the romance newsletter

thru the good valentimes and bad

Two posts in less than a week? What a twist! But as a lover of the romance genre, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do a little Valentine’s Day newsletter special.

I would like to wax philosophical for a moment about the value of the romance plot. Love stories have the unique ability to lay bare characters’ truest forms and indicate near-universal desires. Gender and sexuality are inexorably intertwined with relationships and intimacy; there is perhaps no better way in which to evaluate humanity through the structure of romantic relationships and desire. Some of the most influential books in history are romances of some sort — Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, The Great Gatsby, Their Eyes Were Watching God, a hefty amount of Shakespeare … just think about it, but not too much, because I’m missing a lot and there are also lots of non-romance books we study in high school, but you know what I mean!

This is my way of saying that you are allowed, and, indeed, encouraged to read smut. All the smut you wish! And all the romance that doesn’t involve smut! And all the books that aren’t purely romantic but have a profound undercurrent of the topic.

Here are some of my favorite steamy readys that you can enjoy whether you’re spending v-day riding solo, with a partner, with your friends, or in a situationship where you said you might hang out but honestly, who knows and, quite frankly, who cares, because who needs that?

for the lovers of good chat

Book Lovers — Emily Henry

I’m getting my obvious pick out of the way first, since, if you know me or have even vaguely followed my literary review journey, you know this is my favorite romance novel of all time. It’s about Nora, a high-powered NYC literary agent, and Charlie, a book editor, who, after an initial meeting filled with dislike, fall in love in an unlikely place.

This is a book I will fight tooth and nail to defend. Anyone I know who didn’t like it is not a regular romance consumer. Yes, some novels, to me, have to be rated on a different scale than others; I’ve certainly read literary fiction of higher written caliber. But Henry excels at writing romance novels that are not only palatable to read, but really enjoyable, funny, emotionally valid. She’s just a good freaking writer and we are so lucky that she is using her talents to write love stories. This book also confirmed to me that the sexiest reads aren’t necessarily the most raunchy — when the storyline and core relationship are solid, everything else is. The banter between Charlie and Nora is so fun and the stakes around them feel real and that just elevates the sexual tension to the nth degree even when there are (spoiler, but you know they end up together) only a handful of explicit scenes throughout the book. I don’t know if anyone can beat this.

SMUT LEVEL 2.5/5

for the romantasy lovers

Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros

This is my most recent addition to the romance novel canon, and it’s my pick for the best romantasy I’ve ever read (there is, of course, a special place in my heart for A Court of Mist and Fury, but I have to take emotion out of this). I’ve written about this more recently, so I won’t bore you with my thoughts again, but this is such a FUN FUCKING BOOK. Again, if you know me, you know I’m pretty critical about the writing styles of most romantasies I’ve read (caveat: having not read many), but there’s actual meat on Fourth Wing’s bones. For once, I’m almost more invested in the story than the romance itself. The sexual tension is fantastically seeded, and the payoff on all ends is … incredible.

SMUT LEVEL 3.5/5

for the hot sad girls

Writers and Lovers — Lily King

The Hot Sad Girl genre is my bread and butter. These are all romances, but aren’t really about (and sometimes don’t result in) happy endings. Everyone involved is really smart and interesting but somehow never learned how to communicate anything to anyone. And it’s a mess! I love it!

I’m pointing out Writers and Lovers because it’s a perfect example of a sad hot girl book that’s also an enjoyable romance. And it’s another book about writing! Casey, the main character, is an aspiring author living in the 90s crushed under student debt. She’s working on her book, dating a successful writer, into a different writer, got her heart broken by a writer, and, god, is it entertaining, and quite profound at that. As is necessary in this type of novel, her character is fleshed out brilliantly — she’s funny and smart, but, true to form, a bit of a disaster with a lot of sadness. It’s relatable and fun and touching and the romance might stick with you.

Similar recommendations, any of which I could have picked for this category, include Conversations with Friends; All This Could Be Different; The Idiot; and Cleopatra and Frankenstein.

SMUT LEVEL 1.5/5

for the lovers of whimsy

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels — India Holton

Okay, I’ve recommended this book to everyone, and not everyone has found it as wonderful as I have, which is shocking to me. I read this a couple of years ago in sort of a depressing time and it was a fucking revelation. It’s such a fun, goofy book, a romance set in a fantasy world/speculative fiction set in the Victorian era where women are witches and men are pirates (more nuanced than that, as gender is, but that’s what you need to know for now) and a witch and a pirate fall in love. The best part of this book is that it knows exactly what it is. It’s a ridiculous book with an implausible romance and riotous characters, but also a lot of heart. It even made me LOL. And it’s sexy! And they’re witches and pirates and they have flying houses! There is no novel that I can see more clearly in my head as a Hulu original series, especially thanks to the witty dialogue and rich world description, which is high praise. Please go into this understanding what kind of book this is and just revel in its glory.

SMUT LEVEL 2/5

for some LGBTQ+ action

It’s hard to find a queer romance that doesn’t make you at least a little bit sad. Unfortunately, most of my favorite books are a huge bummer. I was going to recommend The Heart’s Invisible Furies, but it’s possible you might not want to be utterly crushed on Valentine’s Day (I’m assuming you’ll get to this list TODAY).

I picked Body Grammar because it is a lovely tale that explores non-conventional romance in unique settings — but in an incredibly familiar way. The main character, who moves to New York after being recruited as a model for her androgynous look, has a longstanding crush on her best friend that anyone might be able to relate to. The relationships between characters are at the heart of this one and you can really feel why everyone loves each other in different ways. Yes, the plot is set in motion because of a tragedy, but it’s also a really enjoyable and interesting read that takes place at the intersection between queerness and the historically heteronormative modeling scene, which serves to demonstrate that, yes, queerness is transgressive in the society in which we live, but also just normal and beautiful. AND it’s pretty hot.

SMUT LEVEL 2/5

for the poetry saps

The Hurting Kind — Ada Limón

Love poems are my favorite poems. There’s something about the way love is described in poetic fashion that makes you feel something particularly different from reading a story about it. At risk of sounding cheesy, I firmly believe a good poet leaves their heart bleeding out on the page. The Hurting Kind is one of my favorite reads from last year and certainly one of the best poetry collections I’ve ever read. Limón uses nature as an overarching metaphor for love and loss. You just feel it. You FEEL IT!

Mistral writes: I killed a woman in me: one I did not love. But I do not want to kill
             that longing woman in me. I love her and I want her to go on longing.

If you’re looking for more poetry (queer poetry, at that!), Ocean Vuong’s Time is a Mother also has some wonderful poems about love and sex and romance.

Bonus love poem and my personal favorite: “[since feeling is first]”

for the nonfiction buffs

All About Love: New Visions — bell hooks

Okay, this is an obvious pick, but, realistically, what else was I going to say? bell hooks’s seminal work is quite heteronormative and pretty focused on religion and spirituality, so there are some aspects that don’t always work or feel a bit dated. But it’s so smart and written from a place of empathy and I was reading it thinking, fuck! I’ve been doing it all wrong! Not even just romance, but life! Life, I tell you! (note to my paramour John that I read this like a month before we met.) Her writing has made quite an impact on me, and I’d be a fool to tell you not to give it a chance.

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okay I don’t have anything else to say on this subject idk love is cool but at the end of the day it’s not that deep just have a good day and love yourself and don’t give in to the corporate drones who make you think otherwise!! happy day!