Happy Valentine’s Day to our lovely readers! Today Romance Class authors would be sharing their book recommendations perfect for romance readers this month of February.
Right now, Hollywood News Source are patiently waiting for the release of A Prince on Paper: Reluctant Royals by Alyssa Cole and Kiss and Cry by Mina V. Esguerra while I marathon CRIMINAL INTENTIONS by Cole McCade. It’s a suspense thriller series, but I can feel the romance slowly unfolding.
Here’s the books that you’ll need to add to your TBR list.
Brigitte Bautista, author of Start Here and Don’t Tell My Mother
My V-day recs are two short, will-they-or-won’t-they reads : the novella ‘Once Ghosted, Twice Shy’ by Alyssa Cole, and ‘Five Inches Below The Knee’ from Chi Yu Rodriguez’s ‘Love and Other Questionable Life Choices’ story collection.
In ‘Once Ghosted, Twice Shy’, Likotsi bumps into Fab, the woman who ghosted her and broke her heart, on the train. All throughout, the tension between Likotsi and Fab was drawn out so perfectly. I especially loved Likotsi’s internal struggle, constantly flitting between rebuffing Fab’s attempts to make amends and admitting that she’s enjoying this second-chance encounter. I was also drawn to their taste in fashion (they’re both always so impeccably dressed), and how that added to each character’s personality.
‘Five Inches Below The Knee’, on the other hand, is about two high school girls figuring out what they mean to each other. There is a lot of kissing here, and come on, that’s pretty much all we want to do on V-Day, right? I have a personal bias to this story because of my Catholic all-girls school experience; every scene hit me right in the feels, making me feel like I’m 15 again!
Clarisse David, author of Keeping the Distance and Prom Queen Perfect
Clean Breaks by Ruby Lang
I read this book in January and had a happy, satisfied grin on my face the whole time. When I grow up, I want to be Sarah Soon, the protagonist who makes lists, takes names and kicks ass.
Jake Li enters the picture just as Sarah is trying to get her life back together after surviving cancer. The two of them have plenty of shared history…and baggage. Add an energetic dog, parental drama and yoga to the mix, and you get a steamy romance novel that’s fun and full of heart.
Flipping the Script by Danice Mae P. Sison
Miri’s film director grandfather and Pabs’s studio head grandmother loathed each other. When Pabs and Miri’s paths cross, it’s a given that they should hate each other, right? WRONG. *insert giggling here*
Flipping the Script has everything I want in a young adult romance novella. Hate-to-love, a protagonist who’s passionate about something, and plenty of scenes that will make you squeal. It’s a delightful read that reminds you how incredible Filipino movies are.
Chi Yu Rodriguez, author of Love and Other Questionable Life Choices, & The Art of Shifting Gears
Blossom Among Flowers by Jay E. Tria The whole book is written in a way that it carries a strong sense of nostalgia for a love that any reader can relate to. It’s full of heart and gives you this toe curling, desk slamming, read-it-and-forget-about-work type of kilig.
Mango Summer by Agay Llanera It’s magic. Pure and simple. The words are beautiful. It’s as if you’re hearing the sound of fairy lights, smelling the grass, and feeling the dew between your fingertips.
H. Bentham, author of Signed, B & The Boy Bearing Candies
Don’t Tell My Mother – Brigitte Bautista This is one of my favorites not only because it is F/F and #ownvoices, but Brigitte’s writing is beautiful. She has a way with words that mixes sweetness and softness with a bit of edge because of some of the thong the characters are put into. It can be a little heavy, though, but that made HFN more satisfying to me and Valentine’s romance really needs more FF books by Filipinos.
Marry Me, Charlotte B! Another favorite! It’s fluffier than DTMM and I recommend this for Valentine’s because it has a romcom-y vibe to it, and I love bingeing on romcoms in February. I described it as a reality TV-esque, non-toxic Devil Wear Prada (the movie), and Nellie and Rob’s friends to lovers story is super swoon-worthy.
Mina V. Esguerra, author of Better At Weddings Than You & Addison Hill
How She Likes It by Carla de Guzman: Female CEO Isabel’s career is being tested, she’s being made to compete with her best friend, and the new assistant she hires is apparently also the guy she had just had a one-night stand with. But they keep working together anyway because Adam’s a single dad and needs the job, and he’s actually the kind of thoughtful, caring person that adds a touch of something to her life. Recommending this as a Valentine read as a reminder that life can be busy and full of all things, but romance can be part of it too, exactly how you like it.
Project Saving Noah by Six de los Reyes: On one level, this is a story of two STEM grad students competing for one job. On another, it’s Lise navigating her complicated history with touch, and asking Noah to be the guy she trusts with herself as she explores all kinds of intimacy. Recommending this as a Valentine read because it gives hope not just in the romance part but also the stuck-in-a-life-stage part.
