I read 20 modern romances this year. My friend Karen @cover.to.bookcover runs a monthly online romance book club so at least handful were from that. I have my ongoing faves and new authors too.
YA Romance
I will read anything Nicola Yoon writes. Everything, Everything was great. Ali Hazelwood is another author I’ve enjoyed over the last few years and Check & Mate felt older than most teen books. Still a girl owning the chess circuit was pretty cool.
My Romance Go Tos
My old faithfuls came through for me this year. Funny Story by Emily Henry was, by far, my favorite romance of the year. If you don’t like romances, give this a try and tell me what you think. Katherine Center and Susan Elizabeth Phillips both had new books I loved. I read two Ashley Poston and I really liked The Seven Year Slip. Kristan Higgins has some fantastic backlist romances and I love both of the Gideon’s Cove books I read. Jasmine Guillory is a newer fave and I really liked By the Book, I guess a take on Beauty and the Beast but it didn’t quite read that way for me. Still good!
New To Me
And I read these authors for the first time and I’m already excited about reading more from them in 2025…Christina Lauren, Denise Williams, Mariana Zapata, and Tessa Bailey.
I read more, but I’ve mentioned the best ones.
What’s the last romance you read?
Stacy's Books 
I’ve read books by several of your go-to authors – Center, Henry, Phillips. I did read Lauren’s Paradise Problem and also Higgins’ Look On The Bright Side this past summer. Enjoyed both of those. Thanks for telling about these as I’ve noted a few suggestions!
I like Higgins newer books too, but her backlist romances are so good!
I’ve read several romances recently – Hello Stranger by Katherine Center and ICE ICE Maybe by Rich Amooi. If you haven’t read him, give him a try. He’s written 24 books, and all the ones I read are very funny. I think he’s a master of romantic comedies.
Happy holidays.
Lloyd Russell (408) 348-4849
Oooohhh! You had me at romantic comedy!