The pandemic has left me with a lot of time to re-unite with my love for reading these past few years. One of the genres that I previously hadn’t dabbled in, but now completely adore is a romantic comedy.
There is something about reading a great romantic comedy where you know there will be a happy ending that brings a tiny bit of peace during these times of turmoil. To be able to immerse yourself in the lives of the characters and take a step out of your world for a while to truly enjoy watching their stories unfold.
From enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, and more here are some of my romantic comedy book recommendations just in time for Valentine’s Day. I recommend pairing these books with a good glass of wine, or cup of tea, fuzzy socks and a quiet night—because once you start reading you won’t want to stop.
From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
Reading From Lukov with Love for Valentine’s day is also the perfect way to pull in your Olympic spirit as our Canadian athletes compete in Beijing. This sports romance features two figure skaters competing on an elite level. Jasmine Santos has been skating for seventeen years and hasn’t had her big break, until an offer of a lifetime comes through for her to be paired with one of the world’s best figure skaters, Ivan Lukov. After training at the same rink with him for over a decade, Jasmine considers the arrogant Lukov enemy #1, but can she swallow her pride and take the chance that could help her finally realize all of her career dreams?
As a big fan of sport romance novels, from Lukov with Love is a refreshing read in the genre from a sport that isn’t written about as often. If possible, time out your reading of this novel with the pairs figure skating competition as it airs this week for the Olympics- it will help you fall deeper into Jasmine and Ivan’s story!
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
For academics and hopeless romantics, the Love Hypothesis is a fun, quirky rom com that centers on the fake relationship between two scientists.
Third year Ph.D candidate Olive Smith is on a mission to prove to her best friend that she is most definitely over her ex whom she briefly dated and does not hold any feelings for anymore.
In a moment of panic after being caught at the lab by her friend when she had lied and said she was on a date, Olive kisses the first man she sees—hotshot professor and well-known jerk, Adam Carlson. However, to Olive’s surprise Adam agrees to go further with her charade and pretend that they are dating to ensure her friend buys the ruse. As their fake relationship begins to grow real feelings, Olive is discovering the love hypothesis to be more complicated than your average day in the lab.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
What can go wrong when the co-worker you loathe gets put up against you for the promotion you are determined to get? Executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company, bright and bubbly Lucy Hutton and her no-nonsense, irritatingly handsome co-worker Joshua Templeman navigate this challenge in the hating game. After spending years playing passive aggressive mind games with each other in the office, will their battle of wills to win be what makes them snap, or brings them together?
This enemies to lovers rom-com is full of fun banter and surprises—and after you read it you can make it a double feature and enjoy the new movie based on the novel.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Poppy is the bright coloured, spontaneity loving, wild child, and Alex is the cool, calm and collected best friend. They have nothing in common yet the two friends have remained close since college. Until two years ago when they ruined everything.
As a travel journalist Poppy has been taking Alex with her around the globe since before she was paid to put her stories to a page. Now she has the chance of a lifetime to convince Alex to go on one last vacation with her and to set things right between them.
This is undoubtably one of my favourite romantic comedies of all time. The switching timelines allows you to meet Alex and Poppy at all points of their relationship. The genuine love they have for one each other as friends, and then as it grows to be more makes your heart warm. I can’t think of a better way to spend Valentine’s Day then travelling the world with Alex and Poppy.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
When her identical twin sister Ami, and Ami’s entire wedding falls sick due bad sea food, save for Olive whose allergy and avoidance of said food spared her from the food poisoning wreck of a lifetime, Olive is put in an interesting dilemma. With her sister too ill to go on her tropical honeymoon that she won in a contest, Ami insists that Olive take the free vacation and pretend to be her to enjoy the accommodations. After all there are some perks to matching passport photos.
The only problem? The voucher is for a newly wed couple. Cue the best man, her nemesis Ethan Thomas.
Both Ethan and Olive agree to a temporary truce to enjoy a fully paid vacation in Maui. However, playing couple in the tropics begins to feel a lot more real the more Olive gets to know Ethan—and the more she learns, she begins to discover that she may have had the wrong impression about her enemy in the first place.
shaela.dansereau@pipestoneflyer.ca
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