In The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right, Suzanne Allain’s playful Regency romance, delightful chaos ensues when an heiress and her impoverished cousin switch places.
In The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right, Suzanne Allain’s playful Regency romance, delightful chaos ensues when an heiress and her impoverished cousin switch places.
Mary Balogh’s fabulous Westcott series boasts some of the most memorable characters in her oeuvre and her latest installment, Someone Perfect, is a fitting addition. Despite coming from very disparate backgrounds, two people connect at an unanticipated and deeply emotional level in this historical romance.
Lady Estelle Lamarr was horrified when her close confidant, Maria, was banished to a smaller estate upon the death of her father and her estranged half-brother, Justin Wiley, inherited his title and property. Maria was brought up to view Justin as a despicable ogre, a thief and a liar by her mother, a reputation Estelle accepts as fact.
Brought up in love as the apple of his parents’ eyes, Justin was shocked when, after his mother passed away, his beloved father remarried a much younger woman. For reasons Balogh does not at first reveal, Justin left home at the age of 22 and had to earn a living. His accent and background earned him rough words and rougher treatment, but he survived and thrived and made friends for life, with whom he still keeps in touch even after becoming an earl.
When Justin returns to the estate after his stepmother’s death and invites Maria to live with him, Estelle accompanies her for companionship. Estelle and Justin come from dissimilar backgrounds: he, a stone quarry laborer; she, a gently reared lady. She finds him huge and intimidating. (Even his dog is huge and intimidating.) He finds her far above his touch. What could they possibly have in common? And out of this, Balogh crafts a masterful romance.
Someone Perfect is a wonderful example of a connection based on trust, fairness and honesty. There is certainly an attraction between Estelle and Justin, but more importantly, there is a meeting of minds. Their relationship develops through frank, heart-to-heart conversations, a good example of which is when, early on in the book, Justin proposes to Estelle, thinking she would make a suitable countess, and she refuses. As their relationship moves along, they open up their hearts to each other, revealing things from their pasts they have never shared with another soul. They want to believe the best of each other, both realizing that kindness and thoughtfulness lie underneath their hard, protective exteriors.
Even beyond its well-drawn main couple, Someone Perfect hums with joy, with the feeling of life unfolding on the page. It is an intimate tale, rich in detail and images, the sort of book to be read in one long, breathless sitting.
Even beyond its well-drawn main couple, Someone Perfect hums with joy, with the feeling of life unfolding on the page.
In Belle Calhoune’s No Ordinary Christmas, Hollywood action star Dante West returns to his tiny hometown of Mistletoe, Maine, intent on winning back the heart of his high school sweetheart, Lucy Marshall. Calhoune’s romance has a perfect blend of cinematic romance and cozy charm, so there’s no one better suited to put together a list of festive, swoony movies to watch while cuddled up under the mistletoe.
As soon as November rolls around, hundreds of romantic Christmas films begin to air on television. I love them all—the romantic gestures, the upbeat soundtracks, the variety of meet cutes and heartwarming declarations of love. As snow gently falls from the sky and twinkling lights shimmer, it’s the perfect time to curl up on the couch with a big mug of peppermint hot chocolate and indulge in one of my favorite holiday movies.
While You Were Sleeping (1995), directed by Jon Turteltaub
This is my all-time favorite. Lucy, the heroine, is adorable and genuine as she pretends to be the fiancée of her crush, Peter, who has fallen into a coma. With the magic of Christmas swirling around her, Lucy begins to fall in love with her fake fiancé’s family, as well as his charming brother, Jack. This is the ultimate feel-good movie about finding home and being seen for who you truly are.
Last Holiday (2006), directed by Wayne Wang
When Georgia Byrd (played by Queen Latifah) receives a terminal diagnosis, she decides to live life to the fullest by splurging on a decadent Christmas vacation in Europe. Hilarious and heartwarming, this one is pure holiday fun.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945), directed by Peter Godfrey
Barbara Stanwyck is at her best in the role of Elizabeth Lane, who is pretending to be a housewife/lifestyle columnist living in the Connecticut countryside with a husband and baby when in reality she is single, childless and living in New York City. In order to save her career, Elizabeth has to host a Christmas dinner for her publisher and a handsome war hero while keeping up her ruse.
The Holiday (2006), directed by Nancy Meyers
This movie has all the feels—unrequited love, a single dad—plus a charming English cottage. When two women (one living in California and the other in England) decide to swap houses for the holidays after enduring heartbreak, unexpected magic ensues for both of them. Bonus: Jude Law and Jack Black are both swoonworthy love interests.
Love, Actually (2003), directed by Richard Curtis
Set in London, this film depicts numerous love stories, from a childhood crush to a newlywed couple to a politician falling in love with his staffer. Poignant, humorous and achingly romantic, this movie stays with you well after the credits roll.
The Holiday Calendar (2018), directed by Bradley Walsh
Sweet and heartwarming, this friends-to-lovers romance is the perfect movie to watch in front of a roaring fire with a plate of gingerbread cookies.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), directed by Frank Capra
This quintessential holiday film is a must-watch movie every year. George Bailey, a loving family man, is in a desperate financial crisis and ready to end it all when an angel named Clarence shows him what an impact his life has made on others. The tender scenes where George and his wife, Mary, fall in love are utterly charming.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997), directed by Andy Knight
Belle and the Beast’s fairy-tale romance blossoms over Christmas as the magic of the season sparkles and glimmers all around them. My favorite scene? Belle teaching the Beast to skate. So sweet!
Author photo by Venture Photography Greenwich.
Stumped on which holiday movie to watch tonight? Let an expert help you out. Romance author Belle Calhoune has chosen eight perfectly cozy, totally swoonworthy options for you.
In Therese Beharrie’s And They Lived Happily Ever After, romance novelist Gaia has an unusual way of working through her stories: She personally experiences the passages she’s written in deeply vivid dreams. But when she bases a hero on her best friend’s hunky brother and he starts sharing the dreams with her, the path to romantic satisfaction gets . . . complicated. South African author Beharrie digs deeper into the multilayered magic of her latest romance.
In the early stages of writing, are you able to dive in, or do you need to plot things out first? Do you have a particular routine to help you get in the right mindset to write? The only thing I plan before I begin a book is the emotional arcs of the characters. Once I know where my main characters are at the start and where I’d like them to be at the end, I jump right in. Each day is an adventure! As for my routine . . . does grabbing my computer whenever my kids are asleep count? Because that’s the extent of my writing routine these days. Like I said, an adventure, haha!
“The predictability writing offers is in such contrast to the unpredictability of life that I honestly find it to be a form of therapy.”
Gaia struggles with anxiety, which she deals with by focusing on her writing: a world that she can control. As a writer, what does that control mean to you? Is it empowering? Or does it feel like a responsibility, with all those characters dependent on you to get them where they need to be? This is a great question! Since I share Gaia’s anxiety disorder, I appreciate being able to control what happens in my books. The predictability writing offers is in such contrast to the unpredictability of life that I honestly find it to be a form of therapy. Particularly writing romance, because the emphasis is on good, hopeful, wonderful things.
Gaia’s difficult early life made it hard for her to feel like she has agency as an adult. Was the impact that would have on a character something you intentionally set out to explore, or did it arise organically in the writing process? Oh, it was definitely intentional. I think growing up without even the illusion of choice deeply affects your ability to make choices as an adult. You might struggle to choose, or make choices without considering the consequences. For Gaia, it’s the former. She overthinks everything and punishes herself for it, and all of that contributes to her anxiety.
The idea that heroines don’t need rescuing comes up a couple of times in this book. What they need instead is someone to support and encourage them as they work toward a solution. Is that your preferred romantic lead, less fairytale prince and more friend and ally? Absolutely! I love the fantasy of a fairytale prince—who doesn’t?—and I think there are places in romance to explore that. But personally, I prefer the reality of a collaborative relationship. Two people making a choice to be together, to grow together and to share their lives. There’s a beauty and hope in that that I love exploring.
In the book, we visit Gaia’s favorite place, which is a bookstore. Where do you go to cheer yourself up? I loved going to the movies. The entire experience was such a pleasure, not in the least because it doubled as date night. But with the pandemic, we try to stay away from confined spaces like that, so it hasn’t happened in almost two years now.
Gaia deals with some public criticism for being a romance writer. How have you handled the way people sometimes disparage romance novels? It’s frustrating, for sure, but for the most part, I ignore it. I know how much romance novels have done for me, and so many other people feel that way too. Romance gets the credit it deserves within our community. That’s good enough for me.
The way we inherit things from our families, for better or for worse, is a strong theme in the story. How has your own family legacy shaped you and your choices? What legacy do you plan to pass on to your children? Another great question! My parents have taught me the value of hard work, and I think that determination is part of what helped me to pursue writing as a career. I think that’s what I’d like my children to know, too—that hard work and passion can truly help you reach your dreams.
If you could live one of Gaia’s stories in your dreams at night, which heroine would you pick, and why? Princess Jade. Yes, she was trapped in a castle for most of her life (oops?), but I think that’s given her the strength and resilience she’ll need to rule a kingdom. Plus, now she gets to experience the freedom she lost, getting to know herself and falling in love. Not a super bad deal! (Disclaimer: I do not endorse being trapped in a castle for any person, princess or commoner.)
Both you and Gaia have taglines of sorts for your writing that emphasize diversity. Yours is “Diverse, emotional romance” and Gaia’s is “Diverse romance with laughter and heart.” In what ways is it important to you personally to add diversity to the romance landscape? It’s been a great pleasure to write characters and settings I didn’t see much of growing up, particularly ones that I relate to. This is why my characters are generally all South African, and my settings tend to be in or around South Africa. But the most important way I’d like to add to romance is by representing a wide range of diverse characters, so that my readers can experience more than the stereotypes they’ve been exposed to thus far.
Author photo by ForeverYours Photography.
Therese Beharrie digs deeper into her multilayered and magical new love story, which follows a romance author who is able to experience her own writing in her dreams.
It’s a premise fit for a holiday blockbuster: Oliver Russell is a business magnate with buckets of money, movie star charisma and every luxury a man could want—except someone to share it with. Victoria Scott is a struggling but spirited fashion designer who shows Oliver a fresh perspective, but needs his encouragement to view herself in a new light. She needs a place to demonstrate her talent, and he has a department store empire and a favor to ask: Will she fake an engagement to please his interfering mother in exchange for the showcase of her dreams? Oh, and did I mention that it’s Christmastime? And that the story unfolds in Chelsea, a particularly charming section of London? And that Victoria has a Greek chorus of quirky friends and protegees who support and encourage her along the way?
Author Georgia Toffolo mixes all of these ingredients into Meet Me in London, an airy, lace-edged creation that is just as charming as you could hope . . . and might seem, at first glance, to be just a wee bit predictable. But underneath its frills lie additional layers that explore more than you might expect.
