01of 14
courtesy amazon
02of 14
Bet On Itmight 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.
03of 14
Dev Deshpande producesEver After, a fictional reality show similar toThe 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 forEver 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.
04of 14
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 ofThe 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.
05of 14
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 youdofall in love with this one, check out Lau’s newly-released sequel,The Stand-Up Groomsman.
06of 14
07of 14
08of 14
09of 14
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 aLove Actually-style story that also tackles discussions of racism, politics, privilege and unhealthy relationships in a thoughtful way.It Had to Be Youencompasses friends-to-lovers, fake dating and romance-after-divorce storylines, creating a truly diverse celebration of love.
10of 14
11of 14
12of 14
A Valentine’s Day list wouldn’t be complete without a modern retelling of Jane Austen’sPride 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.
13of 14
Bisexual single mom Rosaline Palmer gets out of her comfort zone and decides to compete on a British baking show (think: a fictionalizedGreat 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.
14of 14
This Reese Witherspoon book club pickfollows 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.
source: people.com
