At times this debut novel about an octogenarian and mistaken identity was too cloyingly sweet for me, but Fred's stumbling through life after grief and loss is poignant, and the story of mistakes and redemption is undoubtedly heartwarming. Frederick Fife is a widowed octogenarian living in Australia whose spark for life has dwindled significantly since the death of his beloved wife. He's a day away from being kicked out of his apartment (his wife's long cancer treatment bankr

The Romance Revival is a departure for Christina Lauren; we get a couple who has drifted apart and gets a second chance, but a futuristic, science-fiction twist is key to the plot. The relationship is one to root for, and I really liked the minor mystery, supporting characters, and new direction for the writing pair. Scientist Emery Finch has always been hyper-focused on her top-secret career, but when she fell for landscaper Luca, she fell hard. Their passionate married life

Vera Stein fits the bill for summertime escapism; some small moments didn't resonate with me and the pacing didn't always flow, but the retirement community setting is surprisingly sassy and fun for this second-chance romance that blossoms amid retired B-list Hollywood types. "Just because something is offered doesn't mean it's worth taking." Vera Stein has been working below her abilities as an assistant for her college friend, actor, longtime crush, and sometime hookup Brod

The premise of this novel is irresistibly cute as two writers find themselves living and writing about endless romance tropes, but the tone shift and the story's veering into poignant tragedy surprised me and felt out of synch with the beginning of the book. Katie and Tyler were childhood neighbors and friends, on the verge of young love, then devastated, bound together, and pushed apart by a shared tragedy. Years later, they are completely estranged. Katie is a ghostwriter f

Rabid middle-aged fans of the 90s boy band Boy Talk converge on a ship for meet and greets, photo ops, and collective love for their idols. Annie's own trip down memory lane is unexpectedly hedonistic, joyful, and full of chance encounters as she considers her life. Maybe that was nostalgia after all, the music a direct vein to her childhood, the least complicated part of her life. A shortcut to happiness. The American Fantasy ship is headed out on a four-day voyage, and its

This charming British-set novel takes a fortysomething widow facing empty nesting, hormonal changes, and professional uncertainty and opens up friendship, competition, and a new path forward through a recreational tennis league, new and old friends, a supportive brother, and an old crush. Jules is a fortysomething widow, single mom, and a busy buyer for a chain of lifestyle stores. She's lived next to the local Liverpool tennis club for years but hasn't played since she was a

Fortune delivers another entertaining summer read in this story of best friends, being jilted at the altar, a revamped honeymoon, miscommunication, second chances, and satisfying resolutions to all emotional, romantic, and professional challenges. Frankie and George, her best friend since childhood, were once so close they tattooed each other's names on their bodies. But they've been on the outs for a year or so. After Frankie’s wedding is called off, the two of them go on Fr

Center's newest rom-com involves a ship full of potential romance and heartbreak, a destination wedding, childhood crushes, long-term misunderstandings, zany moments, and the possibility of fresh starts for multiple couples. In Katherine Center's newest romance, JoJo Burton is finding her way from being in love with the idea of love to finding a real relationship. The reappearance of her childhood best friend Cooper helps JoJo begin to get more centered, but she moves from a

I love the way Fortune builds a summer tableau, but the reasoning for this forbidden love didn't hold up for me, and I was frustrated by...

I loved the love for books in this novel, but I ultimately couldn't get past my issue with the premise, in which an actress plays the...

More Funny and Sweet Light Fiction Adorable rom-coms can be perfect summertime reading. These Bossy favorites from a summer past stand...

The main male protagonist was off-putting to me in his arrogance at first, but Carley Fortune is the best at developing a lakeside...

I loved Sunny's body positivity and her self-made-woman status. I didn't fully buy into one of her love interests but was hooked on the...

I loved the premise, in which a golden girl and barrel-racer returns home to small-town Wyoming to figure out her future. I was looking...

Katherine Center's sweet rom-com about a video producer and her reluctant hero of a subject is set against the colorful backdrop of Key...

In Ava Robinson's debut novel, she offers an appealingly imperfect main character making missteps and forging a path forward while...

Abby Jimenez layers tough situations and messy complications into her rom-coms, and here, her main protagonists must face and overcome...

Henry's story-within-a-story adds a historical fiction element to her signature big-hearted, banter-driven, steamy, intriguingly...

Pony Confidential is a cute story of a bond between a pony and its long-ago owner. It's nominally a mystery, but it's mainly a...

More of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads This is my second favorites lists of rom-coms and romantic reads from the past year. In my last list I...