Helen Plum Library: Romance: January 2026

Recent Releases

And Then There Was You
by Sophie Cousens

Hoping to impress her more accomplished classmates (including her former best friend, film director Sean Adler) at her ten-year college reunion, stuck-in-a-rut Chloe Fairway joins an exclusive dating service to secure her perfect plus-one. Rob is everything she could have dreamed of…but he’s a robot. Will her fake romance lead to real love? For another witty and heartfelt romance with speculative elements, try Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer.

Daddy Issues
by Kate Goldbeck

When 26-year-old bartender and aspiring art historian Sam Pulaski meets divorced dad Nick Martino at a bar, their chemistry is immediate -- but she'll have to decide if she's ready to risk her career prospects to settle down with him and his nine-year-old daughter in small-town Ohio. For fans of: slow-burn age-gap romances like Ali Hazelwood's Problematic Summer Romance.

The Heir Apparent
by Rebecca Armitage

A modern fairy tale features a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family—or to her own heart.

The Bodyguard Affair
by Amy Lea

When Andi Ziegler, the personal assistant to the wife of Canada's Prime Minister, is accused of having an affair with the Prime Minister, she enlists Nolan Crosby, the PM's new bodyguard (and her failed one-night stand from three years ago) to be her fake boyfriend. For another steamy fake-dating bodyguard romance featuring well-developed characters, check out The Bodyguard by Katherine Center.

The Mating Game
by Lana Ferguson

Contractor Tess Covington has spent her entire life as a regular non-shifter human, so after she lands in the Denver ER with flu-like symptoms, it comes as a complete shock to be told that, no, she's not sick: she's actually a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. Alpha wolf Hunter Barrett has spent most of his adult life living by a routine, and a big part of that involves staying clear of omegas after having one stomp on his heart. So, when the tiny contractor shows up at his place smelling like the one thing he's determined to avoid, he thinks it must be some sort of cosmic joke--

For Fans Of: Emily Henry

With Netflix's long-awaited adaptation of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation dropping on January 9th (and additional adaptations currently in the works), fans of the author will be eager to dive into some similarly heartfelt and witty romances. Try one of these!

How to Sell a Romance
by Alexa Martin

When kindergarten teacher Emerson lands a cushy side gig as a sales rep for skincare company Petunia Lemon, the last thing she expects is for her recent one-night stand, Lucas Miller, to be a journalist investigating the company's predatory business practices. Agreeing to go their separate ways, they cross paths again when Lucas' daughter winds up in Emerson's class and Emerson begins doubting the legitimacy of her side hustle. For fans of: Emily Henry's Great Big Beautiful Life

Secretly Yours
by Tessa Bailey

Reuniting with her teenage crush Julian Vos while redoing the gardens at his family's Napa Valley vineyard, Hallie Welch is shocked when he doesn't remember her, channeling her confusion into drunk-writing a secret admirer letter. While Julian puzzles out the mysterious missive, he finds himself increasingly drawn to Hallie, whose freewheeling ways threaten to upend his buttoned-up lifestyle. For fans of: Emily Henry's Beach Read.

The Next Best Fling
by Gabriella Gamez

Librarian Marcela Ortiz, heartbroken over her best friend’s engagement, and ex-NFL player Theo Young, secretly in love with his brother's fiancée, agree to a no-strings-attached relationship. Pretending to be together, they discover unexpected chemistry, navigating complicated feelings and family dynamics, while realizing their rebound might be something more. For fans of: Emily Henry's Funny Story.

Funny You Should Ask
by Elissa Sussman

Then: MFA grad Chani Horowitz's career took off after her assignment -- a magazine profile of Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker -- turned into a wild weekend during which, she insists, NOTHING HAPPENED.

Now: A decade later, recently divorced Chani gets an offer to recreate her famous interview with Gabe, whose star has dimmed after a messy divorce and a stint in rehab.

For fans of Emily Henry's Happy Place.

How to End a Love Story
by Yulin Kuang

In this heart-wrenching but hopeful debut by director and People We Meet on Vacation screenwriter Yulin Kuang, author Helen Zhang moves to Los Angeles to write for the TV adaptation of her bestselling YA series and encounters producer Grant Shepard, who played a role in the death of her younger sister. For fans of: Emily Henry's Book Lovers.

Contact your librarian for more great books!

Adult Winter Reading BINGO 2025

Let the cozy reading begin! Sign up online at helenplum.beanstack.com. Then, play digital bookish BINGO through Mon, Feb 2 to earn drawing tickets that can be entered for chances to win prizes. Find suggested reading lists and more at helenplum.org.