Read a Romance Month Display
Did you know that August is Read a Romance month? It has been celebrated since 2013 as a way for romance readers to celebrate their love of love! And Saturday, August 9th is Bookstore Romance Day, so this is a great excuse to check out a new-to-you romance. Here are some amazing options:
Sapphic sports romances are having a moment right now! "Ready to Score" by Jodie Slaughter is described as "Cleat Cute" meets "Friday Night Lights." "Jade Dunn has spent years trying to climb her way to the top of the southern high school football food chain. Now, the only thing standing between her and that future head coach spot is years of small-town good 'ol boy politics. When she scores an invite to a highly coveted monthly poker game perfect for networking, she jumps at the chance for a seat at the table. Only to find the one person with the ability to shake her there. An infuriatingly sexy art teacher who plays her cards like she's gunning for Jade's deserved spot. Francesca Lim never thought she'd be happy in a small town, not after living and breathing hardcore Texas football her whole life. But two years ago, the promise of forever love had her leaving behind a burgeoning coaching career for a new life - only for it to burst into flames. Now, she has a chance to gain back a piece of her life she thought she'd left in Houston. The only one standing in the way? The prickly assistant coach that Francesca can't keep her mind or hands off of. Not wanting to risk losing out on a dream job, Jade and Francesca can't afford to give in to the iron hot attraction that simmers beneath their biting interactions, so they try desperately to ignore it. Too bad their hearts don't seem to be as on board with the game plan."
You may have heard of "Pioneer Summer" if you spend any time on BookTok, Bookstagram, or BookTube. "This star-crossed gay romance is a #1 bestselling TikTok sensation that took readers by storm, made international news, and catalyzed one of Russia’s largest-ever crackdowns on LGBTQ representation. Cowritten by the Ukrainian–Russian duo Kateryna Sylvanova and Elena Malisova, this book reached such heights of popularity that Putin stepped in to ban it. Now this swoony romance will transport American readers to another place and time and introduce them to one of the most memorable relationships of their lives." "The year is 1986, and Yurka Konev, 16, has been sent off for another summer at Pioneer Camp. Impulsive, forthright, and unfairly branded as a troublemaker, he anticipates the weeks ahead of him with boredom and dread. But when he's pushed into working on the camp's theater production, he meets serious, thoughtful troop leader Volodya. Yurka finds himself drawn to the slightly older boy, and, surprisingly, Volodya seems to like him, too. The two boys grow closer and closer, and though both fear the consequences of their illegal attraction, its gravity pulls them together. Now, 20 years later, Yury returns to the abandoned camp to reminisce on the relationship that changed his life forever--and discovers that not all history is destined to remain in the past."
If historical romance is your preference, check out Joanna Lowell's newest release, "A Rare Find," where an aspiring archaeologist teams up with her childhood enemy for a treasure hunt. "Elfreda Marsden has finally made a major discovery-an ancient amulet proving the Viking army camped on her family's estate. Too bad her nemesis is back from London, freshly exiled after a scandal and ready to wreak havoc on her life. Georgie Redmayne is everything Elfreda isn't--charming, popular, carefree, distractingly attractive, and bored to death by the countryside. When the two collide (literally), the amulet is lost, and with it, Elfreda's big chance to lead a proper excavation. Now Elfreda needs new evidence of medieval activity, and Georgie needs money to escape the doldrums of Derbyshire. Joining forces to locate a hidden hoard of Viking gold is the best chance for them both. Marsdens and Redmaynes don't get along, and that's the least of the reasons these enemies can't dream of something more. But as the quest takes them on unexpected adventures, sparks of attraction ignite a feeling increasingly difficult to identify as hatred. It's far too risky to explore. And far too tempting to resist. Elfreda and Georgie soon find that the real treasure comes with a steep price... and the promise of a happiness beyond all measure."
You'll probably need to place a hold on Ashley Poston's latest book, but "Sounds Like Love" is worth the wait. "Joni Lark is living the dream. She's one of the most coveted songwriters in LA...and she can't seem to write. There's an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it. When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family's music venue, will spark her inspiration. But when she gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is avoiding her, her mother's memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing. How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her? Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it-belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hangups of his own. Surely, he's a figment of her overworked imagination. But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He's aggravating and gruff on the outside-nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni's head-and he has a plan: They'll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don't risk their hearts in the process. Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it's there for a reason."
If you're a fan of reality tv, you might want to check out "Alice Chen's Reality Check" by Kara Loo and Jennifer Young. "When Alice's fiancé and teammate on a reality show cheats on her, she decides to fake date her rival to have a chance at the show's prize, which she needs to pay off student loans and her mother's medical bills. But a murder on set throws her plan into chaos and puts her life in danger."
You'll find sweet, steamy, and swoony titles in our "Read a Romance Month" display. For additional title suggestions, see the lists below:
