When I was writing my latest rom-com novel, Fifteen Minutes of Shame (Siesta Key), I really put my heroine Darby Vaughn through some cringey stuff. After all, she’s a TV love guru who’s just found out her husband is cheating on her and that most humiliating moment of her life is suddenly a gif, a meme and splashed across every supermarket tabloid — not to mention TMZ.
To make things even more complicated, Darby can’t help wondering if super hot divorce attorney-slash-incurable-romantic Holt is flirting with her, or just trying her case.
Lots more awkwardness awaits poor Darby before she gets her HEA, including some celebrity and reality-show fake dating that has her swapping “date night” kisses in front of a cardboard door (with Holt watching from the wings)!
So, when BookTrib asked me to recommend some deliciously awkward romances, I dug through the perilously high stack of books on my nightstand to find a few of my favorites.
Aside from being completely relatable (who among us hasn’t done something embarrassing on a first date?), these embarrassing dating faux pas make for some pretty hilarious reading.
Here are 5 awkward romances we think you’ll enjoy:
The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson
The Seat Filler (Montlake, 2021)
by Sariah Wilson
When dog groomer Juilet Nolan fills in as an award show seat filler, she ends up next to her teen crush: A-list actor Noah Douglas.
As a seat filler, Juliet isn’t allowed to speak to celebrities unless they speak to her first, and she must be seated when the cameras are on. When Noah’s date returns to her seat and the show is live, Juliet finds herself squatting on the floor (stuck between her celebrity crush and his cranky date) in her formal gown to avoid being caught by the cameras.
Juliet pretends she has no idea who Noah is, which is pretty appealing for one of the most popular movie stars on the planet.
He has a dog, and she has a best friend who’s not afraid to meddle, and so the two of them find themselves in each others’ orbits.
While this “celebrity dates a normal person” rom-com is chock full of awkward moments, squatting in a full-length gown to avoid the cameras is one of our favorites.
Perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Tessa Bailey and Ali Hazelwood.
Island Affair by Zebra Books
Island Affair (Zebra Books, 2020)
by Priscilla Oliveras
Few romance tropes offer more opportunities for awkward romance moments than the fake fiancé.
Sara is a social media influencer recovering from an eating disorder, and Luis is a firefighter on the island of Key West. Sara’s just landed on the island for a vacation with her uber-perfectionist family when she gets the call that her boyfriend Ric will be ditching her.
She feels particularly obligated not to rock the boat because her mom has just learned she’s cancer-free, and Sara already feels like a major disappointment to her over-achieving family.
Heroic and hunky Luis steps in as the fake fiancé and charms the flip-flops right off Sara’s family and Sara herself.
One of our favorite awkward moments is when Sara’s mom has hired a private yoga instructor who knows Luis (and is a fangirl of Sara’s) to come to the rental home for a yoga session — and just may expose them both.
Perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory, Mia Sosa and Helen Hoang.
Second First Impressions by William Morrow
Second First Impressions (William Morrow, 2021)
by Sally Thorne
The 90-something Parloni sisters have put in an ad seeking yet another male assistant to make fast-food runs and provide an endless stream of compliments — but the ladies tend to churn through assistants in a week, and the last few have left in tears.
25-year-old Ruthie is working in the front office at the retirement home hoping for a shot at the manager job when she meets the retirement community owner’s son, Teddy Prescott.
Teddy, who has elevated laziness to an art form, will be staying next door to Ruthie’s cottage in the retirement community. She takes an instant dislike to him, but his developer dad hopes working at the property will force him to grow up a bit.
As you might expect, Ruthie feels certain she can get rid of Teddy by putting him to work for the Parloni sisters.
This charming enemies-to-lovers romance has some great awkward moments, but one of the best is when Teddy accidentally mistakes 25-year-old Ruthie for one of the residents at the retirement community.
Perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez, Jen DeLuca and Rosie Danan.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
The Love Hypothesis (Berkley, 2021)
by Ali Hazelwood
Third-year biology Ph.D. student Olive Smith accidentally wanders into the men’s room because she’s wearing expired contacts, and finds herself confessing her insecurities to a strange man who wanders in.
In the very next scene, Olive hurriedly kisses a random stranger outside the lab in order to fool her best friend Ahn into thinking she’s out on a date. When she steps back, she realizes she’s just kissed Dr. Adam Carlsen, academic rock star and biology wunderkind — who just happens to be the biggest jerk on campus — ”a notoriously moody, obnoxious, terrifying dick.”
Awkward moments abound in The Love Hypothesis, the charming, smart and unputdownable debut from Ali Hazelwood.
Perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon, Elizabeth Everett and Elena Arnas.
The Singles Table by Sara Dasai
The Singles Table (Penguin, 2021)
by Sara Dasai
Zara Patel is a lawyer and celebrity-obsessed matchmaker who prides herself on finding true love for her fellow singles-table guests during the months-long wedding season. Jay Dayal is a former military security specialist and grumpy bachelor who agrees to introduce Zara to his celebrity clients if she’ll find him a match.
Free-spirited Zara brings energy and chaos into Jay’s well-ordered life. And opposites attract as Zara and Jay discover they have more in common than they initially believed.
Zara’s wild charisma and chronic clumsiness lead to some great laugh-out-loud awkward moments.
Perfect for fans of Alexis Hall, Sonali Dev and Meghan Quinn.
