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"new romantics" by taylor swift & 15 romance recommendations
Okay, NOW I’m done with my Baseball Romance! I’m so excited about it. I can’t wait to be able to share more about it with you. And I’m so, so happy to be freeeeeeeee!
One of the ways I celebrated was by having the most luxurious long brunch with a good friend of mine, where our waitress pulled the coffee carafe out from where it was hooked onto the back of her apron like a goddamn ACROBAT and we talked about everything ranging from whose character got done the dirtiest on Gilmore Girls; what we think Taylor Swift will do next; and lots and lots and lots about romance as a genre.
The wait for our table was hella long, but I didn’t feel a single second of it because we’d been using that time to scroll through my friend’s Goodreads together and discuss what she liked and didn’t like in romance. She’s a big fan of world-building even in contemporary romance, which is why she loves the Jen DeLuca Ren Faire series. She likes when things get real, or even a little melancholy. (We are both Pisces Sad Girl Phoebe Bridgers Fans, which is def one reason why we’re friends.) She teaches literature, including a class on Jane Austen, so I know she would love a smart nod to a classic or an epistolary element (the way we were melting in our seats even talking about Wentworth’s letter in Persuasion lol).
But she said she was having a hard time lately finding romances that appealed to her. If she’d lit a bunch of candles and put them in a circle she couldn’t have summoned me any faster — I immediately started thinking up ones I’d recommend. And then I just straight-up asked her, “Would you mind if I made this a newsletter?” She said she’d be honored, so here we are! Fifteen romance recommendations for this friend, with a potential Brunch Conversation Topic (BCT) for after reading:
Love at First by Kate Clayborn. If you know me BUT AT ALL you already know I’m a huge Kate Clayborn fan. It’s hard for me not to recommend Georgie, All Along, because my love for Georgie and Levi is especially feral, but I want you to start with this one. The way that Will and Nora “met” as teenagers just by talking through the balcony. The caretaking scene. The poetry readings. There is a single sentence in this book that is hotter than some full sex scenes I’ve read. BCT: Kate is smarter than me when it comes to Literary Stuff, and you are smarter than me when it comes to Literary Stuff, so I *know* there are tons of Romeo & Juliet allusions I am missing here. I got the obvious balcony one but beyond that I’m mostly just vibing to the 1996 R+J soundtrack without a thought in my head.
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly. Only when I was looking up the link for this book did I see it described as “sullen meets sunshine,” which I really like lol. Move over, grump! Really, though, the dynamic between Alexei and Ben is everything to me. Alexei is so introverted and awkward; he feels things so deeply but doesn’t always know how to express himself. And Ben is so outwardly joyful but inwardly more complicated than that. They meet while separately hiking the PCT and are immediately drawn to each other; the ending of this book made me ugly cry but like, in a beautiful, cathartic way. (These are all happy ending books btw, I wouldn’t do you like that.) BCT: Are you a hiking person? We’ve never really discussed that. Does this book make you want to be a hiking person?
Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. This is such an inventive and interesting romance because it follows a couple who’s already married but feeling distant from each other. When there’s a misunderstanding on their anniversary trip, they decide to use it as an excuse to pretend they don’t know each other and are meeting for the first time, to see if they can get some of that spark back. As a writer, I’m in awe because I just think “marriage in trouble” is SUCH a tricky trope to pull off (and these authors do it!). As a romance reader, I loved how they played with that role-playing aspect, when the couple dropped the act to be real with each other, how their play-acting revealed deep truths they might not have gotten to otherwise. BCT: What makes a marriage-in-trouble romance work? How do you thread that needle where you buy the couple’s conflict but still root for them to stay together? We can talk about Luke+Lorelai/Jim+Pam more here if needed lol.
