Must-Read Romances Coming March 2026
All the new love stories worth clearing space on your TBR
It is not quite spring and not quite winter. Everyone feels a little tired. The school calendar gets hectic. And in our house, dance competition season kicks off, which brings a whole new level of scheduling chaos and weekends that disappear before I know it.
It is the time of year when I rely on books the most. A few quiet chapters between activities or late at night after everyone else is asleep feel less like a luxury and more like a reset button.
Thankfully, March always brings a strong batch of new romance releases to escape into. This month’s list covers a little bit of everything. Dragon riders and magical libraries, small-town second chances, sports romances, fake dating, cozy, character-driven love stories, high-stakes fantasy, soft slow burns and a few higher-heat picks too. Whatever your reading mood, there is probably something here that fits. So here is your easy, scroll-friendly guide to the March 2026 romance releases worth adding to your radar, complete with fresh summaries and trope lists to help you plan your TBR. Let’s get into it.
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March 3
The Library of Amorlin
By Kalyn Josephson
Tropes: Con artist heroine, forced proximity workplace, grumpy librarian love interest, slow burn romantic tension, magical creatures, morally gray choices, found belonging
This one leans more clever and twisty than cozy. Kasira used to make a living running cons. Reading people, gaining their trust, and disappearing at exactly the right moment was her specialty. Now she is serving out a prison sentence by hunting dangerous magical creatures for the kingdom that captured her.
When an ambassador offers her a deal, freedom in exchange for one last job, she takes it. Her mission is to infiltrate the legendary Library of Amorlin, a magical institution tasked with protecting all six kingdoms, and quietly bring it down from the inside.
Posing as the new assistant librarian should be simple. Blend in. Gather information. Execute the long con. But the library is not what she expected. It is full of strange creatures, hidden corridors, and a sense of belonging she has not felt in years. And then there is Allaster, the guarded, sharp-tongued librarian who seems to see through her a little too easily.The closer Kasira gets to the library and to him, the harder it becomes to remember which side she is supposed to be on.
This feels like a smart, character-driven fantasy with heist energy, slow-burn tension, and plenty of secrets.
Across the Vanishing Sky
By Catherine Cowles
Tropes: Small town romantic suspense, single mom heroine, broody neighbor, forced proximity, protective hero, mystery, slow burn, touch her and die energy
If you like small-town romance with real suspense and a protective, slightly feral mountain man hero, this one should be on your list.
Braedyn Winslow swore she would never return to Starlight Grove. Too many bad memories. Too many unanswered questions. But with a young son to raise and her past refusing to stay buried, going home is the only option left.
Years ago, her best friend vanished without a trace. No answers. No closure. Now Brae is determined to finally figure out what happened, even if the town would rather she let it go.
What she does not expect is Dex Archer, the brooding, reclusive neighbor everyone warns her about. Dex and his brothers grew up under the shadow of a violent father, and most of the town keeps their distance. But the more Brae sees of him, the clearer it becomes that beneath the silence and scars is someone fiercely loyal and quietly protective.
When someone starts threatening Brae to stop digging into the past, Dex steps in without hesitation. The closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous things become. And trusting Dex might be the safest and scariest choice she has left.
This one blends small-town emotion with genuine thriller stakes, so expect both swoony moments and edge-of-your-seat tension.
The Bounty of Blood and Nails
By N K Brown
Tropes: Morally grey heroine, hidden villain, forbidden magic, forced servitude, feminine rage, love triangle, assassin FMC, bounty hunter FMC, castle infiltration, “I was sent to kill you,” love vs. duty
Tam is a heartless, ruthless bounty hunter—or so her handler would have you believe.
With her ability to use forbidden blood magic, Tam tracks and captures her prey. The same blood magic that curses her to a life of servitude under a cruel handler—one wrong move and not only her life, but her family’s will be at stake. But when she’s sent to a remote, superstitious northern town where even a glimmer of magic will send you to the gallows, she’s forced to confront the darker consequences of her work.
After the murder of her bounty, innocent townspeople are blamed—and Tam’s conscience begins to stir. But there’s no turning back. Her handler raises the stakes, and her next mission is even more dangerous: infiltrate the royal castle and capture the enigmatic Prince Bellinor. Disguised as a maid, Tam is drawn into a world of deadly secrets, where her words are whispered into the prince’s ears through an ancient magic she’s never faced before.
To get close to the prince, she befriends his loyal bodyguard, Clement, but the deeper she digs, the more she realizes that Clement’s destiny is tied to the prince. With time running out and the castle tightening, Tam is forced to watch the trial of the people blamed for her own prior actions. But will she complete the mission—or risk it all as she falls in love with the person whose life she must destroy?
In this fast-paced, thrilling tale of magic, betrayal, and forbidden love, Tam will have to decide if being the bad guy is worth losing everything.
Stay tuned for my ARC review of The Bounty of Blood and Nails.
In Her Own League
By Liz Tomforde
Tropes: Sports romance, workplace, rivals to lovers energy, forced proximity, competent, ambitious heroine, grumpy coach hero, slow burn
A baseball romance with sharp banter, workplace tension, and a heroine who absolutely knows what she’s doing, even if no one else wants to admit it.
Reese Remington didn’t inherit her position. She earned it. As the first female team owner in Major League Baseball, she has spent years learning every side of the business, preparing for the day she would take the lead. Still, the press, the fans, and even parts of her own organization see her as a question mark instead of the most qualified person in the room. Which means she cannot afford mistakes. Or distractions.
