Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert is one of my all-time favorite romance authors, every page of her books making swoon or laugh or cry… or all three at once, but Dani Brown, in my humble opinion, is Hibbert’s best character. Dani is unapologetically brilliant, gorgeous, and emotionally removed. But nothing could’ve prepared her guarded heart for Zaf, the hopeless romantic that upends her cool, detached bubble. The bisexual and ADHD rep in this book was so beautifully done, and I guarantee this book will leave you giggling and kicking your feet

A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell

I cut my teeth on historical romances and it easily my most-read romance sub-genre, so I can safely say that Joanna Lowell is one of the best in the game. A Shore Thing is a tender, gentle, and decadent romance about Kit, a trans, unreformed rake who’s decision to leave a life that didn’t fit and embrace his true identity has also left him unable to paint/express himself creatively. No matter! He’ll spend his days selling bicycles and fooling around with Victorian vacationers at the shore. Enter Muriel, a firecracker of a woman that needs Kit’s artistic help. The pair strike up a deal and spend a summer of scorching intimacy and heart wrenching vulnerability. 

The Queer Principals of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

Some books I’ll borrow from the library, read the first two pages, then rush out and buy my own copy because I know it will be one that I’ll be re-reading over and over again. This is one of those books. Unfairly clever and hilarious, this book is essentially “be gay, do crimes, eat the rich, Georgian style,” and I find that very sexy. When Kit, a reluctantly retired highwayman, is solicited for a little thievery by a desperate aristocrat, he agrees to teach the highborn some tricks of the trade, and they both lose their hearts along the way. This book is not only enthralling and witty, but it takes a close look at dismantling systems of oppression and never shies away from discussions about wealth disparity, disabilities, and queer joy.

Finding Joy by Adriana Herrera

I’m not sure there could be a more fitting title for this perfect MM romance because it will leave you with the biggest smile on your face and the consuming rush that we all hope for from our romance novels. I think what makes Herrara an expert at her craft is her ability to layer her characters and make them so profoundly real and nuanced, which results in a queer love story that does not shy away from the difficulties the main characters face, especially Elias who has been forced into the closet for fear his family and community won’t accept him as a queer person, but these roadblocks to their happy ending are handled with so much care, it never feels like an element is added for the sake of drama but instead to show the power of love between two people and the freedom that comes with living honestly and proudly as your truest self.

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

If Alexandra Vasti writes it, I’ll be reading it, no questions asked. But a sapphic gothic historical romance by Alexandra Vasti? I actually do have a question: HOW DARE YOU WRITE THE BOOK OF MY DREAMS MS. VASTI?? Ladies in Hating is one of those books that had me hooked from the first page, and left me wanting to light my laptop on fire because the story and prose is that good. Rival authors Georgianna and Cat find themselves trapped in a spooky manor, and lots of moaning ensues (of the creepy and sensual variety because this book has range).

Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

While this book was not technically marketed as a genre romance to my knowledge, it is perhaps one of the gayest books I’ve ever read filled to the brim with happy endings for all, and so it counts in my head and deserves a spot on any romance reader’s shelf. Greta & Valdin chronicles the antics of the queer, chaotic titular siblings as they navigate love, identity, and what it means to find fulfillment in life. This story has stuck with me for years, and every character in this story feels like family in a way I’ve never experienced from a book before. The choices Gret and Valdin make are messy and outrageous as they navigate adulthood, and their dialogue and observations are some of the funniest writing I’ve ever encountered.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Autistic, trans Silas finds himself trapped by Victorian social expectations for young ladies blessed or cursed with violet eyes and the ability to speak across the Veil with the world of spirits. Wanting nothing more than to escape arranged marriage and ply his skills as a surgeon, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness and sent to a finishing school where ghosts of murdered girls beg for his help. White’s book is full of building horror at the insidiousness and all-too-mundane evils of the patriarchy, but also shows where both autistic and trans communities find each other even in the darkest places (and makes readers or at least me feral over Silas and Daphne’s supportive relationship, along with a standout supporting cast of complicated girls). 

