Best Rom Com Books of 2023: The Ultimate Reading List for Romantic Comedy Lovers

by Kate Clayborn
Publication Date: 1/24/2023
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Grumpy Meets Sunshine, Small Town

Georgie has been a personal assistant for a long time, which means everyone else’s needs have been prioritized over her own for years. However, when she has to leave LA and return to her hometown, she must confront the fact that she’s never actually been sure about her own needs or what she wants in life.

When she comes across a diary she wrote as a teenager, she discovers that the ideas within it can be used as a guidebook to create a new version of adult Georgie. But this plan hits a snag when she runs into an unexpected roommate. Levi was once the small town’s troublemaker, but now he’s a grouchy hermit. Grouchiness aside, he begins to help Georgie with her journey, and if the duo can get past their past, maybe Georgie’s true desire can be found right beside her.

The Book Girls Say… Reviewers say this one is emotional, witty, and steamy!

by Maddie Dawson
Publication Date: 1/3/2023
Tropes: Older Main Character, A Hint of Magic, Love After Divorce

Billie knows how much trouble love can be now that she’s reached the age of 60 and has had three marriages in her past. She’s decided to put her experience to good use and brands herself as the Heartbreak Bunny. She puts on a bunny suit, does some performance art for the heartbroken, and helps to heal hearts by whisking away unwanted mementos.

When her business goes viral, her own life has new problems. Her daughter’s marriage is in trouble, and her ex, Victor, aka the WORST ex-husband, suddenly wants her back. Except he has some competition. A charming widower is also interested in Billie, even though she no longer believes in love. The Heartbreak Bunny has to come to terms with the fact that there may be a little love left for her in the world after all.

The Book Girls Say… We both loved the character of Blix in the author’s novel Matchmaking for Beginnings, so we're excited to see that her release features an older main character. If you find 20-something rom-coms hard to relate to, this could be a great choice!

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/30/23.

by Lauren Landish
Publication Date: 1/15/2023
Tropes: Fake Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Brother’s Friend/Friend’s Brother

Artist Luna has little in common with her brother’s best friend, Carter. He’s tall, charming, and a workaholic, while she’s short, struggles with small talk, and would rather be lost in her art alone. But when Carter needs help landing a huge deal, having a wife knowledgeable about art would be a huge asset. He asks Luna to fake marry him, and she can’t see how anyone would believe they were a real couple.

But she desperately needs the money he is offering, so hesitantly agrees. Since she hates him, she’s really confused by the feelings that keep happening when they’re close together.

The Book Girls Say… This one is steamy and includes laugh-out-loud moments. It's the first of three planned books in the Never Say Never series, with books 2 and 3 to be published later in 2023.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/30/23.

by Ali Hazelwood
Publication Date: 1/3/2023
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract

If you enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, don’t miss this collection of 3 STEM romance novellas by the same author.

In the first story, an environmental engineer finds herself with a big-oil lawyer as her unexpected roommate. In the second, a civil engineer and her nemesis get stuck in a New York elevator. And in the third, a NASA aerospace engineer is injured and stranded at an Arctic research station and has to be rescued by her longtime rival.

by Sariah Wilson
Publication Date: 2/1/2023
Tropes: Fake Dating

Cosmetic chemist Anna is brilliant, geeky, and in love with her boss, Craig. In order to gain his attention, she decides to exploit his competitiveness with his half-brother Marco. Whatever Marco has, Craig seems to want, so if Marco has Anna, surely Craig will try to woo her away.

Except that the more time Anna spends with Marco, the more her fake feelings start to feel real.

The Book Girls Say… Melissa has enjoyed several of Sariah Wilson’s rom-coms from the past few years, including Roommaid, The Seat Filler, and The Paid Bridesmaid, so she’s excited for this new release! Those three titles are all included with Kindle Unlimited, so if you missed them and have a KU subscription, be sure to check them out.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/30/23.

by Falon Ballard
Publication Date: 2/7/2023
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Second Chance Romance

Lana is chronically in a relationship, never remaining single for long. As a journalist, she’s even the relationship columnist for a trendy LA website. She’s 30, and after her last break-up, she is determined to stay single for a while.

But now her high school ex, Seth, has reentered her life. He’s also a journalist and got a gig writing for Lana’s site. While she’ll write about embracing being single, he’ll write about settling down and becoming boyfriend material. A coveted columnist spot is on the line for whichever of them creates the most popular content, putting both their careers and their hearts on the line.

