Five Books For People Who Think Romcoms Are Corny

Give romance a chance

Jun 09, 2024

*Sleep (Le Sommeil*), also known as *The Two Friends (Les Deux Amies)* and *Indolence and Lust (Paresse et Luxure)*, by Gustave Courbet, 1866.

Welcome to Five Books For, a newsletter for people who love great stories. I’m so happy you’re here. Recently I’ve been thinking about summer reading and I have some great themes and books to share with you in the next few months which I’m really excited about. In that spirit, I thought we’d kick off with some romcoms. I wanted to focus initially on fun, lighthearted books and while I do realise that romance isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I think it’s often underrated. I find romcoms in particular to be worth some time and attention - they follow the genre conventions but there’s lots of scope within that for humour and creativity. I hope if you’ve never read any romance before you might be convinced to try at least one of these books, and I’d love to hear from you if you do.

Okay, let’s dive in!

Beach Read by Emily Henry

“Happy. Not giddy or overjoyed, but that low, steady level of happiness that, in the best periods of life, rides underneath everything else, a buffer between you and the world you are walking over.”

So what’s it about? Author January Andrews has writer’s block after the death of her father; normally a romance novelist, much of her work was inspired by her parents’ marriage. Finding out after his death that he’d been having an affair has upended her life and made her question everything, so she comes to stay in the Michigan lake house he shared with his mistress to try and finish the book she’s under contract to write, while preparing the house for sale. Next door she finds her college rival, Gus, also a successful author, although he writes rather bleak literary fiction. Gus is also struggling with writer’s block, so they make a deal: they’ll swap genres and help each other with research. As they grow closer, January must face up to all things she’s been avoiding as well as confronting her previous assumptions about Gus. Can they find their way to a happy ending?

What’s great about it? This is such a great book; it’s the ideal introduction to romcoms as a genre because it strikes such a good balance - not too fluffy, but still an easy read with great storytelling. Both January and Gus are likeable characters and Henry writes so well on the various other relationships in the book that they never feel like filler. There’s also a gentle humour and tongue-in-cheekness about the whole premise which allows Henry to acknowledge genre conventions in a way that’s very pleasing but causes no detriment to the plot.

Give it a try if: you’ve never read a romcom before; you always thought romance would be too fluffy; you like stories about writers; you like books set in small towns.

Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

“Sometimes prayers floated up to heaven. Sometimes they hung around here on earth and waited for you.”

So what’s it about? Based on Pride & Prejudice, but set in the Muslim community of Toronto, this is the story of Ayesha, an unmarried Muslim woman who, at 27, is entering into spinster territory having focused on her career rather than the prospect of marriage, and Khalid, a conservative Muslim, and the various misunderstandings that happen before they finally fall in love.

What’s great about it? Ayesha is a wonderful character and her family are brilliantly written. There’s a lot of humour in the story despite it also exploring some serious themes such as the assumptions we tend to make about others and of course how first impressions shape our responses to people. Khalid has a very satisfying developmental arc and the book gives a glimpse into a culture than many readers will enjoy learning about. I also love the fact that it’s such a modest story: no sex, as is appropriate for the characters, and it’s a great example of how to write an engaging romcom without using lust or sex to propel the plot forward.

Give it a try if: you don’t like novels with graphic sex scenes; you love Pride & Prejudice; you’d like to learn more about Islam; you like books that explore how people perceive each other.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

“First rule of book club? You don’t talk about book club.”

So what’s it about? Gavin Scott is a baseball player who seems to have it all - an amazing career, a devoted wife and two lovely daughters. But when Gavin finds out that Thea has been faking it in the bedroom, things escalate fast and before he realises what’s happening, he’s moved out and they’re talking about divorce. It turns out that their issues go much deeper than the bedroom - neither of them has been communicating well for a long time, and he has stopped seeing Thea clearly. When he confides in some of his teammates about their separation, he is inducted into the Bromance Book Club, a secret book club where the reading list is mainly Regency romances, which the guys read in order to better understand what their wives want. Can Gavin learn enough from the book club to win Thea back and repair their marriage?