How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder. We’re also going to need to brush off our regular what the fuck must it be like to date a celebrity/to date as a celebrity conversation, because this is one of my favorite celebrity romance novels of all time. It’s a fake dating premise that actually makes total sense (no hate to even the silliest of fake dating premises, which I will also shove right into my eyeballs, but I just love that this one is like, two publicists setting up their clients because you KNOW that shit happens). This one is very angsty with some grief and addiction issues, and it’s horny and sad in that way I already know you will like because we were both radicalized by Normal People. BCT: If we’re at your house instead of a First Watch where the table behind you kept turning around to look at me, we can talk about the open door scenes, aka the Open Door scene (IYKYK). If we’re keeping it PG we can talk about which real-life celebrity couples we think could’ve been publicity set-ups. Ava’s next book Will They or Won’t They also has VERY strong Lauren Graham + Scott Patterson have-such-great-chemistry-but-maybe-hated-each-other-on-set energy so truly everything is coming full circle.
Bend Toward the Sun by Jen Devon. Talk about real, this romance felt so earthy and rich and lived-in and complicated to me. The world-building and setting is fantastic; I felt like I was there. This one is also surprisingly horny! (Just surprising based on the cover, maybe?) This may not mean anything to you since you didn’t cut your teeth on your mom’s Judith McNaught historicals like I did, but when Jen Devon revealed in an interview that she was a big Judith McNaught fan growing up I was like I FUCKING KNEW IT!!!!! Look, those books don’t always hold up in every aspect, but one thing a Judith McNaught novel could do was make me ACHE and this book has that same quality. BCT: Since we were talking about “where has all the chemistry gone” in romcoms nowadays, let’s talk about the chemistry between Rowan and Harry in this book.
Five books for when you’re looking for something tender and heartfelt. The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon. If you want to understand me as a person and romance writer, you def need to read Rachel Lynn Solomon. Speaking of fake dating premises, this one is especially fun because it has a twist — they’re essentially faking being exes for this radio talk show they do together. I LOVED that aspect of it, because I’ve always been obsessed with radio shows. Dominic and Shay both felt like actual people to me, and sometimes I think stuff like, “I wonder if Dominic is still being insufferable about his grad program lol” or “people can be so harsh about women’s voices on the radio, take my girl Shay for example . . .” as if I know them personally or something. This is also the author of that upcoming romance that features the ghostwriter who gives sex lessons that I was talking about at brunch!! (aka when that table kept turning around to look at me). BCT: Could you eat in one of those restaurants where it’s all dark? I couldn’t. Carrabba’s is just about as dark as I want a restaurant to get. And how cool would it be to have a call-in radio advice show?? Like my dream.
The Roommate by Rosie Danan. I have read this book . . . many times. Maybe I shouldn’t tell you how many. I have read certain scenes in this book even more than that. I LOVE a roommate set-up (I know you do, too, because you loved The Flatshare!). I loved Josh, this happy-go-lucky guy who’s unabashed about his porn star status; Clara, this uptight woman who moves in and slowly realizes how to ask for what she wants and not be ashamed about it. The second book, The Intimacy Experiment, is set in the same universe and follows Naomi, a character who comes across a little harsh in this book but who you see is so vulnerable beneath her prickly exterior in her own story. Ugh, just so good. BCT: I’m ready to talk about porn and sex work! How is it viewed by society; is that fair; how can we make it safer for people; whatever. It’s a rich discussion topic. Maybe not for First Watch on a Sunday morning.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Okay, we’ve already talked about liking the “sex lessons” trope, we’ve already got sex work on the table as a discussion topic, admittedly we have mixed feelings about Pretty Woman but c’mon half of that is Richard Gere . . . I feel like this was one of the first romances I read in this new era of romance, and it really stayed with me. Stella is a mathematician who has Asperger’s and she’s always struggled to relate to other people. She hires escort Michael to help her get more comfortable with dating stuff, but of course what starts as a professional arrangement quickly turns personal when they’re both drawn to each other . . . very vulnerable and sensitive but also sexy and I just loved their dynamic. BCT: Honestly how the fuck do you date. It’s so weird when you really think about it.
Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren. I forgot to ask you if you’d read any Christina Lauren. They’re a powerhouse in romance, so if you haven’t, they have SO many books that are a great place for you to start. I hand-selected Beautiful Player for you because I recently attended an Instagram live between two friends where they discussed this book, and they reminded me of just how much of a masterclass it is in quiet intimacy and this slow build of a relationship from “you’re my brother’s best friend” to “why don’t we hook up, you know, just for fun and because I want to practice for future relationships” to “oh shit no we are fucking gone for each other.” There’s a scene where he puts a BEANIE on her and it is still one of the most tender little moments I’ve ever read. This book is part of a series, but I don’t think it’s a problem for you to read out of order — and again, if you like reading series where you get to see all the characters get built out, Christina Lauren have several. BCT: “Brother’s best friend” and “Best friend’s brother” are both top-tier tropes but they HIT different and why is that?
Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis. Fun fact, this list was originally supposed to be 13 books long (for obvious, Taylor Swift-related reasons), but then this book popped into my head to make it 14 and I just couldn’t cut anything to make it work. So instead I added it one more to make it 15 (since you love the song “Fifteen”). I love the premise of this book. When she’s a teenager, Emmie Blue releases a balloon into the sky, and this boy ends up returning it to her. Ever since then, she’s had this kinda lovelorn relationship with him, where they’re best friends but she just knows he’s destined to be the One. It’s not like you can’t figure this book out, probably, but I still don’t want to spoil it for you by saying anything more than that. But it’s really lovely with lots of tender moments that have stayed with me (truck; tea; flower; stars; that’s all I’m going to say for now). BCT: Oooof let’s talk about the pain of unrequited love! Let’s talk about Joey + Dawson + Pacey some more!
Five books for when you’re in the mood to feel cozy and laugh. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. I love the Brown sisters series from Talia Hibbert. They are legitimately, snort-laugh-out-loud funny, they are very steamy, they have excellent neurodivergent representation, they’re just a ton of fun. Like I’ve never taken more than an afternoon to read a Talia Hibbert book because I just gobble them up. This is the first in the series, and I do think you should start here even though I mayyyyyyybe think one of the later books is ultimately my favorite. BCT: Honestly, read all the books so we can discuss them together. I know this is me giving you homework but you give undergrads syllabi of books to read and papers to write all the time, so . . . me and karma vibe like that.
The Deal by Elle Kennedy. Did we talk about hockey romance at brunch at all? If not, that was an oversight on my part. This is the first book in a college-set hockey romance series by Elle Kennedy, and it is FUN. Two friends recommended it to me on Twitter back in the day and no joke, I downloaded it that very same night and then read it twice. Like, I finished it, I clicked “Back to the Beginning,” and I read it again. I don’t know if I’ve done that before or since. I love Garrett Graham. He manages to be one of those kinda-a-playboy, kinda-just-a-decent-guy characters that only a romance novel can pull off. MLB Superstar Bryce Harper also loves Elle Kennedy, which may not mean much to you but it meant a lot to me when I read that interview. BCT: I could talk about this whole book like it happened to me personally. One small detail that always stands out to me is when she asks about his tattoo and he’s like, “I got it because it looked cool” and that’s refreshing to her, actually. Asa’s tattoos in Cold World are a tiny homage to that moment (although some of his do have meaning, some of them don’t!).
Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey. I know you are also a sucker for an epistolary element like I am, and this has an email exchange at the heart of their meet cute that is really lovely. Kerry’s books are so cozy and homey and slyly funny — like, I always laugh out loud at least once and as someone who is Very Stoic when she reads that’s a lot! Kerry loves Nora Ephron movies and hates Richard Gere and it shows! There is a top-notch karaoke scene in this book in particular, and it also begs the question — what if a guy had the kindness and emotional availability and gift of reaching kids like Mr. Rogers, but was . . . hot? BCT: I don’t mean to imply that Mr. Rogers wasn’t hot or that hotness is all that matters. I’m just trying to sell you on a romance novel here.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle. Speaking of hilarious. This book made me CACKLE. I love Sarah Hogle’s brain. I was low-key twitter obsessed with her before this book even came out (partially because at the time I was querying her agent, haha, long story). This is another really inventive premise because the couple is already engaged, so it shares a little in common with the marriage-in-trouble trope. Except in this one, they start competing with each other to basically prank the other one into calling off the wedding. Except . . . what if they don’t want to call it off? We talked about how hard it is for books to do what movies can, in terms of elevating physical comedy, funny situations, the rhythm of banter, etc., but this book does it. And it does it without sacrificing any of the heart. BCT: Like, HOW does Sarah make me think at the beginning, “God, they’re annoying” and flip all the way around at the end to be like, “I LOVE THEM.”
