Forget date nights, this Valentine's Day it's all about taking time for yourself. There's no better way to do exactly that than by getting lost in a sea of romance — the fictional kind, of course. From gripping tales set in the Victorian era, à la Bridgerton, to more modern stories that detail tales of romance in the confines of lockdown.
Fans of Bridgerton listen up, Mimi Matthews’ The Siren of Sussex is one of 2022’s most anticipated romances, and is sure to leave a lasting impression. It follows the tale of one of Victorian high society’s most daring equestrienne’s, who finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence. That ally? One of London’s most sought after and “devastatingly handsome” half-Indian tailors.
Described as “'impossible to read without smiling”, you won’t be able to put down Sophie Sullivan’s latest rom-com, a fluffy enemies-to-lovers tale. It follows the story of Noah and Grace, two opposites who land themselves in a neighbourly feud, only to soon discover, sometimes “your nemesis can show you that home is always where the heart is.”
Forget watching Jennifer Lopez’s 2002 rom-com for Valentine’s Day, and instead, turn to Lauren Layne’s latest work, Made In Manhattan. The book is a modern retelling of My Fair Lady, following along with a “pampered and privileged Manhattan socialite who must teach an unpolished and denim-loving nobody from the Louisiana Bayou how to fit in with the upper crust of New York City.”
Sometimes, we find love where we least expect it, and that’s exactly the basis behind Fallon Ballard’s Lease on Love. The warm and uplifting story follows Sadie, a down-on-her-luck florist who “turns an innocent mix-up between a dating app and a roommate app into a new chance at love.”
From Beth Reeckles — the author of The Kissing Booth — comes a rom-com for the modern age, Lockdown on London Lane. The story follows a group of people who all live in the same apartment block on London Lane. When the building enforces an immediate seven-day lockdown, different tales of love unfold.
Main Image Credit: @inquisitivebookworm
