Love is in the air and reading on our minds as Valentine’s Day approaches.
The season of love is by far the best time to check out the latest romance reads, and this year’s roster does not disappoint. Get ready to fall in love with a grumpy plant store owner, a match-making librarian, and the host of a romance hotline with our list of swoon-worthy rom-com delights arriving on shelves this February.
In order of release date, here are 6 rom-com novels to fall for this February:
1. An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon — February 1
An Overdue Match follows a down-on-her-luck Librarian who puts her knowledge of romance novels to the test when she starts a match-making scheme to help patrons find love connections.
When a tattoo artist discovers her secret, he offers his help in exchange for a date with her in hopes their missed connection can blossom into a love story for the books.
Book Description:
If the covers of every romance book ever published hadn’t convinced librarian Evangeline Kelly that she isn’t heroine material, her fiancé calling off their wedding when she lost her hair to alopecia did. But what’s a girl head over heels for love to do when her feelings are unrequited? Matchmake, that’s what. Armed with library patrons’ check-out histories, she’s determined to make at least one love connection—even if it’s not her own.
Tattoo artist Tai Davis is used to people judging him with a single glance, so it doesn’t surprise him when the town’s quirky new librarian does the same thing and believes his bad-boy reputation without giving him a chance. He can’t help being intrigued by her, though, so when he discovers Evangeline’s secret matchmaking scheme, he’s not above striking a bargain with her.
She just has to agree to one date with him for every time she uses his hometown knowledge to set up library patrons on a romantic rendezvous. The deal is made, but in the process, they both might learn you can’t judge a book—or each other—by the cover.
2. Can’t Help Faking in Love by Swati Hegde — February 11
Harsha is determined to escape her family’s Bollywood business wealth, but when something threatens her new life, she turns to her trust fund to pay for a fake life — and a fake boyfriend.
Veer, her favourite barista, is in financial need and sees the offer to be a fake boyfriend for a weekend wedding as an easy cash-in. Of course, as the two work side by side, they develop more than a transactional business relationship.
Book Description:
Harsha Godbole has never felt love from her family, but she’s always been surrounded by their Bollywood business mogul wealth. Now back in Bangalore after studying in America, Harsha is ready to start her adult life without their money. But that becomes impossible when everything she’s worked so hard for comes crumbling down. Fearful of showing up to her cousin’s upcoming wedding as a failure—and worse, a single failure—Harsha decides to put her trust fund to good use . . .
Veer Kannan does everything for his family. He even gave up his dreams of becoming a Bollywood star to get a more consistent gig . . . although working as a barista wasn’t really the big break he was hoping for. It’s a humble life, but a happy one, nonetheless. Then financial aid falls through for his brother’s first year in business school, so now Veer needs to come up with a large sum of money, and fast.
Harsha’s outlandish plan to hire her favorite barista as her fake boyfriend for the weekend-long wedding bash is received surprisingly well by Veer, who hopes this will be his ticket to Bollywood. But Harsha and Veer get way more than they bargained for in this heartwarming journey to finding unexpected love and courage.
3. First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison — February 11
Baltimore’s romance hotline hits hard times as its host falls out of love with love. That is until a little girl calls asking for Aiden to help her mom get back into the dating scene.
As the internet becomes infatuated with the exchange, the radio station looks to capitalize on finding Lucie Stone her happily ever after. But only the two people sharing a hotline will get to decide how this call ends.
Book Description:
Aiden Valentine has a secret: he’s fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, that’s a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.
Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she’s as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending… even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.
4. Cooper Bailey Is A Cinnamon Roll by Jen Atkinson — February 11
A cinnamon roll shop and a cinnamon roll of a man? Sign us up for this sweet rom-com that follows a baker determined to put her mistakes with love on the back burner.
Meanwhile, Cooper Bailey is determined to prove himself worthy of Leah’s time, one cinnamon roll at a time.
Book Description:
Leah Bradford’s never been a fan of the spotlight—not years ago at her high school prom and definitely not now with the drama her ex-boyfriend is causing. Running her cinnamon roll shop is all she needs, thank you very much.
Cooper Bailey’s had it all — looks, brains, an ideal life. But one career-defining case gone wrong and that favored life is spiraling. He’s back home and determined to do better. He’ll be a helpful son, a dependable brother, and the best uncle ever, all while clawing his way back to a respectful place in his career.
Enter Leah. She’d rather run a marathon in high heels than be in the same room as Cooper Bailey. One problem–she’s broke with an idiot ex who happens to be suing her. Cooper is willing to take payment in sweet rolls — that is if he can convince her to take a chance on him.
5. A New Leaf by Samm Wilde — February 11
A New Leaf explores grief and loss through an uplifting, romantic lens. Charlie unexpectedly finds herself looking after her late parent’s beloved plant store despite having no clue how to run the business, let alone care for all those plants.
Finn moves home with hopes of opening a coffee shop but instead finds himself head over heels for the owner of the plant store after a disastrous dog-led meet cute.
Book Description:
Charlie — Returning to my hometown was never part of my plan. Suddenly, I find myself back where I grew up and taking over my late parents’ beloved plant store. With a permanent scowl and zero customer service skills, I have no idea how to run a business—or keep plants alive. One night, a wild dog crashes into my store, creating an absolute mess in his path. The owner? Confident, charismatic, and utterly captivating. He’s determined to break down my carefully constructed walls one brick at a time.
Finn — Burnt out, exhausted, and a bit directionless, no one warned me that moving forward could feel like moving backward. After leaving my stressful corporate job, I packed up my life and returned to my home state of Oregon, eagerly chasing my dream of opening a coffee shop. One night, my overly energetic dog barrels into a quaint plant store, causing a complete disaster. The owner? Grouchy, gorgeous, and guarded. She’s exactly what I’ve been searching for all along.
6. You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon — February 18
A sorority girl turned aspiring writer finds herself struggling to fit in at the prestigious MFA program she was accepted into. To make matters worse, her former high school crush, who criticized her work, is in the same programme.
These enemies to lovers go head to head for the same fellowship, incorporating their secret feelings for each other into their writing.
Book Description:
No one’s more surprised than Leigh when a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina accepts her. A former sorority girl, Leigh’s the first to admit she knows more about the lyrics of Taylor Swift than T.S. Eliot, and she’s never been able to shake the “all-style-no-substance” feedback her high school crush made in their poetry workshop.
Bad enough that her tattooed, New Yorker tote bag-carrying classmates have read all the right authors and been published in the country’s leading literary journals, Leigh’s insecurities become all too real when Will, that same high school crush-turned-nemesis, shows up at orientation as a first-year in the program, too. And now, he’s William, exactly the kind of writer Leigh hates, complete with his pretentious sweater vests and tattered Moleskine.
Leigh’s determined to prove herself—and William—wrong by landing the program’s highly-coveted fellowship. But Will’s dead-set on it, too, and in a small cohort, they can’t keep apart for long. When Will submits an intimate poem (that’s maybe, probably, definitely about Leigh) to workshop, they’re both forced to realize there’s more to the other than what’s on the page. And what’s between the lines may be even more interesting.
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What will you be reading in February? Share your picks in the comments below!
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Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a writer from Canada. She credits her passion for TV and film to superheroes, workplace comedies, cheesy holiday movies, and coming-of-age stories.