Especially not one that looks like Emmett Montgomery. Emmett is the team’s longtime field manager, a former All-Star who treats the clubhouse like family and isn’t thrilled about a new owner changing how things are run. He questions her decisions. She challenges his authority. Every meeting feels like a standoff.
But long hours at the stadium and too many road trips spent side by side start to shift something. Beneath Reese’s cool professionalism, Emmett sees her passion and determination. Beneath his stubbornness, she finds someone deeply loyal and unexpectedly steady. The chemistry sneaks up on them. Acting on it, though, could put both of their careers under a microscope Reese is already tired of living under.
This feels like a grown-up sports romance with real workplace stakes, lots of banter, and a slow build that pays off.
A Girl Like Her
By Talia Hibbert
Tropes: Neighbors to lovers, small town, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, neurodivergent heroine, protective, capable hero, emotional healing, past trauma, light suspense elements
This is one of those character-driven romances that feels intimate, funny, and surprisingly emotional all at once.
Ruth Kabbah prefers to keep to herself. Living in a small English town has never been easy when you are seen as the “difficult” one, the odd one out, the girl people whisper about. Prickly, private, and openly autistic, Ruth has learned that staying guarded is safer than expecting too much from anyone.
Then Evan Miller moves in next door. Evan is everything Ruth isn’t. Calm, confident, good with people, and immediately welcomed by the whole town. Where others misread her, he pays attention. Where others pull away, he stays steady. He treats her awkwardness like it’s normal and her boundaries like they matter. Their connection builds slowly through everyday moments, dry humor, and Evan’s quiet determination to show Ruth she deserves more than the lonely life she’s settled for.
But when someone from Ruth’s past resurfaces and threatens the fragile stability she’s built, she has to decide whether letting Evan in is worth the risk.
Tender, honest, and deeply human, this one balances sweetness with real vulnerability.
It Seemed Like a Good Idea
By Lauren Blakely
Tropes: Small town romance, bodyguard hero, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, only one bed, second chance-ish tension, twin sister/mistaken identity chaos, spicy rom-com vibes
If you’re in the mood for something lighter and flirty with plenty of tension and forced proximity, this one is a fun escape.
Piper is perfectly happy running her quiet lavender farm in her small hometown. Her biggest daily concern should be bees and harvest schedules, not security details. But when her identical twin sister lands a major movie role filming nearby, paparazzi start circling. The studio insists Piper needs protection too.
Enter the last man she expected to see again. Her new bodyguard is the same broody, tattooed stranger she almost had a one-night stand with weeks ago. The one who disappeared before anything really happened. Now he’s following her everywhere, chasing off photographers, and somehow always showing up exactly when she needs help. Worse, he’s temporarily living in the guest cottage on her farm. Even worse, there’s only one bed.
What starts as unresolved chemistry quickly turns into late-night conversations, shared secrets, and a connection neither of them planned for. But his job is temporary, and Piper’s life is firmly rooted in this town, which makes getting attached feel like a risky move.
This one reads like a classic small-town rom-com with humor, heart, and plenty of heat.
Read my review of It Seemed Like a Good Idea.
No Matter What
By Cara Bastone
Tropes: Marriage in crisis, second chance, forced proximity, slow burn, emotional healing
If you gravitate toward quieter, deeply emotional romances about long-term love rather than meet-cutes, this one looks especially moving.
Roz and Vin are already married when the story begins. Or technically, still married. A year after surviving a traumatic accident, they feel more like strangers than partners. They avoid eye contact. Sleep in separate rooms. Tiptoe around each other in their own apartment. The life they built together feels fragile, like one wrong word could shatter it for good.
When Roz realizes Vin has quietly signed a new lease and plans to move out, it feels like the final confirmation that their marriage might actually be over.
Trying to distract herself, she signs up for a figure-drawing class and throws her energy into something she can control. But life keeps pulling Vin back into her orbit. Shared history. Shared friends. Shared space.
And when he offers to model for her class, it forces them to really see each other again for the first time in months. What follows isn’t dramatic or flashy. It’s slow, tender, and honest. Two people figuring out whether love is still there beneath the hurt, and whether they’re brave enough to rebuild what they almost lost.
Cara Bastone has a gift for writing intimate, character-driven stories, and this feels like one that will hit especially hard for readers who appreciate messy, realistic relationships and hard-won happy endings.
Almost Real
By Nicole Snow
Tropes: Fake engagement, billionaire, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, animal clinic setting, banter-heavy, high spice
If you’re craving a higher-heat, opposites-attract romance with big personalities and a little chaos, this one leans fully into the fun.
Lena Joly is doing everything she can to keep her small animal clinic afloat. She’s tough, practical, and much more comfortable saving injured pets than dealing with complicated men.
Then Brady Pruitt walks through her door with a lost puppy. Brady is Seattle’s resident bad boy billionaire, complete with a messy reputation and too much money for his own good. Lena is not impressed. She patches up the dog, sends him on his way, and assumes she’ll never see him again.
She is very wrong. Brady needs help cleaning up his image, especially with his very traditional, optics-obsessed family. His solution? A temporary, very fake engagement to the one woman who clearly doesn’t care about his bank account or his charm. In exchange, he offers enough money to secure Lena’s clinic for good.
It’s supposed to be simple. Pretend. Smile for the cameras. Keep things professional. But forced proximity, shared late nights, and a mutual soft spot for animals make the lines blur faster than either of them expects. What starts as a business arrangement begins to feel a little too real.
This one delivers banter, sparks, and plenty of steam, wrapped in a surprisingly sweet love story at its core.
The Bookstore Diaries
By Susan Mallory
Tropes: Small-town setting, bookstore owner heroine, contractor love interest, opposites attract, community secrets, women’s fiction with romance, slow-burn, found family vibes
If you love small-town stories with a strong sense of community, a charming bookshop setting, and a romance woven into everyday life, this one feels like an easy summer pick.
Jax has always believed that if she plans carefully enough, she can keep everything under control. Running the Painted Lady Bookstore, a cozy Victorian mansion turned bookshop, is the one part of her life that actually listens to her.
Everything else feels like it’s slipping through her fingers. Her ex is suddenly engaged. Her sister is thinking about moving away. And the contractor she hires to help with renovations seems far more interested in flirting with her than following instructions. Then a simple accident throws the whole town into chaos. The bookstore rents out private lockboxes where locals keep their personal diaries. When the names accidentally get erased, there’s only one way to figure out who each journal belongs to. Someone has to read them.
What follows is a cascade of long-buried secrets, misunderstandings, and small-town drama that pulls Jax deeper into her neighbors’ lives than she ever planned. Along the way, she starts to realize that maybe loosening her grip a little, especially when it comes to love, wouldn’t be the worst thing.
This feels like a warm, character-driven story about family, community, and finding happiness where you least expect it, with just enough romance to keep things swoony.
The Ruins Beneath Us
By Sasha E. Sloan
Tropes: YA romantasy, hidden identity, elf heroine, love triangle, court intrigue, apothecary magic, slow burn
For readers who like their fantasy a little lighter on spice but big on magic, court intrigue, and romantic tension, this YA romantasy debut looks like an easy binge.
Lyria has spent most of her life hiding. As an elf living on the edge of a human kingdom at war with her kind, survival means staying invisible and never using her magic where anyone can see. But after years of isolation, she’s restless and curious about the world beyond the forest.
When she secretly saves an injured human boy using forbidden magic, her life changes overnight. Because the boy turns out to be the crown prince. Suddenly Lyria is invited into the human court as the kingdom’s new royal apothecary, forced to live inside the very place she’s always been warned about. If anyone discovers what she really is, it could mean imprisonment or worse.
At the palace, she finds herself caught between two very different men, Finn, the idealistic prince who trusts her completely, and Cygnus, the sharp-eyed, skeptical head healer who seems determined to uncover her secrets. When the two of them stumble onto something dark and dangerous hidden beneath the castle, Lyria realizes the kingdom’s problems go far deeper than politics. Now she has to decide who she can trust and where her loyalty truly lies.
This one leans into lush worldbuilding, hidden identities, and slow-burn romantic tension, with classic YA fantasy stakes and a love triangle at the center.
The Heartless One
By Emma Hamm
Tropes: Established couple, death/god romance, witch coven, reclaiming the kingdom, battle and rebellion, romantic tension, medium spice
If you love romantasy with high stakes, witchy magic, and a romance that’s already established but still tested by war and responsibility, this sequel delivers all the tension and heart.
Jessamine never planned to fall for Death. But after bringing Elric back into a physical body and joining the coven of witches who sustain his power, their bond is stronger and more real than ever. What started as an unlikely alliance has turned into something deeper and far more complicated. Because loving Death is one thing. Leading a kingdom on the brink of collapse is another.
With her throne stolen and unrest spreading through the realm, Jessamine and Elric must rally their coven and prepare for battle. A dangerous enemy is rising, determined to control the power of the gods for himself. If he succeeds, everything Jessamine has fought for could be lost. Now she’s caught between two impossible choices, to protect the man she loves or protect the people who may no longer trust her. And she might have to risk both.
This installment leans more into political tension and looming war, while still keeping the emotional core front and center. Expect magic, loyalty tests, and a romance that has to survive more than just fate.
The Sailor
By Susan Stoker
Tropes: Small-town Maine setting, protective, steady hero, tough, capable heroine, workplace meet cute, found family, light suspense
If you love small-town romance with protective heroes, hardworking heroines, and a little coastal charm, this one feels like settling into a beach chair with a salty breeze and a happy ending waiting for you.
After leaving the Navy, Zach Young heads back home to Maine to help his family take care of Lobster Cove and figure out what comes next. His real dream is opening a restaurant, but for now he’s running a simple lobster shack and trying to rebuild life after losing his dad. It’s not exactly the plan he pictured.
Then he meets Marit. Marit Phillips knows how to work harder than anyone on the docks. She’s an experienced lobsterwoman who’s used to proving herself in a job most people think women can’t do. After being pushed out of her last town by small-minded locals, she’s hoping Rockville will finally be different. Not everyone agrees.
While some of the fishermen question whether she belongs, Zach never doubts her for a second. From the start, he sees her strength, her grit, and the quiet vulnerability she tries to hide. What begins as daily dockside chats quickly turns into something neither of them expected. But just as Marit starts to feel at home, one determined troublemaker makes it clear he doesn’t want her there. And protecting the life they’re building together might take more than either of them planned.
This is a tender, protective-hero romance with strong small-town vibes, found family, and a couple you can’t help rooting for.
The Wild Card
Stephanie Archer
Tropes: Pro hockey romance, single dad hero, boss-employee tension, forced proximity, grumpy /sunshine, slow burn with steam, found family, playful banter
A grumpy coach. A stubborn new hire. One guest house. Zero personal space. What could possibly go wrong?