The Book Girls Say… We both enjoyed this author’s debut novel, Lease on Love, last year. Reviewers say that Just My Type is even better, so it’s definitely going on our TBR lists!

by Marine Adair
Publication Date: 1/5/2023
Tropes: Fake Relationship, Mistaken Identity

When Milliy’s sister died, her wish was for Milly to start chasing happy. This promise led her to accept a dare to kiss a stranger in a bar. Except the man picked doesn’t look like a stranger, he looks like Milly’s childhood crush. When the kiss turns into a one-night stand, Milly discovers that it wasn’t Lucas after all. It was his notorious playboy twin brother, Jaxon.

This is far from Jaxon’s first one-night stand and he has plans for his normal quick exit, but then Milly’s parents appear. Before he can escape, Milly introduces him as Lucas and says he is her boyfriend! He’s horrified, but then realizes he could use this arrangement for his benefit as well. If Milly will help plan the snowboarding competition he is supposed to be arranging, he will pretend to be her boyfriend until her parents leave town.

The Book Girls Say… This one has a mix of sweet and spicy in a fast-paced format.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/30/23.

by Karelia Stetz-Waters
Publication Date: 1/31/2023
Tropes: Workplace Romance

This LGBTQ romance features characters in their late 30s/early 40s who need second chances.

Rose is a successful business consultant with a side business making mindfulness videos. She’s enjoying life with her posh pugs, who sport Gucci coats, but it still feels like a little something is missing.

Former filmmaker Ash is trying to get a film project rolling, but it’s been hard after her ex crushed both her heart and her career in one brutal blow. When she meets Rose, she wonders if Rose is just what she needs to get her film financed... and maybe to help heal her heart as well.

by Kylie Scott
Publication Date: 2/14/2023
Tropes: Opposites Attract, A Hint of Magic, Renovation Romance

When Susie inherits a fixer-upper, she can’t wait to renovate it into an HGTV dream. When she hires a contractor, she’d shocked to open the door and find her ex’s best friend, Lars. He witnessed their humiliating breakup and she’s not thrilled to know he will be in her house constantly. However, she’s eager to get the house fixed up so she can live the life of her dreams, so she moves forward with her plans.

During the renovation, Lars finds a divorce certificate hidden in the wall. It’s dated ten years in the future and has his name, along with Susie’s, as the divorcing couple. As they spend time together trying to figure out how the certificate got into the wall, they begin to feel sparks. But should they start a relationship when they have a sign from the future that it won’t work out?

by Katherine Center
Publication Date: 07/19/2022
Tropes: Fake Dating, Celebrity Romance, Workplace Romance

Hannah may look like a kindergarten teacher who could only wrangle young children, but she's more dangerous than she seems. Her excellent skills as an Executive Protection Agent (aka bodyguard) just earned her a job protecting a superstar actor, Jack. He has some unlikely enemies - like a middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker and a brother who seems to hate him.

When Jack has to return to the family ranch in Texas during his mom's cancer treatment, he doesn't want her to find out about the stalker. This means she can't know he needs a bodyguard to be safe. What could go wrong when Hannah has to pretend to be his girlfriend in front of his whole family?

The Book Girls Say… While Center’s other books are best classified as contemporary fiction with an element of romance, this one is shamelessly romantic and swoon-worthy (but NOT steamy - any romance scenes are closed-door). She has said that she wrote the book as her own escape during the pandemic, and wanted it to be lighter. We really enjoyed that it still felt like her writing, but with a bit more humor. However, she doesn’t totally depart from mixing in challenging issues, so the characters still feel real.

by Julia Whalen
Publication Date: August 2, 2022
Tropes: Workplace Romance

Sewanee “Swan” Chester was an actress whose star was rising. Following a tragic accident, her days on film sets are now long behind her, and she spends her days in the sound booth as an audiobook narrator. Despite finding early success narrating romance novels, Swan is a real-life romance skeptic, and she’s since moved on to narrating different genres.

After a trip to Vegas to moderate a panel at a book convention, she returns home to a job offer to narrate one last romance book alongside the industry’s hottest male voice - Brock McNight. The lucrative offer is too good to pass up, especially because she needs the funds to help her beloved, ailing grandmother. (We could go on and on about how much we love her grandma!)

Like Sewanee, her male counterpart narrates under a pseudonym. Since she and Brock live on opposite sides of the country, they collaborate via correspondence. This allows both of them to open up slowly. But even as they begin to form a genuine connection, Sewanee struggles to be honest with him about her accident because she doesn’t believe she deserves a happily ever after.

Of course, given that a well-known audiobook narrator writes this novel about two audiobook narrators, it seems almost unnecessary to say… but this book is meant to be listened to.

The Book Girls Say… Julia Whelan is one of our favorite audiobook narrators, and we both love the rom-com genre. Even with both of those things in mind, this book still blew away our expectations. Not only was it as smart and funny as we had hoped for, but it was also much more profound and tackled some challenging issues with honesty and heart.

Good audiobook narrators make it easy to immerse yourself in the world of the book without ever thinking about the person behind the voice, or all the planning and preparation that goes into the job. As frequent audiobook listeners, we loved the window into what it’s like to do the work of a narrator, day in and day out.

by Ashley Poston
Publication Date: 6/28/22
Tropes: A Hint of Magic, Forced Proximity

Florence Day is a romance ghostwriter who no longer believes in romance. Her new editor is an actual ghost.

Florence has spent her career as the ghostwriter for one of the most well-known romance writers in the industry. But after a recent breakup with a man who took advantage of her trust and destroyed her self-esteem, she no longer believes in love and can’t seem to write about it either. With a major deadline looming, her career is in serious danger. Then she gets a call from home that shifts her priorities.

She had an unusual, but very happy childhood growing up in a funeral home in a small town in South Carolina. But a controversy when she was a teen caused her to flee for college and never turn back. When Florence receives a call that her father has died unexpectedly, she has no choice but to return home for the first time in a decade. On her first night back, she finds a ghost standing on the front porch of her family funeral home - the ghost of her editor, who was very much alive the last time she saw him. Florence was already convinced that romance is dead… but this complicates things further.

The Book Girls Say… Angela downloaded this audiobook on a whim because she saw a few recommendations for it right before boarding a cross-country flight. She knew nothing about the plot, and thank goodness, because terms like ‘paranormal romance’ and ‘ghost love story’ would have scared her away. And then she would have missed out on one of her favorite books of the year! She binged the entire book in two days, and couldn’t stop smiling the whole time.

by Emily Henry
Publication Date: 5/2/2022
Tropes: Small Town Romance, Enemies to Lovers

Book Lovers is about a literary agent named Nora. When Nora’s younger sister, Libby, begs her to take a month-long summer trip to a small town in North Carolina, she envisions all the possible romance novel tropes that could happen in her own life. Why couldn’t she run into a handsome country doctor and find her happily ever after?

Instead, Nora runs into Charlie, a brooding editor she has encountered several times back in the city. While neither of them is the ideal heroine or hero, they kept being thrown together in unlikely situations and must confront the stories they’d told themselves about who they are.

The Book Girls Say… We loved Emily Henry’s last two summer releases, Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, so it wasn’t surprising that Book Lovers was also a hit. Despite having threads of romance, all three books have characters with real-life baggage and flaws. Book Lovers also gives us a strong sister relationship and insight into Nora’s work, making her a well-rounded lead.

by Annabel Monaghan
First Published: 6/7/2022
Tropes: Workplace Romance, Love After Divorce, Celebrity Romance, Forced Proximity

Nora is a successful romance screenwriter, but it looks like no matter how many happily-ever-afters she has written, her own marriage is ending. When her husband leaves her with their two children, she funnels her feelings into the best script of her life.

It’s so good that the producers who pick up the rights to make a movie want to film it on location at her 100-year-old home. And they’ve cast Leo Vance, who has been voted sexiest man alive, as her husband. Nora is surprised to feel a real connection with him, so when he offers her $1000/day to continue staying in her home for an extra week after filming ends, she agrees. The money will be a huge help, but it’s the look in his eyes that really convinces her.

The Book Girls Say… Reviews think this book is a good fit for fans of Emily Henry. She’s one of our favorites because she’s great at weaving depth and real-life struggles into her romance novels, so we can’t wait to pick it up.

by Abby Jimenez
Publication Date: 4/19/22
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Small Town, Hint of Magic

Alexis is a thirty-seven-year-old sophisticated city-girl. Daniel is the twenty-eight-year-old small-town mayor who saves her when her car gets stuck in a ditch. Despite having almost nothing in common, their chemistry is undeniable.

She comes from an ultra-wealthy family who looks down on her for being a mere ER doctor (rather than carrying on the family legacy as a world-renowned surgeon), and she’s recovering from a toxic and relationship. As she spends time in Daniel’s tight-knit small town, she begins to discover what’s really important to her. But is there any chance that their fling could be anything more than that? How can she choose between her world and his?

