Staff Picks
Oprah Magazine Top Romance Novels of 2020
- Ariel H.
- Thursday, December 10, 2020
Collection
"They each got us through an overwhelming year, one happy ending at a time." - Oprah Magazine
Undercover Bromance
Published in 2020
"Braden Mack has read so many romance novels that he's confident he's an expert on romance and women. He is wrong. When Liv Papandreas landed a job working at the restaurant of celebrity chef Royce Preston one year ago, she knew she'd have to endure his infamous anger and abusive outbursts for the sake of her career. But when she overhears the man sexually harassing a young hostess at the restaurant, she confronts him and tells the young woman she'll escort her to human resources. To her dismay, the woman refuses to make a complaint--and the next thing Liv knows, she's out of a job. She vows that Royce Preston has not heard the last of her. But to take on the powerful chef, she knows she's going to need help. Unfortunately, the only person she can think of is Braden Mack. Mack has never met a woman he couldn't woo... except Liv. When she texts him out of the blue one day and asks to meet him for a drink that night, he thinks he might finally be getting a chance to put some of the famous Mack moves on her. Instead, she fills him in on her problem and asks for help. With the aid of the Bromance Book Club (who are inspired by the romantic suspense novel they're currently reading), they set out to take down the chef. And Liv is determined to keep the sparks between her and Mack to a minimum lest she get burned"-- Provided by publisher.
Conventionally Yours
Published in 2020
"Conrad Stewart and Alden Parks are enemies, and that's the way it's always been. But when they're stuck together on a cross-country road trip to the biggest fan convention of their lives, the competition takes a backseat as unexpected feelings blossom. Yet each boy has a reason why they have to win the upcoming con tournament and neither is willing to let emotion get in the way--even if it means giving up their one chance at something truly magical."-- Provided by publisher.
Love Her or Lose Her
A Novel
Published in 2020
High school sweethearts, Rosie and Dominic Vega, are the perfect couple. Something has happened in their decade of marriage, though, and they decide to sign up for marriage boot camp.
The Heir Affair
Published in 2020
A follow-up to The Royal We finds Bex Porter and her husband, Prince Nicolas, in self-imposed exile in the wake of a scandal before a royal crisis exposes old family secrets and a brother's ongoing disgrace.
You Had Me at Hola
A Novel
Published in 2020
"After a messy public breakup leaves her face splashed across the tabloids, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez returns to New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country. A casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez, who is worried about his career after his last telenovela character was killed off. A disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had, so Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. Rehearsal leads to kissing, kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. Will the media spotlight on Jasmine destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret?"--Provided by publisher.
Well Played
Published in 2020
"Another laugh-out-loud romantic comedy featuring kilted musicians, Renaissance Faire tavern wenches, and an unlikely love story. Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it's been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she'll even find The One. When Stacey imagined "The One," it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she's not sure what to make of it. Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she's exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey's shock, it isn't Dex-she's been falling in love with a man she barely knows"-- Provided by publisher.
The Marriage Game
Published in 2020
"It's a clash of culture in this romantic comedy about arranged marriages from Sara Desai. Layla Santos is the child of first-generation immigrants from India. Her parents run a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in San Francisco and are very traditionalin their ways, including a firm belief in the benefit of arranged marriages. Her father, thinking he knows best, signs Layla up for IndianGirlMatch.com and sets up a series of dates without telling her.... Sam Mehta is the self-made CEO of a corporate consultancy specializing in downsizing. Also the child of first-generation immigrants with traditional beliefs, his family treated him like a prince and saw him as a symbol of their social and economic strength. But his sister's marital experience has taughthim that parents don't always know what's best for their children, and arranged marriages don't always end in a happily ever after. When life throws Layla and Sam into close quarters, Sam finds himself unexpectedly chaperoning Layla on her dates. But neither can deny the chemistry building between them, and they wonder if perhaps they should make an arrangement of their own.."-- Provided by publisher.
Never Kiss a Duke
Published in 2020
"Sebastian, Duke of Hasford, has a title, wealth, privilege, and plenty of rakish charm. Until he discovers the only thing that truly belongs to him is his charm. An accident of birth has turned him into plain Mr. de Silva. Now, Sebastian is flummoxed as to what to do with his life - until he stumbles into a gambling den owned by Miss Ivy, a most fascinating young lady, who hires him on the spot. Working with a boss has never seemed so enticing. Two years ago, Ivy gambled everything that was precious to her - and won. Now the owner of London's most intriguing gambling house, Ivy is competent, assured, and measured. Until she meets Mr. de Silva, who stirs feelings she didn't realize she had. Can she keep her composure around her newest employee? They vow to keep their partnership strictly business, but just one kiss makes them realize that with each passing day - and night - there's nothing as tempting as what is forbidden ..."--Publisher.
