Highly anticipated giggle-worthy romantic comedies

EDITORS' PICKS

Adrian Liang | January 28, 2021

The only thing I like better than sighing over a romance novel is laughing over one. So it’s probably no surprise that romantic comedies—often called rom-coms—are among my favorites. And thank goodness that 2021’s crop of new rom-coms is already promising to provide a lot of laughs along with the swoony feelings.

Here are seven rom-coms from the first months of the year that are at the top of our to-be-read piles, plus a sneak peek at five hilarious love stories reaching shelves in the summer.

Adair follows 2020’s Romeantically Challenged with another delightfully funny romance set in Rome, Rhode Island. Both Beck and Levi have spent a lot of their lives caring for others, but when they meet, they discover that now might be the perfect time to give their own hearts and dreams a chance to be important, too.

I love enemies-to-lovers workplace romances, and The Ex Talk does it just perfectly. Shay pitches her radio station bosses the idea of a live show about relationships hosted by two people who used to date each other. A great idea—until Shay and her coworker, Dominic, become the show’s cohosts and have to fake having an old, loving relationship. Luckily, faking their current acrimony is no problem. But as Shay and Dominic do the show together, they figure out that maybe that spark between them isn’t dislike but something far more interesting. Sharp and witty, this is perfect for those who liked Dating You / Hating You and The Hating Game.

This Jacqueline Susann-esque cover immediately grabbed my attention, but the plot is what really wooed me: Annika Dev created an app that helps couples repair their relationships. Hudson Craft created an app that helps couples break up. By coincidence, Hudson has just moved into the office next to Annika. But opposites attract, don’t they…? This new rom-com is fully modern and 100% fun. (February 2)

In her newest novel, the always marvelous Alisha Rai uses another of my favorite romance tropes: the fake relationship. A catfisher uses the name of soap opera star Dev Dixit to attract the attention of online influencer Jia Ahmed. But when Dev and Jia finally meet, and Jia learns their conversations have been a sham, they realize that starting a fake romance might be the perfect way to increase their star power among their fans. Until, of course, feelings get in the way of a perfectly good “fauxmance.” (February 16)

This book’s cover makes me feel like summer has come already. Anna decides to take the Caribbean sailing trip she and her now-dead fiancé had planned, but rough seas cause her to hire a professional sailor to co-sail with her. As anyone who’s ever been in a boat (rowboat, kayak, canoe, or sailboat) knows, boats can be tough on relationships. (Lots of mishaps and yelling...or is that just me?) But boats can also forge a simple relationship into something much stronger. This book steers closer to heartwarming than hilarious, but it’s already grabbing a lot of early praise. (March 2)

I loved Hibbert’s two earlier books in this series—we picked Take a Hint, Dani Brown as the Best Romance of 2020—and I admit I got a little lightheaded with delight when someone from the publisher confided to me that they think this one is the best of the three Brown sisters books. Eva Brown is chaos personified—she liberates doves at a fancy wedding and hits a prospective boss with her car. Normally the perfectly controlled Jacob Wayne would stay far, far away. But chaos has a way of softening even the toughest heart, as Jacob soon learns, no matter how hard he fights it. (March 9)

The author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine gives readers a new opposites-attract romance in which a hardworking receptionist clashes with the extremely laid back son of the retirement home’s new owner. Ruthie’s devious plot to get rid of Teddy by forcing him to work for two 90-year-old women who have made mincemeat of former assistants doesn’t work out as planned, but Ruthie and Teddy soon discover that even bigger surprises are in store for them. Says Emily Henry of this book, “An absolutely perfect blend of humor and heart.” (April 13)

If you want to make sure your shelves are fully stocked in the summer, go ahead and preorder People We Meet on Vacation (May 11), the new novel from Beach Read author Emily Henry; One Last Stop from Red, White, and Royal Blue’s Casey McQuiston (June 1); Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating (July 13); Shelly Laurenston’s guaranteed-to-be-bonkers Breaking Badger (August 31); and Helen Hoang’s highly anticipated The Heart Principle (August 17).

About the Editor

Adrian Liang

An East Coast transplant to the gorgeous Northwest, Adrian has worked in the book world in various amazing jobs for more than 20 years and considers herself very, very lucky to be surrounded by book lovers all day long. The author of a handful of romance novels under the pen name Adrianne Wood, Adrian devours stacks of science fiction and fantasy books as well as romance and heartfelt fiction. She also loves to read history, science, and true tales of derring-do.