The Book Girls Say… With a mix of humor, romance, as well as heavier topics, including emotional and physical abuse, readers say this book will make you laugh and cry (sometimes even at the same time). This story is described as a refreshingly modern fairy tale. Disney fans will also enjoy the classic fairy tale “easter eggs” that are sprinkled throughout - from Cinderella to The Little Mermaid.

by Sarah Adams
Publication Date: 9/20/2022
Tropes: Small Town, Forced Proximity, Grump Meets Sunshine, Celebrity Romance, Opposites Attract

Amelia, aka Rae Rose, is a pop star feeling totally burnt out by years of maintaining her image for all of her adoring fans. She’s in desperate need of a break and would love to escape to Rome, as Audrey Hepburn does in her favorite film. But since she can’t discreetly get to Rome, Italy, she hops in the car and heads to Rome, Kentucky.

Noah runs his grandmother’s pie shop in Rome, and isn’t impressed when Amelia appears on his front lawn in her broken-down car. He’s the town grump, doesn’t have Wifi or a cell phone, and prioritizes privacy. But when the local B&B turns Amelia away because they don’t have any vacancies, he reluctantly agrees to let Amelia stay in his guest room.

The Book Girls Say…This rom-com is a loose retelling of the Audrey Hepburn movie Roman Holiday, so is a fun treat for fans of the classic movie. It’s also a sweet closed-door book (no graphic sex scenes per reviewers).

by Shauna Robinson
Publication Date: 11/1/2022
Tropes: Small Town, Workplace Romance

Maggie is in her late 20s and still floundering, trying to figure out what she’s supposed to be doing with her life. Her best friend seems to have it all, including a husband, a bookstore, and soon a new baby. Maggie comes to Bell River to take over the bookshop during Rochelle’s maternity leave. Though she’s not a reader, Rochelle is sure she can handle it.

However, Cobblestone Books has a co-owner who is less convinced of Maggie’s competence. The bookstore is connected to literary legend Edward Bell, and the co-owner insists that everything in the store remains authentic to Edward’s time. Only classics are sold, and the townspeople must leave town to buy contemporary books. But, Maggie is NOT a rule-follower. Her good heart always leads the way, leading to all kinds of secret ideas to help improve profits at the store. Along the way, she finds some surprising allies.

The Book Girls Say… If you prefer your rom-coms to lean more towards charming contemporary fiction with a smaller side of romance, this is a great choice. It’s fun to have a main character who begins the book as someone who doesn’t read for pleasure at all but has a chance to discover the joy of books.

by Sharon C. Cooper
Publication Date: 4/1/2022
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Grumpy Meets Sunshine, Workplace Romance

While Dreamy lives in a seedy part of LA and works in an unfullfilling secretarial role while struggling to finish her degree, she has dreams that life up to her name. Each week, she enters the lottery with her grandfather and has a daily mantra that includes her winning the lottery.

Karter is a wealthy venture capitalist with celebrity parents. His life revolves around his work and helping the less fortunate, but at 38, he’s ready to find someone to share life with. When he meets Dreamy during a meeting with her boss, he knows his mother would disapprove. She’s hilarious and quirky, but not from his upper-crust world. Is it worth trying to invest in a relationship that feels doomed?

The Book Girls Say… People who don’t enjoy this book feel like it’s TOO fun and cute. The characters face limited complications and challenges, so it’s perfect when you need a really light palate-cleansing read, but not the pick if you’re looking for something with depth.

by Meghan Quinn
Publication Date: 10/11/2022
Tropes: Small Town, Renovation Romance

Sawyer is used to creating the perfect love story since he’s a romance screenwriter. Sadly, his real life doesn’t look like the stories he shares on the big screen. As he stands watching his best friend marry his ex-girlfried, Sawyer feels the uncontrollable need to escape. He abandon’s his best man duties and makes a run for it, eventually landing in the small town of Canoodle, California.

He finds a place to stay at Canoodle Cove Cabins, where he meets the owner, Fallon, who is struggling to make ends meet. She’s overwhelming with trying to remodel the cabins in an attempt to save the family business and take care of her grandpa, who is struggling with Alzheimer’s.

The Book Girls Say… This book is on the longer side for a rom-com with 463 pages. It’s also a slow-burn romance, so don’t grab it if you’re looking for a quick page-turning read. On the other hand, if you enjoy having more time with characters once you know their backstory, grab this one.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/30/23

by Christina Lauren
Publication Date: May 17, 2022
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Second Chance Romance

Lily Wilder’s father was a notorious treasure hunter - a profession that drained their bank accounts and caused him to sell their beloved family ranch in Wyoming. Lily, however, has finally found a way to turn her father’s passion into something that pays the bills. She uses his hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of southern Utah. The last thing she expects is for Leo Grady - the man she once loved - to show up on one of her tours with his crazy crew of friends.