Party of Two
Published in 2020
"A chance meeting with a handsome stranger turns into a whirlwind affair that gets everyone talking. Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe's mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and theyspend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can't resist-it is chocolate cake, after all. Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble-not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max's high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestinedates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?"-- Provided by publisher.
Boyfriend Material
Published in 2020
"Wanted: One (fake) boyfriend. Practically perfect in every way. Luc O'Donnell is tangentially--and reluctantly--famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything. To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship ... and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened. But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go."-- Provided by publisher.
Beach Read
Published in 2020
"A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters. Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast. They're polar opposites. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block. Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. But as the summer stretches on, January discovers a gaping plot hole in the story she's been telling herself about her own life, and begins to wonder what other things she might have gotten wrong, including her ideas about the man next door."--Provided by publisher.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown
A Novel
Published in 2020
A young woman agrees to fake-date her friend after a video of him "rescuing" her from their office building goes viral.
Mermaid Inn
Published in 2020
Eve Abbott has a problem-actually, make that a lot of problems. And they're all going to get worse the moment her toes hit the sand in Matchmaker Bay. Once a blissful summer escape, the tiny town now just reminds Eve of loss. Inheriting her aunt's beloved Mermaid Inn is the only reason Eve is coming back. She's definitely not ready to handle nosy neighbors, extensive renovations, or the discovery that a certain heartbreaker still lives down the street... Police Chief Sawyer Collins always does the right thing, even when it costs him everything...like Evie. He's spent the past ten years trying to forget her-to forget how right she felt in his arms, to forget the pain in her eyes the day she left. The last thing he expects is to see her back in town or to find that the spark between them is as strong as ever. Sawyer knows this is his only chance to prove that his feelings have always been real...before Eve turns tail and leaves for good.
Ties That Tether
Published in 2020
"When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother's heart, she must choose between love and her family. At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture, even after immigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping-well, forcing-her to stay within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and . . . white. When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother. Soon, Azere can't help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness, or continue to be the compliant daughter"-- Publisher's description.
Real Men Knit
Published in 2020
"When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop. Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans on what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store. Jesse wants to keep the store open. His brothers want to tie off loose ends and close shop... Part-time shop employee, Kerry Fuller has kept her crush on Jesse a secret. When she overhears his impassioned plea to his brothers to keep the knitting shop open, she volunteers to help. Unlike Jesse, Kerry knows the knitty-gritty of the business and togetherthey make plans to reinvent Strong Knits for a new generation. But the more time they spend together, the stronger the chemistry builds between them. Kerry, knowing Jesse's history, doesn't believe their relationship can last longer than one can knit one, purl two. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her forever and always-after all, real men knit"-- Provided by publisher.
The Happy Ever After Playlist
Published in 2020
"Sloan Monroe can't catch a break. Two years after losing her fiance, her life consists of cemetery visits, unorthodox art projects, and drinking sessions with her best friend, Kristen. So when a dog dashes in front of her car and gets her a ticket for obstructing traffic, Sloan is at her wits' end. But after meeting the ridiculously attractive and charming owner of the trouble-making retriever, she begins to think that maybe her luck has finally started to turn around... When Jason Larsen -- a.k.a. JaxonWaters, rock n' roll's newest prodigy -- turns on his phone after a two-week hiking trip in Australia, he's shocked to find out that his beloved dog Tucker escaped his babysitter and is being held hostage by a beautiful woman. As Jason and Sloan begin tofall for each other, past traumas and rising tensions prove that their seemingly perfect match may just go to the dogs"-- Provided by publisher.
Chasing Cassandra
Published in 2020
"Everything has a price...Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. Anything--or anyone--is his for the asking. It should be simple to find the perfect wife--and from his first glimpse of Lady Cassandra Ravenel, he's determined to have her. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is equally determined to marry for love--the one thing he can't give. Everything except her... Severin is the most compelling and attractive man Cassandra has ever met, even if his heart is frozen. But she has no interest in living in the fast-paced world of a ruthless man who always plays to win. When a newfound enemy nearly destroys Cassandra's reputation, Severin seizes the opportunity he's been waiting for. As always, he gets what he wants--or does he? There's one lesson Tom Severin has yet to learn from his new bride: Never underestimate a Ravenel. The chase for Cassandra's hand may be over. But the chase for her heart has only just begun..."--Publisher.
