Best Romance Novels to Read in 2023: PEOPLE Editors' Picks

01 of 14

'The American Roommate Experiment' by Elena Armas

14 romance books to read for Valentine's Day — courtesy amazon

The follow-up to Armas' The Spanish Love Deception sees Rosie Graham ditch her well-paying job to secretly pursue a career as a romance writer. When she needs a place to stay, Rosie figures she can crash at her pal Lina's until she returns to town. What she doesn't know is that Lina already promised her apartment to Lucas, a cousin of Lina's that Rosie has a bit of a crush on, based solely on his Instagram feed. Lucas offers to help cure Rosie's writer's block by going on a series of unconventional dates to inspire ideas for her book — but of course, it leads to notions that are more than merely literary.

02 of 14

'Bet On It' by Jodie Slaughter

Bet On It might just be the sexiest book about bingo ever. Walker Abbott returns to his small South Carolina hometown to take care of his ailing grandma, while Aja Owens moves to Greenbelt, S.C. in hopes of leading a quieter life. Walker can't wait until his grandmother recovers so he can leave Greenbelt, but meeting Aja complicates those thoughts. Walker and Aja first run into each other while Aja is mid-panic attack at the Piggly Wiggly, and then again via Aja's favorite bingo buddy. They make a bingo-based sex pact that sees their friendship blossom from enjoying peach cobbler together into a steamy Southern romance.

03 of 14

'The Charm Offensive' by Alison Cochrun

Dev Deshpande produces Ever After, a fictional reality show similar to The Bachelor. He believes in fairytale love and finding his Prince Charming. But this season's new lead, tech exec Charlie Winshaw, only came on the show to salvage his career and can barely form a sentence around his suitors. Dev agrees to help Charlie practice his dating skills offscreen so that Charlie can stand a chance at finding love — or at the very least, fake it for Ever After's ratings. Both men address mental health issues along the way and Dev ends up doing his job almost too well, as Charlie has a major realization that turns his journey into truly the most dramatic season yet. Two people do end up falling in love, just not the two Dev or Charlie expected when the season started.

04 of 14

'Dating Dr. Dil' by Nisha Sharma

Kareena Mann's dad offers her a deal: secure a fiancé in four months, and he'll let her have her mother's house rather than put it on the market. But Kareena has no interest in dating and her prospects only plummet when her argument with Dr. Prem Verma, host of The Dr. Dil Show, goes viral. Meanwhile, Prem's potential donors for the clinic he wants to build vanish in the wake of his online controversy. So Kareena's overbearing aunties make him an offer: They'll give him the money for his clinic if he can get Kareena to believe they're meant to be together. What starts out as scheme to get what they want gives Kareena and Prem more than they could ever imagine.

05 of 14

'Donut Fall in Love' by Jackie Lau

Things between bakery owner Lindsay McLeod and actor Ryan Kwak get off to a sticky start when he knocks over two dozen specialty donuts the first time he enters her shop. Ryan realizes he could use Lindsay's help, though, to prep for a celebrity baking show he'll be appearing on, and Lindsay reluctantly agrees to give him lessons. As Ryan's baking abilities improve, his relationship with Lindsay heats up outside of the kitchen, too. But the couple needs to navigate the pressure of being in a public (Ryan's abs have their own Twitter hashtag!) and often long-distance relationship in order to perfect the recipe of their love. If you do fall in love with this one, check out Lau's newly-released sequel, The Stand-Up Groomsman.

06 of 14

'D'Vaughn and Kristen Plan a Wedding' by Chencia C. Higgins

D'Vaughn Miller and Kris Zavala go on reality show Instant I Do in hopes of winning the $100,000 prize by convincing their friends and family that they're engaged and plan to tie the knot in a matter of weeks. Although the show paired them together, Kris and D'Vaughn's chemistry means they don't have to do much acting. Shy D'Vaughn and outgoing influencer Kris find themselves stealing kisses even away from the cameras, but blurring the lines of real and pretend feelings threatens to derail the ladies even before they make it to the altar, which would mean no grand prize — money or love.

07 of 14

'The Fastest Way to Fall' by Denise Williams

Britta Colby signs up for the body positive FitMi app as for an assignment at the women's lifestyle website where she works (and hopes to get promoted). The app only offers virtual fitness and health guidance, but Britta and her trainer Wes Lawson — the app's CEO, unbeknownst to her — decide to escalate their flirty online banter to IRL training. Wes relishes putting aside the business demands of running a company to reconnect with coaching, and Britta enjoys seeing the progress she makes on her health and fitness journey, while also accepting the occasional setback. Wes and Britta know their relationship extends beyond running tips and meal swaps, even though transitioning from coach and trainee to boyfriend and girlfriend would put both of their jobs (and their hearts) at risk.

