Romance

Radio host rivals forced to co-host a show discover their on-air chemistry might be more than professional. Can they survive working together without falling in love—or killing each other?

Romance writer and literary fiction author swap genres and homes for the summer, challenging each other to write outside their comfort zones while confronting their own emotional walls.

“Book Lovers” (2022) is Emily Henry’s witty, “reverse-engineered” tribute to the romance genre. While many romance novels feature a high-powered city woman who learns to “slow down” in a small town, Henry turns this trope on its head by making the “villainous” career woman the hero of her own story.

The Plot: The “Ice Queen” and the “Grumpy Editor”

Nora Stephens is a cutthroat New York City literary agent. She is the woman who gets dumped in the first five minutes of a Hallmark movie so the hero can go find himself in a bakery. Nora knows this, and she embraces it. Her only soft spot is her younger sister, Libby.

When Libby insists they take a sisters’ trip to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina—the setting of one of Nora’s clients’ hit books—Nora agrees, hoping for a classic “small-town transformation.” Instead of a hot local carpenter, she keeps running into Charlie Lastra, a brooding, brilliant book editor from her past who once rejected one of her best manuscripts.

Why It’s Different: Trope Subversion

Emily Henry uses Book Lovers to deconstruct the “City vs. Small Town” dynamic that dominates romantic comedies.

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  The Anti-Transformation: Unlike other stories, Nora doesn’t find she hates New York or her job. The book validates her ambition and her “uptight” nature as a form of protection and love for her family.

  
  


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  The “Work-Family” Balance: While the romance with Charlie is central, the emotional core of the book is the relationship between Nora and Libby. It explores the “parentification” of older siblings and the difficulty of letting go as life paths diverge.

  
  

Key Themes: Authenticity and Ambition

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  The Right Kind of “Broken”: Both Nora and Charlie are workaholics who find comfort in their shared professional language. Their chemistry is built on intellectual sparring and “shoptalk” rather than just physical attraction.

  
  


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  The Burden of Care: Nora’s “coldness” is revealed to be a result of having to hold her family together after her mother’s death. The book asks: Who takes care of the person who takes care of everyone else?

  
  


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  Love as Acceptance: The resolution isn’t about someone changing who they are to fit a partner’s life; it’s about finding someone who loves the parts of you that the rest of the world finds “too much.”

  
  

Why It’s a 2026 Comfort Read

In 2026, Emily Henry remains the “Queen of the Beach Read with Feelings.” Book Lovers is particularly popular for:

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  The “Meta” Humor: Since both characters work in publishing, the book is filled with “inside baseball” jokes about the book industry, tropes, and the struggle of writing a good ending.

  
  


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  The “Enemies-to-Lovers” Dynamic: It is widely cited as one of the best examples of the “academic/professional rivals” variation of this trope.

  
  

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (2023) is the viral first installment of the Ruinous Love trilogy. It single-handedly popularized the “Dark Romantasy” and “Serial Killer Rom-Com” subgenres on social media, famously described as “Dexter meets When Harry Met Sally.”

The Plot: A Deadly Competition

The story follows two rival serial killers who only target other “bad” people:

• Sloane (“The Blackbird”): A meticulous, artistic killer who specializes in intricate, symbolic disposals.


• Rowan (“The Butcher”): A charismatic, somewhat chaotic chef who kills with brutal efficiency.

After a chance encounter in a remote location (involving a very small space and a very dead body), they develop an unlikely bond. They establish an annual competition: once a year, they meet in a different city to hunt the same target—a notorious predator who has escaped justice. Whoever kills the target first wins. Over several years of these “kill-dates,” their professional rivalry turns into a deep, albeit dysfunctional, romantic obsession.

Key Appeal Notes

• The “Slow Burn”: Despite the graphic nature of their hobbies, the emotional relationship between Sloane and Rowan is a multi-year slow burn that focuses on mutual understanding and “being seen” for who they truly are.


• Dual POV: The narrative alternates between Sloane and Rowan, allowing readers to see Rowan’s absolute (and often hilarious) “golden retriever” devotion to Sloane, contrasted with his lethal skills.


