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It’s a new day, it’s a new dawn, and we’re feeling good about all the romance books releasing in the first half of 2021! In this list, you’ll find household names like Christina Lauren and Taylor Jenkins Reid as well as the author debuts that we cannot wait to dive into once they release.
Want more 2021 releases? Check out our lists for Most Anticipated 2021 Books, 2021 Queer Book Releases, 2021 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases, and 2021 Queer SFF Book Releases.
Read on to find out what romance books you might soon be swooning over from January to June 2021!
JANUARY
Ever After Always by Chloe Liese
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Buckle up for an emotional journey of hijinks, heartache, and a hot slow-burn in this marriage-in-crisis romance about going the distance to make love last.
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s sparkling romantic comedy debut.
Shipped by Angie Hockman
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With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to her competition Graeme, Henley Evans begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?
The Marriage Code by Brooke Burroughs
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In Brooke Burroughs’s endearing debut novel set in vibrant India, enemies turned allies encounter obstacles in an unexpected multicultural romance only to discover that in the end, love is love.
FEBRUARY
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
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The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.
First Comes Like by Alisha Rai
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The author of The Right Swipe and Girl Gone Viral returns with a story about finding love in all the wrong inboxes…
Make Up, Break Up by Lily Menon
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In Menon’s adult debut, two app developers and former flings butt heads as they find their offices right next to each other.
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
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A refreshingly timely and relatable debut novel about a young woman whose life plans fall apart when she meets her wife.
MARCH
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
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In Act Your Age, Eve Brown the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard – literally.
Float Plan by Trish Doller
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Critically acclaimed author Trish Doller’s unforgettable and romantic adult debut about setting sail, starting over, and finding yourself…
Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron
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In this romcom, a Muslim woman fakes an engagement to the boy next door in the hopes of winning a couples cooking contest – but the real prize might be even tastier.
Sweethand by N.G. Peltier
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After a messy public breakup, pastry chef Cherisse has sworn off dating. But after she’s named her sister’s maid of honor, she’s forced to spend time with the best man, Keiran, who she’s never gotten along with. Until now…
APRIL
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
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From the author of You Deserve Each Other comes a charming and unconventional romantic comedy about a woman who inherits a sprawling estate with a groundskeeper whose stoic exterior masks a surprising vulnerability.
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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A hilariously quirky novel that is equal parts murder mystery, rom-com, and a celebration of mothers and daughters as well as a deep dive into Chinese-Indonesian culture.
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
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From the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.
To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters
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The author of the hilarious To Have and to Hoax returns with an effervescent, charming, and swoon-worthy novel about a man and woman who never agree on anything until they agree to a no-strings-attached affair in this Regency-era romp.
MAY
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
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With one week to win back the best friend she might just be in love with, a travel writer plans the trip of a lifetime in this sparkling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read.
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
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Funny, warm, and full of heart, The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind
How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole
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New York Times and USA Today bestseller Alyssa Coles second Runaway Royals novel is a queer Anastasia retelling, featuring a long-lost princess who finds love with the female investigator tasked with tracking her down.
JUNE
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes the long anticipated romantic comedy that puts a queer spin on Kate & Leopold.
The Layover by Lacie Waldon
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An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendant’s life upside down in this witty, breezy debut romantic comedy about life–and love–30,000 feet above the ground.
Anne of Manhattan by Brina Starler
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Pitched as a modern-day, grown-up retelling of L.M. Montgomery’s classic Anne of Green Gables, Anne and Gilbert collide in their final year at NYU.
Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey
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A charming and heartwarming new romantic comedy by the author of Waiting for Tom Hanks, Kerry Winfrey.
