Books

A beginner’s guide to the romance genre, according to local booksellers

We asked three romance booksellers what they recommend for newbies to the genre.

The Romance novel section at the front of the store at Porter Square Books. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)

July 22, 2024

There was a time romance novels were tucked away in the back of bookstores and read self-consciously as a guilty pleasure, but with romance writers topping best-seller lists in recent years, a new appetite and readership has emerged from the shadows.

The books are so popular, in fact, that a wave of bookstores dedicated to the genre have sprung up across the nation, including here in Boston. The new shops offer novice and veteran romance readers a space to find community and their next great read.

For newbies to the genre, it might feel overwhelming, with so many books, authors, and sub-genres to choose from. So, we talked to three romance booksellers on what they recommend for those just dipping their toes into the genre.

With so many options to choose from, they made it easier to dive in by centering their recommendations around titles and themes you might already be interested in.

Below, find our bookseller-recommended romance genre starter pack.

If you like contemporary romance:

“Funny Story” by Emily Henry

“Emily Henry is the queen of romance. She’s on all the best seller lists, and for good reason. Her writing is so good, it’s so accessible and relatable. I always tell people to start with ‘Funny Story,’ which is her recent one, or ‘Beach Read.’ They’re accessible, they’re steamy (but not so much that you would be shocked if you were completely new to the genre) and have really relatable female characters, really rich storylines. You can’t go wrong with Emily Henry.” – Rachel Kanter, owner, Lovestruck Books

“The Paradise Problem” by Christina Lauren

“Christina Lauren is two women who are writing partners (Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings) published under the name ‘Christina Lauren.’ Their new one, ‘The Paradise Problem’ is a phenomenal beach read. These two people get married in grad school so that they can have shared housing, and they never get around to getting divorced. Turns out the guy is a millionaire and there’s a stipulation in his inheritance clause that he has to be married in order to get his inheritance. So he asked this woman, who’s a stranger, to go on vacation with him and his family to prove that they’re married. Obviously, hijinks ensue. They fall in love.” – Rachel Kanter, owner, Lovestruck Books

“Neon Gods” (Dark Olympus, #1) by Katee Robert

“This is a Greek myth retelling. It’s the story of Hades and Persephone, but it takes place in a nightclub. It’s super sexy and super fun. I recommend this to all of my friends that I want to slightly scandalize.” – Rachel Kanter, owner, Lovestruck Books

“Practical Magic” by Alice Hoffman

“‘Practical Magic’ sort of blurs the line between romance and women’s fiction. It has a central love story, and has a happy ending, but has multiple other storylines too. It has beautiful, rich prose, it’s just so good.” – Rachel Kanter, owner, Lovestruck Books

“Hook, Line, and Sinker” (Bellinger Sisters, #2) by Tessa Bailey

“This is like a Schitts Creek style, grumpy-sunshine trope, small town. It’s a story about a woman who leaves LA and meets the sexy fisherman, and they fall in love. It’s great.” – Rachel Kanter, owner, Lovestruck Books

“Sex, Lies and Sensibility” by Nikki Payne

“This book is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ Nikki Kane is doing something really interesting, where she’s recasting the main characters often as people of color. And she’s playing around with the sort of classic storylines, but also recasting them in contemporary settings. She is doing it really, really well and it’s exciting to just see a story about people from diverse backgrounds on the bestseller charts in the romance category.” – Rachel Kanter, owner, Lovestruck Books

If you like “Bridgerton” and other historical romances:

“A Rogue of One’s Own” by Evie Dunmore

“Dunmore plays a lot with women’s power in ‘A Rogue of One’s Own.’ The main character is a suffragette, so it deals with her fighting for rights, and she plays with a lot of the historical issues of the time by showing the character subverting them in really cool ways. [Dunmore’s books] have a more contemporary feel that some people who are just dipping their toes into historicals might find more appealing.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

“The Duchess Deal” by Tessa Dare

“People who love banter and are looking for historicals, Tessa Dare is amazing for that. Her dialogue is so snappy, so fun, and she also has a lot of unconventional female characters who are strong and are going off and doing adventures. And she has really great pacing.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

“Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord” by Sarah MacLean

“If you like the Keira Knightley version of ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ but thought that [Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy] should have banged in the statue gallery, then this is the book for you. Her heroine is really headstrong and is really just trying to help everybody, and the hero has no idea what he’s getting into and is just sort of captivated by her.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

“Destiny’s Captive” (Book #3 in the Destiny Trilogy) by Beverly Jenkins

“The really fun thing is that it’s got a piratical element to it. The male main character is like, ‘I don’t need to get married, I just need to ride the seas.’ And then he finds himself physically tied to a bed by a woman, and he’s like, ‘Oh my god, she’s amazing.’ She is actually descended from pirates, and she steals his ship and it’s just so great. It’s a wild ride and so much fun.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

“The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes” by Cat Sebastian

“I really liked ‘The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes’ because I feel like we don’t see enough bisexual characters in romance, and I really like seeing that in a historical setting.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

“We Could Be So Good” by Cat Sebastian

“That one came out last year, and the cool thing about that one that I think will draw people in, is it was actually among The New York Times’ top 100 books last year. Someone on staff said that the book felt like a hug, and the book was one of their favorite books they had read in years.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

“Red, White & Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston

“McQuiston is big on online, on Tik Tok and things like that. For a lot of people, ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ has been a favorite for a lot of people.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