• Dark Humor: The book leans heavily into “gallows humor,” finding comedy in the logistics of body disposal and the absurdity of their situation.


• Graphic Content: Unlike “cozy” mysteries, this book is extremely explicit regarding both violence and romance. It is intended for a mature audience and comes with a long list of trigger warnings.

Series Status in 2026

The Ruinous Love trilogy has officially concluded, making it a popular “binge-read” this year:

1. Butcher & Blackbird (2023): Sloane and Rowan’s story.


2. Leather & Lark (2024): Follows Rowan’s brother, Lachlan, and Sloane’s best friend, Lark.


3. Scythe & Sparrow (2025): The final installment, which wrapped up the overarching plot threads involving the various “kill-games.”

Jake has fallen head over heels for Dandelion. The only problem? Dandelion is dead.

Thirty-year-old Poppy has lost her charming, larger-than-life older sister Dandelion seven months ago. Still drowning in grief, Poppy is stuck—can’t move forward, can’t let go. She’s also stuck in a going-nowhere relationship with smug fiancé Sam who’s pushing for marriage. When Poppy discovers unanswered messages from a charming stranger named Jake on her late sister’s dating app, she makes an impulsive choice: She’ll meet him, just once, on what would have been Dandelion’s fortieth birthday. It’s exactly the kind of wild adventure her vivacious sister would have pushed her toward.

Jake, a 40-year-old single dad filmmaker, is ready to find something real—and not least because his ex-wife’s twentysomething boyfriend has moved into their old family home. When he meets the intriguing woman who calls herself Dandelion, their connection is undeniable, electric, and he can think of little else. Poppy accidentally catfishes Jake. As their relationship deepens online and in person, Poppy finds herself trapped in a double life she never meant to create. Every moment with Jake feels genuine and totally right—despite the fact they’re tangled in deceit. She wears Dandelion’s clothes, adopts her confidence, becomes the bold person she never was. As lines between grief and love blur, Poppy faces a choice: keep her sister’s memory alive through her lies, or risk everything for a chance at her own happiness? But the longer the deception continues, the harder it becomes to untangle truth from fiction, self from sister, grief from desire.

The Plot/Key Appeal: Debut novel that’s “wildly entertaining and crackling with life” (Claire Daverley). Messy, character-driven contemporary fiction—think indie movie aesthetic, raw and quirky with lots of heart. Storey’s witty, sharp prose alternates between crude hilarity and surprisingly eloquent observations. The catfishing premise could be creepy, but Storey handles it with nuance—Poppy isn’t malicious, she’s trying to feel close to her sister again, borrowing Dandelion’s confidence and way of being in the world. Both frustrating and deeply sympathetic protagonist.

Jake is also flawed—middle-aged man past his prime, dead dreams, growing paunch. Their relationship is genuinely sexy and emotionally real despite foundation of lies. Novel divided into three parts: The Lie, More Lies, The Truth. Readers know it gets worse before resolution. Set in London with very British messiness—characters drink too much, use recreational drugs, cheat, lie, fall over, yet remain lovable. Explores: grief doesn’t make people behave perfectly, it makes them strange and impulsive. Sisterhood at emotional center even though Dandelion is dead—she feels very present through memories. Relationship isn’t idealized; it’s loving, complicated, sometimes tense, deeply believable.

Why It’s Trending:

• Released January 13, 2026. Debut novel.


• January 2026 Indie Next Pick.


• Jenny Jackson (Pineapple Street): “funny book about grief, honest book about lying, heartbreaking book about finding love…captivating, generous, deeply alive.”


• People: “tale of romantic and sisterly love seamlessly combines humor and heartbreak.”


• Entertainment Weekly: “almost made me redownload Hinge ‘for the plot.'”


• Reader’s Digest: “perfect for fans of messy, character-driven conflict.”


• Publishers Weekly, Booklist starred reviews. Compared to Dolly Alderton, Nora Ephron for humor-heartbreak balance.


• NPR featured author interview.

