Author: Samm Saxby

8 of the Best Romance Short Stories

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date April 2, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Carolina Ciucci.

Romance short stories may be tricky to get just right, but when they are, they’re one of my favorite things to read. Delicious love stories that I can gulp down in one greedy bite? Or, alternately, savor like a truly excellent chocolate truffle? Yes, please, and thank you. I love a good doorstopper, but there’s something so satisfying about reading a great love story in a single sitting. And that’s what you’ll find here: eight romance short stories you can read in a single, delightful sitting.

The stories on this list all come in at somewhere between 25 and 50 pages, and there is something for everyone. You like your romance to be retellings of folklore and mythology? You got it. You prefer YA? You will find it here. You’re all about vampires? Knock yourself out. From witty bookstore owners to vampire mercenaries, there’s a variety of characters and relationship dynamics, so you’ll be sure to find something that works for you. (Personally, all of these stories worked for me.)

Most of these are part of anthologies, and a couple of them are part of a longer series of romance short stories, so you’ll be getting an embarrassment of riches if you check these out. Now take a seat, grab a cup of your beverage of choice, and dive in.

cover of Love in Colour- Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola

“Ọṣun” by Bolu Babalola

Beautiful Ọṣun is in a relationship with selfish Ṣàngó. But when Erinlẹ enters her life, she realizes she can be more than looked at: she can be seen.

From Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold

cover of Who's Loving You: Love Stories by Women of Colour

“Long Distance” by Varaidzo

June finds herself admiring May. There is just one problem: the two women seem to exist four years apart.

From Who’s Loving You: Love Stories by Women of Colour

“The Way We Love Here” by Dhonielle Clayton

Viola lives in a world where you can tell how close you are to meeting your soulmate by a red coil wrapped around your ring finger. She’s anxious about it…until she meets Sebastian.

From Meet Cute

cover of Fools In Love: Fresh Twists on Romantic Tales

“Silver and Gold” by Natasha Ngan

Mila and Ru are rivals with a romantic history that neither cares to acknowledge…until they’re snowed in together in the middle of a blizzard.

From Fools In Love: Fresh Twists on Romantic Tales

“Consignment” by Elaine Burnes

A bookstore owner. A writer looking to get her book in stores. A beautiful love story full of sweetness and (what else?) books.

From Finding Ms. Write

“With Any Luck” (The Improbable Meet-Cute #5) by Ashley Poston

Imagine being the person everyone dates right until they find their soulmate. That’s the case for Audrey Love, who’s afraid she might have kissed her best friend during his bachelor party. Why else would he have disappeared hours before the wedding? Now she needs to find the missing groom — and maybe her own happy ever after.

“Drop, Cover, and Hold On” (The Improbable Meet-Cute #4) by Jasmine Guillory

A natural disaster traps Daisy and Harris together during Valentine’s Day. What else is there to do but get closer (in more ways than one)?

cover of The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

“Fangs for Hire” by Jenna Black

Gemma is just your regular mercenary who’s been assigned her next hit. Regular, that is, except for the fact that she’s a vampire. And her target, Ross, happens to be distractingly hot.

From The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

If you’re looking for more romance short stories, be sure to read about 9 of the best romance anthologies out there. If you’d like something a bit longer, how about checking out romance novellas?

Swords and Spaceships

10 Fresh Urban Fantasy Books and Series

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date March 20, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Erica Ezeifedi.

I’ve been a fantasy girlie since forever, but only just got into urban fantasy, and I have to say I’m here for it. I love how it’s modern and oftentimes city-based setting, which is a large part of the defining difference between it and other fantasy sub-genres, allows you to get right straight to the mess. I really appreciate world-building when it’s done well, and I like a fantasy map included at the beginning of a book like the next girl, but it’s also just nice to get right into the lore and not have to learn too much.

Since urban fantasy takes place in our world, there isn’t much explaining to do, setting-wise. We just get to jump into whatever, monster, witch, werewolf, etc. mess there is to get into, and that’s that. I also like how, since the setting of urban fantasy is so close to our own, it can help you see the slightest possibility of magic in the mundane.

The roundup of urban fantasy below includes some standalone books and series, and is broken up by adult and YA. They dabble in magical jade gangs, fine-ass Aztec vampires, cozy UK witches, and more.

Adult Urban Fantasy

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Street kid, Domingo, meets Atl, a beautiful and mesmerizing descendent of Aztec blood drinkers. Together, the two of them try to make it out of Mexico City alive with the threat of rival vampires, cops, and criminals closing in on them from all sides.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Witches are few and far between in the UK, which is why Mika Moon and her group of witches meet only so often — safety is the priority, and too many witches in one place tend to draw attention. Even though Mika is used to the loneliness, a big part of her rejects it, and she posts videos on a YouTube-like site where she shares magic tips, pretending to be a witch. But someone sees her for what she really is and invites her to a house out in the middle of nowhere to tutor three young witches into their magic. Somehow, she agrees and finds with the inhabitants of the house — especially a grumpy librarian — a family like none she’s ever experienced. But the transition from being a loner orphan witch to a loved one isn’t easy, and she’ll have to make some changes to adjust.

Mandanna also has A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, which, though it shares some similarities with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, isn’t listed as a follow-up.

book cover of Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

The Hollows series by Kim Harrison

In Demons of Good and Evil, the 17th in The Hollows series, witch-born demon Rachel Morgan has her work cut out for her as the protector of the paranormal citizens of Cincinnati. She feels this especially well once she’s framed for murder and the vampire leaders in DC get involved. Now Rachel and her friends are in hiding, and to make it out alive, she’ll need to make an unsavory deal.

To start at the beginning, pick up Dead Witch Walking.

book cover of Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire

This is the first in McGuire’s bestselling and award-nominated InCryptid series. It follows Verity Price, who is part of a family that protects cryptids from humans and vice versa. She’s not really into the family business, despite her cryptologist training, instead opting for a life of professional ballroom dancing. But then the Price family’s opps — the Covenant of St. George — start sending monsters her way, and now she’s got to deal with a Covenant boy, strange lizard men, and rumors of a dragon beneath the city.

The 13th in this series, Aftermarket Afterlife, just came out on March 5th.

The Green Bone Saga series by Fonda Lee

This award-nominated series has all the blood feuds, magic, and martial arts you could hope for. In it, the Green Bone clans used to protect the island Kekon and its valuable and rare magical jade. The Kaul family — a crime syndicate — is one of those families, and once the tensions get too high between them and their greatest rivals, there is open violence in the streets.

Jade City is the first book.

YA Urban Fantasy

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis

Katrell is a mess. Period. It’s not her fault, though. Her mother is even more of a mess and exploits her daughter’s ability that allows her to speak to the dead. The money Katrell gets from connecting people with their departed loved ones goes towards paying for said deadbeat mother and whoever her mother’s abusive loser-of-the-month boyfriend is. All while (barely) going to high school and working a low-wage job. Bless her heart, you know how much I would be charging with that power?! I would have what they call eff-you money. Katrell is young and doesn’t know any better, though, and it shows. She’s warned one day by her best friend’s dead grandmother during a session to stop communing with the dead, but she doesn’t listen. And, it gets bad bad.

Wolves of No World series by Romina Garber

Lobizona is the first of the Wolves of No World trilogy and follows Manuela “Manu” Azul, who is living as an undocumented immigrant in Miami, Florida, to evade her father’s Argentine crime family. But then her adoptive grandmother is attacked and her mother is arrested by ICE, which finally allows her to move freely in the world. As she starts to investigate her past, she learns of a secret world full of Argentine folklore and how, for some families, every seventh daughter is born a bruja, and every seventh son a lobizón (or werewolf).

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Here, Cristina and Clement Trudeau, two 16-year-old twins, are descendants of a powerful magical family in New Orleans. They used to be close, but now they find their family in shambles: the talented Cristina has given up her magic because of a tragedy, their father is dead, their mother is cursed, and Clement is trying to fill an emotional void with random hookups. But then they realize someone is after their family, and that it has something to do with a woman who was killed 30 years ago. If they can finally come together, they can save their family, and New Orleans from having another massacre.

There’s a second book (Blood Justice) that’s due to come out on April 23rd this year, but it’s not clear if the two books will be a duology or part of a series.

The Legendborn Cycle series by Tracy Deonn

This urban fantasy series also counts as an Arthurian retelling. In it, 16-year-old Bree Matthews wants to get away from home after her mother dies in an accident, and UNC-Chapell Hill’s residential program for bright high schoolers provides the perfect opportunity to do just that. But then she sees a magical attack on her first night there, which leads to her learning of a secret society full of people called Legendbord, who are descendants of King Arthur’s knights. After her own magic is unlocked and she learns that there was magic involved with her mother’s death, she infiltrates the society to find out more. Thing is, there’s a war coming, and she’ll have to decide whose side she’s on and how to use her power.

Gumiho series by Kat Cho

So far, there are two books out in this series, which follows 18-year-old Gu Miyoung, who has a secret: she’s a nine-tailed fox demon (gumiho) who eats men’s energy to survive. With all the evil men in the world — and people’s lack of belief in folklore these days — hunting is made super easy in the big city of Seoul, Korea. But maybe she had life too easy, because she decides to save a human boy from a goblin in the forest one day, and it makes her lose her fox bead, aka, her gumiho soul. As she and the boy she saved, Jihoon, grow closer, she’ll have to make a choice between him or having her immortal soul back.

Once you’re done getting your soul snatched by these urban fantasy books and series, make sure to check out the list of Ridiculously-Good Fantasy Books Like Baldur’s Gate, and The 10 Best Hugo Award Winners.

Past Tense

9 Books Set in Ancient Worlds

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date March 8, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Vanessa Diaz.

I’m a big reader of historical fiction, but I have a soft spot for books that go way way back in time. Reading books set in ancient worlds is often purely escapist, but also brings me a specific kind of comfort. This might not make sense to some since the thing about ancient civilizations is that they tend to sort of…collapse. But reading about people living, loving, losing, and ultimately persisting in antiquity helps me make sense of the world I live in now. It reminds me that the problems of my own life mostly aren’t new and that, in general, they too shall pass.

You may be wondering what “ancient worlds” means, exactly. This is where I’ll confess that I’d written half of this post when I second-guessed whether my picks technically made sense or if I’d really just run with “set a long-ass time ago.” The answer is a little bit fluid, but generally, ancient civilization “refers specifically to the first settled and stable communities that became the basis for later states, nations, and empires,” beginning with the invention of writing about 3100 BCE and lasting for more than 35 centuries. And while this definition makes sense since writing made historical record-keeping possible, humans, of course, existed long before writing did.

There are thus many, many ancient civilizations in our global history (this Britannica list is almost 90 entries long ), and it turns out my “long-ass time ago” rubric aligns pretty well with reality. Huzzah! The books I present you with below range from mythology retellings to history-inspired fantasy. They will whisk you off to ancient India, Greece, and Egypt, to the Pre-Columbian Americas, to ancient China, Pompeii, and more.

Books Set in Ancient Worlds

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

In this rich retelling of the Hindu epic Ramayana, Vaishnavi Patel does to Kaikeyi what Madeline Miller did for Circe, giving readers a different take on a character known traditionally as a villain. We get to know Kaikeyi from childhood through her ascent to the throne. Kaikeyi possesses a unique ability to see the threads that bind people to one another, and to affect those people’s lives through gentle pulling of said threads. She is forced into a marriage against her will because women = property, but we watch her use her thread magic to become a skilled warrior, a negotiator, a defender of women, and a beloved queen with opinions and agency who challenges societal expectations.

Neferura by Malayna Evans

In Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, high priestess Neferura, the daughter of female pharaoh Hatshepsut, lives a life ruled by duty. When her (awful) half-brother Thutmose arrives at court, she overhears his plot to end her mother’s rule: he will plant seeds of betrayal by starting a rumor that Hatshepsut poisoned her husband in his sleep. If he goes public with this accusation, it could plunge the kingdom into chaos. Neferura sets out to stop him, partnering with a mysterious tattooed woman and her network of spies to do it. Does she trust this lady all the way? Not really. And did her mother, in fact, poison her father? She’s…not sure, actually, but she is beginning to see that her mother is a lot more ruthless than she realized. High stakes + intrigue + an Egyptian setting = just my cup of tea.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (Women of Troy #1)

I read a lot of Greek mythology. And I mean A LOT. I could have included Circe, or Song of Achilles, or A Thousand Ships, all beloved reads, but I chose this one by Pat Barker because I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the cost of war. The Silence of the Girls is a powerful retelling of the Iliad as told by Briseis, Trojan queen and captive of Achilles. It is a raw and unflinching examination of the cost of war to women specifically that has stayed with me for years. It’s not an easy read, but it’s fantastic.