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Oh, Emily. I adore the autistic heroine of this fantasy that teeters enchantingly between cozy and folk horror in the wintery northern reaches where Cambridge scholar Emily has traveled to study faeries in person. The book grows only more charming with the arrival of rival scholar Wendell Bambleby, his mysterious connection to the faeries, and his obvious-to-everyone-but-Emily affections for the curmudgeonly researcher.

Emily’s a genius academic but struggles with people, and her irritation with Wendell’s ease among the townsfolk—as well as his lack of academic rigor—offer endless delight as together the two must save the town from encroaching supernatural threats.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown, by Talia Hibbert

This contemporary adult romcom is the book I yell at everyone to read if they want to understand what it’s like to be autistic. So many times upon first reading this book (it’s one of my top comfort rereads—the audiobook is fantastic), I had to set down my e-reader and take a minute because it captured so precisely one of my own experiences, putting onto the page something I’d never seen included in any form of media, putting into words something formative about my relationships I’d never even crystalized in my own understanding—not only in romance but friendships and family.

This is what I love about reading autistic books: finding those experiences that made us feel so other and apart are actually commonalities among autistics. And that’s why I love how both heroine Eve Brown, seeking a way to prove to her family and herself she can get a job and get her life together, and hero Jacob Wayne, who’s desperately seeking a cook for his B&B, until Eve runs into him with her car, are autistic.

Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman

I was so excited when I saw a book announced with autistic representation in young adult fantasy, which artfully plays with the theory that fae changelings are in fact autistic children. Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove and her twin sister are on the run, getting by as thieves, until a heist goes awry as they encounter an adorable redheaded shapeshifter and a misfit healer—and trouble with a magical compass. They team up to go after the fae treasure it points to, a search that leads them closer to secrets of the fae and entails Seelie learning to control her magic.

I enjoyed how Seelie’s struggle to manage her powers mirrors many autistics’ experiences with sensory overwhelm and regulation. The story is so good at weaving together classic aspects of fantasy resonant with autism and literal explorations of Seelie’s neurodivergence on the page.

Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos

Just as Unseelie gives us classic fantasy with an autistic protagonist, this young adult contemporary gives us a classic high school story with an autistic twist. We get to see multiple Black autistic characters (still all too much a rarity in autistic representation across media), including Daniel Sanchez, who hides behind his camera just as he hides his autism from even his best friend—who he tries to set up with the cute enby who just transferred to their school, because the scripts Daniel lives his life by tell him that his cool bestie and this cool new kid naturally belong together.

As Daniel aims to get his friends to prom, the story draws him into new and unexpected experiences (and autistics know how scary and confusing new and unexpected can be), including at the heart of his own romance. I love how we get to see just how hard autistic masking can be, how exhausting it is and how much downtime he needs to recalibrate, as well as how Daniel’s spirit drives him to nevertheless go after what he wants.

Vibe: When you find ‘the one’ but seemingly never at the right time…

Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan & Sylvie’s Love (Film, Dir. Eugene Ashe, 2020)

Read this contemporary romance that features a seering take on the childhood friends to lovers trope which brings us on an angst-filled journey of two soulmates with the worst timing–much like the gorgeously lyrical film Sylvie’s Love which, set in the 1960’s, highlights a “right person-wrong time” connection between a deeply conflicted woman who is soon to be wed and the jazz musician who swept her off her feet. 

 

Vibe: When the world is harsh but in each other, you find a soft place to land…

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams & Poetic Justice (Film, Dir. John Singleton, 1993)

Read this second-chance love story about two tortured novelists who reunite after spending years calling out their unresolved passions for each other through their art. Then watch this West Coast road trip flick which chronicles a romance marked by vulnerability between a talented poet and hairstylist played by the Janet Jackson and an aspiring musician played by Tupac Shakur in his prime.  