For fans of: unconventional romance, grief stories, dark comedy, morally gray characters, books that make you uncomfortable but can’t look away.

Book clubs will have INTENSE discussions about: catfishing ethics, grief coping mechanisms, identity, lies vs. truth, complicated sisterhood, when does love excuse deception?

You knew I’d write a book about you someday.

Our narrator (nicknamed Jordan, real name never given) is a professional novelist in her late 40s who understands good love stories—their secrets and subtext, their highs and free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the simple rules. The novel is both prequel and sequel to King’s 2020 novel Writers & Lovers (features same protagonist years apart). Heart the Lover is divided into parts mirroring the course of love story: college years, then decades later. Fall of her senior year of college, she meets two star students from her 17th-Century Lit class: Sam and Yash. Best friends living off campus in elegant house of professor on sabbatical, the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academic fervor, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. They nickname her Jordan (referencing The Great Gatsby—she’s their Daisy, their Jordan, caught between them). She quickly discovers the pleasures of friendship, love and her own intellectual ambition. But youthful passion is unpredictable, and soon she finds herself at the center of a charged and intricate triangle. She must choose. She chooses Sam.

They marry young. Years pass. Then present day: Jordan is established novelist, Sam is her husband, and Yash has been out of their lives for decades. But crisis brings all three together again—someone is dying, or dead, or in trouble (King keeps this ambiguous initially). The reunion forces Jordan to reckon with the road not taken, the love she didn’t choose, the life she might have had. Through alternating timelines, we see: the heady campus romance, the choice made, the consequences lived with, and finally the reckoning decades later. Did she choose right? What did she lose? What did she gain? Can you love two people? Is there one “right” choice?

The Plot/Key Appeal: Lily King at her very best. Intimate, overwhelming novel about desire, friendship, loss, and the lasting impact of first love. The triangular structure echoes Euphoria (King’s breakout novel) but this is more intimate, less epic. King’s prose is witty, insightful, emotionally acute—Jordan’s first-person narration is observant and distinctive. The college sections capture intellectual intensity, sexual awakening, being young and brilliant and not knowing anything yet. The present-day sections are suffused with longing, what-ifs, the weight of decades of choices. Connections to Writers & Lovers enhance both books (Casey the protagonist in that book makes appearance; Jordan is her).References to other literary love triangles abound (Gatsby, Jules et Jim). Some readers will cry—emotional gut-punch. Character work is extraordinary. All three leads are flawed, real, complicated. Chicago Tribune: “sincere.” Boston Globe: similar sentiment. NYT: “nostalgia distilled in black ink.” Final chapter gives shivers.

Why It’s Trending:

• Released October 7, 2025.


• Instant NYT Bestseller.


• Longlisted for National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction.


• Longlisted for 2026 Joyce Carol Oates Prize.


• BEST BOOK OF 2025: TIME Magazine, NYT, Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar (10 Best), NPR, Vogue, Oprah Daily, People, USA TODAY, Literary Hub, Kirkus, BookPage, Apple, Spotify, Amazon, B&N, PEN America, Chicago Public Library.


• 2026 PEN/Faulkner Award Longlist.


• Emma Straub: “Lily King has written another masterpiece. This book overflows with her brilliance and her heart.”


• Zadie Smith picked it for Elle.com Shelf Life as “book that made me weep uncontrollably.”

For fans of: campus novels, love triangles, literary fiction, Sally Rooney (Normal People), books about books/writers, coming-of-age, emotional gut-punches, beautiful prose.

Book clubs will have rich discussions: who should she have chosen? Is there “one true love”? How do choices shape us? Regret and acceptance. First love’s lasting impact. Book references and literary analysis. Warning: emotional—tissues necessary. Slow-paced literary fiction, not plot-driven thriller.

In Your Dreams is the fourth and final book in Sarah Adams’s beloved When in Rome series. It officially hit shelves in late December 2025/early January 2026, and it follows the youngest Walker sibling, Madison, in a classic “brother’s best friend” and “he falls first” romance.

