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20 Romance Books About Writers & Publishing
By: Angela & Melissa
Updated:
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn a referral fee from qualifying purchases.There’s something irresistibly charming about rom-com and romance books that feature writers as main characters, whether they’re bestselling authors, struggling poets, or ghostwriters.
If you’re a fan of witty banter, creative sparks, and literary chemistry, the books on our list deliver love and laughs. These rom-coms and contemporary romances take you inside the publishing industry, where characters fall for each other between chapters—sometimes literally—while navigating everything from writer’s block and looming deadlines to literary fame to impostor syndrome.
For a wider range of genres, be sure to check out our comprehensive list of Books About Authors & Writers and our list of Novels Set in the Publishing World featuring editors, agents, and publishers.
Rom Com and Romance Novels About Writers and the Publishing Industry
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Best-selling romance novelist January Andrews is suffering extreme writer’s block after finding out her parents weren’t the perfect couple she thought they were.
When she retreats to her dad’s secret Lake Michigan beach house in a last-ditch effort to meet her next book deadline as a romance writer, she finds another distraction instead.
Her college English department rival lives next door and is suffering from his own bout of writer’s block.
The Book Girls Say…
Not only does it feature two main characters who are authors, it also includes a lot of discussion about the romance genre.
If you love this novel as much as we do, then you’ll want to read the bonus epilogue, titled The Layover, on Emily Henry’s website. Or you can purchase the gorgeous hardcover collector’s edition of Beach Read that includes the epilogue.
Book Summary
Sophie Taylor is a small-town schoolteacher with a big secret. She’s also the anonymous bestselling romance author, Este Cox. Raised by literary parents who dismiss the romance genre, Sophie keeps her dual identity hidden.
When she loses her laptop containing the sequel to her hit novel, she must collaborate with Joe Walsh, a confident and infuriatingly handsome marketing director who works for her publisher.
Their initial friction escalates when they’re forced to share a cottage during her father’s 60th birthday weekend. As secrets unravel and sparks fly, Sophie grapples with revealing her true self to her family and the world.
Story of My Life
Book Summary
Hazel’s romance writing career has been stalled ever since a breakup left her with writer’s block. To make matters worse, she just lost her Upper East Side apartment, and her publisher is losing patience waiting for her next manuscript.
Facing an ultimatum – turn her book in by her next deadline or she’ll lose her publishing deal – she impulsively decides to relocate to a small town in Pennsylvania, hoping it will provide just the inspiration she needs. She buys a historic house sight unseen. After a less-than-smooth arrival in town (including a run-in with the local wildlife), she discovers that the house is dilapidated and the town is also on its last legs.
On the bright side, despite his grumpy demeanor, the contractor she hires to help renovate her house provides some swoon-worthy inspiration.
The Book Girls Say…
This book blends two of our favorite elements—renovation romance and books about authors. Hazel’s writing process and her struggles to complete her manuscript play an important role in the plot.
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Book Summary
Rosie leaves her hometown in Tennessee and moves to New York City to pursue her dreams of being a writer. But things get off to a rocky start when she discovers that her arch-nemesis and ex-crush, Aiden, is in her writing workshop. Aiden may be gorgeous, but he’s also a surly and obnoxious literary writer with little patience for Rosie’s preferred romance genre.
Their constant classroom clashes prompt their professor to offer an ultimatum. If they want to stay in her class, they’ll have to co-author a manuscript that merges their opposing genres. The boundary between fiction and reality blurs as their work-in-progress provides an outlet for them to express their feelings of attraction.
When Rosie and Aiden again find themselves competing for a coveted career opportunity, their rivalry is reignited and threatens to unravel both their partnership and burgeoning romance.
The Book Girls Say…
This enemies-to-lovers novel set in the literary world is described as Beach Read meets The Hating Game.
This is Katie Holt’s debut novel. Readers especially love how she infused it with her Peruvian and Tennesseean heritage.
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Book Summary
Fizzy is the best-selling author of romance novels, but feels lost in her own life. While she’s felt lust, she’s never experienced the true love she writes about in her books. The more she considers this disconnect, the more she worries she’s been telling readers about something that doesn’t exist.
