There is a true romance renaissance happening right now in the book world, and it is something to get excited over. Whether you’re a long-time reader of the genre or are just starting to get into romance after seeing recs on BookTok, you’re going to want to make space on your shelf for new faves. It’s hard to find the “perfect” book, but whether you’re looking for a sweet second-chance romance or the spiciest book of all time, 2023 is proving to be the year for romance lovers. And just like these characters, you’re gonna fall in love with all of these new picks.
Here are the best romance books of 2023.
‘Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute’ by Talia Hibbert
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In her YA debut, Talia Hibbert reunites two ex-BFFs who have to work together to come out on top in a survival course. The woods are not the only thing bringing them back together, but will they be able to work through their past, or will it all be too much?
Release date: January 3, 2023
‘Midnight Duet’ by Jen Comfort
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While the Phantom of the Opera might be closing on Broadway this year, this gender-bending modern retelling will make saying goodbye to the show a little bit easier thanks to all the fire between former diva Erika and rockstar Christof.
Release date: January 10, 2023
‘The Rom-Com Agenda’ by Jayne Denker
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You know that iconic rom-com trope where someone gets a makeover and suddenly their best friend falls in love with them? If you love that, then you’d better pick this book up because you’ll be obsessed with every page.
Release date: January 10, 2023
‘Exes and O’s’ by Amy Lea
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Hopeless romantic Tara wants to be in love, but everything she’s done until now hasn’t worked out. She enlists the help of her roommate, hot firefighter Trevor, to help her reconnect with her exes in order to see if a second-chance romance is what she’s been missing. With Tara and Trevor spending more time together than ever, well, let’s just say that love might actually have been closer than Tara thought.
Release date: January 10, 2023
‘A Long Time Coming’ by Meghan Quinn
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Meghan Quinn continues to be one of the best (and spiciest!) writers in the game with this brand new My Best Friend’s Wedding retelling that will have you reaching for some water…and maybe some other things as you read.
Release date: January 10, 2023
‘Lunar Love’ by Lauren Kung Jessen
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Olivia Huang Christenson is ready to take over her family’s matchmaking business, which uses the Chinese zodiac to find a person’s perfect match. But when an app comes out using the system for all the wrong reasons, she makes a deal with its creator to help each other find a match. The first to fall in love loses. No one said what would happen if they happen to fall for each other though….
Release date: January 10, 2023
‘A Love by Design’ by Elizabeth Everett
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Margaret Gault wants to start the first women-owned engineering firm in London. But being a female scientist in the 1800s is very difficult, especially when the men of London are the ones she needs to ask for money to get her started. And one of them is none other than George Willis, the one man she can’t forgive. When his nemesis is the person who seems to give Margaret the chance she’s been looking for, George has to find some way to charm the woman he’s always been in love with, even if she doesn’t want anything to do with him.
Release date: January 17, 2023
‘The Reunion’ by Kayla Olson
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Twenty years after her show ended, Liv is ready to reunite with her fellow cast members in a reunion special. When she meets up again with her former co-star/ex-BFF Ransom Joel, it feels like all the puzzle pieces are falling back into place. As the cameras turn on and old memories come out, this reunion might not stay as sweet as they thought.
Release date: January 17, 2023
‘The Davenports’ by Krystal Marquis
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Inspired by the real-life Patterson family, meet the Davenports, one of the few wealthy Black families in the United States in the early 1900s. Davenport siblings Olivia, John, and Helen are ready to fall in love, but it’s not that easy when your family and society have certain expectations about your future…and your heart has others.
Release date: January 31, 2023
‘Secretly Yours’ by Tessa Bailey
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Who wouldn’t want to reconnect with a lost love at a vineyard, but while that may not be happening to us any time soon (or maybe it will?!), at least we can live vicariously through Hallie and Julien’s “opposites attract” story.
Release date: February 7, 2023
‘Not the Plan’ by Gia de Cadenet
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Isadora and Karim work for rival senators, but little do they know they actually have a lot in common, especially when Isadora finds out that Karim actually doesn’t entirely agree with his boss’ policies. But there’s more than just their hearts on the line, there’s also an entire political campaign. Can they focus on their jobs or will romance complicate matters?
Release date: February 7, 2023
‘Radiant Sin’ by Katee Robert
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The Dark Olympus series continues to mesmerize us with another Greek mythology retelling, this time featuring Apollo and Cassandra. For one week, they decide to start a fake relationship as Apollo goes undercover at a party with some of Olympus’ most powerful legends.
‘Just My Type’ by Falon Ballard
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Lana Parker is the perfect girlfriend and dating writer. But after another breakup with a long-term BF, Lana decides to stay single for once and write about it. When one of her exes gets a job at the site she works at, they are pitted against each other for a dream opportunity. She needs to stay single in order to get it, but there are unresolved feelings between her and her new co-worker…what happens when love and your job go against each other?
Release date: February 7, 2023
‘Take the Lead’ by Alexis Daria
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Alexis’s beloved debut novel gets an exciting update in this re-release that features updated text and the very spicy story of a dance coach and her partner in a Dancing With the Stars-like competition.
Release date: February 14, 2023
Via Cosmopolitan US