The Plot

After a grueling and ego-bruising stint in the New York culinary scene, Madison Walker returns to her small hometown of Rome, Kentucky, feeling like a total failure. She’s desperate for a fresh start but terrified of letting her family know she couldn’t hack it in the big city.

Enter James Huxley, her brother Noah’s best friend and the owner of the local Huxley Farm. James has been harborning a secret, years-long crush on Madison, though she’s always viewed him as more of a steady, slightly annoying fixture in her life. To help her (and his own struggling farm), James offers Madison a dream job: becoming the head chef of a new farm-to-table restaurant he’s building in an old greenhouse on his property.

Key Tropes & Themes

• Brother’s Best Friend: James has played it safe for years, but Madison’s return forces him to decide if he’s finally ready to risk his friendship with Noah for a shot at her heart.


• He Falls First (and Hard): BookTok is particularly obsessed with James because he is the ultimate “cinnamon roll” hero—he literally builds a restaurant just to give Madison a reason to stay home.


• Forced Proximity: Launching a restaurant in record time means the two are constantly together, leading to high-tension bickering that eventually turns into mutual yearning.


• Healing & Growth: The story deals heavily with Madison overcoming the anxiety and trauma she faced in the professional culinary world.

Why it’s Buzzing

Since this is the final book in the series, there is a lot of “found family” nostalgia. Fans of the previous books (When in Rome, Practice Makes Perfect, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal) are excited to see the entire Walker clan reunited for one last wedding and a final goodbye to the town.

Lily escapes her traumatic past to build a new life, but when her first love reappears, she must choose between passion and safety—confronting the patterns that shaped her.

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney (2018) is a generational defining novel that explores the profound impact one person can have on another’s life. It is less about a traditional plot and more about the “exquisite pain” of two people who are clearly meant for each other but constantly thwarted by their own insecurities and social pressures.

The Story: Connell and Marianne

The novel follows Connell Waldron and Marianne Sheridan from their final days of secondary school in a small town in Western Ireland through their years at Trinity College, Dublin.

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  In High School: Connell is the popular, well-liked athlete, while Marianne is the lonely, prickly outcast from a wealthy but abusive family. They begin a secret affair, but Connell—fearful of his social standing—refuses to acknowledge her in public, leading to their first major “break.”

  
  


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  In University: The roles reverse. Marianne becomes the sophisticated, popular socialite in Dublin, while Connell struggles to fit in, feeling like a working-class interloper.

  
  

Over the years, they drift in and out of each other’s lives, dating other people and moving to different cities, but they remain each other’s “north star.”

Key Themes: Class, Power, and Miscommunication

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  The Power Dynamic: Rooney explores how power shifts between the two. Marianne has financial power but is emotionally fragile due to her home life; Connell has social power but is paralyzed by his need for approval.

  
  


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  Class Subtext: The difference between Marianne’s “old money” background and Connell’s mother working as a cleaner for the Sheridans is a constant, quiet tension that influences how they view themselves.

  
  


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  Social Anxiety and Mental Health: The book is highly praised for its depiction of Connell’s struggle with depression and the “imposter syndrome” felt by many young people today.

  
  


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  The “Rooney Style”: The novel is famous for its lack of quotation marks. This “stream of consciousness” style makes the dialogue feel like an internal memory, blurring the lines between what is said and what is felt.

  
  

Why It’s a Modern Classic in 2026

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  The “Normal People” Aesthetic: The 2020 Hulu/BBC adaptation starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal(now a massive movie star in 2026) cemented the book’s place in the cultural zeitgeist. It created a specific “mood”—wistful, intellectual, and intensely intimate.

  
  


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  Relatability: The title Normal People is ironic; both characters feel fundamentally “abnormal,” and the book resonates with anyone who has ever felt like they are performing adulthood while feeling like a child inside.

  
  

Recommendation

If you’ve already finished the book and the series, Sally Rooney’s 2024 novel “Intermezzo” has been a major bestseller throughout 2025 and 2026. It deals with similar themes of grief and complicated romance but focuses on two brothers.