Connor is a documentary filmmaker and loves that his work lets him live near his daughter. But when his boss wants him to make a reality TV show, he’s not sure he can pull it off. After a chance run-in with Fizzy, he has an idea. What if the lead in his new show is the queen of romance novels?
The Book Girls Say…
In “The Soulmate Equation,” Fizzy is the hilarious and beloved best friend of the main character, so you can get to know her a little before she gets her own story in The True Love Experiment. Christina Lauren books are perfect when you’re looking for a quick read.
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You Between the Lines
Book Summary
Leigh is a former sorority girl who’s a bigger fan of Taylor Swift lyrics than T.S. Eliot poems. She’s never been able to shake the “all-style-no-substance” assumptions, so she’s as surprised as anyone when she’s accepted into a prestigious poetry MFA program in North Carolina. She’s intimidated that all the other students have read all the right authors and have been published in literary journals. And her insecurities are further amplified when she discovers that her high school crush turned nemesis, Will, is one of her classmates.
Will embodies exactly the kind of literary elitism Leigh hates, complete with his pretentious sweater vests and tattered Moleskine. She’s determined to prove his preconceived notions of her wrong by winning the program’s highly coveted fellowship. But Will is also dead set on becoming the fellowship recipient. When he submits an intimate poem (that is, maybe, probably, definitely about Leigh), they’ll be forced to confront their past insecurities and present desires.
The Book Girls Say…
Leigh sounds like the Elle Woods of the poetry world, and we’re here for all the Legally Blonde vibes!
Any Trope but You
Book Summary
Margot is a romance author who doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Her disbelief isn’t even limited to real life; she secretly writes alternate endings for her characters in a “Happily Never After” document. When her computer is hacked, and her true feelings are revealed, she’s canceled by both her readers and her publisher.
Margot’s sister, Savannah, has a chronic illness and depends on Margot financially, so she needs to pivot quickly. Maybe she can trade writing meet-cutes for writing about murder? She heads to a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first mystery novel, but things go much differently than she expects.
It feels like she has landed directly in a romance novel instead of in rugged Alaska as she finds herself in one romance trope after another.
The Book Girls Say…
This book is a great example of life imitating art as the main character finds herself in similar situations to those she has written about in her past novels again and again.
NOTE: This one includes an abundance of adult language and scenes, so skip it if you’re looking for a Hallmark-esque read.
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For Her Consideration
Book Summary
After suffering a devastating breakup three years ago, Nina has deprived herself of everything she loves – including her dreams of scriptwriting for TV. She moved out of LA and into her aunt’s condo in the suburbs. She took a work-from-home job as an assistant to a talent agent. She spends her days managing celebrity email accounts. It isn’t very interesting, but she thinks she’s better off that way.
But then a surprise meeting called by hot, young actress Ari Fox has Nina questioning everything. Ari is out and proud, in addition to being a serious control freak. She has definite opinions about how Nina should handle her emails. As the two get to know one another, Ari pushes Nina to return to her writing. And is Nina mistaken, or is Ari flirting with her?
The Book Girls Say…
This body-positive LGBTQ romance is described as “full of heat and heart.” Reviewers also say it’s full of talk about food and warn that you won’t be able to stop reaching for snacks as you read… so go ahead and get your bowl of popcorn ready now.
Love in the City
Book Summary
When bookshop employee and aspiring writer Alex is dumped on her 30th birthday, she makes some huge life decisions…while drunk.
The next morning, she has a choice. Should she undo those actions and continue her life in New Zealand? Or hop on the plane she booked to New York City to pursue her dream of writing a sexy romance novel?
The Book Girls Say…
The characters in Love in the City are entertaining and fundamentally good people with relatable flaws.
There were connections that came more easily than they would in real life. But sometimes, we need a true break from the harshness of the world. The overall message is about letting ourselves believe in love. The author develops that slow-burn theme throughout the book, just like the relationship develops until it finally ignites into steamy flames. Romance novel perfection!
If you enjoy this book, there are three more in the series!