What’s great about it? There’s a lot to like about this book; it’s funny, the male characters have a great friendship and I also love the fact that Gavin and Thea are already married. Romance novels generally have the obvious convention of a happy ending but this picks up after the happy ending has soured, and Adams is astute at exploring how so many marriages come to struggle and how this one, in particular, might find its way back. It’s also a tribute to romance as a genre, not just in terms of the plot but also in the excerpts from the Regency romance novel Gavin reads. It’s also extremely romantic; most of the humour here is found in Gavin’s friendships which leaves his relationship with Thea the focus of some really beautiful writing on love. It’s also the first in a series so if you’re looking for a new series to read which is on the lighter side, this could be the perfect choice.

Give it a try if: you want to read something deeply romantic; you love Regency romances and the idea of a modern tribute to them; you like books where friendships plays a major role; you want to read a romance that focuses on what happens after the happy ending; you like books about marriage; you like discovering new series.

For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding

“Ari turned to me and smirked, her cheekbones glinting in the LA twilight. She was all angles, a perfect math formula.’’

So what’s it about? Nina Rice had a bad break-up three years ago, and since then she has retreated from her life. No more working on her screenwriting, no more socialising - she has moved out to the suburbs and is living quietly; so much so that some might even say she’s hiding. Nina works from home as a celebrity ghostwriter, answering emails on behalf of LA’s glitziest stars, and soon she’s writing on behalf of Ari Fox, one of Hollywood’s hottest young actresses. Ari has her own ideas about how Nina should be representing her and when they meet in person, they have an instant connection. Soon Nina finds herself spending more time with Ari than is strictly necessary for work. Can Nina reclaim her old life, and make things work with Ari? Or will she find that old ghosts are too strong for her to overcome?

What’s great about it? This is a really fun book, and the romance in it is slow-burn so it also has a focus on Nina’s friendships and the rest of her life, which she needs to reclaim if she’s going to be happy. It is definitely a romance but it’s also a character study of recovery from an abusive relationship and a story about family, both family of origin (represented by Nina’s Aunt Lorna, an absolutely brilliant character who brings a lot of humour to the book) and found family. It’s also fun to read something set in Hollywood, with a bit of glitz and glamour.

Give it a try if: you like queer love stories; you want to read a romance which is also a character novel; you love stories about family or found family; you like books set in LA or Hollywood.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

“There’s what you think being in love is when you’re nineteen or twenty and then what it actually is when you’re a grown-up, and these are two different things. But some of us keep looking for the first version long after we should’ve let it go.’’

So what’s it about? Our heroine Georgina is having a bad day: she’s just been fired from her job at possibly the worst restaurant in the world, and when she gets home she finds her boyfriend in bed with someone else. At 30, she feels like she should have her life together - as her family are constantly reminding her - and this is a new low. Things start to look up when she finds a new job at a pub that’s about to open, only to find that the owner is her first love - and that he doesn’t seem to recognise her. Seeing him again, and the success he’s made of his life, makes Georgina even more aware of how stuck she is. Can Georgina create the life she wants, and can she and Lucas get past what happened all those years ago and find their way back to each other, or will it be too late for a second chance?

What’s great about it? Mhairi MacFarlane’s books are always laugh out loud funny and this one is no exception. Georgina is a great character and very easy to root for as she begins to get her life together and face up to all the things that have been holding her back: old trauma, grief over her father’s death, loss of confidence and her rather unhelpful family. Her character arc is satisfying to watch and seeing her build up her courage as her relationship with Lucas develops is especially moving. Georgina’s friends are also great characters - flawed but very funny.

Give it a try if: you love books that make you laugh; you love seeing a main character grow and overcome things; you like second chance romances; you want to find a new author to fall in love with.

Thanks for reading!

I hope you found something good to read here. As ever, I’d love to hear if you’ve read and loved (or indeed hated) any of the books here, and which ones you’d add to the list. You can reply directly to this email or leave a comment by clicking the button below.