11 Book Influencers Reveal Their Favorite Romance Read for Valentines Day (Exclusive)

Booktok and Bookstagram romance experts have a book for every trope, pairing and type. Cuddle up with these hot reads this holiday

MarkZuckerberg

Feb 9, 2025 - 09:40

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11 Book Influencers Reveal Their Favorite Romance Read for Valentines Day (Exclusive)

Booktok and Bookstagram romance experts have a book for every trope, pairing and type. Cuddle up with these hot reads this holiday

Amazon 'A Little Kissing Between Friends' by Chencia C. Higgins; 'The Favorites' by Layne Fargo; 'Lost and Lassoed' by Lyla Sage

Valentine’s Day is upon us, ‘tis the season for cuddling up with your favorite romance books!

There’s a reason we still read Romeo and Juliet hundreds of years later. Love stories allow us to experience the thrill of new beginnings, the ache of longing and the beauty of connection, all without having to leave our favorite spots on the couch. There’s nothing like a good romance book to remind you that whether or not you’ve found them yet, there’s someone out there who will even “love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. Love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich.” A great romance book will have even the most cynical of Valentine’s Day grinches believing in love all over again.

But with so many to choose from, where do you even start? To help ensure you don’t waste your romance reading time on a bunch of duds (especially if your real-life romance tend to go that way) we turned to the experts: book influencers. Below, 11 book influencers reveal their all-time favorite romance book — the ones they return to time and time again with stories and characters that linger long after the final page.

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So, grab a cocktail (or mocktail), clear some space on your TBR, and prepare to fall in love with these must-read romances. Note: we are not responsible for any unrealistic expectations that may arise as a result of reading these books.

Haley Pham loves 'The Rom-Commers' by Katherine Center

Amazon 'The Rom-Commers' by Katherine Center

The Rom-Commers took my heart on a rollercoaster and I want to ride it again. Katherine Center writes real-world stakes with a funny, lighthearted hand. So, if you want to read about a girl’s dreams coming true, two writers going from enemies to lovers, and over-the-top, swoon-worthy declarations of love, this is the perfect book for you!

Clara of @ColorMeLoverly and Hmm That’s Interesting loves 'We Could Be So Good' by Cat Sebastian

Amazon 'We Could Be So Good' by Cat Sebastian

I read a fair amount of romance novels and I'm as embarrassingly devoted to Emily Henry as the next girl, but last year I read Cat Sebastian's We Could Be So Good at a particularly fraught time in my life, and I fell in love. Sebastian is marvelous, and this queer historical romance set in 1950s New York was so warm, loving and tender, it made me sigh in equal degrees of fondness and wistfulness as I turned each page. Don't miss it!

Dawnshaeé IntroToEclectisc loves 'A Little Kissing Between Friends' by Chencia C. Higgins

Amazon 'A Little Kissing Between Friends' by Chencia C. Higgins

I laughed the entire way through and crushed so hard on these two main characters. The budding romance between two friends — one in the music industry and the other an exotic dancer — made for a cute premise with two very compatible and likable personalities … It was so easy to root for them to move out of the friend zone. Not to mention the steamy scenes were written with so much passion! I love sapphic romances, and this one is without a doubt a forever favorite.

Eli Rallo, author of 'I Didn’t Know I Needed This' loves 'Seven Days in June' by Tia Williams

Amazon 'Seven Days in June' by Tia Williams

I love this book so much because while it centers around a romantic connection, it’s actually about so much more. It really explores defying the odds while living with debilitating disability, single motherhood and more. I think it’s truly the perfect combination of romance, literature and erotica. The prose is sensational and the story is riveting.

Betty Cayouette @BettysBookList and author of 'One Last Shot' loves 'The Favorites' by Layne Fargo

The Favorites by Layne Fargo is one of the most heart-wrenching, epic and passionate romances I’ve read in quite some time. It follows a pair of elite ice dancers throughout their career, as they rely on the sport and each other to escape their turbulent home lives. I flew through it in a weekend because I couldn’t get enough of their once-in-a-lifetime chemistry, and I already wish I could read it again for the first time.

Jordan Moblo of Jordy’s Book Club loves 'The Kiss Quotient' by Helen Hoang

Amazon 'The Kiss Quotient' by Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient is sweet and sexy book that is part Pretty Woman, part She's All That — about a woman on the autism spectrum who develops romantic feelings for the male escort she hires to help her navigate the dating scene. The book is an unexpected delight, with sharply-written characters, swoonworthy romance and (yes) spice, spice, spice! Even better: it's the first of three fantastic books in a series!

Cree of @CreeMyles and curator of @allwaysblack loves 'Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute' by Talia Hibbert

Amazon 'Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute' by Talia Hibbert

This YA enemies-to-lovers is as cute on the inside as it is on the outside. Extra points for the British colloquialisms sprinkled throughout.

Anabel Jimenez loves 'Lost & Lassoed' by Lyla Sage

This gem of a book is bursting with warmth, humor and pure fun, all set in the charming world of the Rebel Blue Ranch series. Lost & Lassoed is Sage’s most authentic and heartfelt romance yet, sprinkled with just the right amount of spice and a whole lot of witty banter. It’s got all the tropes we love — enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity and opposites attract. Teddy and Gus? They’ve completely stolen my heart. If you’re looking for a read that will make you laugh, swoon and maybe even shed a happy tear, this is the one!

Caitlin Bea loves 'Part of Your World' by Abby Jimenez

Amazon 'Part of Your World' by Abby Jimenez

This book gave me that instant five-star feeling I’d been craving for so long! Alexis and Daniel are such complex characters who come from completely different worlds, but you’ll be rooting for them both until the end. I laughed out loud, I cried and gave the book a hug when I finished. Daniel just may be the sweetest, most caring book boyfriend that will have you kicking your feet. The characters and small town setting felt so real, I didn’t want to let them go!

Samantha Dockser, co-founder of @ThePreoccupied loves 'Book Lovers' by Emily Henry

Penguin Random House 'Book Lovers' by Emily Henry

In the pantheon of Emily Henry novels, all of which I love, it is Book Lovers for me that reigns supreme. Main characters Nora and Charlie have incredible banter and chemistry that feels believable yet still aspirational. It has me giggling giddily even on my fifth reread. The enemies-to-lovers romance is more than earned through tremendous character development; The obstacles Nora and Charlie overcome aren’t just thrown in for the sake of conflict. For all the people that feel like they aren’t enough and long for someone to see them and love them for exactly who they are, this is the romance for you.

Morgan Messing, co-founder of @Preoccupied loves 'Normal People' by Sally Rooney

Two people who can’t be together but can’t be apart. In Normal People, Sally Rooney tackles young love; its novelty, irrationality and overwhelm. Though a classic tale of “popular boy meets cerebral girl,” this book is so much more. Marianne and Collin share the kind of love that defies logic, time and space, even as they are met with the greatest obstacle that young people in love must face: imminent change. Rooney proves that the greatest romance isn’t found in grand gestures but in the quiet, ordinary moments of everyday life.