Cover of The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin (Dreamblood #1)

You may think of the Broken Earth trilogy when you think of N.K. Jemisin, but don’t sleep on the Dreamblood duology, an epic fantasy series inspired by Egyptian mythology. In a city where the only law is peace and two moons rise in the sky every night, a priesthood of the dream goddess is tasked with walking the dreams of its citizens, harvesting them to ensure that peace is preserved. We get assassin priests, mad kings, and the goddess of death in one helluva fantasy ride.

Book cover of Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (Between Earth and Sky #1)

Inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas, Black Sun opens in the city of Tova during Winter Solstice in what should be a time for celebration and renewal. But this year the solstice coincides with the solar eclipse that is portended by the Sun Priest to signal the unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, an outcast sailor has been hired to sail a ship into Tova containing a single passenger, a mysterious cloaked man with a thing for crows (#relatable) and a bone to pick with the Sun Priest. Sounds suspish.

The Water Outlaws by S. L. Huang

This book is from my TBR and comes highly recommended. Set in ancient China, this wuxia-inspired, action-packed fantasy features a corrupt government (what’s that like?) and layered, complex characters. Lin Chong was a highly regarded weapons instructor before a powerful man with a vendetta had her unfairly branded as a criminal and stripped of her position. Now a member of a mostly women gang of badass bandits, Chong and friends must carve out their existence in a society that only wants to hold them down.

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper (Wolf Den #1)

For years I’ve been saying I needed someone to write me a Silence of the Girls set in Pompeii. Elodie Harper delivered with her Wolf Den trilogy about Amara, a woman who ends up enslaved in Pompeii’s infamous brothel after her father’s death plunged her family into penury. It’s a tough but wonderful read about resilience in the face of so much brutality.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Ember in the Ashes #1)

The Ember in the Ashes series is set in a fantasy world inspired by Ancient Rome in the Juleo-Claudian era. Laia is an orphan enslaved by the Martial Empire, where she goes undercover to help the Scholar resistance and save her brother from execution for treason. Elias is a Mask, a soldier brought up in a brutal academy since childhood who is secretly plotting his freedom from this life. Their paths cross in an unlikely series of events, and that is all I will tell you about this series, except to tell you to brace yourself because Sabaa Tahir does not play.

The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes

Classicist Natalie Haynes has written some of my favorite works of mythology in both fiction and nonfiction: A Thousand Ships, Stone Blind, Pandora’s Jar, Divine Might. This book, set in ancient Thebes, focuses on Ismene and Jocasta in a reworking of the Oedipus and Antigone tragedies. You’ll go in thinking, “I know how this will go,” and will nonetheless yell, “noooo!” at the pages more than once.

For more historical reads, try these 100 must-reads about ancient history and this list of award-winning historical fiction.

The Fright Stuff

8 of the Best Haunted House Stories To Make You Shiver

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date March 6, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Danika Ellis.

Home is supposed to be the safest place we can go. It’s where we’re most vulnerable, where we lay our heads to sleep each night. The outside world can be scary, which is why we lock our doors and build walls and fences to keep it out. It’s precisely because of that sense of safety, though, that the sound of a footstep in the hall when you thought you were home alone is such a blood-chilling experience. The best haunted house stories mutate the safety and comfort of the domestic into something grotesque.

Haunted house books cover a wide range of styles and moods. Many are atmospheric gothics, slowly building up the setting until you’re completely absorbed. They’re usually light on gore and jump scares, but they make up for it with a sense of unease that creeps into your bones and refuses to leave. Others use the haunting as a metaphor for real-life horrors, like colonialism. And some haunted house stories weave in humor, luring you into a false sense of security before they deliver the final horrific reveal.

Whether you want to brush up on the classics or see what’s new in this subgenre, I have the perfect haunted house story recommendation for you! Don’t blame me if you start hearing strange sounds at night or begin to notice something moving out of the corner of your eye. You can always store these books in the freezer if you need a break.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

You can’t talk about haunted house stories without mentioning The Haunting of Hill House. This creepy gothic horror story is a classic for a reason. Shirley Jackson is the master of making the domestic world feel unsettling. The four characters — Dr. Montague, Eleanor, Theodora, and Luke — stay in Hill House to try to find evidence of a haunting, but the house soon affects them in ways they weren’t prepared for, leading to an unforgettable conclusion.

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

If you love The Haunting of Hill House, you have to pick up its official sequel, published in 2023: A Haunting On the Hill. In this story, a new group of characters arrive at Hill House decades after the events of the first book. They’re in this dilapidated mansion to rehearse Holly’s play, but the actors butt heads over their roles, including Holly’s girlfriend. Soon, their interpersonal conflicts are nothing compared to the plans the house has for them. Elizabeth Hand does a great job of capturing the mood and style of the original in this new take on one of the most infamous haunted houses in literary history.

The Shining by Stephen King

Another classic haunted house story, The Shining, follows a writer and his family as they stay at the Overlook Hotel in the off-season. Jack Torrence has plenty of time to work on his novel while serving as caretaker of the hotel. This could even be an opportunity to repair his relationship with his wife and young son. As they are snowed in, though, the claustrophobia and the supernatural forces that haunt the hotel make for a deadly combination.

The Good House by Tananarive Due

There are plenty of modern haunted house stories that give the classics a run for their money, starting with The Good House. When Angela lived in her grandmother’s house for a summer years ago, a tragedy upended her world. Now, she’s ready to return and face her past, but she finds that her hometown has been wracked with tragedies since she has been gone. Angela discovers that something awoke in the house that summer, and she is determined to solve the puzzle of how to end this cycle for good.

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones is one of the best horror authors writing today, known for The Only Good Indians and the Indian Lake Trilogy, but he also has written an unsettling haunted house novella! In Mapping the Interior, a 15-year-old boy sees the ghost of his father in his home. He races to follow the figure, but he soon finds himself lost. He spends the next few nights trying to map the strange dimensions of this house, but when his obsession puts his little brother in danger, he’ll risk everything to save him.

