February is the month of love, yet with this selection of love-themed books, you’ll find a variety of types – unhinged, unimaginable, unforgettable! Because after all, what’s love without a little bit of drama and dysfunction? These selected books are publishing this year and all feature love in some way. Whether it’s stalking, obsessing, professing, confessing (or hating and dating!), here are our selected Valentine reads to get you into whatever mood you desire this Valentine’s Day!
Marriage and Other Monuments by Virginia Pye
Two estranged sisters’ marriages unravel in the summer of 2020 amid the uncertainty of Covid as social justice protests and cultural divide wrack Richmond, Virginia. Cynthia’s husband’s financial indiscretions have finally ruptured their marriage, while Melissa’s activism for racial justice has put a divide between her and her Black husband. The two sisters will lean on each other for support during their marital issues and rediscover their lost bond. The husbands, fueled by history and race, conspire in a racial reckoning of their own. Race, class, love and desire are at the forefront of the novel that Kirkus calls “a fascinating and audacious novel about family, marriage and a society in flux.”
Kissing the Sky by Lisa Patton
For a dose of nostalgia, read Kissing the Sky by Lisa Patton, and dive into the summer of ’69. Suzannah, a talented singer, has a domineering father who has banned rock music from their home. When her friend Livy convinces her to road-trip to upstate New York to attend Woodstock, she defies her dad and sneaks away. The transformative three days are filled with music, self-discovery and heartache. She’ll meet Leon and get a taste of what first love might be like, and she’ll learn some new things about her best friend on this music-filled journey. Suzannah is a heroine you’ll love to root for as she lifts her voice to embrace the woman she is becoming during that fateful summer of ’69.
Yours Always by Corinne Sullivan
If you love an unreliable narrator, dark humor and the feeling of unease while reading a book, make sure to put Yours Always by Corinne Sullivan on your list. Talia Danvers is a dating-app engineer who can’t figure out her own love life. That is until Townsend Fuller, aka the one that got away, comes back into her life. Except this time, he’s being accused of the disappearance of the woman he left Talia for, Amanda. Talia wants to believe Townsend is innocent—despite her friends warning her not to get involved again and cryptic messages from someone claiming to be Amanda. A story of obsession and betrayal, you won’t know who to believe until the very end of this mind-bending “love” story.
The Last Letters of Sally and Walter by Cammie McGovern
Scrabble fans, this is a love letter for us all! Sally moves into a senior living community, where she focuses on making a good first impression with the residents. When she meets Walter, who is the center’s curmudgeonly Scrabble expert, they form an unexpected friendship. As their love for the game begins to morph into something more, they both will focus on past regrets and what they want next in life as they enter their golden years—one Scrabble letter at a time.
Served Him Right by Lisa Unger
When Ana Blacksmith’s relationship with Paul ends, she throws a post-breakup brunch to celebrate, but during the brunch shocking news about her ex is revealed and one of her friends gets seriously sick. Is Ana an angry ex with a questionable reputation, or is there a secret network that is seeking revenge for her ex’s misdeeds? With her own secrets about to be exposed, Ana and her sister work to uncover the mystery so she doesn’t take the fall for someone else’s wrongdoing.
The Starter Ex by Mia Sosa
Vanessa Cordero used to date other people’s crushes to make their lives miserable so they’d go back to the one who had the crush. When Jason Torres comes onto the scene, he’s a total commitment-phobe whose mother is dead-set on getting him married. He needs a fake girlfriend that his mother will loathe so she’ll stop the pressure to get married. Of course, Vanessa is the perfect choice to play the part. The problem though—the two of them can’t get enough of one another! A super fun rom-com that’s filled with witty banter and steam, you’ll want to put The Starter Ex on your TBR!
It Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson
Murder unites in this fun and flirty enemies-to-lovers tale by Liz Lawson. When Harriet Baker returns home to New Jersey after losing her dream job, she thinks things can’t get any worse. But then there’s a murder at her very own birthday party, and because of her journalistic experience, she agrees to help investigate the crime. The issue—she’ll have to team up with her ex-fling, Nic, the person she most wanted to avoid when she came back home. Nic needs help because his sister is the one being accused of the murder. As Nic and Harriet start digging into the murder, they’ll find mystery and danger…and unresolved feelings for one another. Will they also find the killer?
How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle by Alissa DeRogatis
Okay, fans of Emily Henry and Katherine Center, this book is for you! Romance novelist Ainsley Green has a severe case of writer’s block after she gets dumped, and in her despair, she starts to question if real love exists outside of the pages of her favorite romance novels. Determined to quell the blockage, and with the encouragement of her best friend Lucas, Ainsley spearheads the “meet-cute” plan. She’ll intentionally find men out in the wild (okay, not really the wild but the cereal aisle, coffee shops, airports) to garner writing content and stop the block. After awkward encounter after awkward encounter, Ainsley discovers that falling in love never goes according to plan, and that sometimes the thing you want most out there is right in front of you, and we’re not talking Cap’N Crunch.