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Book Summary
Sebastian, a former boy band member, needs a ghostwriter for his memoir. The job comes with a penthouse at a luxurious resort in Vermont, so Alix jumps at the opportunity to escape her cramped apartment.
She’s also the perfect person for the job because, as a music journalist, she was the last person to interview the band’s lead singer before he disappeared.
As she digs through her client’s notes for the memoir, she also hopes to uncover the truth about the disappearance. However, she’s going to have some fun along the way as she begins ski lessons at the resort. Her instructor is the swoon-worthy Tyler, and soon they are connecting on and off the slopes.
The Book Girls Say…
Readers report this is a low spice book, so if you love romance without steamy scenes, this is for you!
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The Rom-Commers
Book Summary
Emma has spent her life as an aspiring (and talented) screenwriter, but a past family tragedy keeps her in Texas as a full-time caregiver. However, when the opportunity of a lifetime is presented, it may finally be her chance to pursue the career of her dreams.
Emma’s screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates, has written his first romance script – and it’s terrible. His agent wants to bring in Emma to help with the rewrite, but there are problems. Charlie is cranky, he doesn’t work with co-writers, and he doesn’t believe in love.
Can Emma convince him that romance and love exist? And, can her younger sister handle caring for their dad while she is away?
The Book Girls Say…
Katherine Center’s books bring a page-turning mix of humor, emotion, and serious chemistry between the characters. You’ll love and hate almost every character at different points because she writes in a way that makes you care about each one. Like the rest of us, they’re flawed humans who don’t always say the right thing.
While this is a rom-com by every definition, be warned that there are also enough meaty topics to make it a stellar book club pick. The final chapters are especially lovely, with a perspective on grief that is likely to trigger some reflection.
Not in the Plan
Book Summary
Feeling the pressure of writer’s block and a looming deadline, Mack escapes New York and heads for Seattle. Her coffee addiction brings her into the nearly bankrupt coffee shop owned by a beautiful woman named Charlie.
Despite being total opposites – Charlie is free-spirited to Mack’s uptight ways – their chemistry is undeniable. Mack has found her muse. She starts using Charlie’s private stories in her novel, but if Charlie finds out, will their budding romance stand a chance?
Book Summary
Despite Lanie’s successful career as a romance editor and a big promotion on the horizon, she has a difficult task to ensure her step up to editorial director. She must get the publisher’s biggest author, Noa Callaway, to turn in their manuscript, which is already 4 months late. That job seems impossible since no one even knows who Noa Callaway is. There is an NDA in place, no photos, and people don’t even know Noa’s gender.
Because of the secrecy of Noa’s identity, part of the book is written in epistolary format via emails. That also makes it a slow-burn book, especially in the first half before the romance kicks in.
Throughout the novel, many NYC landmarks are mentioned, including The Cloisters.
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Rom Com Books Set in New York
One-Star Romance
Book Summary
Natalie is thrilled to serve as maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, but she couldn’t have less in common with the best man. She’s a free-spirited novelist, and Rob is a meticulous academic. But they both share a devotion to their engaged best friends and want the wedding to go perfectly. Then, just minutes before walking down the aisle, Natalie learns that Rob is the one who wrote a very public, scathing one-star review of her debut novel.
When the reception ends, Natalie hopes never to see Rob again. However, as the years go by and they slip from their 20s into their 30s, the two find themselves forced together time and again as they help their friends celebrate life milestones like housewarmings and welcoming new children.
Over the years, Natalie and Rob grapple with their own life choices, and their relationship evolves in unexpected ways.
Business or Pleasure
Book Summary
Nothing makes a ghostwriter feel more invisible than attending a book signing event for a book she wrote and not even being recognized by the celebrity author she wrote it for. Seeking solace, Chandler Cohen meets a charming man at a bar, leading to an awkward one-night stand. She’d be happy to never see him again, but that proves difficult when she learns that he is none other than Finn Walsh, a former C-list TV actor and her newest client.
Best known for playing a loveable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show, Finn now makes his living attending fan conventions across the country. In order to help him pen his memoir, Chandler travels with Finn, but she’s determined to keep it professional.