Tate Ward is basically hockey royalty. Former superstar player, beloved coach, devoted single dad. The team trusts him, the fans adore him, and the media can’t get enough. Everyone loves Tate. Everyone except me. Now he’s my boss, and for reasons neither of us can explain, we clash over everything. Every meeting turns into a standoff. Every conversation feels like a challenge. If pushing his buttons were a sport, I’d already have a championship ring.
But when the future of the Vancouver Storm is threatened, we have to work together to save the team. And somehow “professional distance” turns into living in his guest house. Which turns into sharing his bed. Which turns into late nights, quiet talks, and seeing sides of Tate no one else does.
The patient coach. The softhearted dad. The man who always puts everyone else first. The more I get to know him, the harder it is to keep pretending we’re just coworkers. Especially when he defends me without hesitation, shows up when I’m falling apart, and gets a little too jealous when someone else gets close. Turns out the calm, controlled Coach Ward has a wild side too. And when he finally lets himself want something just for him, that something might be me.
Sweet, funny, and full of slow-burn tension, The Wild Card is a single dad, workplace hockey romance with found family vibes, sharp banter, and plenty of heart.
To Cage a Wild Bird
By Brooke Fast
Tropes: Dystopian prison world, forbidden romance (guard/inmate), touch her and die, found family, survival stakes, slow-burn tension, rebellion against a corrupt system
In Dividium, justice isn’t served. It’s hunted. If you break the law, you don’t go to prison. You’re sent to Endlock, a brutal island penitentiary where the wealthy pay for the chance to track inmates for sport. No one survives long.
Raven Thorne has built a reputation as Dividium’s most feared bounty hunter, surviving on sharp instincts, faster fists, and a strict rule, never get attached. But when her younger brother is sentenced to Endlock, rules stop mattering. To save him, Raven does the unthinkable. She gets herself arrested.
Inside Endlock, every day is a fight to stay alive. The prison is violent, unpredictable, and designed to break people down into prey. Raven has to rely on her strength, her cunning, and a small circle of unexpected allies if she wants any chance of keeping her brother safe and finding a way out.
Complicating everything? A guard she absolutely should not trust. Cold. Watchful. Impossible to read. And far too distracting. Because the more time she spends near him, the more Raven senses there’s something beneath the uniform and the system he represents might not be as untouchable as it seems. But in a place where betrayal is currency and love can get you killed, falling for the wrong person could cost her everything.
Dark, high-stakes, and packed with tension, To Cage a Wild Bird blends dystopian survival, forbidden romance, and found family into a gritty, addictive ride.
Read my review of To Cage a Wild Bird.
March 10
The Wings that Bind
By Briar Boleyn
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, morally gray love interest, dragon riders, dark academia setting, found family, forced proximity, betrayal and second chances, high-stakes fantasy romance
Winter nearly broke them. What comes next might finish the job. After everything Bloodwing Academy survived last year, the losses, betrayals, and battles that left scars that won’t fade, everyone hoped for a quieter season. Instead, the danger is only growing.
A second dragon has awakened, her corrupted power controlled by two ruthless highbloods determined to expose the violent secrets buried at Sangratha’s borders. Their reach is long, and no one is safe.
Florence barely survived the last conflict, saved only by a dragon whose magic now binds them together in ways no one fully understands. The connection is powerful, unpredictable, and frighteningly intimate. Watching her best friend change is almost as terrifying as the enemies closing in.
And then there’s Blake. Former tormentor. Reluctant ally. The boy who somehow became her heart. His betrayal nearly cost everything, yet something about him is different now. Quieter. Guarded. Carrying secrets he refuses to share. Saving his life should have been simple. Trusting him again is anything but.
With Bloodwing Academy under new leadership and tensions rising between riders, vampires, and highbloods, alliances are fragile and every choice carries consequences. War is coming, and this time it’s personal.
Dark, emotional, and packed with slow-burn tension, The Wings That Bind deepens the bonds between dragons and riders while testing loyalty, love, and the cost of forgiveness.
Toe to Toe
By Falon Ballard
Tropes: Opposites attract, dance partners, lessons in confidence, slow-burn romance, career vs. love tension, forced proximity
Allegra Hart has spent her entire life chasing one dream, becoming a principal ballerina. When auditions open for the lead role in the company’s newest production, it feels like her last real shot to prove she belongs center stage. There’s just one problem. Her director wants a dancer with undeniable charisma and sex appeal, and he’s not convinced Allegra has either.
Determined to change his mind, Allegra makes an unexpected deal with Cord Donovan, the star of an all-male dance revue. Cord may perform under bright lights and roaring crowds now, but he’s classically trained and knows exactly how to command a stage. If anyone can help her loosen up and own her power, it’s him. In return, she agrees to help him choreograph a new partner routine for his show.
What starts as lessons in confidence and chemistry quickly turns into something more. Their rehearsals blur the line between professional and personal, and the attraction building between them is impossible to ignore. The only complication? Cord has sworn off partnering with ballerinas, and Allegra refuses to let a relationship threaten the career she’s worked so hard for. As opening night approaches, Allegra must decide what she’s willing to risk for her dream and whether there’s room in her life for both love and the spotlight.
A flirty, dance-filled romance about ambition, vulnerability, and learning to take up space, Toe to Toe pairs slow-burn chemistry with plenty of heart.
Second Chance Duet
By Ana Holguin
Tropes: College rivals to lovers, forced proximity, creative collaborators, slow burn, workplace romance, career vs. love stakes
Celia García has spent years chasing the career she thought she’d have by now. Her dream is to compose sweeping, cinematic film scores, but instead she’s stuck writing forgettable ad jingles and wondering when her real break will come. Then it finally does.
