Romance
February 2026

Recent Releases
Playing for Keeps
by Alexandria Bellefleur

Poppy Peterson, publicist for NFL quarterback Cash Curran, and Rosaline Sinclair, publicist for pop star Lyric Adair, navigate their clients' whirlwind romance and their own blossoming feelings for each other in this steamy and banter-filled contemporary. For fans of: Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner. 
Love in Plane Sight
by Lauren Connolly

Grumpy pilot George Bunsen offers cash-strapped waitress and aspiring pilot Beth Lundberg free flying lessons, which she reluctantly accepts. When their first flight nearly ends in disaster, prompting George to make an emergency landing on a highway, the near-death experience brings them closer together. Will their burgeoning romance take flight -- or will they stay grounded? For fans of: Fly with Me by Andie Burke.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
A Novel Love Story
by Ashley Poston

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction . . . literally, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip and The Dead Romantics.Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don't leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she's so set on going her annual book club retreat this year--she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures--no matter what. But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it's right out of a novel . . . Because it is. This place can't be real, and yet... she's here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store's honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar's burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It's perfect--and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author's last unfinished story. Elsy is sure that's why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending. Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can't place--a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book. Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town's happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
Beg, Borrow, or Steal
by Sarah Adams

Jack Bennett is the opposite of the heroes Emily Walker dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why she was perfectly happy when he left Kentucky with his fiancâee. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack's return, but he's here to stay--as her colleague and neighbor. With their animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school's principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack- she hates to admit- is just the man to help her. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?--Provided by publisher.
Drive Me Crazy
by Lizzy Dent

In the throes of navigating workplace sexism, Formula 1 team principal Chloe Coleman reunites with her childhood crush, driver Matt Warner, when he's hired to join her team. Still recovering from a crash that injured his best friend, Matt's reluctant to get back behind the wheel. Can they navigate their personal and professional woes and get back on track? For fans of: Cross the Line by Simone Soltani.
The E.M.M.A. Effect by Lia Riley
The E.M.M.A. Effect
by Lia Riley

Jane Austen meets Ali Hazelwood in this steamy, friends-to-lovers, STEM rom-com! He's her best friend's little brother and NHL forward. She's a computer scientist used to being in control. The E.M.M.A., her elite AI training program, claims optimizing his performance requires one thing: the perfect match. According to its calculations, that's her... Will Harriet discover that The E.M.M.A. knows best?Harriet Smythe's AI was supposed to create sports legends--not encourage her crush on her best friend's totally off-limits, hot younger brother. But when funding runs dry, she has no choice but to enlist Gale Knight as her test subject. The same Gale she's been secretly crushing on for years. The player who follows her every instruction with a knowing smirk that threatens to short-circuit her carefully maintained system.Everything changes when The E.M.M.A. determines that finding Gale's perfect match is essential to his peak performance. Even worse? According to its data, that match is Harriet.Determined to keep things professional, Harriet makes it search for new candidates. But as Gale dutifully endures awkward outings with pop stars and athletes, the chemistry between them only intensifies. And his willing cooperation during their sessions definitely isn't helping her stay focused.With her deadline approaching and The E.M.M.A. still playing cupid, Harriet must choose: trust in pure logic, or admit that sometimes taking control means letting go.Maybe The E.M.M.A. knows something they don't--even if they're not ready to compute it yet.
Focus on: Romantasy
The God and the Gumiho
by Sophie Kim

In New Sinsi, Korea, Kim Hani, a nine-tailed fox, and Seokga, a fallen trickster god turned detective, form a reluctant alliance to hunt a demon intent on destroying the world. For fans of: banter-filled enemies-to-lovers romances; KPop Demon Hunters.
The Phoenix Keeper
by S.A. MacLean

Aila Macbhairan, head phoenix keeper at the San Tamculo Zoo for magical creatures, fights to restart the zoo's dormant phoenix breeding program, a project that forces her to work alongside her rival, the intimidating griffin keeper Luciana. For fans of: queer cozies like Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree or The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.
Swordcrossed
by Freya Marske

With his family's wool business flagging, Mattinesh "Matti" Jay agrees to an arranged marriage to the daughter of a prominent family, though he'll need to hire a duelist in case he's challenged for her hand. Enter charismatic con artist Luca Piere, who teaches Matti to sword fight -- and perhaps follow his true desires. This steamy romantasy from the author of the Last Binding series "sizzles with the heat between Matti and Luca" (Booklist). Try this next: One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny.
The Courting of Bristol Keats
by Mary E. Pearson

Bristol Keats struggles to keep herself and her sisters alive after the tragic disappearance of their parents. When she receives a letter from a mysterious aunt she didn't know existed, everything she thought she knew about her family crumbles and she must carefully navigate a world of monstrous intrigue to rescue her father. For fans of: slow-burn faerie-centric fantasy with well-developed characters and steamy romance, such as Sarah J. Maas' Crescent City series or Lyra Selene's A Feather So Black.
Lore of the Wilds
by Analeigh Sbrana

In exchange for aid and supplies for her earthquake-ravaged village, human Lore Alemeyu of Duskmere agrees to work for the Fae, cataloging the contents of an enchanted library. This "spellbinding romantic fantasy debut" (Publishers Weekly), the 1st in a duology, boasts a courageous heroine, a love triangle, and an atmospheric setting. Try this next: Lexi Ryan's These Hollow Vows series.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Prince George's County Memorial Library System
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