Oliver’s wealth and privilege don’t shield him from problems; in fact, they seem to have caused some. His family’s legacy of focusing on business at the expense of spending time with their children has left him and his parents with plenty of genuine affection for each other but no real vocabulary to connect. And they needto connect, now more than ever, because Oliver’s father is going through a health crisis that’s showing them that there might not be many chances left. It’s moving but also terribly sad that it takes cooking up a fake fiancée to finally give Oliver and his parents something to talk about.
Meanwhile, Victoria has all the emotional intelligence and insight that Oliver and his family lack, but she gained those skills through pain and suffering. A serious accident changed her life and the lives of her closest friends forever and left Victoria unable to have children. The emotional weight of that loss has ground her down, especially when it led to a humiliating rejection by a previous boyfriend.
These elements darken the story, but it’s to Meet Me in London’s benefit. The premise is cotton-candy fluff, but with the addition of real stakes, real pain and real issues to overcome, the plot gains substance and significance. Victoria and Oliver deserve their happy ending not because they’re gorgeous and engaging—though they both definitely are—or because their romance is sweet and satisfying. No, they deserve their happily ever after because they’ve worked toward it, growing and changing beyond the pain in their pasts to build a future together that’s full of true love and Christmas cheer.
Meet Me in London is a sweet and entertaining holiday romance with real stakes and substance under its glittery charm.
All the Feels, the second book in Olivia Dade’s smart and sexy Spoiler Alertseries, follows a dreamy actor with a bad reputation and his down-to-earth soulmate.
Alex Woodroe stars as the mythical Cupid on “Gods of the Gates,” a prestige fantasy TV show similar to “Game of Thrones.” Following a rocky penultimate season and some embarrassing publicity, the producers have imposed a tight rein on the production of the final episodes. So when Alex gets into a headline-making bar brawl, a tense situation goes from bad to worse—and totally viral.
Enter Lauren Clegg, an even-tempered but burned-out emergency room psychotherapist. While decompressing between jobs in Europe, she receives a message that Ron, her estranged cousin and childhood bully who also happens to be a producer on “Gods of the Gates,” needs her help to get control of his star. Lauren signs on as Alex’s “minder.” She’s essentially his sober companion, but for issues with impulse control and volatile behavior instead of alcohol or drugs.
It’s a uniquely awkward meet cute that immediately results in intense close proximity. But Alex’s first reaction to Lauren isn’t love struck. For one thing, he thinks that his “new nanny looked like a bird.” More importantly, Alex objects to the entire idea that he needs minding.
Yet even though he teasingly dubs her “Nanny Clegg,” Lauren doesn’t treat him like a child, and the two begin to warm to each other. Soon the main question is whether close work friends, who not only met under inopportune circumstances but also have some inner healing to do, can become lovers.
All the Feels is a tender, slow burn romance that focuses first on Alex and Lauren’s friendship and then on the love that grows between them while they both take their own, separate journeys towards greater emotional well-being. Between her work as a therapist and the judgment she’s endured since childhood concerning her appearance, Lauren’s shell is hard to penetrate. Dade spends a lot of time depicting how Lauren attracts negative attention but is never surprised by it. After all, Lauren has been bullied before, even within her own family.
But the spotlight of celebrity makes the hostile scrutiny stronger. Alex is a wealthy celebrity, while Lauren is a respected but decidedly middle-class professional who is more comfortable in T-shirts than designer clothing. Due to his troubled family history, Alex has a strong sense of justice and ferocious protective instincts. And while that’s certainly noble, All the Feels doesn’t put his behavior on a pedestal. Alex might not be as out of control as Ron says he is, but being so reactive is something he needs to learn to manage, especially since he is a public figure.
It can be difficult to balance realism and romance in love stories about two people of unequal status and power. All the Feels delves deeply into the imbalances between its central couple, from looks to finances to fame. It succeeds because Dade ensures that there’s far more to Alex and Lauren than their value on the modern-day marriage market. Alex and Lauren’s progression toward romance is rooted in their friendship, which blossoms into a mutual care and compassion that is stunning to behold. Their romance is one to cry over and cheer for.
All the Feels, the second book in Olivia Dade’s smart and sexy Spoiler Alert series, follows a dreamy actor with a bad reputation and his down-to-earth soulmate.
Whether the setting is a small town, a big city or a seaside refuge, romance has an extra chance to spark and thrive during the holiday season. Characters go home again, or go elsewhere to escape home, but there is no refuge from the potent combination of favorite scents, beloved foods and tender kisses.
★ Duke, Actually
Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday sparkles with wit and charm. In this modern fairy tale, Dani Martinez decides she is post-men and love-averse as she waits for her divorce to become final. Still, she’s excited about being a member of the wedding party for her best friend, Leo, even if that includes contact with Maximillian von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the Duke of Aquilla. The ultra-handsome aristocrat rubs forthright English professor Dani the wrong way . . . until one night, friendship blossoms and they begin to support each other through career and family drama. The dual settings of New York City and Max’s fictional European country of Eldovia add to the fun, but it is the clever banter, smoking love scenes and delightful characters that make this romance like a perfect cup of cocoa—rich, delicious and warming all the way to the heart. Don’t miss it.