A major director needs a last-minute composer for his television debut and is willing to take a chance on someone new. It’s the opportunity Celia has been waiting for. The only catch? She has to collaborate closely and share housing with Oliver Barlowe. Her college nemesis.
Back then, Oliver was everything she couldn’t stand. Privileged, polished, and infuriatingly talented, the golden boy of Hollywood royalty. Working side by side now, Celia expects the same old rivalry. Instead, she finds a quieter, more thoughtful version of the man she remembers, and long nights in the studio start to blur the line between tension and something a lot like attraction. But breaking into the industry is hard enough without rumors or distractions. As a newcomer, Celia already feels like she has to work twice as hard to prove she belongs. Falling for Oliver could jeopardize the very career she’s fought so hard to build.
Caught between the music she’s meant to write and the feelings she never meant to have, Celia must decide what she’s willing to risk for her future and whether some second chances are worth taking.
A soft, slow-burn romance about creative dreams, old rivalries, and finding harmony where you least expect it.
March 17
Queen of the Night Sky
By Amalie Howard
Tropes: Fated mates, love triangle / why choose, destiny and prophecy, magic training and power growth, political intrigue and warring kingdoms, shadow daddy, mysterious hero, open-door romance
The sweeping conclusion to The Starlight Heir, this lush, mythology-inspired romantasy brings Sura’s story to a powerful and hard-earned finale.
The Kingdom of Oryndhr may have survived, but peace has come at a cost. King Roshan, once Sura’s closest friend and the man she thought she loved, is no longer the person she remembers. His power feels darker, more controlling, and her own magic bends too easily to his will. As his influence tightens and strange dreams of her shadowy guardian return, Sura begins to question both her future and the choices that brought her here.
When an assassination attempt forces her to flee, Sura is rescued by an azdaha, a dragon-like creature she once believed to be only legend. The escape carries her far beyond her kingdom’s borders to Everlea, a land steeped in ancient magic and ruled by the enigmatic Night King, Darrius. The shock is immediate. Darrius is the man who has haunted her dreams for years. And he may be tied to her fate more deeply than anyone else.
As old gods stir, prophecies unfold, and war threatens multiple realms, Sura must fully claim her role as Starkeeper and embrace the full strength of her magic. But every step toward power demands sacrifice, and the line between light and darkness grows harder to see.
Blending political intrigue, star-bound magic, and layered romance, Queen of the Night Sky delivers high-stakes fantasy with emotional depth and open-door heat.
Love Song
By Elle Kennedy
Tropes: Summer lake house setting, second chance, former crush, age gap, forced proximity, musician hero, slow burn, briar universe next generation
Elle Kennedy returns to the Briar universe with a next-generation standalone that blends summer nostalgia, second chances, and plenty of slow-building chemistry.
After a messy breakup, college junior Blake Logan retreats to her family’s lake house in Tahoe with one goal in mind, keep her head down and her heart off-limits. A quiet summer away from campus drama feels like exactly what she needs.
Then Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and still frustratingly charming, Wyatt is the same guy who unintentionally crushed her teenage crush years ago. He has always felt like a bad idea wrapped in a guitar case. Now he is back in town, hiding out while his music career stalls and looking for inspiration he cannot seem to find. What neither of them expects is to find it in each other.
Blake is no longer the awkward girl Wyatt remembers. She is confident, sharper around the edges, and far harder to walk away from. Long days by the lake and late nights talking turn old history into new tension, and the spark between them quickly becomes impossible to ignore. They both know it is temporary. A summer thing. Nothing serious. Until it starts to feel like everything. When life pulls them apart just as they finally give in, they are left wondering if some timing mistakes are permanent or if certain love stories deserve another shot.
Warm, funny, and emotional, Love Song delivers flirty banter, heartfelt moments, and the kind of summer romance that lingers long after the last page.
The Deal Maker
By Louise Bay
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, wedding party romance, forced proximity, banter-heavy rom-com, family pressure, slow burn with heat
When a wedding brings together two people who can barely tolerate each other, a fake relationship starts to feel a little too convincing.
Lucy Jones has always lived in her sister’s shadow. Elizabeth is the effortless one. Polished, poised, and engaged to the perfect man. Lucy, on the other hand, is thirty, single, and fielding constant reminders from her family that she never quite has it together.
So when she’s named maid of honor, Lucy decides this is her moment to reset the narrative. She is going to plan the perfect events, keep everything running smoothly, and prove that she is more than the “messy” sister everyone expects. The only problem is Hunter Bain. As the best man, Hunter is technically her co-planner for the bachelor and bachelorette festivities. In reality, he is gruff, blunt, and clearly unimpressed with Lucy’s color-coded spreadsheets and big ideas. From day one, they clash over everything.
But when a small lie spirals into a full-blown fake dating situation meant to keep the peace and avoid wedding drama, Lucy and Hunter suddenly have to play nice in public. Pretending should be easy. Except the tension feels a little too real. The banter starts to blur into flirting. And the more time they spend together, the harder it is to remember where the act ends.
Set against pre-wedding chaos, family pressure, and a few wild weekends away, The Deal Maker is a sharp, slow-burn rom-com about messy relatives, unexpected chemistry, and falling for the one person you never planned on.
Starside
By Alex Aster
Tropes: Deadly trials, vengeance-driven heroine, mortal vs. immortal conflict, enchanted weapons, forced proximity, former allies, slow-burn, epic quest
Alex Aster steps into adult romantasy with Starside, a high-stakes fantasy filled with deadly trials, godlike enemies, and a romance threaded through vengeance and survival.
