When In Romance

Jess and Trisha finally get around to closing out some recommendations and backlist favorites from 2025 (it’s still January, so it’s fine!).

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News:

Hooray for Book Club in 2026! Read Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa with us!

Books Discussed:

The Wren in the Holly Library by KA Linde 

Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian

Game Changer by Rachel Reid

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

Love is a War Song by Danica Nava

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram

No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel

The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes

The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

The Uptown Girls series by Joanna Shupe (start with The Rogue of Fifth Avenue)

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton 

After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

The Redemption of Philip Thane By Lisa Berne

Luca by Grey Huffington

Just Right by Shon

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake

Janine: His True Alpha by Chencia C Higgins

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron

Cash Delgado is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J. Penner

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

Cross the Line by Simone Soltani

Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).

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Jess and Trisha talk about why Heated Rivalry is so much more successful than other Harlequin adaptations released at the same time and then share some of their most anticipated titles of 2026.

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News:

Send us your most anticipated romances of 2026, and/or your book club suggestions!!

Some background on Heated Rivalry [Vanity Fair]

And a reminder of those Harlequin adaptations airing on the CW [Variety]

Books Discussed:

Every New Year by Katrina Jackson 

Deception by Amanda Quick

The Packing List (anthology)

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

Restore Me by JL Seegars (1/6/26)

Father Material by Alexis Hall (6/2/26)

By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin (5/26/26)

It’s All In Your Head by Sabina Nordqvist (2/10/26)

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez (3/31/26)

Only Friends by Lydia San Andres (2/10/26)

Last First Kiss by Julian Winters (1/27/26)

Like In Love With You by Emma R. Alban (1/13/26)

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander (3/10/26)

The Baby Dragon Bookshop by A.T. Qureshi (2/12/26)

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Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).
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When in Romance is taking a short holiday break, so we thought we'd share an episode from our newest Book Riot Podcast, Zero to Well-Read, in which Jeff and Rebecca revisit Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, a story so familiar it’s often mistaken for simple. They consider its moral stakes, its enduring influence on readers and society, and why Scrooge's redemption still resonates.

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Email us: [email protected]

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Jess and Trisha talk about some of their favorite romance reads of 2025, including books that are light and fun, books that pack an emotional punch, books with mysteries, books with sports…and more!

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter!

We’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift Tailored Book Recommendations! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started.

News:

Send us your most anticipated romances of 2026, and/or your book club suggestions!!

Check out Book Riot’s amazing list of the Best Books of 2025!

Jess recommended the adaptation Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell - check it out!

Books Discussed:

Mr Collins in Love by Lee Welch

10 Dance by Satoh Inoue

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Romcom by Kimberly Lemming

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram

Secret Spark by Kelly Farmer

How to Sell a Romance by Alexa Martin

Fan Service by Rosie Danan

Homemaker by Ruthie Knox

Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa

Breakout Year by KD Casey

Love Letters from the Trail by Tif Marcelo

A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell

Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).

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Jess and Trisha offer romance recommendations for characters with diabetes, characters who are immigrants, characters who are dinosaurs (or dinosaur adjacent) and more!

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter!

We’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift Tailored Book Recommendations! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started.

News:

Send us your favorite romances of 2025, your most anticipated of 2026, and/or your book club suggestions!!

Check out Book Riot’s amazing list of the Best Books of 2025!

Trisha mentioned the podcast Maintenance Phase and also the book What We Don’t Talk about When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon - check them both out. 

Trisha also mentioned Book Riot’s Grumpy/Grumpy romance list pulled together by R. Nassor.

Books Discussed:

Never Cross a Highlander by Lisa Rayne 

The Companion by EE Ottoman 

They Ain’t Proper by M.B. Guel

Any romance written by Diana Quincy

The Heart of the Blade duology by Sherry Thomas

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Give Me A Reason by Stephanie Nicole Norris

Pulling Doubles by Christina C. Jones

Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden

Loving Queen by Saffron Brooks

Captured by Siren Crow

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

His Convenient Husband by Robin Covington

Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

Trade Me by Courtney Milan

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley

Romance Class authors, including Carla de Guzman, Tara Frejas, and Mina V. Esguerra

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish by Xue Shan Fei Hu

The Anatomy of Magic by J.C. Cervantes

Anything by Therese Beharrie (one option is Single Dads Club)

Nalini Singh’s contemporary romances (one series starts with Rock Addiction)

Love in Color by Bobu Babalola

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Something About You by Julie James

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

Office Hours by Katrina Jackson

White Whiskey Bargain by Jodie Slaughter

Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg

Anger Bang by Avery Flynn

A Sharp Endless Need by Marisa Crane

Play You For It by Samantha Saldivar

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

Feast While You Can by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta

A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

The Long Game by Elena Armas

The Hate Project by Kris Ripper

After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).
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