Best Romance Books of 2026

The Odds of You

Author: Kate Dramis

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: Deluxe Limited Edition
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

A romance about an author in Scotland? Yes, please. Sage is a writer struggling with her second novel. When Sage meets Theo Sharpe, a famous actor, on a plane flight to Comic-Con, the paparazzi assume the two are dating. When Sage flees to Scotland to clear her head, and she bumps into Theo again, she begins to wonder if meeting twice is fate.

She’s in Scotland to get out of her writing slump, and Theo is back in his childhood home working to get over a recent loss and determine how to handle his manager dad. They quickly strike up a friendship that leads to more.

Why Kirsten loves it

You will be smiling ear-to-ear while reading this delightful story. There is one scene set at Christmas, but I would categorize it as a winter romance, not a holiday one. Scotland’s setting is just perfect for this wonderful love story!

I alternated between reading and listening to this one, and I adored the narrator! I don’t think I’ve heard her read a book before, but I look forward to her future audiobooks. #gifted by Macmillan Audio & St. Martin’s Press.

Find this book in: Books Set in Scotland

The Shippers

Author: Katherine Center

Release Date: May 19, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: Bestselling Author

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

JoJo Burton is on a cruise for her sister’s destination wedding. After calling off her wedding a few weeks prior, she has decided that the way to fix her bad luck with love is to get closure with her first crush, Finn. She enlists the help of Cooper Watts, her childhood best friend and biggest heartbreak, to be her wingman. Can JoJo find her happily ever through a series of hysterical exploits while navigating some family drama?

Why Kirsten loves it

Katherine Center has become a go-to author for me! Her stories are sweet and deep and just so unique! The Shippers gave me everything I wanted, and I was shipping Jojo and Cooper from the very beginning! Thanks to MacMillan Audio for my copy.

Find this book in: Boat Books and Sailing Novels / Friends to Lovers Romance Books / Best Beach Reads 2026

Into the Blue

Author: Emma Brodie

Year: 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: April 2026 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

This is the first novel of Jenna Bush Hager’s imprint to be a book club pick – and it was chosen by Reese, not Jenna! This love story spans decades as two summer friends work as acting partners to make it into Hollywood or the SNL scene. Noah, scion of Hollywood royalty, and AJ’s friendship forms over their shared ambition until Noah disappears.

When, years later, AJ is cast to be on Noah’s space-themed TV series, they reconnect. But as their characters grow close, so do they until fiction blurs with reality.

Trigger Warnings

Chronic Illness, Alcoholism

Why Kirsten loves it

I loved this book – I didn’t want it to end, which is saying something because she’s a clonker! This book is so much more than a romance; it’s a book club-worthy novel that looks at first love, sexism in Hollywood, complicated family dynamics, legacy, and chronic illness. This is a true MUST-READ story worthy of everyone’s attention.

I can’t go into much detail without ruining the story, but AJ and Noah’s connection absolutely sizzled. I felt like they were friends of mine as I watched them grow up, grow close, drift apart, and come back together time and again. I’ll be thinking of this one for ages. #gifted by PRH Audio

Find this book in: The Best Reese Witherspoon Books / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2026 / Hollywood Novels / Best Beach Reads 2026 / Celebrity Romance Books / Books With Colors in the Title

Our Perfect Storm

Author: Carley Fortune

Release Date: May 5, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. They know each other better than anyone, so it is only natural that George be Frankie’s best man at her upcoming wedding. Everything in Frankie’s life seems perfect until her fiancé breaks up with her via a note two days before the wedding. George convinces Frankie that the two of them should go on her honeymoon together as the perfect way to heal her broken heart.

Why Jackie loves it

This is a friends-to-lovers romance that only Carley Fortune could write. It is slow-burn and utterly delicious in every sense! The descriptions of the food and the beautiful island of Tofino were fantastic. I love their relationship as well. Thank you PRH Audio for my copy of this book!

Find this book in: Carley Fortune Books / Best Beach Reads 2026

No Matter What

Author: Cara Bastone

Release Date: March 3, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: Part of Dial Delights, bestselling author of Promise Me Sunshine

Plot

Roz and Vin survived a life-altering accident, but have not been able to look at each other since. They both have so much trauma from the accident and they cannot find a way back to each other.

Vin knows that he needs to move out, so Roz signs up to do a drawing class. When Vin offers to be her model, the two start to see each other in a different way. Can they begin the process of healing or are they too far apart?