Marriage on Madison Avenue
Published in 2020
"Can guys and girls ever be just friends? According to Audrey Tate and Clarke West, absolutely. After all, they've been best friends since childhood without a single romantic entanglement. Clarke is the charming playboy Audrey can always count on, and he knows that the ever-loyal Audrey will never not play along with his strategy for dodging his matchmaking mother-announcing he's already engaged...to Audrey. But what starts out as a playful game between two best friends turns into something infinitely more complicated, as just-for-show kisses begin to stir up forbidden feelings. As the faux wedding date looms closer, Audrey and Clarke realize that they can never go back to the way things were, but deep down, do they really want to?"-- Provided by publisher.
Crescent City
House of Earth and Blood
Published in 2020
"Half-Fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan loves her life. By day, she works for an antiquities dealer, selling barely legal magical artifacts, and by night, she parties with her friends, savoring every pleasure Lunathion-otherwise known as Crescent City-has to offer. But it all comes crumbling down when a ruthless murder shakes the very foundations of the city-and Bryce's world. Two years later, her job has become a dead end, and she now seeks only blissful oblivion in the city's most notorious nightclubs. But when the murderer attacks again, Bryce finds herself dragged into the investigation and paired with an infamous Fallen angel whose own brutal past haunts his every step. Hunt Athalar, personal assassin for the Archangels, wants nothing to do with Bryce Quinlan, despite being ordered to protect her. She stands for everything he once rebelled against and seems more interested in partying than solving the murder, no matter how close to home it might hit. But Hunt soon realizes there's far more to Bryce than meets the eye-and that he's going to have to find a way to work with her if they want to solve this case. As Bryce and Hunt race to untangle the mystery, they have no way of knowing the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents, and down to the darkest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir.."-- Provided by publisher.
Daring and the Duke
Published in 2020
When she is reconciled with the man who betrayed her, who will go to any lengths to win her back, fiercely independent Grace Condry, who has spent a lifetime running from her past, vows to take revenge on this man she once loved.
This is Forever
Published in 2020
Caroline Becoming a teen mom at sixteen was not what I expected, but then again, neither was being a single parent. Still, I wouldn't change my past because that boy is my world. Hockey is the only thing my son seems to care about, so I work two jobs to make sure he can play. I'd do anything to make sure he doesn't suffer because of the bad decisions his father made. When he won a whole summer of hockey training, I knew in my heart he was going to have an amazing time. What I wasn't prepared for was meeting his new summer coach. He was magnetic, powerful, and a player-in all forms of the word. If my life had taught me anything up to this point, it was how to avoid making bad decisions, and Justin Stone was the definition of a bad decision. I could never be a woman his family approved of-even if I wished I could be. Justin Growing up as the son of a hockey God is one thing. Growing up as the brother of a second hockey God is another. I had big skates to fill, so it was a good thing I loved every second of it. Summer was my off time, my time to let loose, but when they ask me to coach a hockey camp for underprivileged kids, I couldn't say no. But when she walked in holding a little boy's hand, my heart stopped beating. Or maybe it started for the first time. They were a package deal, and I knew this-wanted it more than I've ever wanted anything. It didn't take long to realize that no matter what happened, I would do anything to protect them. She is the only one I want to be with. When push comes to shove, I have to prove to everyone that this is my choice, and This is Forever.
You Were There Too
Published in 2020
Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, the husband, and dreams of starting a family. Their relocation to small-town Pennsylvania comes with the usual challenges--finding a new job, new friends, new furniture--but the move is nothing the couple can't handle. That is, until Mia finally meets the stranger she has been dreaming about for a decade. And here's the catch: He's been dreaming of her, too. Now Mia must navigate the tangled web that fate has spun her and, with the help of the man of her dreams, go in search of answers. When diving into both of their pasts begins to unravel life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question: What if?
The Trouble with Hating You
Published in 2020
Fleeing a dinner party when she is set up with a lawyer, a biochemical engineer is surprised to encounter the same man a week later when he arrives to help her struggling company.
The Boyfriend Project
Published in 2020
"Samiah Brooks never thought she would be "that" girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she's been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah - along with his two other "girlfriends," London and Taylor - have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men, no dating, and no worrying about their relationship status . . . For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she's always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy, honey-eyed Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? When it comes to love, there's no such thing as a coincidence. But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?"--Provided by publisher.