★ A Season for Second Chances
Settle in by the sea with Jenny Bayliss’ A Season for Second Chances. When chef Annie Sharpe discovers her husband’s latest affair, she decides to forge a new life. Finances force her to take a position as a winter guardian for Saltwater Nook, a historic residence in the small town of Willow Bay on the coast of England. The small town has a special history, and the community is dedicated to upholding its traditions. Saltwater Nook is important to the people of Willow Bay, and increasingly so to Annie. Her mind spins toward somehow devising a future for the place, despite knowing the property is set to be razed in six months. Then there’s the curmudgeonly nephew of the owner, a man who is brusque and appealing by turns—sparking other fantasies. There’s so much to love about this enchanting story. Readers will want their own seat at the cafe Annie opens and to attend every quirky holiday party the townspeople dream up. This lovely, cozy read is perfect for winter.
The Matzah Ball
Holiday magic clashes with real-life problems and a shared awkward past in The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer. Rabbi’s daughter, romance novelist and secret fan of all things Christmas Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt reluctantly attends her parents’ Shabbat dinner, despite knowing her childhood archnemesis, Jacob Greenberg, will be at the table this week. He’s in New York City to put on a splashy, high-end event: the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration set to take place on the last night of Hanukkah. Rachel finds herself in dire need of a ticket to the swanky sold-out party, since she’s desperate for inspiration for the Hanukkah-themed romance she’s being paid to pen. There are some amusing rom-com moments involving funny costumes and ballgowns worn with fuzzy socks, but the heart of this story is the central couple’s need to face their pasts and deal with their presents, including Rachel’s daily, very real struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome. Rachel finds a beauty she’s never noticed before in Hanukkah, all while falling in love with Jacob, who proves himself to be a true hero. The Matzah Ball is sweet, kisses-only and highly sigh-worthy.
The Holiday Swap
Twin sisters switch lives and find their matches in The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. When a concussion causes chef Charlie Goodwin to lose her senses of taste and smell, she fears she might also lose her shot at a bigger and better professional gig. To save the day, her twin, Cass, agrees to take over Charlie’s current job of co-hosting a reality baking show in Los Angeles, while Charlie steps in at the family bakery in the small mountain town of Starlight Peak. Since both identical twins are accomplished bakers, no one will be the wiser. From here, cue rom-com conventions: confused exes, befuddled bosses and inconvenient romantic attractions as their subterfuge does not go as smoothly as Cass and Charlie imagined. Starlight Peak is the perfect snowy setting for Christmas cheer as the plot’s knots untangle and everyone finds their happy ending. Be warned that this kisses-only romance is full of mouthwatering descriptions of cookies, breads and cakes that just might inspire readers to take a turn in their own kitchens.
No Ordinary Christmas
Former high school sweethearts get a do-over in No Ordinary Christmas by Belle Calhoune. Small-town librarian Lucy Marshall vows to keep clear of Dante West, her high school boyfriend and ex-BFF, when the hunky action star returns to Mistletoe, Maine, to film a movie. Given that his looks are a cross between the Rock and Idris Elba, she doesn’t have much luck resisting when Dante asks to talk. He has amends to make with the girl he never forgot and the family he left behind after running off to Hollywood. Perhaps the holiday season will sweeten everyone’s feelings for him. But can good intentions and charming community events create the conditions he needs to finally win Lucy’s heart? While the pair exchange hugs and kisses only, it’s not long before hearts are also engaged in this warm, appealing tale of new understanding and belated forgiveness. The adorable town of Mistletoe is a snow globe-perfect setting in this satisfying holiday romance.
Make the holidays that much sweeter with these five romances.
2021 has been quite the ride, but books have been there for us at every twist and turn, offering comfort, escape and even illumination. As the year comes to a close, it’s time to look back on the titles BookPage readers have enjoyed the most.
In her exhilarating third novel, Maggie Shipstead offers a marvelous pastiche of adventure and emotion as she explores what it means (and what it takes) to live an unusual life.
Two lexicographers employed by the same company and separated by a century are at the heart of this imaginative, funny, intriguing novel by Eley Williams.
Though Billy Summers includes many classic King touchstones, its dedication to realism and intense, almost meditative focus on the titular main character make it a standout among his works.
Killing off the main character just a few pages into a book is somewhat unorthodox, but it’s just the first of many interesting choices Elin Hilderbrand makes.
We begin each new reading year with high hopes, and sometimes, when we’re very lucky, we find our expectations rewarded. So it was with 2021.
It must be said that a lot of these books are really, really long. Apparently this was the year for total commitment, for taking a plunge and allowing ourselves to be swallowed up.
Also, it should come as no surprise that books-within-books frequently appear on this list. For all our attempts at objectivity within our roles as critics, we just can’t help but love a book that loves books. Amor Towles, Ruth Ozeki, Jason Mott, Maggie Shipstead and Anthony Doerr all tapped into the most comforting yet complex parts of our book-loving selves.
But most of the books on this list hit home in ways we never could’ve prepared for, even when we had the highest expectations, such as in Will McPhail’s graphic novel, which made us laugh till we cried, and Colson Whitehead’s heist novel, which no one could’ve expected would be such a gorgeous ode to sofas.
And at the top of our list, a book that accomplishes what feels like the impossible: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers’ epic debut novel, which challenges our relationship to the land beneath us in a way we’ve never experienced but long hoped for.
Read on for our 20 best works of literary fiction from 2021.
To those disinclined to question the role that economic exploitation plays in supporting our modern lifestyle, reading this novel may prove an unsettling experience.