Trigger Warnings

PTSD

Why Jackie loves it

Promise me Sunshine was one of Beyond the Bookends’ best romances of 2025 so I was very excited to read this book. It did not disappoint. Bastone has a way of writing that makes her romances SO emotional. I felt for Roz and Vin so much. I wanted them to be able to heal and find a way back to each other.

Find this book in: Second Chance Romance Books / Best Beach Reads 2026

Dandelion is Dead

Author: Rosie Storey

Release Date: January 13, 2026

Genre: Literary Romance

More info: Debut Author

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

When Poppy breaks her phone, she decides to go to her late sister’s apartment to get her phone. Then she decides to respond to a stranger on Dandelion’s dating app and then meet him for a date on what would have been Dandelion’s 40th birthday. But the minute she meets Jake, she feels a connection to him, almost as if she pretends to be Dandelion, then Dandelion is not really gone.

Now, Poppy is living a double life. In one, she is in a committed long-term relationship with someone who loves her. And in the other, she is Dandelion- fun, carefree, and alive. She has to determine who she really is and what kind of life she wants for herself. Can she live her life when her sister is gone?

Trigger Warnings

Death of a sibling, grief

Why Jackie loves it

This is an unforgettable book about love, grief, and finding yourself and your path. It is also beautifully written and feels like the ups and downs Poppy experiences mimic real life. I was invested in the story the entire time with these imperfect characters whom I loved. #gifted

Find this book in: Novels About Grief / Literary Romance Novels / Romance Novels About Grief

Laws of Love and Logic

Author: Debra Curtis

Year: February 17, 2026

Genre: Literary Fiction

More info: Debut Novel

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Lily and Jane Webb grew up embracing math, science, history, and philosophy from their mother, who encouraged a love of learning. When she dies, her loss leaves a hole in the lives of her daughters. Jane, gifted and brilliant, finds escape in advanced quantum mechanics and drugs.

Lily has found love with “the boy,” who is a star athlete and is headed to college on scholarship. When another tragedy strikes, they are torn apart. Lily tries to overcome these two losses. When she meets Marshall, an ornithologist and professor, she knows they may be able to make a life together. But then the boy appears in her life again.

Trigger Warnings

Drug use, death of a parent, Alzheimer’s

Why Jackie loves it

This debut novel is wonderful, and I cannot wait to see what comes next. There are so many themes in this book about love, loss, and family. This is a powerful love story that is not only about the love between lovers, but also about love for family- flaws and all. I will be thinking about this book for years to come.

Find this book in: Literary Romance Novels

This Book Made Me Think of You

Author: Libby Page

Release Date: Feb 3, 2026

Genre: Fiction

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 14+

Plot

Tilly is trying to navigate life without her husband Joe, who died five months ago. When she gets a call from a local bookstore saying a birthday gift from her husband is waiting for her, she is shocked. Alfie, the owner of the bookshop, explains that her husband left her a year’s worth of books. He carefully chose one book a month to help her navigate the first year without him and included a note with each one.

The book follows Tilly over the course of the year as she navigates her life without her husband. She looks at her life, her job, and her relationships with a new eye. Each book seems to come at the exact right time.

Trigger Warnings

Death of a spouse

Why Jackie loves it

I absolutely loved this book. At its heart, it is a book about the power of books to help with healing and overcoming grief. I laughed with Tilly and felt her pain. I was rooting for her from the first page.

Find this book in: Novels about Grief / Romance Books About Books / Romance Novels About Grief

YA

Change of Plans

Author: Sarah Dessen

Release Date: May 5, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info: May 2026 GMA YA Book Club Pick

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 13+

Plot

GMA has finally broken their streak of YA fantasy picks by choosing a romance! Finley is quieter than her gregarious, fun-loving boyfriend, Colin. But when she’s swept on an unexpected trip to her distant mom’s soon-to-be-sold vacation home, she has to have her own adventure.

While meeting her estranged family, she also meets Ben and other teens with whom she quickly bonds. When her relationship with Colin goes south, Finley’s carefully laid post-graduation plans go out the window, and she is left figuring out what she should do next.

Trigger Warnings

Cancer

Why Kirsten loves it

This charming YA romance reminded me of a Carley Fortune novel with it’s slow burn romance and lake setting. The growth Finley experienced over the course of this novel felt accurate and appropriate for the age group, but also it was entertaining enough for adults! I also fell hard for Ben and Finley’s relationship. #gifted by Simon and Schuster Audio

Find this book in: Coming-of-Age Books for Teens / GMA Book Club List 2026 / Lake Books / Best YA Romance Books / Best Beach Reads 2026