Vibe: When college provides a vivid backdrop for self-exploration with a test-run for the real world…

Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola & A Different World (TV Show, Created by Bill Cosby, 1987-1993)

Read this contemporary romance which centers an outspoken college radio host who doles out dating advice to her Black women cohorts only to find herself embroiled in a very inconvenient situationship with her campus’ biggest f-boy. Then watch the canon television series that follows the exploits of students at Hillman College, a fictionalized HBCU, and produced one of the most pleasantly surprising and iconic “opposites attract” TV couples of all time.

 

Vibe: When a shared passion forges a connection you can’t shake…

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest & Brown Sugar (Film, Dir. Rick Famuyiwa, 2002)

Read this dreamy epistolary romance between two New Yorkers who eventually learn they have more in common than a deep appreciation for books. Then watch this timeless romcom starring Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs whose mutual affinity for Hip Hop sealed their friendship in childhood, but eventually blossomed into something else entirely–which neither one of them could deny. 

Vibe: When the attraction burns brighter than all the reasons why this should never happen…

The Art of Scandal by Regina Black & Scandal (TV Show, Created by Shonda Rhimes, 20012-2018)

Read this sizzling contemporary romance about a woman who, fed up with her role as political trophy-wife to her philandering husband, finds an all-consuming connection with a younger artist who sees beyond the appearances she’s kept so well. Then watch (or binge, let’s be real) this gripping TV drama about brilliantly devious political fixers and the radioactively scandalous, yet wholly undeniable forbidden romance at its center.   

 

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert & Rye Lane (Film, Dir. Raine Allen-Miller, 2023)

Read this deliciously humorous and heartfelt romantic comedy between a jaded academic and a brooding ex-athlete who enter a fake relationship only to find something all too real. Then watch Raine Allen-Miller’s feature debut which puts a vivid and stylized spin on the timeless fake-dating trope, by following a down on his luck, just-dumped Dom and the vibrant Yas, who draws him out of his shell while nursing her own broken heart. 

 

Vibe: When getting away means finding yourself in the eyes of someone you didn’t know you were searching for…

Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop & How Stella Got Her Groove Back (Film, Dir. Kevin Rodney Sullivan, 1998)

Read this viscerally escapist sensation about finding love where you least expect it– at your sister’s tropical destination wedding– to your ex, and the life-affirming connections that can take you by surprise. Then watch the classic age-gap romance between the one and only Angela Bassett, and Taye Diggs, who meet on the beaches of Jamaica and spark a passionate, if unlikely, romance that tilts both their worlds on end.  

Vibe: When what sets you apart, actually makes you perfect for each other…

Pride & Protest by Nikki Payne & Something New (Film, Dir. Sanaa Hamri, 2006)

Read this brilliantly remixed Pride & Prejudice retelling about an activist DJ, fighting to save her neighborhood, and the well-intentioned billionaire who’s family business is primed to run afoul of everything she stands for. Then watch this nuanced interracial romance starring Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker, whose characters perform the delicate, sometimes awkward, and often vulnerable dance of falling in love, authentically, across differences.

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle

This is a Christmas rom-com, but Hall is so incredibly lovable, darling, goofy, and perfect, I suggest you break out your hot chocolate, put your coziest socks on, and curl up with the perfect man holiday spirit come to life and bask in the joy this novel evokes in every single page.

The Roommate by Rosie Danaan

You know who could really use a hot goofball porn actor for a roommate? Other than *checks notes* all of us? Clara Wheaton, the prim east coast socialite who stars in this laugh-out-loud, swoony, STEAMY rom-com. The couch scene is simply iconic. You’re welcome.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert writes some of the funniest, most adorable swoon-fest romances in the business, and she really knocked it out of the park with this installment of the Brown Sisters series. Don’t be fooled—Zaf has a gruff, grumpy exterior, but he is made of pure adorable, loving goofball energy.

With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson

I love Alicia Thompson’s work (and also her newsletters, sign up if you haven’t yet), and this is my favorite of her romances so far. Asa is the best kind of playful, an amazing flirt, and would have my heart pounding if he were my co-worker at my run-down wintery amusement park in humid Florida. Two thumbs up, would definitely goof around with this guy.