In his collection of short stories set in the ag-industrial maw of central California, Jaime Cortez artfully captures the daily lives of his characters in the freeze-frame flash of a master at work.
Francis Spufford’s graceful novel reminds us that tragedy deprives the world of not only noble people but also scoundrels, both of whom are part of the fabric of history.
Jonathan Franzen is one of our best chroniclers of suburban family life, and his incisive new novel, the first in a planned trilogy, is by turns funny and terrifying.
With hints of Jami Attenberg’s sense of mishpucha and spiced with Jennifer Weiner’s chutzpah, Melissa Broder’s novel is graphic, tender and poetic, a delicious rom-com that turns serious.
Robert Jones Jr.’s first novel accomplishes the exceptional literary feat of being at once an intimate, poetic love story and a sweeping, excruciating portrait of life on a Mississippi plantation.
“There are few things more beautiful to an author’s eye . . . than a well-read copy of one of his books,” says a character in Amor Towles’ novel. Undoubtedly, the pages of this cross-country saga are destined to be turned—and occasionally tattered—by numerous gratified readers.
Devastating, hilarious and touching, Torrey Peters’ acutely intelligent first novel explores womanhood, parenthood and all the possibilities that lie therein.
What does it mean to listen? What can you hear if you pay close attention, especially in a moment of grief? Ruth Ozeki explores these questions in her novel, a meditation on objects, compassion and everyday beauty.
Lauren Groff aims to create a sense of wonder and awe in her novels, and in her boldly original fourth novel, set in a small convent in 12th-century England, the awe-filled moments are too many to count.
A surrealist feast of imagination that’s brimming with very real horrors, frustrations and sorrows, Jason Mott’s fourth novel is an achievement of American fiction that rises to meet this particular moment with charm, wisdom and truth.
Like Dante leading us through the levels of hell, Colson Whitehead exposes the layers of rottenness in New York City with characters who follow an ethical code that may be strange to those of us who aren’t crooks or cynics.
In her exhilarating third novel, Maggie Shipstead offers a marvelous pastiche of adventure and emotion as she explores what it means (and what it takes) to live an unusual life.
From slavery to freedom, discrimination to justice, tradition to unorthodoxy, celebrated poet Honorée Fanonne Jeffers weaves an epic ancestral story that encompasses not only a young Black woman’s family heritage but also that of the American land where their history unfolded.
Most of the books on this list hit home in ways we never could’ve prepared for, even when we had the highest expectations. Read on for the 20 best literary fiction titles of 2021.
Nonfiction is the broadest publishing category, with books that delve into the past, present and future of every aspect of our world. There are books that rifle through our innermost emotions and books that search the outer universe. Books that strike while the iron is hot and books that are cool and classic. You’ll find a little bit of everything on our list of our most highly recommended nonfiction books of 2021—from timeless instant classics to breathlessly of-the-moment reports.
With interesting characters, new historical insights and dramatic yet accessible writing, Ada Ferrer’s epic history of Cuba will grab and hold your attention.
Pulitzer Prize winner Alan Taylor’s latest American history, covering the United States’ expansion from 1783 to 1850, is sweeping, beautifully written, prodigiously researched and myth-busting.
Unbound is Tarana Burke’s unflinching, beautifully told account of founding the #MeToo movement and becoming one of the most consequential activists in America.
For readers seeking to understand the twists, turns and amazing potential of gene-editing CRISPR technology, there’s no better place to turn than The Code Breaker.
This heart-rending yet exhilarating memoir by a world-famous artist gives a rare look into how war and revolution affect innocent bystanders who are just trying to live.
This epic, transformative book covers 400 years of Black history with the help of a choir of exceptional poets, critics, essayists, novelists and scholars.
Gorgeously written and sophisticated, Jonathan Meiburg’s book about a wickedly clever falcon will move readers to protect this truly remarkable creature.
From surviving a lynching to discovering the transformative power of art while imprisoned in a chain gang, Winfred Rembert recounts his life story in his distinct and unforgettable voice.
Most of the Japanese American patriots who formed the 442nd Infantry Regiment are gone, but their stories live on in this empathetic tribute to their courage.
Clint Smith’s gifts as both a poet and a scholar make this a richly provocative read about the ways America does (and doesn’t) acknowledge its history of slavery.
In jaw-dropping detail, Patrick Radden Keefe recounts the greed and corruption at the heart of the Sackler family’s quest for wealth and social status.
In her debut memoir, Michelle Zauner perfectly distills the palpable ache for her late mother, wrapping her grief in an aromatic conjuring of her mother’s presence.
Hanif Abdurraqib’s brilliant commentary shuffles forward, steps sideways, leaps diagonally and waltzes gracefully throughout this survey of Black creative performance in America.
You’ll find a little bit of everything on our list of our most highly recommended nonfiction books of 2021—from timeless instant classics to breathlessly of-the-moment reports.
We’re calling it now: The mystery and suspense genre is on the cusp of a golden age. From psychological thrillers to procedurals to cozies, these books reached new heights and brought new perspectives to the forefront in 2021.
Mango, Mambo, and Murder has everything readers look for in a cozy mystery but also feels like a breath of fresh air thanks to its funny, grounded characters and lovingly detailed setting.
John Galligan’s trademark dark humor and clear-sighted social commentary are in fine form as he follows Sheriff Heidi Kick, one of the most complex yet lovable heroes in current crime fiction, on her latest investigation.
