5 Swoony Love Stories to Read for Valentine’s Day
If you’re tired of reading romance novels that have the same trope (broody hero with a mysterious past + manic pixie girl-adjacent heroine), you may be looking for something different and fun to read this Valentine’s Day.
Below, I’ve rounded up 5 charming, happily-ever-after romances that will make you swoon and giggle, but might also break your heart just a little in the process. They’re lovely, and quirky, and feature fully fleshed-out characters that develop a real emotional connection.
And if you’re looking for some additional recs, check out my list of the most underrated romances that I love.
But for now, let’s dive into some delicious love stories.
1. You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
| 📖 Genre | Romance, Comedy, Contemporary, Adult |
| 📃 Number of Pages | 368 pages |
| 🪴 Average Goodreads Rating | 3.92 ⭐ |
| 🌻 My Rating | 5 ⭐ |
What’s You Deserve Each Other About?
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle is a romance novel about Naomi and Nicholas, an engaged couple rethinking their engagement. Their relationship feels fake to Naomi, but neither of them wants to back out because the one who leaves has to pay for the wedding, and get all the shame. So, both Naomi and Nicholas start pulling pranks on each other in hopes it will make the other one give up first.
I will never not recommend You Deserve Each Other — it’s one of those rare books that depict a love story between an established couple really well. And beyond that, it’s such a funny, swoony romance novel that doesn’t succumb to any of those popular tropes like a broody love interest, ditzy heroine, etc.
Naomi and Nicholas are both fleshed out so well that you’ll feel like you know them. They are fully established characters on their own, but they’re magic together.
They start out practically hating each other, and the development from that to them being in love and actually having a healthy relationship is so satisfying to read about. I would recommend any work by Sarah Hogle, but this one is especially charming and will definitely stay with you for a very long time.
2. Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi
| 📖 Genre | Romance, Contemporary, New Adult |
| 📃 Number of Pages | 394 pages |
| 🪴 Average Goodreads Rating | 3.64 ⭐ |
| 🌻 My Rating | 4.75 ⭐ |
What’s Emergency Contact About?
Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi is a contemporary fiction novel about Penny, a freshman at her college, and Sam, a baker/artist down on his luck. They begin texting after Penny runs into Sam while he’s having a panic attack, and become each other’s main confidants. As their relationship develops, so does the romance.
If you’re looking for a sweet romance based on true friendship and being each other’s “person”, this is the one for you. Penny and Sam start out as complete strangers, and then slowly become friends. Penny likes Sam first, but it takes both of them a while to truly fall in love.
The one thing I have to mention is that some parts of it are a bit juvenile, but it makes sense for the age of our main couple. Penny is sometimes very judgemental as well, which some people online hated, but I’d say that it makes her likable, or at least interesting.
3. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
| 📖 Genre | Romance, Fantasy, Regency |
| 📃 Number of Pages | 304 pages |
| 🪴 Average Goodreads Rating | 4.12 ⭐ |
| 🌻 My Rating | 4.5 ⭐ |
What’s Half a Soul About?
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater is a fantasy regency romance novel about Dora, whose soul has been cut in half by a Fae lord, who took one half with him to the Fae realm. This leaves Dora insensitive to most feelings and odd in social situations. Her cousin decides to help by taking her to the capital to meet Lord Sorcier.
If you’re craving some fantasy with romance, this is a great book to read. Dora is a charming lead, and Lord Sorcier is a swoony love interest with a lot of personality.
I wasn’t a fan of how this book took a turn for social commentary on workhouses and looking away from social issues, but it wasn’t such a big hindrance to my enjoyment. It still featured a lot of romantic scenes between Dora and Elias (Lord Sorcier).
4. The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka
| 📖 Genre | Romance, Contemporary, Adult |
| 📃 Number of Pages | 317 pages |
| 🪴 Average Goodreads Rating | 3.60 ⭐ |
| 🌻 My Rating | 5 ⭐ |
What’s The Roughest Draft About?
The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka is a romance novels about two co-authors who stopped writing together a few years before the novel begins. The parting wasn’t amicable, which makes it especially hard to go back to writing together — and they have to, because they still have one book under contract with their publisher. So, they retreat to their old writing house, and there old memories begin to surface.
Books about writers are probably my favorite subgenre, and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s romantic, yes, but it’s also very insightful about the creative process and sharing that with other people.
Unlike many novels that feature a couple of friends who stopped speaking ages ago, the plot twist (the reason for their fight) isn’t really that they were in love with each other the whole time, which is refreshing. There’s some miscommunication, but it makes sense for these characters.
Overall, it’s a quiet, introspective and tender romance that will make you cry at times, but also laugh and swoon, as well as root for the couple to finally get together.
5. Electric Idol by Katee Robert
| 📖 Genre | Romance, Erotica, Adult |
| 📃 Number of Pages | pages |
| 🪴 Average Goodreads Rating | 4.01 ⭐ |
| 🌻 My Rating | 3.75 ⭐ |
What’s Electric Idol About?
Electric Idol by Katee Robert is an erotic romance novel about Eros and Psyche. It’s a part of a series of novels called Dark Olympus, each featuring a different mythological pairing. In this one, Zeus wants to marry Psyche, which makes Aphrodite angry, so she sends her son, Eros, to kill her. But Eros is taken by her wit and beauty, so they make a pact to marry and hope this will make Aphrodite give up on killing Psyche.
Normally, I avoid smutty romance novels because they usually lack the emotional development and chemistry that I crave, but Electric Idol somehow manages to do both. Yes, the romance is a bit abrupt, but it makes sense, and the characters have a lot of chemistry together, which helps.
I didn’t enjoy its predecessor, Neon Gods, a retelling of Hades and Persephone. I feel like it tried very hard to stand out in the sea of Hades and Persephone stories, and failed to deliver.
Electric Idol, on the other hand, doesn’t take itself too seriously and ends up being an entertaining, swoony romance that will make you giggle and root for the main couple.
Happy Reading!
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