Pride & Protest by Nikki Payne. I started with a book to lick your literary chops about, and I’ll end the same way. This retelling of Pride & Prejudice is an absolute blast. You’ll really enjoy all the elegant little compliments it pays to the original (the Mr. Collins character, Wickham, the mom, it’s just so smart and funny). BCT: We’ll probably have to watch the 1995 version before or after you read, you know. For research. Then we can have more fun with all the comparisons.
There you have it! My usual caveats that I will think of a billion other ones I wish I’d added later; and that all these are books that are already out but I also have recommendations of books coming out soon.
[And if anyone in the comments wants to suggest more books — please!! I will say that if there are glaring holes in this list, do consider that some of that may be because my friend had already read certain books, or already knew she didn’t like a certain trope, or whatever, and so I tailored (Taylored lol) it accordingly. But feel free to suggest anything that fits with these vibes, because even if she’s read it or wouldn’t like it, someone else might get something out of it!]
Okay, sorry, I have to — you already read With Love, from Cold World because I literally shoved it into your hands at yet another brunch and then scurried away like I was conducting some Black Market deal. But for anyone else, if you preorder from that link, you can get it signed/personalized (just put any personalization notes in the comments on your order), and I’ll also include the sticker sheet, art print, and postcard swag.
Finally, I was remiss not talking more about “New Romantics” in this newsletter, but I know we’re both fans of this underrated gem! We have exquisite taste which is why I’m so confident in these New Romance recommendations for you.
Currently reading . . . Speaking of recommendations for books that aren’t out yet . . . I’m currently reading Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North, which is another brilliant “marriage-in-trouble” romance coming out next year. The wintery setting, the improv handbook they use to try to work through their marriage, these achingly poignant sentences that just hit you in the gut . . . it’s so good.
watching . . . I’d apologize for only watching baseball this week, but I got in my pajamas, crawled into bed, and watched the entirety of a 2.5-hour game plus ALL the post-game content until literally it changed over to fishing content (this is what you get when watching a Florida regional sports channel). And I can’t apologize for that. It was the most indulgent feeling and I loved every minute of it. I watched a feature where Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm paid close attention as a baseball card company showed how they graded cards. I watched a feature about Don Zimmer . . . again. I know so much about Don Zimmer. I could quote this feature to you.
listening to . . . I’ve been listening to the If Books Could Kill podcast, which is Michael Hobbes (you know I love Michael Hobbes from You’re Wrong About and Maintenance Phase!) and Peter Shamshiri talking about those big “airport” books that end up defining so many people’s thinking even when they’re garbage. Recently they released one episode that’s a teaser for a Patreon subscriber episode about how The New York Times in particular has really manufactured this “trans crisis” (think of the kids! etc. etc.). Even though it’s only 27 minutes of the full episode, it still had a lot of really great information in it, and I think it would be super helpful to listen to if you’re like, about to see family and know they’ll say something ignorant and wish you could have data or arguments at hand to rebut their regurgitated talking points. Or even if you’ve been reading a lot about it yourself and don’t know how to feel! The “crisis” really has been manufactured and you have to think about why and to what end.
Now I want to see your friend's Goodreads, lol. She could be missing Abby Jimenez! Amy Lea! Chloe Liese! The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, which I suggest to everyone even though I don't even really like fantasy! (please don't make me learn new animals is generally my motto)
Amazing list! Will be referring back to it often.