Centuries ago, a devastating war split the world in two. On one side is Starside, a realm of immortals and near-divine power. On the other is Stormside, where mortals struggle to survive with only scraps of magic.
Every fifty years, the gates open between the realms. Fifty challengers are allowed to cross into Starside and compete for access to a legendary pool of magic capable of healing the sick, restoring fortunes, or extending life itself. Most enter for hope. Aris enters for revenge. When she was a child, a goddess destroyed her village and killed her family. Aris has no interest in claiming power. She wants retribution. But first she has to survive the Culling, a brutal competition that determines who earns a place among the fifty chosen.
As an orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, she is outmatched by heirs trained for battle since birth. Her only advantage comes when she claims a rare enchanted sword, a weapon that bonds to its wielder and marks her as both a serious contender and a target.
Beyond the gates, Starside is even more dangerous than the legends suggest. Ancient beasts roam the wilds, immortals guard their secrets fiercely, and something new and unnatural stalks the darkness.
And then there’s Harlan Raker, a guarded and formidable member of the king’s guard who betrayed Aris years ago. He may be the last person she should trust. He may also be the only one who can help her survive. As buried truths about her past begin to surface, Aris realizes her quest for vengeance could reshape both realms and challenge the gods themselves.
Starside blends action-heavy fantasy, morally gray choices, and slow-building romantic tension for readers who like their love stories wrapped in danger.
March 24
The Night We Met
By Abby Jimenez
Tropes: Right person, wrong time, best friend’s girlfriend, friends to lovers, slow burn, found family, shared pet, emotional read
Abby Jimenez delivers another heartfelt, character-driven romance about timing, friendship, and the small decisions that quietly change everything. For Larissa, it starts with something simple. After a concert, she chooses one ride home over another. It seems insignificant at the time. Just logistics. Just chance. But that choice sends her life in an entirely different direction.
Months later, she finds herself building an easy, comfortable friendship with Chris, the guy she didn’t choose that night. They swap book recommendations, share responsibilities for a slightly chaotic rescue dog, and fall into the kind of everyday rhythm that feels surprisingly steady. For someone juggling multiple side hustles and just trying to stay afloat, it is the first time life has felt uncomplicated. There is only one problem. Larissa is dating Chris’s best friend.
Chris wants her to be happy, even if that means standing on the sidelines and pretending it doesn’t hurt. Crossing the line would risk everything: their friendship, their fragile little found family, and someone else’s heart. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to ignore what feels obvious to everyone else.
Tender, funny, and quietly emotional, The Night We Met explores missed timing, complicated loyalties, and the question of whether love is worth the mess it sometimes makes.
Little Miss Petty
By Sally Kilpatrick
Tropes: Reinvention in your late 30s, breakup glow-up, found family friendships, neighbors to lovers, light mystery element, rom-com
After a breakup, a lost job, and an unexpected fresh start, one woman turns petty revenge into a surprisingly profitable second act.
At thirty-nine, Stella Stark thought she had her life mostly figured out. Then she discovers her boyfriend has been cheating and everything unravels at once. With no job, no apartment, and nothing left to lose, she does what any rational adult might do. She mails him a glitter bomb. And it turns out she’s good at this.
What starts as a small act of payback quickly grows into a side hustle. Under the name “Little Miss Petty,” Stella begins helping other wronged women get a little karmic justice of their own. The requests keep rolling in, and for the first time in a long while, she feels capable, creative, and oddly empowered.
With the help of her new inner circle, a gruff-but-loyal bar owner and a marketing-savvy college student, Stella’s business takes off. But her latest assignment gets complicated fast. The target is her client’s soon-to-be ex-husband who also happens to be Stella’s neighbor. And he is not what she expected.
Malone is thoughtful, charming, and suspiciously kind for someone who’s supposed to be the villain of the story. The more time Stella spends around him, the harder it is to reconcile the man she’s been hired to sabotage with the one who offers late-night pizza and easy conversation. Getting involved would be bad for business. And probably worse for her heart.
Witty, warm, and full of second-chance energy, Little Miss Petty is a feel-good romance about starting over, finding your people, and learning that sometimes the best revenge is building a life you actually love.
Fallen Hero
By Riley Edwards
Tropes: Former Navy SEAL hero, vengeance-driven heroine, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, touch-her-and-die, grumpy/sunshine, high-heat romantic suspense
A hardened ex-SEAL and a woman fueled by revenge collide on a mission that’s far more personal than either of them planned and falling in love might be the most dangerous risk of all. Mason Hughes learned the hard way that trust gets you killed.
After a betrayal that shattered both his career and his heart, the former Navy SEAL rebuilt himself into something colder. Sharper. Controlled. Emotions are liabilities, and attachments don’t belong on the battlefield. Now he takes on the missions no one else wants. The kind that require precision, brutality, and zero hesitation. It’s easier not to feel. Until Dubai.
Calista Ventura isn’t supposed to be part of his operation. She’s not military, not sanctioned, and definitely not someone Mason wants anywhere near his carefully executed plans. But she’s smart, stubborn, and clearly chasing the same target he is an international trafficking ring with powerful, untouchable players. And she refuses to stand down.
Calista has her own reasons for hunting these men, reasons carved deep enough that fear doesn’t factor in anymore. She’s spent years preparing for this moment, and the last thing she needs is an overbearing, alpha ex-SEAL trying to sideline her “for her own good.” She doesn’t need protection. She wants justice.