She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

Jade is spending the summer in Vietnam with her estranged father. All she has to do is seem like the perfect (straight) Vietnamese American daughter so she can leave with the college money he promised. But as she spends more time at the French colonial house her father is renovating, she becomes more certain that the house hates them. Jade teams up with a delinquent girl to prove to her family that this house will destroy them if they let it.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

If you’re looking for a haunted house story that blends horror and humor, Grady Hendrix is the author for you. Louise and Mark are siblings forced to work together to sell their family home after their parents die. The house will take some time to fix up because it’s crammed full of their parents’ things…including their mother’s extensive doll and puppet collection. Unsurprisingly, the creepy puppet house is haunted, and it doesn’t want to be sold.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A new classic in the haunted house stories subgenre is Mexican Gothic. When Noemí receives a letter from her cousin begging for help, she sets off to the Mexican countryside to save her cousin from her life with her new husband. There, she finds her cousin’s husband’s family is menacing, her cousin is mysteriously ill, and Noemí has violent dreams while at their estate. As she investigates, she finds a dark history of how this family accumulated their wealth. As the title suggests, this is a gothic horror story that slowly builds unease until the reader feels the same claustrophobic terror that Noemí does.

This is only a small selection of the diverse array of haunted house stories out there, from creepy gothics to truly terrifying horror novels. If you can’t get enough haunted house stories, you should also check out:

QUIZ: Which Literary Haunted House Would You Haunt?

What Haunts Us: The Haunted House as a Metaphor

30 Haunted House Books That Will Give You The Creeps

Swords and Spaceships

10 Fresh Paranormal Romance Reads

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date March 6, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by R. Nassor.

Recently, a wave of fresh paranormal romance books have hit the shelves. The real question is, which new books should you pick up?

Paranormal romance is a subgenre of romance that follows the HEA/HFN (happily ever after/ happy for now) arc of human, non-human, and/or superhuman characters. The paranormal beings involved could be ghosts, werewolves, vampires, witches, or other supernatural creatures of legend that slot into a paranormal version of our world. If it’s in a high fantasy otherworld or is a monster romance, I am following the judgment of fellow Book Riot writer Jessica Pryde in her paranormal romance recommendation list and disqualifying them from this round-up.

As a longtime fan of the genre, I have plenty of backlist recommendations and a carefully curated list of fresh paranormal romance books. Every book here was published in the last five years, between 2019 and 2024. As a general personal rule, I like my paranormal romance to have believable, well-developed characters and a plot that hooks me in. If either the love interests or plot are paper-thin, my attention swiftly drifts. So, if you are looking for a witch, werewolf, vamp, or otherwise paranormal being falling in love, I’ve decided these are the ones you should read.

New, Cool, and Fresh Paranormal Romance Recommendations

Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai

On the run from her murderous brother, Elle has found a new life as a middling magical calligrapher for the fairy temp agency. When she reveals her power as a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine to her half-elf client, Luc, she gets drawn into a mission that brings her closer to the past she was trying to escape. As it turns out, the agency’s top security expert, Luc, is tasked with eliminating Elle’s brother. Even their conflicting obligations to family and work may not be enough to eliminate their budding romantic bond.

Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner

In the heart of New Orleans lies the mystical world of Overlay City and its newest ghostly resident, Aurie. Finding herself murdered on a night out, Aurie now must rely on the nonbinary, intersex Empath, Mys, to guide her through her afterlife. Mys doesn’t want another problem on their hands, but when the werewolf Detective Zyr Ravani shows up at their door asking for their help with Aurie’s murder, they can’t say no. Working together to solve the case brings Aurie, Mys, and Zyr close enough to make their instant chemistry undeniable.

Odd Blood by Azalea Crowley

When Josephine decided to run away from her quickly deteriorating life by going to a Halloween party, she never expected to find an answer to her problems in the form of a drunken man who committed to his vampire costume too hard and needed help getting home. It turns out Eadwulf was a real vampire with a job offer for Josephine. It’s not like she was in a place to turn down the role of being Eadwulf’s elderly roommate’s live-in nanny. Equipped with housing, a job, and the slow realization of her demisexual identity, Josephine finds herself nestled in the middle of a supernatural life she never expected.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Now that the historic mortal feud between Vampyres and Werewolves is over, it’s only right that a marriage of convenience between the two groups take place. Misery, a powerful Vampyre councilman’s daughter, has agreed to be a bride to fulfill her own ambitions, even though she doesn’t know much about Werewolves. Werewolf Alpha, Lowe Moreland, will do anything for his pack, including sealing a peace contract with his hand in marriage. The real question is, how far will they go to secure their futures in an arrangement they never asked for?

From the Dark We Came by J. Emery

Belar is a half-fae demisexual monster hunter with a spotless record — save the vampire Cassian, who managed to survive his attacks twice. The vampire breaks convention again when he appears in his parlor, asking Belar to see who filed the false report against him in the first place. Now, Belar and Cassian will have to cooperate if they want to get to the bottom of a deadly issue rotting the core of the monster hunter association as they try not to fall in love in the process.

Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh

While I would recommend starting at the start of the Psy-Changeling Trinity, I could not make this round-up without recommending the latest installment of Singh’s iconic series. Inseparable bear-shifter twins Yakov and Pavel Stepyrev start leading diverging lives when they find their respective mates. Low-gradient Psy, Theodora, and Yakov discover secrets that bind them closer together. The Psy Empath, Arwen, continues to draw Pavel in with his reserved strength. Both the twins and their mates will have to work together to uncover a dark plan if they want to secure a better future for themselves and everyone they care about.

Wings Once Cursed & Bound by Piper J. Drake

When Peeraphan, the mythological Kinnaree Thai bird princess of legend, steps into The Red Shoes of Hans Christian Andersen fame, a mysterious vampire is the only one who can help. As the vampire representative of a supernatural secret organization tasked with finding and containing mythological objects, Bennet is surprised that a dancer is maintaining enough control to stop moving with the shoes on. He might just be able to save the irresistible supernatural before it’s too late. Now, Peeraphan must learn to claim her place in the supernatural world while she and Bennet work to remove the shoes that threaten to claim her life.

Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher

The no-longer-next-in-line Prima witch on the Supernatural Council, Rose Maxwell, has to find herself. For the first time in her life, she doesn’t have a prophesied job lined up for her, and the only thing on her mind seems to be a one-night stand with Damian, a half-Demon Veterinarian. As luck would have it, a failed horse heist lands her in court-appointed community service at Damian’s animal sanctuary, of all places. You would think falling in love would be easy with that kind of forced proximity. Unfortunately, their budding romance doesn’t have a chance in hell. After all, if Damian ever falls in love, his ex’s hex guarantees that he will lose his humanity.

Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara

Julien is an actor on a last-ditch trip to figure out how his conspiracy-theorist brother really died in Maudit Falls, North Carolina. Although he was expecting a mystery, he could never have predicted finding a real paranormal conspiracy or a glamorous man with answers. Longtime werewolf, sometimes thief, and current rebel pack runaway retreat manager, Eli knows Julien is getting into dangerous things that don’t concern him. But when the threat continues to hunt the lovable actor down, Eli steps in to help. The unlikely human/werewolf pairing may just make things work as they uncover a deadly truth at the heart of an otherwise scenic slope-side vacation town.

Human Enough by E.S. Yu

An ace-spec vampire gets rescued from his lover’s lair by an autistic vampire hunter. Jordan, the recently freed vampire, is now Noah’s secret boyfriend and roommate. So, when Jordan’s friends in the vampire support group go missing, he naturally asks Noah for help. A dark truth lies at the heart of the Vampire Hunters Association, and so it’s up to Noah to dig up the conspiracy. If he wants to help Jordan and other innocent vampires whose lives are threatened by a supposedly heroic organization, Noah may just have to bring it all down.

Now, I hope these fresh paranormal romance book recommendations will guide you through some of the newest releases to hit the shelves. As 2024 develops, I expect to see a bevy of impressive paranormal romance books coming out. The subgenre is back in style enough that publishers and readers are supporting authors who specialize in that special brand of paranormal love. Bring it on. I, for one, will never get enough of immortal ennui, paranormal longing, and supernatural hijinks.

If you are looking for other paranormal romance books to pick up, try these Ghost Romances, these Werewolf Romances, these Vampire Romances, and these other Paranormal Romances.

Unusual Suspects

8 Thrilling Novellas to Read in One Sitting

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date March 5, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Carolina Ciucci.

A good novella is one of a reader’s greatest pleasures. Short, concise, and to the point, a novella offers all the enjoyment of a full novel with only a portion of the time commitment. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good brick of a novel, but sometimes short and sweet does the trick. Especially when you can’t afford to One More Chapter your way into a 3 a.m. bedtime.

Now, you may be wondering what exactly counts as a novella: a manuscript is considered a novella when it has an approximate word count of 20,000 to 50,000, which usually translates to 80-130 pages — though sometimes it goes lower or higher, and there is considerable overlap between a novelette and a novella, and a novella and a short novel.

Novellas have a limited space to pack a punch, which is precisely what makes them so thrilling when they succeed at what they set out to do. The eight novellas on this list do just that in their respective genres: you’ll find everything from fantasy to romantic suspense, including thrillers and literary fiction. The one thing they have in common? You won’t be able to put them down until you’ve reached the end.

8 Thrilling Novellas to Read in One Sitting

Ransom Road (Liars Island) by Anya Mora

When Waverly hires Nanny Bexley, she hopes to get help with little Rosie. What she gets instead is a nightmare and a desperate fight to get her daughter back.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Esther’s best friend, whom she was in love with, has just been executed for possession of resistance propaganda. But Esther’s problems don’t end there: her father has arranged her marriage to her love’s fiancé. What’s a girl to do? Hide in the Librarians’ book wagon, of course.

The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay

Pishima, a child bride who wasn’t allowed to remarry, is determined to spend her afterlife making the Mitra family pay for it. She recruits young Somlata to guard her box of gold, but things may not go as expected. And where does Boshon fit into it?

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

When two young artists meet in a London pub, they seem destined to be together. But that doesn’t mean that the world will let them stay together.

Rare Danger by Beverly Jenkins

Upon a friend’s death, librarian Jasmine Ware finds herself involved in a mystery revolving around an artifact from the ancient library at Timbuktu. She must work with Air Force veteran Torr Noble in order to find her way out of this chaos…and save her life.

Book cover of The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (The Singing Hills Cycle)

When In-yo is sent to marry an emperor, she isn’t counting on Rabbit, a handmaiden sold to the palace. Amidst constant danger, the two find something more in each other.

The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

Tetley loves her home of Garbagetown, and Garbagetown loves her right back. But when she makes a new friend and uncovers a secret, Tetley finds that she might be in over her head.

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

The Ku Klux Klan is monstrous as is. Now imagine, what if you added a supernatural tinge to it? It’s a good thing Maryse Boudreaux has a magic sword to fight “Ku Kluxes.” It’s not so good that in order to do so, she must travel between worlds.

Can’t get enough of novellas? Try these 10 great novellas by authors of color, these 28 romance novellas, or this roundup of 50(!) short reads under 250 pages. Looking for more thrilling reads? Pick up these twisty suspense novels and 15 of the best mystery thrillers.

Swords and Spaceships

Kind of a Big Reel: 8 Blockbuster Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Becoming Films

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date February 28, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Liberty Hardy.

Adaptation: the word strikes joy and/or trepidation in the hearts of readers everywhere. You want the filmmakers and the actors to do a good job turning the books you love into a film. Who will play your favorite character? Will they change the ending? Will it even get made? Did you know the rights to many books sell, but not very many actually get adapted? Producers often buy up rights when a book first goes on the market in case it’s a huge hit. A book’s rights can pass through many hands before it is made into a movie. And sometimes, it can take a while before production starts, whether it’s casting changes, or strikes, or the pandemic. For instance, Dune, Part 2 and the Wicked film adaptation of the musical adaptation of the book (phew) are finally headed to our screens this year after delays!

For this post, we have eight more blockbuster science fiction and fantasy books becoming films. There are even more becoming series, but that’s a story for another day. It may be taking a while for some of these great books to make it to our screens, but they’re all still going ahead, and they’re all exciting! There’s another space adventure from the author of The Martian, V.E. Schwab’s tale of immortality, a sci-fi classic from a master, and a beloved fantasy that will make everyone freak out when it is finally done. Which one of these are you the most excited to see?

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

The story: Bracken’s YA fantasy novel is set in the world of Greek mythology. It’s about nine gods who must participate in a hunt every seven years as punishment, where they are chased by human descendants. Lore fled that life after the murder of her family, but as the hunt approaches again, one of the original gods will offer her a deal to rid her life of the old ways forever.

The latest: It’s being developed by Universal and will be produced by Amy Pascal. This is Bracken’s second adaptation after The Darkest Minds.

cover image of Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

The story: Written in 1993 and set in the early 2020s, this is the story of a teen girl in California. Lauren’s family’s status allows them to live behind walls that keep them from the climate disasters and social chaos going on in the world. Lauren is a hyper-empath, highly sensitive to the emotions of others, and when the outside world finally finds its way in, it leads her on a journey that will change lives.