Having reached a pinnacle of critical and commercial success that most authors only dream of, Louise Penny still somehow manages to top herself with the latest Inspector Gamache mystery.
The genre-hopping Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexican Gothic) moves into pulp adventure territory with a novel set in 1970s Mexico City that evokes the best conspiracy thrillers.
Master of espionage John le Carré’s final novel is one of his most impressive accomplishments. A gift for the devoted readers mourning his loss, it looks back and comments on his unparalleled body of work.
The rom-com revival shows no signs of stopping, and some truly impressive follow-ups defied the sophomore slump in 2021. But one of the biggest takeaways from this year is quite unexpected: Is paranormal romance about to make a comeback in a big way? All we know for sure is that writers like Suleikha Snyder are using the subgenre to craft poignant political statements, and witchy romances are popping up like toadstools.
Beneath Sally Thorne’s charming prose and irresistible characters lies a tender, deeply felt story of two overlooked people seeing the beauty in each other.
This supernatural romance is hilarious, moving and glue-you-to-the-page engrossing, and it has one of the most enviably cozy small-town settings you’ll ever find.
Bursting with heart, banter and a respect for queer history and community, One Last Stop proves that Casey McQuiston has no intention of resting on her laurels after the unprecedented success of Red, White & Royal Blue.
This warm, inventive take on You’ve Got Mail swaps bookstores for dueling halal restaurants, using the beloved rom-com as a starting point rather than a template.
In her final Brown Sisters novel, Talia Hibbert exhibits masterful control of plot and character, as well as a wonderful blend of escapist tropes and more difficult truths.
This inspired and achingly romantic reimagining of the beloved rom-com When Harry Met Sally firmly establishes Emily Henry as the millennial heir to Nora Ephron.
To find the most structurally daring, format-breaking novels of 2021, turn to the far-flung worlds of science-fiction and fantasy. From story collections to novellas to sprawling epics, these books perfectly match form and function in their creation of universes both big and small.
With a magic system that’s two parts enchantment and one part pseudoscience, The Helm of Midnight is one of the most well-executed and original fantasy novels in recent memory.
Genevieve Gornichec’s beautiful, delicately executed debut shifts the focus of Norse mythology to one of Loki’s lovers, the witch Angrboda, with stunning and heartbreaking results.
This astonishing, haunting short story collection overflows with vivid characters and relatable themes as Marjorie Liu puts her own spin on traditional archetypes.
This novella is the perfect distillation of Becky Chambers’ ability to use science fiction to tell smaller, more personal stories infused with beauty and optimism.
Boasting immersive settings, delightful characters and all-the-feels poignancy, Light From Uncommon Stars is also very, very funny, lightening its sweeping supernatural and intergalactic symphony with notes that are all-too human.
Black Water Sister terrifyingly depicts the otherworldly and uncanny horrors of the spirit world, but it is also funny and poignant, full of the angst and irony of a recent graduate living with her parents.
An instant classic, Zoraida Córdova’s magical family saga is complex but ceaselessly compelling, and features some of the most beautiful writing to be found in any genre this year.
Shelley Parker-Chan’s gorgeous writing accompanies a vibrantly rendered world full of imperfect, fascinating characters. Fans of epic fantasy and historical fiction will thrill to this reimagining of the founding of China’s Ming dynasty.
The rom-com revival shows no signs of stopping, and some truly impressive follow-ups defied the sophomore slump in 2021. But one of the biggest takeaways from this year is quite unexpected: Is paranormal romance about to make a comeback in a big way? All we know for sure is that writers like Suleikha Snyder are using the subgenre to craft poignant political statements, and witchy romances are popping up like toadstools.
Beneath Sally Thorne’s charming prose and irresistible characters lies a tender, deeply felt story of two overlooked people seeing the beauty in each other.
This supernatural romance is hilarious, moving and glue-you-to-the-page engrossing, and it has one of the most enviably cozy small-town settings you’ll ever find.
Bursting with heart, banter and a respect for queer history and community, One Last Stop proves that Casey McQuiston has no intention of resting on her laurels after the unprecedented success of Red, White & Royal Blue.
This warm, inventive take on You’ve Got Mail swaps bookstores for dueling halal restaurants, using the beloved rom-com as a starting point rather than a template.
In her final Brown Sisters novel, Talia Hibbert exhibits masterful control of plot and character, as well as a wonderful blend of escapist tropes and more difficult truths.
This inspired and achingly romantic reimagining of the beloved rom-com When Harry Met Sally firmly establishes Emily Henry as the millennial heir to Nora Ephron.
Writing a novel means walking in your characters’ shoes: feeling their pain, celebrating their joys, sharing their fears and anxieties. In Therese Beharrie’s And They Lived Happily Ever After, romance novelist Gaia Anders takes this maxim to a whole new level. Every night, the pages she’s written during the day come to life in her dreams. Gaia is her heroine—speaking each line of dialogue, experiencing every encounter, even feeling every kiss. On a practical level, she uses this ability as a writing tool. There’s nothing like living out a scene’s worth of dialogue to hear if it sounds stilted or unnatural. On an emotional level, it allows her to deal with her very real loneliness and isolation in a version of the world that she can control, one where she knows exactly what everyone will say and do and no one can hurt her with an unscripted word or deed. It’s a world that lets her live both wildly and safely at once. Until everything changes.
