Turning the Page on Rom-Coms
by Karen Kohler
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, rom-coms in all forms are in high demand. I am here to tell you about some books that may be a fun read on this love day!
First up is “Get a Life Chloe Brown” by Talia Hibbert. This book is actually part of a trilogy: the stories are separate but the other books follow the romances of Chloe’s sisters Eve and Dani, whom you meet in this book. Chloe has a chronic illness and has often let that limit her life experiences but after a near death experience she decides she needs to change that. She makes a list of all the things she needs to do to “get a life.”
First on her list is moving out of her family home and into an apartment. At the apartment she meets the superintendent, Redford Morgan, who is very outgoing. She invokes his help to complete her list, and the two form a bond that leads to more.
Next on the list is “Red, White & Royal Blue” by Casey McQuinston. This is a cute enemies-to-lovers story along with a bit of a “star-crossed lovers” theme about the son of the president of the United States and the prince of England. The book begins at a wedding — seemingly a common starting place in rom-coms — and is set off by the two getting in a fight and falling into the wedding cake, which sets the media off.
In order to keep their reputations afloat, the two are forced to make media appearances together and pretend to be friends. At one point, though, they are no longer pretending, and the relationship progresses to something beyond friendship that they are forced to keep a secret.
Lastly, is “I Wish You All The Best” by Mason Deaver. This book starts off on a more serious note and not so much like a rom-com, but I do think later in the book there are rom-com qualities. It starts with Ben, a nonbinary teen, coming out to their parents and them not accepting them, so they go to their sister’s house and stay with her.
They start a new school and meet a very outgoing, overly friendly boy named Nathan and have a very sweet friends-to-lovers romance. Despite some more serious themes, this is a very cute book that will leave you with warm fuzzy feelings at the end and it’s also a very quick read!
I hope this list this gives you a good start or at least some ideas. Happy reading!