The latest: A24 has the rights to the book with Garrett Bradley attached to direct.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

The story: In an unnamed country where the destruction of civil war strikes closer every day, two people meet and start a relationship, partly based on the idea that the future doesn’t hold much for them. But then they learn of a way out of the violence: there are doors they can pass through that will take them to safety in another country. But can their relationship, brought about by war and loneliness, survive a move to a stranger land and an uncertain future?

The latest: Riz Ahmed will star in the film, being produced by the Obamas’ production company, Higher Ground Productions, for Netflix.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

The story: From Nobel laureate Ishiguro comes this tale of Klara, an Artificial Friend, who has been waiting for the day she is chosen at the store to go to her forever home. The novel explores the limits and moral questions of artificial intelligence, the rights of Klara, and whether she is truly capable of love.

The latest: The movie was recently announced, with Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega attached to star in it and Taika Waititi directing. One of Ishiguro’s previous novels, Never Let Me Go, was adapted into a film in 2010.

cover of The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

The story: This award-winning dystopian fantasy series is set in a world destroyed by climate change. All three books in Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy, The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky, won a Hugo Award for Best Novel. She is the first author to win three consecutive Hugos in that category.

The latest: Sony Pictures Entertainment and TriStar Pictures will be making the movies, with Jemisin herself to write the screenplays.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The story: Morgenstern’s ethereal, hugely successful debut novel follows what unfolds between two young magicians, trained from a young age to compete against one another, under the tent of the Night Circus.

The latest: The adaptation of the novel has been in the works for almost as long as the book has been around. As of 2019, it was still going ahead. While fans may have to wait a bit longer, it seems certain that someday there will be a movie of one of the most popular books of the 21st century.

cover of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue; black with gold font

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab

The story: A young woman in France in the 18th century running from her wedding, makes a deal with a dark stranger. Addie wants everyone to forget about her — but she gets more than that. Not only does everyone always forget her now as soon as she is out of sight, but she’s also immortal. But after three centuries of loneliness, Addie meets a man in a bookshop who remembers her, and it changes everything.

The latest: According to Schwab in October, the draft for the screenplay has been revised (and we’re getting a Darker Shade of Magic adaptation, too!)

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The story: Ryland Grace is a teacher-turned-astronaut on a last-chance mission to save Earth. When he wakes from cryostasis with no memory, he discovers he is the only survivor left on board. He must puzzle out who he is and what they were doing on this ship in order to save his home planet.

The latest: Hollywood sent Matt Damon to space in the adaptation of The Martian by Weir, and now Ryan Gosling is set to blast off for Project Hail Mary, with Phil Lord and Chris Miller directing.

For more literary adaptation news, be sure to check out Books the 2024 Oscar Nominees are Based On and 8 Mystery and Thriller Novels with Great Movie Adaptations. And to keep up with all things bookish, be sure to sign up for our amazing newsletters!

Unusual Suspects

Lux Pascal, Pedro’s Sister, Has Been Cast in the Upcoming Thriller SUMMER WAR

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date February 28, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, mystery fans! If you haven’t yet bought your Girl Scout cookies this year or have already eaten the ones you bought (raises hand!), you still have time and can easily order online. Two great options: Girl Scouts of Greater New York’s Troop 6000, which helps families living in temporary NY housing, and Erin Reed puts together an awesome list every year of trans girl scouts that you can buy from. And I’ll pass along a delicious tip I learned from a friend recently: Thin Mints are extra good straight from the freezer.

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

a round plaque for a bookshelf that has a cat on a stack of books illustration and can have your name customized to say it's your library

Bookshelf Library Sign on Etsy by AnchoredSoulCreate

If you’re looking for a library sign for your shelves and want one you can pick from various designs, colors, and customize with your name, here ya go. ($38)

New Releases

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

For fans of dark academia, family drama, and murder mysteries blended with social horror and a bit of slasher film!

Sunny Behre is one of five kids when her mom, owner of a private school, dies. Sunny had been taught she’d be taking over her mom’s role one day, but instead finds that the only thing her mom left as instructions is that she’s to watch out for her brother Dom. She’s not really close with Dom and would rather be an ambassador for the school her mom ran, but after a murder that implicates Dom as the killer, Sunny has to make difficult choices. Especially since she’s not even sure if Dom is innocent and the murders continue…

I’m currently listening to and enjoying the audiobook, which is narrated by Kimberly Woods.

Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra

For fans of home invasion thrillers!

A mother is with her two kids (eight and five) in a secret room in her home in New England. She’s hiding from an intruder and must keep the kids quiet so that he doesn’t figure out where they are. As they hide, petrified, debating what to do, there are flashbacks to her life as a child and her marriage. Who is the intruder, what does he want, and why is she hesitant to call the police…?

This is high on my list, and I’ve heard nothing but good things—I am just a chickenshit and have to pep myself up to read this and not sleep for a month! (I have gotten so far as downloading the audiobook, so wish me luck!)

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Can I summon spring by recommending some backlist mysteries with flowers on the cover? Worth a try!

cover of The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

The Frangipani Tree Mystery (Crown Colony #1) by Ovidia Yu

For fans of historical mysteries with an amateur sleuth partnering up with a detective!

In 1936 Singapore, SuLin is a teenager who was orphaned at a young age and has a limp from Polio. Thanks to her aunt, she received an education, and rather than allowing herself to be married off, she wants to work. Since the nanny in the Acting Governor’s house is murdered, a new nanny is needed, and that’s where SuLin goes. While navigating the upstairs, downstairs, and racial politics, there’s also the murder of the previous nanny to solve, so she finds herself working with Chief Inspector Thomas LeFroy. Then there’s another death…

(TW suicide)

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

For fans of thrillers with doctor leads and missing person cases!

Alexis and Austin have recently started dating and take a trip together to Vietnam. Austin is a cyclist, doing a tour and also visiting where his father died. But Austin never returns from cycling. Alexis goes back to the US, where she’s an ER doctor. As the FBI looks into the case, Alexis discovers that maybe she didn’t know everything about Austin…

(TW Main character has history of self-harm, details/ mentions murder-suicide, details/ ER stories recounted/ recounts past war scenes)

News and Roundups

Excerpt: The Other Americans: Read the opening pages of Laila Lalami’s novel, the March CBC selection

True Detective Renewed for Season 5 With Night Country Creator Issa López Returning Under New HBO Overall Deal

L.A. Times Book Prize finalists

Book deals: Tori Eldridge has a two-book deal for an upcoming new series starring a park ranger returning home to Kauaʻi, where she finds two of her cousins are missing.