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain

Now, I’m gonna be a bit mean here and share some of my favorites that are publishing later in 2024, but you’re going to forgive me once you read them! Kieran O’Neill is the best kind of goofball—one who can also cook. If you love chaotic, handsome chefs with a heart of gold, pick this one up! Out September 2024.

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

In this sapphic, opposites-attract romance by the voicy Mazey Eddings, our lovable goofball is Opal who, after winning the lottery, decides to go off the grid and buy a flower farm because that’s how adorable she is. This one isn’t out yet, but keep your eyes peeled! Out April 2024.

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

Okay, maybe you like your goofballs to be of the Duke variety? Alexandra Vasti is my absolute favorite historical romance author because she gets every bit of it right—the voice, the period, the HEAT (OMG), and also the cheeky humor that makes me reach for historicals in the first place! I absolutely adored her Halifax Hellions novella series, and this is her debut full-length novel and y’all, it does not disappoint! Pick this up when you’re ready to blush, swoon, and pull the drapes closed for an evening. Out July 2024.

A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare

Cited by many as the ultimate goofball love interest, Colin from A Week to be Wicked is everything we love in a hot goofball. Amazing flirt, confirmed rake, and an all-around good time.

Grab this classic if you’re ready to jump into the best aspects of historical romance.

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

Another classic, Jeremy Wentworth is primo goofball love interest—mischievous, sexy, loving, hilarious—and also the owner of the whole village. Being serious isn’t generally how he rolls, but he’s serious as sin when it counts. Whew!

Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey

In this delightful novel, we get to watch two soft, sweet goofballs fall in love! Teddy works in a vintage toy store (adorable) and has a crush on the host of the local children’s television show, Everett (extremely adorable). Kerry Winfrey has a knack for writing sweet, heartfelt, funny romance, so try this one out next!

New Adult by Timothy Janovsky

I loooove me a time loop/travel story, and if you add in a goofball, I’m there. New Adult is everything I love most about romance—laughter, learning how to live the life you want, and falling in tender, beautiful love. Add this one to your TBR!

Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by me, Laura Piper Lee!

In case you haven’t noticed, I know *a lot* about being goofy. If you’re interested in a messy millennial new mom letting go of the life she thinks she should live and grabbing hold of the happy life she truly deserves, which happens to include a handsome goofball who’s an impeccable flirt, a loving and supportive partner, and a beam of sexy sunshine, then please support this goofball today and pick up a copy of Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair!

Chloe Liese’s Two Wrongs Make a Right

Liese has long promoted her philosophy that “everyone deserves a love story,” and many of her books feature main characters with physical or mental disabilities. In Two Wrongs Make a Right, autistic free-spirit Bea falls for uptight Jamie, an anxious pediatrician with daddy issues. Liese’s characters’ disabilities are never portrayed as the obstacles they’re overcoming to find true love—instead she focuses on their relationships, communication, and steamy moments. 

Mazey Eddings’ Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake

The titular Lizzie is a joyful, movable disaster with poorly managed ADHD. She’s always late, can’t keep a job, and just got knocked up by her two-night stand. But instead of seeing her life as a tragedy, Lizzie is a drop of sunshine throughout the steamy romp to happily ever after with the bemused and lovestruck Australian who only thinks he can manage to platonically coparent with the roommate he can’t keep his hands off. 

Talia Hibbert’s Act Your Age, Eve Brown

This grumpy/sunshine romcom in which both main characters are autistic hits a lot of pleasure centers in my brain. I love an awkward meet cute—Eve literally hits Jacob with a car!—I love forced proximity—Eve takes over Jacob’s B&B!—and I love that these two characters portray different parts of the autism spectrum, with white, male, analytical Jacob’s more stereotypical presentation and his sweet, feminine and Black love interest Eve illustrating a less-depicted experience. 

