With Valentine’s Day creeping closer, it’s hard not to feel the romance saturating the air around us as couples prepare to celebrate the holiday. To help the readers out there get into that romantic mood, I have decided to discuss a few of the popular romance titles that are taking the world by storm. I personally have not read many romance novels, mainly since I find a few of them to be rather cheesy, but I know that “BookTok” is full of countless recommendations. Besides fantasy, romance happens to be the most popular genre on the app. So I did some research and wrote down a few of the titles and authors that appeared the most often on “BookTok.” Without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s recommendations.
Within the romance genre, readers can often find titles separated into a few categories: there are the stories with a cheesy romance, classic romance novels and the works that are rather risqué in nature. Luckily, “BookTok” has a few titles within each of these categories, so it’s easy to find a book that suits your preference. On the cheesier end of the spectrum lies Colleen Hoover, a popular “BookTok” author who has surged in popularity thanks to the app. Readers are a little divided when it comes to her works – some find the books to be extremely moving, while others find them to be a tad cheesy but good enough for a “quick read.” No matter the opinion, her books have continued to fly off the shelves of bookstores for months, and most likely will for months to come. A few of her most popular titles are It Ends With Us, Verity and November 9th, though the majority of her avid fans would argue that you can’t go wrong with any of her books. If you’re more interested in a romance series rather than a standalone, Elle Kennedy has quite a few that find themselves frequently mentioned on “BookTok” as well, such as her Off-Campus series. Hers are often described as a tad cheesy as well, but with a hint of occasional spice.
Want something more risqué? “BookTok” will point you towards “SpicyBookTok”, filled with books that may leave you blushing. Katee Roberts is known for creating her Dark Olympus series, which features rather steamy retellings of the most popular couples in Greek Mythology. Her first book, Neon Gods, focuses on Persephone and Hades, while the plot of her second one, Electric Idol, centers around Eros and Psyche. A few honorable mentions of “SpicyBookTok” are The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, which will make you look at Adam Driver in a whole new light afterwards, and The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, which is a classic enemies-to-lovers work.
For those more interested in an LGBTQ+ love story, “BookTok” has you covered, as well. The Heartstopper graphic novel series by Alice Oseman centers around two teenage boys as they come to terms with their identity within the LGBTQ+ community and work past the various issues that arise along the way, all while falling in love. The chapters I glanced at were rather adorable, so I believe that the series will be a wholesome read. On the more tragic side of the spectrum, we have The Song of Achilles, which is one of my favorite books. It is a Greek Mythology retelling that focuses on Patroclus and Achilles as they grow up and fall in love, all while taking on the various gods and wars that come their way. It’s a beautiful story, guaranteed to make you cry. One of the other tragic LGBTQ+ books that is mentioned frequently is They Both Die at the End. Is the title itself a spoiler? Most likely. The story follows two boys as they spend their last day on Earth together and fall in love in the process.
If none of these titles have caught your interest, but you’re still looking for a romantic read this month, never fear! “BookTok” has way more titles than the ones I have mentioned here, so it wouldn’t hurt to do some research on Google to find the book that’s the best fit for you. As always, happy reading!