Jacob Scott is Gaia’s best friend’s little brother. So maybe it’s not surprising that they reconnect for the first time in years at a party in Jacob’s brother’s apartment. It is a little surprising that they run into each other because they’re both hiding in the same bedroom though. Jacob doesn’t want his brother to scold him for being a workaholic. Gaia doesn’t want her friend to scold her for giving in to her pervasive social anxiety and avoiding the party. But Jacob doesn’t make her anxious. In fact, they quickly get very close to being physically intimate. An interruption derails their encounter, but it can’t wipe the desire from Gaia’s mind, so when she goes home and starts a new story, it has a very familiar-looking hero. The only problem is that when Jacob shows up in her dream that night, he doesn’t stick to the script. Gaia is still living out her writing in her dreams, but she’s not the only real person there anymore. The daytime world has intruded in the form of a man she can’t resist, and now can’t avoid.
There’s something wondrous about stories that take the ordinary world and add in something unexplained, something marvelous or frightening or bizarre (or, best yet, all at once). Gaia’s dreams feel truly magical, but Beharrie also shows how real life moves on alongside them. Gaia’s ability is incredible, but it doesn’t solve all her problems. It makes some things easier, some things harder and a lot of things more complicated. Because no matter how well things go in her dreams, where she has all the control, in the morning she has to wake up and face real life—where interacting with strangers scares her, she has hardly anyone she’d consider a friend and she grapples every day with a former foster child’s sense that there’s nowhere she belongs and no one she can count on. It’s little wonder that she prefers her dreams.
And yet, at the end of the day, life is real and vivid and shockingly intense. The magic of the story comes from Gaia learning to choose that real, scary, vivid life over the safety of her imagination. In Beharrie’s wonderful romance, real love is even better than magic.
Real love is even better than magic in Therese Beharrie’s story of a romance novelist whose writing comes to life in her dreams.
With her latest contemporary romance, K.M. Jackson will win the hearts of any reader who loves Keanu Reeves (especially if they’re a Gen-Xer).
Bethany Lu Carlisle is a 40-something artist on the brink of a breakout—and a Keanu Reeves superfan. Her Keanu fixation is how Lu copes with life’s stresses: There’s a Keanu role out there to suit any mood, ready to provide a cathartic pick-me-up. So when news of the star’s forthcoming wedding hits the tabloids, Lu hits the road with the lofty goal of confessing her love to him.
Riding shotgun on her cross-country dash is BFF Truman “True” Erickson, a great guy and even better friend. A college economics professor, True recently wrote a popular book and is making the rounds on local talk shows, but his friendship with Lu keeps him humble and grounded. He’s loved Lu for years, but since he started out as her brother’s bestie, his affection has gone unnoticed. She’s his Keanu.
Lu and True have the familiarity and intimacy of lifelong friends, but true to the friends-to-lovers trope, their communication stinks. They may have decades of life experience and disappointments behind them, but they are still their own worst enemies until they give in to the inevitable spark. Their journey is quirky and full of misadventures, while being poignant and heartfelt and full of emotion.
How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days is charming even when it’s working through heavier emotional issues like grief and healing. Jackson brings a light-hearted and personal touch to the smallest of details, from the chapter titles echoing the names of Reeves’ movies to the pointed moments when True uses Lu’s full name to get her attention.
Is Keanu Reeves the perfect boyfriend? Answers may vary, but Jackson has definitely written an extremely enjoyable friends-to-lovers rom-com. How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days is a fun story with humor and heart, and a supremely satisfying conclusion.
Is Keanu Reeves the perfect boyfriend? Answers may vary, but Jackson has definitely written an extremely enjoyable friends-to-lovers rom-com.
A Certain Appeal is a rompy and raunchy retelling of Pride & Prejudice—with a burlesque twist. The Jane Austen inspiration is clear, but debut novelist Vanessa King excels at infusing her own fresh voice and sparkling ideas into this contemporary romance.
Liz Bennet had dreams of becoming an interior designer, but her career in Los Angeles crashed and burned before it really even got off the ground. Looking for a new start, she heads to New York City and quickly falls into a routine with Jane—in this retelling a Black, gay man who is Liz’s best friend and roommate. By day, Liz works as an executive assistant. But at night, she’s at the Meryton, a burlesque club in Manhattan where Jane is employed as a singer. Liz is a “stage kitten,” tasked with picking up after the performers and collecting their discarded bits of costuming.
Stuffy, buttoned-up wealth manager Will Darcy certainly isn’t prepared to attend a show at the Meryton but goes along with his friend Charles, who’s interested in investing in the club. He’s quite taken aback by Liz’s flirtatious nature, and when Liz overhears Darcy describe her as merely “tolerable,” the stage kitten shows her claws. Liz is a confident and saucy heroine, always ready with a sly innuendo or a sharp, witty remark. It’s a torturous delight watching her unravel the starchy Darcy.
Despite that disastrous first impression, the pair keep crossing paths thanks to Jane and Charles’ whirlwind romance, graduating from acquaintances to confidants to something much more. It’s a slow burn that keeps its momentum, even amid all the fun of King’s detailed, luxe descriptions of buzzing nightlife, sexy show performances and extravagant costumes.
There is some additional conflict as Darcy and Liz explore their romantic connection: The Meryton is at risk of closing, and rumors swirl around Darcy’s past. But these factors don’t take much focus away from the romance, giving the large cast of side characters time to flourish. (Seriously, who wouldn’t want to see more of aerialists named Ginn and Tonic?)