08 of 14

'Honestly, I'm Totally Faking It' by Amanda Gambill

Always-optimistic Rach feels content with her life working as an assistant to personal assistants and crashing on her ex-boyfriend's couch — until she starts working for aspiring politician and full-blown grump Pres. After Rach accidentally flashes millions of people on live TV in what the internet deems "Boobgate," Pres claims she's his girlfriend — because why would a woman besides his significant other be walking around his apartment naked? Rach actually enjoys spending time with Pres, although she fears that he wouldn't actually like her if he knew about her secret past.

09 of 14

'It Had to Be You' by Georgia Clark

Liv and Eliot Goldenhorn have been running a Brooklyn-based wedding planning business for two decades. When Eliot dies suddenly, Liv finds out he left his half of their company to his mistress, 20-something Savannah. Now Liv has to find a way to work with her late husband's girlfriend. As Savannah steps into the new role and discovers New York City, new friends, clients and lovers enter the unlikely duo's orbit, turning the plot into a Love Actually-style story that also tackles discussions of racism, politics, privilege and unhealthy relationships in a thoughtful way. It Had to Be You encompasses friends-to-lovers, fake dating and romance-after-divorce storylines, creating a truly diverse celebration of love.

10 of 14

'Nora Goes Off Script' by Annabel Monaghan

Divorced mom of two Nora Hamilton stays afloat by writing sugary sweet made-for-TV romance movies. But when she turns her heartbreak into a script, it becomes a major motion picture starring Hollywood leading man Leo Vance. Nora connects with Leo when they shoot a portion of the movie at her country home outside New York City, and Leo loves life in small-town NY so much that he wants to stick around after filming wraps — and he'll pay Nora for his stay. Nora takes the deal, and ends up receiving more than just a paycheck from Leo. However, Nora doesn't know if their newfound romance will survive when Leo returns to his movie star career and she deals with a drop-in from her flaky ex-husband.

11 of 14

'The No-Show' by Beth O'Leary

This romantic mystery takes place on Valentine's Day, when Siobhan, Miranda and Jane have been stood up for a date. Little do they know they've all been ditched by the same man. We get to know Joseph Carter through each woman and learn that there may be more to the story than him just being a lying two- (well, three-) timer. Not your typical fluffy rom-com, The No-Show hits on topics like self-harm, miscarriage and sexual harassment and delivers a major twist.

12 of 14

'Pride and Protest' by Nikki Payne

A Valentine's Day list wouldn't be complete without a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. In this fresh version, deejay Liza B. wants to stop a property developer from building condos all over her Washington, D.C. neighborhood. She goes to a corporate gala to protest the takeover and meets the company's CEO Dorsey Fitzgerald, whom Liza mistakes for waitstaff. They get into it in — and then get stranded thanks to a snowstorm. Despite fighting for competing goals, Liz and Dorsey have a strong attraction that reaches a boiling point during this enemies-to-lovers tale.

13 of 14

'Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake' by Alexis Hall

Bisexual single mom Rosaline Palmer gets out of her comfort zone and decides to compete on a British baking show (think: a fictionalized Great British Bakeoff) in hopes of winning the prize money to give her daughter a better life. A travel mishap on the way to filming leads her to meet fellow competitor, Alain Pope. She starts up a showmance with the suave, well-educated architect, and Rosaline's hard-to-please parents approve. However, Rosaline also begins to connect with another contestant, shy electrician Harry Dobson, putting Rosie in a love triangle that proves just as challenging a baking a trifle in 90 minutes. Come for the romance, stay for the heroine's journey of self-discovery and the mouth-watering sweets she bakes.

14 of 14

'Seven Days in June' by Tia Williams

This Reese Witherspoon book club pick follows single mom and erotica writer Eva Mercy and introverted novelist Shane Hall. Fifteen years after they spent one passionate week together as teenagers, Eva and Shane run into each other at a literary event in New York City and pretend not to know one another. Although they haven't seen each other or stayed in touch, Eva and Shane have communicated in their own way through their work. Now, they have another week to reconnect — and address some unfinished business. The complex characters and Williams' compelling storytelling make this second chance at love one of the best contemporary romance novels in recent years.