Lux Pascal, Pedro’s Sister, Has Been Cast in the Upcoming Thriller Summer War

Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Casts Eva Longoria

Pamela Salem: James Bond and Doctor Who star dies aged 80

Anti-trans bills keep citing The New York Times

If you love courtroom dramas, this Oscar-nominated film is not to be missed

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own, you can sign up here.

Unusual Suspects

Whodunits Abroad: 8 Historical Mysteries Set Outside the U.S.

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date February 27, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Vanessa Diaz

The only thing I love even more than a good whodunit (or howdunit or whydunit) is one with a historical setting. There’s something about unraveling a mystery without the benefit of modern technology that is fascinating to me, of watching sleuths, whether amateur or professional, untangle a knot of clues using nothing but their little grey cells. Add in a setting outside the U.S. and I’m doubly satisfied. I get the satisfaction of a resolution that my anxious brain craves, and a little bit of armchair travel all in one pretty package.

But first: what do I mean by “historical?” Some would argue that to count as historical fiction, the story should be set at least 50 years in the past. Seven of the eight titles I’m recommending fit this bill, but one is set in the ’80s (and also partially in the U.S.). I opted to include it because a) it’s that good, and b) if I have to live with the fact that the ’80s are not, in fact, 20ish years in the past but 40+, then you do too.

I’ve rounded up eight of my favorite historical mysteries set outside the U.S., many of which are starts to excellent series, so there’s lots to explore. These reads will transport you to 1920s India, 1980s Burkina Faso, Victorian England, 15th century Korea, 1970s Mexico City, and more. Enjoy!

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (Perveen Mistry #1)

Perveen Mistry is a lawyer in 1920s India—the first and only female lawyer in the country. Though she can’t legally practice on her own, she is uniquely qualified to investigate a suspicious will involving three Muslim women living in purdah. The case takes a deadly turn, and Perveen must get to the bottom of it before others wind up hurt or dead. We get flashbacks throughout the story revealing Perveen’s tragic past, a past that drives her in her fight for women’s legal rights. Four books later, the Perveen Mistry series it is still one of my favorites, and it’s inspired by a real person!

TW: domestic violence

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

Set in the mid-1980s, this spy novel follows a Black woman FBI intelligence officer writing her young sons a letter in order to explain a series of recent events, from her initial recruitment to a dangerous assignment to seduce the Communist president of Burkina Faso and help bring about a coup. You get the espionage, the high stakes, the twists and turns, plus the challenges unique to a Black woman navigating an old white boy’s club. This character-driven story is not what you might expect from a spy novel, trading in a thrilling, break-neck pace for slow suspense. It’s worth the wait.

If you’re an audiobook person, the one and only Bahni Turpin reads this one.

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #1)

The Lady Sherlock books are a gender-flipped reimagining of Sherlock Holmes where there is no Sherlock at all. In Victorian England, Charlotte Holmes and her benefactor Mrs. Watson pretend to assist their brother Sherlock with his cases, but are really solving them on their own through some light subterfuge (“he’s just in the other room!”). Charlotte is one of my favorite characters ever, a woman whose powers of deduction are matched only by her love of a good slice of cake. She’s found a way to live independently in a society that does not typically allow women agency, cracking cases while also pursuing the object of her affection in the mother of all slow burns—as in we’re eight books in, and the game has only recently been afoot.

This series is another excellent one on audio—Kate Reading could read me the back of a shampoo bottle, and I’d pay for the privilege.

TW: violence against children, off-page

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Flavia de Luce #1)

In the 1950s, a young girl named Flavia lives with her widowed father and sisters in a dilapidated estate in the English countryside. Flavia has a habit of stumbling upon dead bodies and can’t help but stick her nose in other people’s business, a winning combination for an amateur sleuth. Flavia is smart and delightfully snarky, precocious but not annoying like I just know I was (sorry, Mom and Dad). The mysteries in each of the books in this completed series are great on their own, but there is a separate mystery running throughout the series that really takes a turn if you stick with it. Can I just say how much I adore Flavia’s relationship with Dogger? The gardener saved her father’s life during the war and now experiences symptoms of what we know as PTSD. Their bond is just so damn tender and makes me go all soft.

I know I keep saying this, but it’s just true: this series, read by Jayne Entwistle, is fantastic on audio.

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

In 1426 Joseon (Korea), Hwani is searching for her father, a detective who went missing while investigating the disappearance of 13 girls in a forest with a dark history—and a connection to Hwani’s own past. Hwani and her sister also went missing in that very forest years ago, but she has no memory of the incident. The disappearances are all linked, and Hwani must figure out what the connection is in order to find her father. Doing so will mean diving deep into buried memories and the secrets of the forest. This is such a suspenseful, atmospheric mystery, and it kept me guessing until the end.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

This speculative historical mystery is the third book in P. Djèlí Clark’s Dead Djinn Universe, set in an alternative version of Cairo in 1912, where angels and djinn exist alongside humans. Decades earlier, a Sudanese mystic named Al-Jahiz was said to have shaken the world when he drilled a hole in the veil between the magical and non-magical worlds before vanishing without a trace. Agent Fatma el-Sha-arawi is a special investigator and the youngest (maybe only?) woman at the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, and she’s been brought in to investigate the suspicious murder of an entire brotherhood dedicated to Al-Jahiz. This blend of science fiction, fantasy, and mystery examines gender, class, and colonialism in such a fun steampunk setting. It’s full of twists and red herrings with a side of queer romance, and I hope we get more books set in this world.

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell #1)

This series set in Victorian England features adventuring sleuth and scientist Veronica Speedwell. After the two aunts who raised her both pass away, Veronica finds herself free to roam the world as a lepidopterist and enjoy the company of men (heyyy!). Before she can do any of that, she is attacked by an intruder but rescued by a mysterious stranger who tells her that he knew Veronica’s mother, that she’s in grave danger, and she needs to follow him right away. She agrees (mostly for the free trip to London) and gets paired up with a cranky taxidermist named Stoker until the stranger, named Baron, can figure out their next move. When Baron is found dead in his home, Stoker and Veronica go on the run from an unknown villain. This series is currently nine books in and is every bit as fun as when it started. You get some romance with the adventure times and the excellent dialogue Raybourn is known for.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This historical thriller from Silvia “Watch Me Write All the Genres” Moreno-Garcia is set in Mexico City during the Dirty War of the ’70s. Maite is bored with the ho-hum pace of her life, begrudging her desk job, her overbearing mother, and her lack of romantic prospects. When her glamorous next-door neighbor Lenora goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Maite goes looking for her and winds up elbow-deep in Leonora’s secret life of radical activism and dissidence. Meanwhile, hitman (and kind of a goon) Elvis has been hired to track down Leonora but winds up tailing Maite and growing more and more obsessed with this woman who appears to share his love of rock’n’roll and longing. As Maite and Elvis attempt to discover the truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, they’ll face down hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies, “because Mexico in the 1970s is a noir, where life is cheap and the price of truth is high.”