But when their separate investigations collide, and enemies start closing in from all sides, working together becomes their only option. Mason’s lethal skill set and Calista’s inside knowledge make them a formidable team. The closer they get to dismantling the operation, the more undeniable the chemistry becomes. Tension turns into sparks. Sparks turn into something far hotter. And Mason’s iron control starts to crack. Because protecting Calista stops feeling like part of the mission and starts feeling personal. Deadly personal.
As secrets unravel and Calista’s past puts a target on her back, Mason finds himself willing to burn down entire empires to keep her safe. But Calista has never relied on anyone, and trusting Mason with both her life and her heart might be the most terrifying leap of all.
With enemies closing in and betrayal lurking around every corner, they’ll have to decide: finish the mission alone like they always have—or risk everything for a future neither of them thought they deserved.
Fast-paced, steamy, and packed with adrenaline, Fallen Hero delivers protective-hero intensity, high-stakes action, and a romance that hits just as hard as the firefights. Perfect for readers who love their love stories with danger, devotion, and a hero who would absolutely choose violence for his woman.
Hold Me
Anna Savas
Tropes: Second-chance romance, forced proximity, dance partners, childhood best friends to lovers, arts academy setting, emotional healing, slow burn, soft angst
Two former best friends. One shared dream. And a partnership that forces them back into each other’s arms, whether their hearts are ready or not.
Getting into the New England School of Ballet is supposed to feel like winning. For Zoe, it’s the culmination of every early morning rehearsal, every blistered toe, every sacrifice she’s ever made. This academy is her future, the place where careers are born and dreams take flight. There’s just one problem. Jase is here.
The boy who used to know her better than anyone. The one who memorized her favorite songs and left folded notes in her dance bag. The one who loved her gently, completely, right up until the day she broke both their hearts and walked away without an explanation. She told herself pushing him away was the only choice. She never told him why.
Jase has spent the last year trying to forget her. Between parents who treat dance like a phase instead of a calling and the constant pressure to prove he deserves his spot at the academy, he doesn’t have time to dwell on the girl who disappeared from his life without warning. But when Zoe walks back in like a ghost from everything he lost, all those carefully built walls start to crack. Because no matter how hard he tries, she’s still it for him.
And then fate, or maybe the world’s worst sense of humor, pairs them together as dance partners. Now they’re forced into late-night rehearsals, shared choreography, hands at waists and fingers intertwined. Every lift, every spin, every breath brings them too close. Close enough to remember how perfectly they used to move together. Like muscle memory. Like coming home. Old habits slip back in, private jokes, lingering glances, the quiet way they instinctively take care of each other. But so do the ghosts of the night everything fell apart. The fight they never finished. The truth Zoe still hasn’t told. Because the real reason she left? It could change everything.
As competition season ramps up and emotions run high, the line between past and present begins to blur. Their chemistry is still electric. Their connection still undeniable. But love the second time around means facing the hurt they never healed and risking their hearts all over again. If they want any chance at a future together, they’ll have to stop dancing around the truth.
Tender, aching, and full of quiet intensity, Hold Me is a soft-angst, slow-burn romance about first love, lost time, and finding the courage to reach for each other again. Perfect for readers who love arts academy settings, emotional second chances, and couples who fall in love twice, only deeper the second time.
Heir of Twisted Lies
By LJ Andrews
Tropes: Romantasy, forbidden love, enemies to lovers to betrayed lovers, bodyguard romance, hidden identity, court intrigue, touch her and die, magical bond, forced alliance, high angst
A girl with forbidden magic. A warrior built on lies. And a love powerful enough to either save the kingdoms or burn them to ash.
Lyra Bien was never meant to survive Stonegate. The moment her rare melder magic was exposed, a power coveted, controlled, and exploited by the crown, she stopped being a person and started being a weapon. A resource. A prize to be fought over. And once she uncovers the truth behind what the royal house is really doing with her magic? Escape isn’t enough. She wants the entire corrupt kingdom to fall. But revolutions are messy. Dangerous. And trusting anyone might be the biggest risk of all. Especially when the one man she wants at her side is the same one who broke her heart.
Roark Ashwood was Stonegate’s most feared Sentry, ruthless, loyal, untouchable. The prince’s personal guard. A weapon sharpened for the crown. At least, that’s what everyone believed. In reality, Roark has spent years living a lie. Born to the enemy Draven clan and forced to carve out his place among those who despise his bloodline, he clawed his way to power with one goal, to destroy Stonegate from the inside. Every promotion, every brutal choice, every carefully crafted betrayal was part of a long game. Until Lyra.
She wasn’t supposed to matter. Wasn’t supposed to get under his skin. Wasn’t supposed to become the one thing he couldn’t sacrifice. And the moment he chose her over his mission, everything unraveled. His secrets. His identity. His plans. Now both kingdoms see him as a traitor and they want his head.
With enemies circling from every side, Lyra and Roark are forced into an uneasy alliance, their fragile trust frayed by deception and old wounds. She doesn’t know if she can forgive him. He doesn’t know if he deserves it. But walking away from each other? Not an option.
Because the deeper Lyra digs into the crown’s corruption and the truth behind her magic, the clearer it becomes: her power is tied to something bigger. Something ancient. Something cursed. And Roark might be the only one strong enough to stand beside her when it all comes crashing down.
Between assassins, political games, and vicious court intrigue, desire simmers hotter than ever. Every stolen touch feels dangerous. Every glance carries too much history. Loving each other could be their greatest strength, or the weakness their enemies exploit.