Cassia Park, nearly 40, believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It’s her family business, after all—for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love, their “fated.” This magical secret (they can see past life connections by reading faces) is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee…for everyone but Cassia.

Ten years ago, Cassia glimpsed her own fated: Daniel Nam, a landscape architect. Problem: she hasn’t been able to find him since. She’s searched everywhere. Daniel is a ghost. Tired of waiting, on the eve of her 40th birthday, Cassia decides to forget her troubles through an uncharacteristically impulsive weekend fling with Ellis—a 28-year-old landscape architect she meets by chance. He’s young, carefree, spontaneous, everything Daniel presumably isn’t. Their connection is immediate, undeniable, wildly sexy. Cassia knows he’s not her fated, but maybe that’s okay. Maybe she can have fun anyway. Then Ellis introduces her to his boss.

His boss is Daniel Nam. Cassia is torn between the security of stability with 42-year-old Daniel (her fated, the man she’s searched for a decade) and the excitement of spontaneity with carefree 28-year-old Ellis. As she battles between fate and chance, head and heart, a family secret is revealed that will make her question everything she’s ever known about fated matches, her family’s gift, and what love really means. Cassia will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate…or make her own.

The Plot/Key Appeal: Maurene Goo’s adult debut (known for acclaimed YA). Think In Five Years meets millennial The Joy Luck Club. Korean-American family magic woven throughout—matchmaking practices going back generations. The love triangle is genuinely compelling: Daniel represents security, the “right” choice, what she’s supposed to want. Ellis represents freedom, passion, choosing for herself. But Goo subverts expectations brilliantly. Cassia is 40, mature, independent woman running family business—refreshing protagonist. Family dynamics rich and textured: her mother’s expectations, generational pressures, cultural traditions vs. modern life. Los Angeles setting vibrant—food descriptions are luscious. Romance is steamy without being gratuitous. Questions asked: is true love fated? How much control do we have? Is there a “right” choice? What happens when destiny disappoints? Goo deftly weaves swoon-worthy story brimming with heart, doesn’t shy from tougher topics of grief (Cassia’s father died), but core is absolute delight. Library Journal starred review.

Why It’s Trending:

• Read with Jenna Pick February 2026!


• Released February 3, 2026 (yesterday).


• Jenna Bush Hager: “perfect book for February…you’ll read it in one sitting. About fate versus free will, love and commitment, mother and daughters.”


• Oprah Daily Most Anticipated.


• Town & Country Most Anticipated Romance.


• Goodreads New Red-Hot Romance.


• Harper’s Bazaar Most Anticipated.


• Rebecca Serle: “swoony, funny, romantic novel about fate, love, and the best food in Los Angeles.”


• Veronica Roth: “warm, lush, addictive story with just the right amount of magic.”


• Katherine Center: “meet my new favorite book!”

For fans of: Emily Henry, magical realism romance, Korean-American fiction, love triangles, food-centric novels, later-in-life romance, family business stories, fate vs. free will debates.

Book clubs will devour: discussions about soulmates (do you believe?), family expectations, cultural traditions, choosing passion vs. security, mother-daughter relationships, magical realism in romance.

Best friends Poppy and Alex take annual vacations together until a falling-out ends their tradition. Two years later, Poppy convinces Alex to take one last trip to fix their friendship—or finally risk something more.

Children’s book editor Lucy enters contest to win dream home on island with famous children’s author, facing challenges that force her to confront her past.

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago. When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart.

At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world while drowning in grief. But Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter of her life begins. Soon, the monthly books are encouraging her to cook, travel, and see a horizon beyond the pure grief she’s been living with.

As the bookstore becomes a second home, Alfie becomes a treasured friend. Some books remind Tilly of what brings her joy in life. Others push her to try new things. Each month brings new discoveries: about herself, about Joe, about what it means to keep living when you’ve lost everything. As the year unfolds and Tilly works through Joe’s carefully curated reading list, she must decide: will she remain frozen in grief, or can books—and maybe new love—help her move forward?

