5 rom-com books from 2023 to cosy up with this season

We don’t know about you, but it’s something about the drop in temperature and the holiday season in the offing that makes us want to cuddle up on the couch with a romantic book that will give us all the warm, fuzzy feels. And while intense fantasies and thrillers have their place on our bookshelves, we find ourselves gravitating towards the rom-com genre this season. And thankfully, there’s no dearth of new books in this genre; so find yourself a comfortable spot and start reading! Bonus points if you use this as an opportunity to spend some quality time with your partner and have a reading date. 

Happy Place by Emily Henry

If you’re an avid fan of the rom-com genre, chances are you’ve read an Emily Henry book. From Beach Read to Book Lovers, she’s known for her highly addictive storylines that explore different aspects of relationships and dating. Her latest, Happy Place, has multiple tropes in one—fake dating, forced proximity, and exes to lovers. Harriet and Wyn have broken up, but haven’t broken the truth to their friend group. So when they have to go for their annual friend getaway in Maine, they have to pretend that they’re still together. 

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Novelist Ali Hazelwood is known for her enemies-to-lovers plots, and her latest follows the exciting life of Elsie Hannaway, who is a theoretical physicist by day and a fake girlfriend to high-end clients by night. Her secret is about to be revealed when the brother of one of her clients turns out to be her work nemesis, Jack Smith, who’s in charge at MIT, her dream job. But, as they get to know each other, Hannaway gets to see a different side of Smith, and soon, romance ensues.

Wildfire by Hannah Grace

If you’ve read Hannah Grace’s internet-famous book Icebreaker, then you’ll love her latest in the Maple Hills series called Wildfire. It revolves around the fiery and intense relationship between students Aurora and Russ, who have a steamy one-night stand after the end of the semester, expecting to never see each other again. But when they end up bumping into each other as camp counsellors at summer camp, they can’t deny the chemistry between them, even if the camp has strict rules against counsellors getting together.

Love at 350 by Lisa Peers

Food and love come together in this rom-com where high school teacher, Tori Moore enters a baking competition to fulfill her dream of becoming a top-notch baker. There she comes face to face with celebrity judge Kendra Campbell, who’s known for her sharp criticism. But this is a romance book, so when the two meet, sparks fly, and Moore finds herself head over heels with Campbell. But will Moore be able to juggle new-found love and all its excitement with the level-headedness required to win? 

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Most romantic comedy plots revolve around a famous female star falling in love with a normal man (Notting Hill, anyone?) and Curtis Sittenfeld uses her book to challenge these gender norms by flipping the storyline. In Romantic Comedy, Sally Milz, a sketch writer at a late-night comedy show, finds that her co-worker is dating a celebrity actor guest, which makes her question the gender differences in dating and relationships. Her view is about to change when Noah Brewster, a pop star notorious for his playboy habits, attends one of her shows and they hit it off instantly.