But Roark has already decided one thing. He would burn kingdoms for her. And Lyra might just let him. Dark, intense, and brimming with betrayal and devotion, Heir of Twisted Lies delivers high-stakes romantasy, aching second chances, and a fiercely protective hero who chooses her every time. Perfect for readers who love morally gray warriors, magic-fueled rebellion, and epic love stories tangled in blood, crowns, and secrets.
March 31
Game On
By Navessa Allen
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, morally gray MMC, revenge plot, grumpy/girl sunshine, dark rom-com, scorching chemistry, banter-heavy, betrayal & redemption
He wants to use her. She wants to ruin him. Unfortunately, they also really want to kiss each other. Tyler Neumann doesn’t believe in happy endings. He believes in revenge. After years spent tracking down the father who abandoned him, Tyler has one goal, to burn the man’s life to the ground. Piece by piece. And if innocent people get caught in the fallout? Collateral damage.
Stella McCormick just happens to be the perfect target. Rich. Polished. Untouchable. The kind of privileged princess Tyler has hated his entire life. Using her to get inside her family’s glittering, elite world should be easy. Manipulate her. Blackmail her. Pretend to be her boyfriend. Get close enough to destroy everything. Simple. Except Stella isn’t soft. Or naive. Or anything like the spoiled socialite he expected. She’s sharp-tongued, stubborn, and mean in a way that almost feels fun.
And from the moment Tyler walks into her tattoo shop with that smug, dangerous smile, Stella knows one thing, this man is going to wreck her life. There’s just something about him, dark eyes, bad attitude, zero respect for her boundaries, that screams trouble. The kind of trouble that tracks mud across your floors and then smirks while you clean it up. So when he corners her into a fake relationship scheme and forces his way into her family’s high-society circles, Stella plays along. Because if he thinks she’s going down without a fight? He clearly hasn’t met her.
What starts as mutual blackmail turns into a war of wills including petty arguments, razor-sharp banter, and sexual tension so thick it could snap. Every party they fake-smile through, every “couple” photo, every jealous glance just pulls them tighter into each other’s orbit. Hate starts looking a lot like obsession. And obsession starts looking a lot like want.
The problem? Tyler’s secrets run deep. His plans for her family are darker than she imagined. And the closer Stella gets to the truth behind his revenge, the more dangerous loving him becomes. Because falling for the man trying to use you? That’s a losing game. But walking away from him might hurt even worse.
Sharp, chaotic, and laugh-out-loud funny in the middle of all the darkness, Game On blends biting humor with high-heat tension and two gloriously unhinged leads who match each other blow for blow. Perfect for readers who love their romance messy, morally gray, and packed with banter, blackmail, and “touch her and you die” energy.
We’re a Bad Idea Right
By K.L. Walther
Tropes: Best friends to lovers, fake dating, slow burn, only one bed energy, rich-people chaos, coming-of-age, rebellious good girl, found family friend group, summery rom-com
Two best friends fake a relationship to fix their lives. Unfortunately, it might also ruin their hearts. Audrey Barbour has done everything right. Perfect grades. Perfect reputation. Perfectly responsible choices. For eighteen years, she’s been the gold-star daughter, the kind parents brag about at dinner parties. The kind who never makes waves. And somehow? It’s still not enough.
When her parents refuse to support her dream of studying glassblowing through a prestigious fellowship, Audrey realizes something uncomfortable, playing by the rules hasn’t actually gotten her anywhere.
So maybe it’s time to break a few. Enter Henry. Her best friend. Her safe place. Her longtime partner-in-crime for late-night snack runs and life meltdowns. Also, freshly heartbroken and wildly desperate to win back his ex.
His solution? Fake date Audrey to make the ex jealous. Audrey should say no. It’s messy. It’s dramatic. It’s absolutely the kind of thing “Responsible Audrey” would never do. Which is exactly why she says yes. Because for once, she wants to do something reckless. And if pretending to be in love with Henry helps him and gives her a distraction from her own problems? Easy. Except nothing about it feels easy.
Not the lingering touches. Not the way he looks at her a little too long. Not the sudden realization that pretending to be his girlfriend feels dangerously natural. As if that wasn’t chaotic enough, Audrey makes one more impulsive decision: secretly renting out her parents’ massive Connecticut mansion while they’re away to fund her fellowship herself. What could possibly go wrong? (Spoiler: everything.)
Between questionable houseguests, mounting lies, and a fake relationship that’s starting to feel very real, Audrey’s carefully controlled life spirals into the kind of chaos she’s never allowed herself before. But somewhere between the disasters and the late-night cleanups, she starts figuring out who she actually wants to be, not the perfect daughter, not the rule-follower. Just Audrey. And the scariest part? Realizing Henry might not just be her best friend. He might be her person. But crossing that line could cost them everything they’ve built. Because what if dating your best friend isn’t a cute rom-com trope? What if it’s a terrible idea?
Sweet, hilarious, and full of heart, We’re a Bad Idea, Right? delivers peak fake-dating chaos, tender slow-burn romance, and that fluttery best-friends-to-lovers magic that makes you grin like an idiot while reading. Perfect for fans of summery settings, lovable side characters, and stories about figuring out who you are and who you want beside you while you do it.
Final Thoughts
March is giving us a little bit of everything this year. Cozy contemporaries. Big fantasy epics. Sweet slow burns. Spicy chaos. Which means your TBR is probably about to get longer. Mine definitely is.
If you pick up any of these, come tell me what you loved so we can compare notes. Enabling each other’s reading habits is basically what we do here.
Happy reading.