The Plot/Key Appeal: Cozy, uplifting, heartwarming read perfect for book lovers. Character-driven literary fiction where “nothing much happens apart from life, which of course is everything.” Libby Page’s signature wit makes ordinary moments shimmer. But underneath humor lies profound meditation on grief, moving on, finding yourself again after devastating loss. The bookshop setting is lovingly detailed—You’ve Got Mail vibes with independent bookshop as second home. Alfie the bookseller is swoon-worthy without being cliché. Tilly’s emotional journey portrayed with brutal honesty and tenderness. The 12 books Joe chose each serve specific purpose in Tilly’s healing—some comfort, some challenge, some inspire adventure. Page never gets preachy or maudlin; instead offers warm portrait of woman learning to live again. For readers who love: books about books, bookshop romances, grief journeys, second chances, found family.

Why It’s Trending:

• Released February 3, 2026 (yesterday!).


• Kirkus starred review: “perfect cozy read for book lovers, sure to break and heal hearts.”


• Library Journal starred review. Compared to: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (Abbi Waxman), Patti Callahan Henry praised.

For fans of: Nora Ephron, bookshop romances, grief with hope, cozy reads that also have emotional depth.

Book clubs will love: discussions about which books would you choose for grieving loved one? How do books heal us? Nature of love and loss. Perfect Valentine’s Day/cozy winter read. Predictable but comforting—readers know where it’s going but enjoy journey.

Struggling writer Lowen accepts job finishing bestselling author Verity’s series. In Verity’s home, she discovers an autobiography manuscript revealing dark, twisted secrets.

Petra Rose was once the bestselling author whose words “set the page on fire.” But viral backlash over her latest film adaptation forced her into hiatus—missed deadlines, overdue mortgage, writer’s block that won’t quit. Branded a fraud and fame-hungry opportunist, she learned the hard way what happens when the internet turns on you. She’s been uninspired to write ever since. Now, 18 months later, with her next suspense novel outlined and savings nearly gone, Petra retreats to a secluded lakeside cabin in the woods, hoping to find inspiration. It’s Petra’s last-ditch attempt to save her career—and herself.

Then he shows up. Middle of the night, knock on the door. Detective Nathaniel Saint arrives with disturbing news about a case, his presence igniting a creativity in her she thought long since burned out. He’s investigating something nearby. He resembles the dangerously attractive cop in the novel she’s trying to write. A real-life muse could be just what Petra needs to cure her writer’s block. It’s not every day that an author gets to live the life of one of her characters, and she would be a fool not to seize the opportunity. As their connection deepens and Detective Saint starts taking his role in her life too seriously, the lines between fiction and reality blur dangerously. Petra must confront her past mistakes and reclaim her own reputation—but the investigator may have other plans.

The Plot/Key Appeal: Colleen Hoover’s darkest book yet—possibly darker than Verity. Expanded from her 2020 novella “Saint” (published in anthology), this full-length novel adds new plot twists so readers who read the novella still get shocked.

Meta-fictional layers: book about author dealing with film adaptation backlash (mirrors Hoover’s own It Ends With Us controversy, though Hoover explicitly states in author’s note this is NOT about her life). Twisty psychological thriller with unreliable narrator. Detective Nathaniel Saint is “ruinous” character readers either love or hate. Sexual tension and suspense build to truly shocking revelation—Kirkus called it “builds to a truly shocking revelation.” Dark romance meets psychological thriller. For readers who loved Verity’s darkness and twisted relationships.

Why It’s Trending:

• Colleen Hoover’s first novel in 3+ years (since Too Late 2023).


• Released January 13, 2026.


• Announced exclusively on TODAY Show September 2025.


• Instant NYT Bestseller. “One of the darkest books I’ve written,” Hoover said.


• Expanded from 2020 novella with additional plot twists for fans.

Film adaptations of her other books coming:

• Regretting You (Oct 2025), Reminders of Him (March 2026), Verity (Oct 2026).


• Kirkus: “dark and twisty look at how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.”


• For CoHo fans who loved Verity, Too Late—darker edge.

Book clubs will debate: is Petra reliable narrator? What’s real vs. fiction? Meta commentary on author fame/backlash.