That plan goes out the window when she admits to Finn that their one night together wasn’t as mind-blowing for her as he thought it was. He’s distraught, but Chandler agrees to coach him on intimacy. When they aren’t working on his book, they work on the art of satisfaction. But can they have both business and pleasure?
The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale
Book Summary
Dee settled in Kansas to attend graduate school and live with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em after her globe-trotting mother passed away. However, now she needs a quick escape after a humiliating public breakup with a faculty member, which felt like a tornado ripped apart her life. The Trinity College writing program is just the fresh start she needs!
In Ireland, she meets three new companions – seemingly brainless (but charming and hot) Sam Clery, heartless Tim Woodman, and fiercely loyal Reeti Kaur. With her new friends and the incredible women mentoring her in the writing program, Dee experiences a year of opportunities and changes. With everyone’s help, she’s ready to face her fears and apply all the lessons she has learned along the way.
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Book Summary
Daphne McFadden is an aspiring author frustrated by repeated rejections of her manuscript. On a whim, she resubmits it under the pseudonym “Zane Remington,” crafting a persona of a rugged outdoorsman. To her astonishment, the book garners a lucrative publishing deal and becomes a bestseller. However, the success brings a new challenge: the public wants to meet the elusive Zane.
She needs a man to play her macho alter ego. Enter Chris Stanton, an accountant with no acting experience but the perfect look to embody Zane. Despite his lack of wilderness skills, Chris agrees to pose as the macho author. As they embark on a promotional tour, including a visit to Daphne’s remote Yukon home, their professional arrangement becomes increasingly complicated by mutual attraction and the mounting pressure of maintaining their deception.
Right on Cue
Book Summary
Emmy is a screenwriter known as the queen of romantic comedies. However, a tragedy in her own life made her stop believing in happy endings. After a long break, she’s been convinced to return to her career by not only writing but also starring in a rom-com, even though it’s been a decade since she has been in front of the camera.
When her co-star is injured, dreamy superstar actor Grayson West is chosen as the replacement male lead. This is a win for the film but a disaster for Emmy, who blames Grayson for the end of her acting career ten years earlier.
The friction between Emmy & Grayson floats between awkwardness and sexual tension. They need to figure out how to control their energy with each other quickly before the whole movie is a bust.
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Read Between the Lines
Book Summary
This hate-to-love romance is perfect for fans of the classic 90s rom-com, You’ve Got Mail. Rosie loves books and has taken over her mom’s Manhattan bookstore. She loves her work, but is lacking in the romance department. However, she’s hopeful that her growing online flirtations with lesbian romance author Brie could turn into something more.
Jane works for her family’s property development company by day, but at night writes steamy romance under the pen name Brie as her creative outlet. She’s also single and wonders if a certain reader could be her perfect match.
As you may have predicted, Jane’s company terminates the lease for Rosie’s bookstore, and drama ensues. This storyline is classic for a reason, and it works just as well with two strong female leads!
The Book Girls Say…
There is a second book in this series, No Rings Attached, starring Rosie’s best friend, Lia, who manages the bookstore. The two books are best read in order because of the overlapping character development.
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The Perfect Rom-Com
Book Summary
Bryony teaches ESL full-time for her grandmother’s financially struggling organization, The Bridge, but she dreams of becoming an author. She heads to her first writers conference with two big goals: selling her manuscript and raising awareness for The Bridge.
Unfortunately, her pitch sessions were a disaster. But she managed to get work with an agent to correct another author’s work for the Foundry Agency. When that project went well, Jack, the literary agent, gave her an even bigger opportunity—ghostwriting for a popular rom-com novelist. She agreed on one term: that Jack would work to sell her book as well.
The Book Girls Say…
This title is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing and is classified as a Romance, which you would expect based on the title. However, reviewers report that there is no faith content, which upset some readers who expected it based on the publisher.
They also report that it reads more like light contemporary fiction about the characters’ careers in the publishing world, with romance being a minor thread. Some really enjoy this, but those who were looking for more romance based on the cover find it disappointing.
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Novels Set in the Publishing World: Editors, Agents, & Publishers
If you are participating in our Book Lover’s Reading Challenge, any of the books on this list can satisfy the reading prompt of Books About Writers & Editors.
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