Romance readers are eating well in 2026. We've got heavy hitters like Abby Jimenez and Rainbow Rowell dropping new books, Cat Sebastian making her contemporary debut, and KJ Charles doing what she does best with queer Regency con artists. Plus some fantasy romance picks that blur the line between genres in the best way. From pining and fake dating to morally questionable aristocrats and vampire princes, there's a love story here for every taste.
Here are the ten romance books we can't stop thinking about in 2026.
1. Star Shipped
By Cat Sebastian
Cat Sebastian built her reputation on queer historical romance, and her first contemporary novel proves she can write any era. Simon and Charlie are costars on a long-running sci-fi TV show who can't stand each other. When they're forced to stage a public friendship, the slow-burn realization that maybe they don't actually hate each other is everything. Sebastian's wit translates perfectly to a modern setting, and the enemies-to-lovers arc has real teeth. Library Journal named it their Romance Pick of the Month.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
2. The Night We Met
By Abby Jimenez
Abby Jimenez returns with a gutting premise: Larissa chose wrong. After a concert, she picked one man to drive her home—and he became her boyfriend. But the other one, Chris, became her best friend, and now they co-parent a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie while pretending their feelings are platonic. Jimenez handles the messy emotional territory of pining for someone you shouldn't want with her trademark mix of humor and heartbreak. Publishers Weekly named it a Top 10 Romance for Spring 2026. If you loved her earlier books, this one goes deeper.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
3. A Girl Like Her
By Talia Hibbert
The Ravenswood series gets its first traditional printing, and it's about time. Ruth Kabbah is prickly, autistic, and shadowed by her town's gossip. Evan Miller is calm, confident, and impossible to rattle. When he shows up in their small English town, Ruth's defenses don't stand a chance. Hibbert writes neurodivergent heroines with warmth and honesty—Ruth isn't softened for the reader's comfort, and the romance is better for it. This is the first of three books, and fans of Hibbert's Brown Sisters trilogy will feel right at home.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
4. Cherry Baby
By Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell's most adult novel yet follows Cherry, whose husband Tom has left for Hollywood to oversee the adaptation of his autobiographical webcomic—a comic that's basically their marriage. Now Cherry is alone, rethinking everything she built her life around, and reconnecting with an old friend from art school. Rowell describes it as her "richest, most surprising—sexiest—novel yet," and the early buzz suggests she means it. This isn't a rom-com; it's a raw, grown-up story about losing yourself in a relationship and deciding what to reclaim.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
5. The Paris Match
By Kate Clayborn
Physician Layla Bailey swore her divorce was amicable. Then she's invited to her former sister-in-law's destination wedding in Paris—the same city where she honeymooned—and the gruff best man makes everything complicated. Clayborn writes romance that skips the usual rom-com beats in favor of something more honest: second chances that require real work, attraction that scares both parties, and Paris as more than just a backdrop. Town & Country picked it as one of 2026's best new romance novels.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
6. How to Fake It in Society
By KJ Charles
KJ Charles is one of the best writers working in queer historical romance, and this 1821-set novel proves it again. Nico is a charming French con artist in London, claiming to be the son of the infamous Jeanne de la Motte. Titus is a newly wealthy shopkeeper who becomes Nico's mark. The romance between a con man and his target is both sweet and steamy, and Charles balances it against a darker subplot about class, reputation, and what you're willing to sacrifice for love. Fans of our best thriller picks might appreciate the heist-like tension here too.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
7. Our Perfect Storm
By Carley Fortune
Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight. Both are passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—which means they clash as often as they click. When a week in paradise forces them to confront what's been building between them, their friendship either evolves or falls apart. Fortune writes summery, emotional romance with real stakes, and after Every Summer After and One Golden Summer, she's proven she can make readers cry on a beach. The New York Times, Today, and Town & Country all named it a most anticipated book of 2026.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
8. Death's Daughter
By S.A. Barnes
Jocasta is the only child of Death—literally—and she's been doing her best to live a normal college life. Then her father names her his successor, a sexy descendant of Lust shows up on campus, and everything goes sideways. S.A. Barnes blends dark academia with mythology and paranormal romance in a way that feels fresh. It's spicy, action-packed, and doesn't take itself too seriously. If you liked Neon Gods or our romantasy recommendations, this scratches a similar itch with a campus setting.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
9. Sea of Charms
By Sarah Beth Durst
The third book in the Spellshop series moves from land to sea. Marin runs supplies between islands with her crew—a sea serpent and a sentient shrub—until she rescues her friend Dax from a revolution in the capital. The deal: he pretends to be her boyfriend at her hometown's End-of-Harvest Festival while she keeps him safe. Fake dating on a sailing ship with magical creatures is exactly as cozy as it sounds. Durst has carved out a perfect niche in comfort fantasy, and this series keeps delivering. Add it to your ShelfHop bookshelf for more like it.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
10. The Lion & the Deathless Dark
By Carissa Broadbent
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Crowns of Nyaxia series starts a new duology in the same world. Bounty hunter Kyrene wields a blessed sword from the goddess of justice. Vampire prince Septimus has a silver tongue and a proposition: help him slay the gods themselves. After ten years of war between humans and vampires, this enemies-to-allies-to-lovers arc carries real weight. Broadbent writes fantasy romance with teeth—literally—and Kyrene and Septimus's dynamic crackles from page one.
View on ShelfHop • Buy on Amazon
From pining best friends to con artists falling for their marks, 2026's romance lineup has range. Add your favorites to ShelfHop and we'll recommend what to read next based on your taste. And if you're curious about the sci-fi and fantasy side of 2026, check out our best sci-fi picks and best fantasy picks.