August is Read a Romance Month

Whether you have a romance-a-week habit or have never picked one up in your life, now is the time to try something new in romance. Romance tends to hit the zeitgeist of its time, so the genre is constantly changing and updating, but one thing stays the same—it is always a lot of fun.

You might have heard of Colleen Hoover? She is the reigning author on TikTok, which has made her heart-wrenching books wildly popular. If you have read all her books, are waiting on hold for them, or just love books that put you through the wringer, try these Colleen Hoover read-alikes:

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

The Simple Wild by K. A. Tucker

Modern romance novels often celebrate how wonderfully different we all are. Recent books explore a wide territory, including cultural, racial and neuro- diversity. Try Helen Hoang, who writes books with Asian characters who are neuro-atypical. Or Talia Hibbert, who writes characters from a diverse array of ethnicities, body types and life experiences. Both authors have witty senses of humor, while also pulling on the heartstrings.

Of course, not all romances are in contemporary settings, but you know the old phrase, “everything old is new again?” This is so true for historical romances. The Regency period of England was first popularized by the Queen of Regencies, Georgette Heyer, and more recently by authors such as Julia Quinn whose Bridgerton books have been adapted into a wildly successful show on Netflix. New authors to the historical genre like Erica Ridley and Cat Sebastian write historical romances that portray gay as well as heterosexual romantic leads.

Romance–fun for everyone!