk if the lifestyle site finds out she’s practically dating the fitness coach she’s reviewing. Walking away from each other is the smartest thing to do, but running side by side feels like the start of something big.
Though these books didn’t quite reach a 4-star level like some of my couldn’t-put-down favorites (like Every Summer After, The True Love Experiment, and All Your Perfects), these romance novels were loveable enough to be fun, easy, entertaining reads worth recommending. Check them out now.