Lisa Kleypas’ Love in the Afternoon

The first time I ever read romance novels that featured main characters with mental illness or conditions like alcoholism, it was in historicals. It’s often more subtle, because Regency England did not exactly have a robust mental health system, but characters like Captain Phelan deal with the same challenges as contemporary love interests, just using different language. This book has a heart wrenching mistaken identity plot complicated by what modern readers will realize is PTSD arising out of Phelan’s service in the Crimean War. Kleypas deftly contrasts the lovers’ points of view, demonstrating that Phelan’s mental illness isn’t the problem—it’s his fear of it.

Helen Hoang’s The Heart Principle

Hoang doesn’t shy away from showing the pain of unaccommodated autism and untreated mental illness in the middle of a tender love story. This romance has a lovely steamy slow burn but also makes brilliant points about a character trying to push herself into a role her brain will simply not let her perform. Raw and beautiful. 

HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE  by Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert is, in my opinion, one of the best authors writing grumpy-sunshine pairings. In her YA romance debut, Celine and Bradley are former childhood friends and current academic rivals for a competitive and prestigious internship. Celine—the grump—is totally flummoxed by Bradley—the sunshine—who has seemingly coasted through school on his charm, good looks, ease with academics, and athleticism. Bradley, on the other hand, finds Celine both annoyingly correct all the time as well as adorably nerdy, all with the incessant ability to prove him wrong. Their former friendship means they know what makes the other tick, which ramps up the rivalry. I adored watching these two overcome their past grievances and show true vulnerability!

THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES  by Sangu Mandanna

If you want to lean into witchy cottagecore ahead of Halloween, this is the book for you! Mika is a secret witch and member of a society of witches living in England. After spending most of her life alone and hiding her powers, she’s tapped to train a few orphans with magical abilities. Mika is charmed by the wonderfully welcoming group of people she meets at Nowhere House, and wonders if she has found a new family to be a part of… that is, if she can figure out a way to get along with the incredibly broody librarian, Jamie. Mika is lovely in spite of her solitary upbringing. Jamie is a perfect foil and love interest—he’s a bit taciturn and quite introverted (what else do we want in a grumpy librarian? Nothing, as far as I can tell!), and can’t help but be enchanted by Mika’s warm demeanor.

FORGET ME NOT  by Julie Soto

A second-chance romance about a wedding planner who has to work with her florist ex on the highest profile wedding of her career? When I heard this premise, I was intrigued. But when I found out it was also a grumpy-sunshine pairing, I was INVESTED. Ama takes on this influencer wedding to raise her profile in the wedding industry, but she’s taken aback when she has to work with her ex, Elliot, on the floral arrangements. When these two put aside their differences (sort of, LOL) and work together, they are so in sync and create something spectacular… which of course leads to absolutely *fire* steamy scenes.

TAKE A HIKE  by Mimi Grace

The character of Raven is my favorite type of sunshine; she has a heart of gold but is totally chaotic in everything she does. When she inherits an outdoor tourism business, she decides to spend a few months working there, even though she’s not sure she wants to keep it and she’s never really done anything like it before. Silas is grumpy for *reasons* and had his sights set on taking over the business, but he’s thwarted—and intrigued—by Raven’s arrival. The banter between Raven and Silas is top notch and when they finally get together it’s SO much fun.

BACK IN A SPELL  by Lana Harper

Nina Blackmoore is known around town as an ice queen. After her fiancée jilted her at the altar a year ago, Nina finally lets her guard down for one random date with Morty Gutierrez, the nonbinary bartender at the local dive bar. But when things go awry and Morty suddenly has magical powers—perhaps because of a spell Nina accidentally cast that may or may not have caught the attention of a goddess—Nina finds herself drawn to Morty and their easygoing acceptance. Morty is the perfect person to get under Nina’s skin but they also made it clear that they support her no matter what comes next… even if it means they’ll both lose the favor of a goddess! Nina has to learn to let go of control, both for the safety of Thistle Grove and her own happiness.