For even more historical whodunits, try these 17 historical mystery books and these newer batches of historical mysteries, too.

Kissing Books

10 New Romance Reads for Your Beach Bag

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date February 20, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Emily Martin

As we near the end of winter and look forward to spring, it’s time to start planning our TBRs for the warmer months. And for a relaxing day at the beach, taking in some warm sun, there’s really nothing more satisfying than a romance read that’s light and happy but still makes your heart flutter.

And while everyone says not to judge a book by its cover, there’s just something aesthetically pleasing about a romance novel with bright colors and fun images against the backdrop of the sand and sea. These new must-read romance books deliver exciting, page-turning stories, fun, relatable characters, and all of your favorite romance tropes—from enemies to lovers to fake dating and everything in between. And the icing on the cake? They’re going to look so gorgeous sticking out of your beach bag as you set up in the sand on your next warm-weather vacation.

Pro-tip: you’re not going to be able to put down any of these 10 new romance reads. So you might want to pack two (or four) into your beach bag. Between the warm sand, the waves, and all the other relaxing beach sounds, you’re about to live your best beach reading life. You’re welcome!

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

Say You’ll Be Mine is Naina Kumar’s debut romance novel about theater teacher and aspiring playwright Meghna Raman. Despite going against her parents’ wishes for her to be an engineer, Meghna’s life is going great. But then her best friend (and secret crush) Seth suddenly gets engaged and asks her to be his best man. In a desperate effort to get over the one that got away, Meghna agrees to let her parents set her up. And a fake engagement with a grumpy (but handsome) engineer seems like just the thing to help Meghna get over her crush.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord

This cute YA contemporary romance follows recently graduated Riley, who spent her high school years doing her best to be the perfect, well-behaved daughter for her mom. But now that she’s growing up and moving out, she has no idea what she really wants from her life when she’s not worried about pleasing others. Looking for a way to find herself, she teams up with her best friend Tom and moves to New York for the summer to complete The Getaway List — a list of things they’ve wanted to do together since they were kids, before Tom moved away.

The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Singer-songwriter Riley Wynn becomes an overnight sensation after she releases a breakup album featuring a hit single no one can get enough of. But when her ex-husband claims the song is about him, Riley is determined to set the record straight. And so she contacts her old college flame, Max Harcourt, the guy the song is really about. When Riley asks Max to go public as the real inspiration for the song, he will only agree under one condition. He wants to go on tour with her. As the two travel the country together, they begin to wonder if what was in the past shouldn’t stay in the past.

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi

Enemies-to-lovers fans, throw this one in your beach bag immediately. Nami has always exceeded at everything. But that all changes on her 30th birthday, when her engagement shockingly ends, and her tech company is on the verge of losing funding. Worst of all, just when she asks the universe to bring her a soulmate, she is instead delivered her hate mate. Jae Lee, her old high school nemesis who beat her out for valedictorian, has plans to take over her start-up.

cover of Don't Want You Like a Best Friend

Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

This queer Victorian romance is the first in a new series from Emma R. Alban. There’s nothing debutante Beth wants less than snagging a husband, but if she doesn’t within the next year, she and her mother will be out on the streets. Meanwhile, Gwen, the daughter of an earl, is on her fourth season and is just enjoying the party, with no intentions of ever finding a spouse. So when Gwen meets Beth, she hatches up a plan to save them both: they’ll set up Gwen’s father with Beth’s mother.

Wild Life by Opal Wei

Zoey Fong has one simple goal: find a cure for cancer. But the research is not going as well as Zoey hoped, and to make matters worse, a key part of her research has accidentally ended up in the hands of a handsome stranger. All Davy Hsieh wants is to set up an animal sanctuary away from the prying eyes of other humans. He was definitely not expecting Zoey to enter into his quiet hermit bubble. And he wasn’t expecting romance.

The [Fake] Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky

Raise your hand if you love fake dating stories! (Me!) Holden James auditions for the reality television competition, Madcap Market, thinking this could be the perfect homage to his mother, who died six years ago. But now his relationship with his long-term boyfriend is on the rocks, and without a boyfriend, his time on the show might be over before it begins. Then, he meets hotel concierge Leo Min. Leo is kind and understanding and seems like the perfect person to be on the show. So maybe they can throw together a fake relationship and make this work?

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

Wells Whitaker is in a rut. Once golf’s hottest rising star, now he feels like he has nothing to show for his hard work and only one remaining fan. Josephine Doyle has always believed in Wells, so when he asks her to be his caddy and split the prize money if he wins, she of course says yes. Traveling together, the two soon become inseparable. Maybe Josephine was the key to his success all along.

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly

Here’s another sports-themed romance you won’t want to miss. High school basketball coach Julie Parker is ready for the challenge with smart-mouthed Vanessa Lerner joining the team. What she wasn’t prepared for was how star-struck she would be when she meets Vanessa’s mother, former basketball star Elle Cochrane. Eventually, Julie works up the courage to ask Elle to become the assistant coach for the year. As the two grow closer and closer, Julie wonders how Elle is still single.

The Catch by Amy Lea

Boston fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen is desperate to save her brand, which is how she finds herself in a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada. That’s where she meets grumpy lobster fisherman Evan Whaler. The two don’t hit it off at first, but after Evan gets in a boating accident and winds up unconscious in the hospital, Mel is mistaken as Evan’s fiancée. After meeting Evan’s fun, quirky family, Mel happily agrees to pretend to be Evan’s fiancée for a week, as long as Evan agrees to help her with her social media content.

Looking for more romance reads to bring with you on your next beach trip? Or just to your favorite reading chair? Here are some of the best beach reads of 2023, in case you missed them. Make sure you also check out Book Riot’s bimonthly podcast, When in Romance, to get all the romance novel news and book recommendations!