“The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows” by Olivia Waite

“I think having slightly older heroines is a lot of fun. And also one of them is a beekeeper, which is a little bit different and a little bit fun. I like that one a lot, because I feel like we don’t get to see a lot of slightly older characters, and the freedoms they got historically when they were a widow. So I think that’s a fun take on it.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

“The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen” by K.J. Charles

“It’s good, quiet, sweet, and filled with hijinks.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith

If you like “Star Wars” and sci-fi epics:

“Junker Seven” by Olive J. Kelley

“I’m a huge ‘Star Wars’ fan. I love space operas with political intrigue, tension and drama. ‘Junker Seven’ by Olive J. Kelley is a sci-fi epic romance with a disabled, non-binary main character. They’re trying to survive in this galaxy that is extremely hostile to queer people until they get the job offer of a lifetime: Smuggling transgender activist Juno Marcus to safety.” – Hannah Barrett, co-owner, Read My Lips Boston

“Winter’s Orbit” by Everina Maxwell

“This is another great space opera romance with some mystery elements: A prince is forced to marry a count who just lost his husband, and the count is also a suspect in his husband’s murder! I think this is an awesome example of genre-blending for sci-fi readers interested in trying a romance.” – Hannah Barrett, co-owner, Read My Lips Boston

If you love Halloween (or Summerween):

“Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas

“This queer paranormal YA romance centers on a trans teenager who falls in love with the ghost of the bad boy from his high school. It’s so swoony and has perfect Summerween vibes!” – Lily Barrett, co-owner, Read My Lips Boston

“Witch of Wild Things” by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

“‘Witch of the Wild Things’ is witchy, emotional, and perfect for autumn. Easily my favorite book of the past year.” – Lily Barrett, co-owner, Read My Lips Boston

If you love a good mystery:

“Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts” by Kate Racculia

“A romance-adjacent mystery featuring a citywide treasure hunt with ghosts! It’s set in Boston, and the female main character is kind of like a grown-up Wednesday Addams, which is amazing.” – Hannah and Lily Barrett, co-owners, Read My Lips Boston

“It’s Elementary” by Elise Bryant

“One of the few Black parents at a California elementary school, single mom Mavis gets volun-told to head up the PTA’s new DEI committee. When the school principal goes missing, she gets on the case with the help of the school’s cute guidance counselor. Fun and suspenseful!” – Hannah and Lily Barrett, co-owners, Read My Lips Boston

If your MBTA commute could use a little more magic:

“One Last Stop” by Casey McQuiston

“A gorgeous sapphic romance for people who love magical realism stories. During her daily commute on New York’s Q train, August encounters Jane, who is unlike anyone else she’s ever met. One reason why? Jane is literally displaced in time from the 1970s. Casey McQuiston’s books are always a winner, and this one is basically a love letter to the NYC subway.”– Hannah and Lily Barrett, co-owners, Read My Lips Boston

“A Love Song for Ricki Wilde” by Tia Williams

“This book is one of our favorites! Think magical realism, time travel, and a love letter to Harlem over 100 years, plus some references to our favorite characters from Seven Days in June.” – Hannah and Lily Barrett, co-owners, Read My Lips Boston

If you work in STEM:

“The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood

“Hazelwood’s recent one, ‘Not in Love,’ is really great, but I always recommend ‘The Love Hypothesis’ as the first one to start with. Her tagline, or her trope, is called ‘stemism.’ It’s like feminism, but for women in STEM.” – Rachel Kanter, owner, Lovestruck Books

“Honey Girl” by Morgan Rogers

“A lovely sapphic one night stand turns into something more – a trope we love! Grace just got her astronomy PhD but feels unmoored. Moving in with Yuki and subsequently falling in love gives her an escape from figuring out what’s next. What will happen when she has to confront her fears about the future? Heartwarming, relatable, and beautifully written!” – Hannah and Lily Barrett, co-owners, Read My Lips Boston

“Spoiler Alert” by Olivia Dade

“The female main character is a geologist who loves cosplay and writing body-positive fics for her favorite TV series. She’s crushing on a close friend in her fandom, but she’s never met them in real life. What happens when he turns out to be the star of the very show she loves to write about? I fell in love with the characters, the way Dade showed the ups and downs of fandom culture (especially online), and the hidden identity trope and celebrity romance!” – Lily Barrett, co-owner, Read My Lips Boston

If you love sports romance:

“Only When It’s Us” by Chloe Liese

“We love Chloe Liese; Her books have amazing disability representation. This particular book of hers features a male main character with hearing loss — a disability both of us share — and his badass love interest is a soccer star! Highly recommend.” – Hannah and Lily Barrett, co-owners, Read My Lips Boston

“The Long Game” by Elena Armas

“In this story, a disgraced soccer executive finds herself banished to a small town, where she has to team up with a hot retired soccer player to redeem herself to her company. Such a fun small town romance with a sporty twist!” – Hannah and Lily Barrett, co-owners, Read My Lips Boston

“Cleat Cute” by Meryl Wilsner

“I recommended this to my husband, who’s not a big romance reader. It’s sapphic, has neurodivergence representation, and centers on two characters playing soccer for the National Women’s Soccer League. He’s a big WSL fan and he’s very excited about the soccer stadium that’s being built in Everett.” – Lily Barrett, co-owner, Read My Lips Boston

“Behind the Net” by Stephanie Archer – Amy Brabenec

“You get the sports aspect of it, and it’s not a side plot, which I like a lot. Sometimes with certain sports romances, the sport is not important, but it is in this one. And it is important to what their dynamic is, but it’s also just fun.” – Amy Brabenec, romance section curator, Brookline Booksmith