Leo is equally surprised to see Lily, but his feelings on the matter differ from hers. While she’d like to get him lost in the wilderness and leave him there, he’d love nothing more than to reconnect with Lily and finally make things right between them.

But when the trip deep into the isolated and dangerous mazes of Canyonlands goes terribly wrong, Lily starts to question whether her father might have been right all along - maybe there really is hidden treasure out there. But is it worth risking their lives for?

The Book Girls Say… Something Wilder is a rom-com meets western mystery.

by Tarah Dewitt
Publication Date: 10/22/2022
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Fake Relationship, Second Chance Romance, Renovation Romance

As teenagers, LaRynn & Deacon had a short summer fling. Almost a decade later, they’ve been reunited because their grandmothers left them with shared ownership of a dilapidated building in Santa Cruz. But there’s a complication in their plans to fix up the building.

Deacon has the construction skills to help, but no money for materials. LaRynn has a trust fund, but she can’t access it until she marries. The duo does the only sensible thing and agrees to get married until they can finish the project and cash out a profit. They move into the building without physical walls, but plenty of emotional walls still need to be torn down.

by Jenny Proctor
Publication Date: 5/24/22
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Small Town

Brody is a chemistry teacher in his hometown and Kate is a globetrotting journalist. They were best friends until Kate left town to run from her past. When she comes back, Brody has all the same desire to be more than friends that he had before Kate left. But now, it seems like she might feel the same way.

Can Brody give her enough reasons to make her temporary visit more permanent?

The Book GIrls Say… While How to Kiss Your Best Friend has kissing as promised in the title, it doesn’t have any explicit scenes.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/30/23.

by Lynn Painter
Publication Date: 11/15/22
Tropes: A Hint of Magic, Time Loop

Emilie has a TERRIBLE Valentine’s Day. It’s so bad that she escapes to her grandmother’s for some comfort and ice cream therapy. Emilie crashes on the couch, only to wake up back home in her home bed. She’s not thrilled to discover that it’s Valentine’s Day morning all over again.

She’s stuck in a time loop, waking up to see her boyfriend cheating on her day after day. And why does she keep running into Nick in unfortunate ways? How many days will she have to endure re-living her life going up in flames?

The Book Girls Say… This YA novel is a quick read full of pop culture references.

by Kate Canterbary
First Published: 9/20/2022
Tropes: Small Town, Fake Relationship

When Shay inherits a tulip farm, it comes with strings attached. First, she has to move home to Friendship, RI. That is manageable, but the second stipulation that she be married within one year is much trickier. Her fiancé just called off their wedding, and she has no desire to jump into another serious relationship.

Former classmate Noah loved Shay in high school, but he was too shy to ever tell her. These days, he’s a single dad to his niece and runs the family business. He has his hands full with no time for romance…until Shay returns home.

by Emma St. Claire
Publication Date: 1/19/2022
Tropes: Small Town, Fake Relationship

Pat was a pro football player until he was injured. Since then, everything in his life has been temporary - including jobs and relationships. He finally has the opportunity to get his life back on a better path when his dad purchases the town of Sheet Cake, Texas, and plans to build a family brewery there.

The plan is complicated because Sheet Cake is the home of Lindy, who broke Pat’s heart five years ago. Lindy now has custody of her niece and would like to make the arrangement permanent. Pat proposes that they marry to increase the odds of Lindy getting full custody. He’s all-in to win her back for real, but she has some serious hesitations.

The Book GIrls Say… The Buy-In is listed as a clean romance, so should be a safe option if you prefer closed-door bedroom scenes.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/30/23.

by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor
Publication Date: 8/14/2022
Tropes: Grumpy Meets Sunshine, Renovation Romance, Small Town

Eloise expected to head to grad school after her recent graduation, but instead, she ended up renovating her Gran’s Oakley Island beach house to make it a B&B. The process has been complicated by the grouchy lawyer handling her grandmother’s estate, who lives next door.

She’s sure that inside his prickly exterior, he’s one of the good ones. Not to mention how attracted she is to the tattoos he hides under his button-down shirts. Just as Elosie adapts her dreams to include life long-term on Oakley Island with Jake, she gets an academic opportunity in line with her original dreams. Should she stay or should she go?

The Book Girls Say… This book was co-written by two Rom-Com authors that are both known for their sweet, clean reads.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/30/23.