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird
A Novel
Published in 2020
"Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They'd been together for more than a decade, and Lydia thought their love was indestructible. But she was wrong. On her twenty-eighth birthday, Freddie died in a car accident. So now it's just Lydia, and all she wants to do is hide indoors and sob until her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully, happily, even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonas, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world, open to life--and perhaps even love--again. But then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened. Lydia is pulled again and again across the doorway of her past, living two lives, impossibly, at once. But there's an emotional toll to returning to a world where Freddie, alive, still owns her heart. Because there's someone in her new life, her real life, who wants her to stay. Written with Josie Silver's trademark warmth and wit, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a powerful and thrilling love story about the what-ifs that arise at life's crossroads, and what happens when one woman is given a miraculous chance to answer them"-- Provided by publisher.
Alpha Night
Published in 2020
"New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her breathtaking Psy-Changeling Trinity series with a mating that shouldn't exist ... Alpha wolf Selenka Durev's devotion to her pack is equaled only by her anger at anyone who would harm those in her care. That currently includes the empaths who've flowed into her city for a symposium that is a security nightmare--a powder keg just waiting for a match. Ethan Night is an Arrow who isn't an Arrow. Numb and disengaged from the world, he's loyal only to himself. Assigned as part of the security force at a world-first symposium, he carries a dark agenda tied to the power-hungry and murderous Consortium. Then violence erupts and Ethan finds himself crashing into the heart and soul of an alpha wolf. Mating at first sight is a myth, a fairy tale. Yet Selenka's wolf is resolute: Ethan Night, a broken Arrow and a man capable of obsessive devotion, is the mate it has chosen. Even if the mating bond is full of static and not quite as it should be. Because Selenka's new mate has a terrible secret, his mind surging with a power that is a creature of madness and death ..."-- Provided by publisher.
The Falling in Love Montage
Published in 2020
"Two girls embark on a summer of montage-worthy dates (with a few strings attached)."-- Provided by publisher.
Moral Compass
A Novel
Published in 2020
"Saint Ambrose Prep is a place where the wealthy send their children for the best possible education, with teachers and administrators from the Ivy League, and graduates who become future lawyers, politicians, filmmakers, and CEOs. Traditionally a boys-only school, Saint Ambrose has just enrolled one hundred and forty female students for the first time. Even though most of the kids on the campus have all the privilege in the world, some are struggling, wounded by their parents' bitter divorces, dealing with insecurity and loneliness. In such a heightened environment, even the smallest spark can become a raging fire. One day after the school's annual Halloween event, a student lies in the hospital, her system poisoned by dangerous levels of alcohol. Everyone in this sheltered community--parents, teachers, students, police, and the media--are left trying to figure out what actually happened. Only the handful of students who were there when she was attacked truly know the answers and they have vowed to keep one another's secrets. As details from the evening emerge, powerful families are forced to hire attorneys and less powerful families watch helplessly. Parents' marriages are jeopardized, and students' futures are impacted. No one at Saint Ambrose can escape the fallout of a life-altering event. In this compelling novel, Danielle Steel illuminates the dark side of one drunken night, with its tragic consequences, from every possible point of view. As the drama unfolds, the characters will reach a crossroads where they must choose between truth and lies, between what is easy and what is right, and find the moral compass they will need for the rest of their lives"-- Provided by publisher.
The Sinner
Published in 2020
Syn takes another hit job and crosses the path of the vampire race's new enemy and a half-breed in danger of dying during her transition. Butch O'Neal is the Dhestroyer, supposedly fulfilling the prophecy that forces the end of the Omega.
How to Fail at Flirting
Published in 2020
"One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever's world upside down. When her flailing department lands on the university's chopping block, Professor Naya Turner's friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for anevening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she'll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Letthe guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check...almost. Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she's flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship--except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career. Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she canflirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she's finally living again"-- Provided by publisher.
Something to Talk About
Published in 2020
"A showrunner and her assistant give the world something to talk about when they accidentally fuel a ridiculous rumor in this debut romance. Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, and just like that, thetabloids declare them a couple. The so-called scandal couldn't come at a worse time-threatening Emma's promotion and Jo's new movie. As the gossip spreads, it starts to affect all areas of their lives. Paparazzi are following them outside the office, coworkers are treating them differently, and a "source" is feeding information to the media. But their only comment is "no comment." With the launch of Jo's film project fast approaching, the two women begin to spend even more time together, getting along famously. Emma seems to have a sixth sense for knowing what Jo needs. And Jo, known for being aloof and outwardly cold, opens up to Emma in a way neither of them expects. They begin to realize the rumor might not be so off base after all...but is acting onthe spark between them worth fanning the gossip flames?"-- Provided by publisher.