Fans of the source material will have an immeasurable amount of fun identifying all the Easter eggs within, from recognizable characters to dialogue that harkens back to the original text. King captures the magical feeling of seeing New York City awash in lights, and the electric hum of a rapt crowd during a live performance. There is something both cozy and thrilling about the Meryton and its found family of performers, and readers will be sad to leave them.
A Certain Appeal is incredibly charming, and it knows it. The only big questions left are what King will write next and when can we read it?
A rompy, raunchy retelling of Pride & Prejudice with a burlesque twist, A Certain Appeal is incredibly charming and it knows it.
Denise Williams follows up her spectacular debut, How to Fail at Flirting, with the even better The Fastest Way to Fall, a soul-stirring novel that delves deep into the psyche of a woman struggling with body image and sense of self.
Britta Colby is an editorial assistant at the lifestyle magazine Best Life, and a curvy Black woman who refuses to allow being fat to define her. And yet, rejection by a crush due to her size causes her to doubt herself. She turns that disappointment into a step toward her goal of becoming a staff writer, and teams up with a coworker to write dueling blog posts about their experiences with two competing fitness apps. Britta signs up for FitMe, a hugely popular and body-positive app, with the goal of looking and feeling good naked.
Through its clever algorithm, FitMe matches each client with a professional coach, but there’s one cardinal rule: the client and coach can’t interact outside the confines of the text-based app. However, when Britta’s emotionally charged crash dieting and over-exercising cause her to put out a frantic call for help, her coach, Christopher “Wes” Lawson, breaks confidentiality to rush her to the hospital. Unbeknownst to Britta, Wes is actually the CEO of FitMe. He’s been feeling restless and inadequate despite the app’s success, and decided to start individual coaching again to rediscover the passion that led him to create FitMe in the first place.
Britta and Wes’ transition from talking in the app to in-person coaching and hanging out in the evenings feels like a natural progression of their professional relationship, even given the confidentiality rule. From the beginning, Britta has to continually remind herself that Wes is her coach, since talking to him feels just like chatting with a friend. And Wes has to continually tell himself to think of Britta as his client and not act on his strong attraction to her. Their relationship continues to evolve, and Williams authentically portrays their increasing mutual trust and emotional connection. However, they are still keeping secrets from each other: Britta doesn’t know Wes is a CEO, and Wes doesn’t know Britta is a journalist reviewing his app.
The Fastest Way to Fall is not a story about weight loss, but about learning to love who you are and about falling in love with someone who helps you feel strong. Britta’s triumph over her former insecurities concerning her body, her goals and her job are transcendent moments thanks to Williams’ sensitive and masterful storytelling.
Denise Williams’ sensitive and masterful romance The Fastest Way to Fall delves deep into the psyche of a woman struggling with body image and sense of self.
When Charlotte Hilaire gets stranded in Madrid on a snowy winter night, she takes a chance and gets in touch with Adrianna Coates, a fellow art academic whom Charlotte was both intimidated by and attracted to during her grad school days. Once reunited, the connection between the two women is electric, but they’ll have to grapple with diverging career goals and all the perils of long-distance dating before finding their happily ever after in Verity Lowell’s Meet Me in Madrid. We talked to Lowell about her warts-and-all portrayal of academia and the joys of gorgeous clothes and good food.
What makes the art world a good setting for a romance? The art world contains multitudes. It has very public, social sites, like museums, auction houses and galleries, but also more personal, even intimate spaces, like art studios, classrooms and offices. Romance can bloom anywhere, of course. But I like the kinds of questions around beauty and appearances and history and seduction that are sort of embedded in art whether we like it or not. In romance, I really enjoy being immersed in subcultures, so my hope is that Meet Me in Madrid gives readers an insider’s view of the art worlds particular to Charlotte and Adrianna. Strange as it might seem, museum people and academics don’t always cross paths—so Charlotte, the courier, and Adrianna, the professor, might never have reconnected if it weren’t for an unexpected storm!
“I wanted to write a bit of a love letter to my talented, driven colleagues.”
What are some of the most common misconceptions about academia? Did you set out to correct any in Meet Me in Madrid? Would that I could! But yes, as a college professor, I do often wish people knew how much more we do besides hold forth for a few hours a day in a classroom (or on Zoom!)—which is not easy to do well. At times, there’s an almost pastoral dimension to teaching: We counsel, we listen, we support, we defend. Ideally, we grow and learn. And many of us do this until our lives are consumed by the lives of students. Meanwhile, the academy, in addition to being stubbornly elitist and homogenous, really is cutthroat. Some years there are only 20 or so available jobs in a given subfield of art history—that’s for everyone with a Ph.D. basically in the English-speaking world. So it’s rough, especially when you’ve done everything right for seven or eight years of grad school, to not get a job at the end. I guess I wanted to write a bit of a love letter to my talented, driven colleagues on the job market, especially feminists and people doing anti-racism work.
How did you decide what Charlotte’s and Adrianna’s jobs would be? Was it an opportunity for you to fictionally explore roads not taken, or would you dislike having either of their specialities? I love this question. I’m a midcareer specialist in 17th-century Baroque art. But I’m also a closet lover of 19th-century French painting—Manet, Corot, etc. If I could go back, I might well follow Charlotte’s path exploring race and impressionism in the American South. Thinking outside the canon is still the exception in art history. But I wanted Charlotte to be someone who did that anyway.
Adrianna, frankly, has followed a path closer to mine. She’s the more conservative scholar, and she’s reaped the rewards of playing it safe. I have enjoyed curating and would like to do more. It’s pretty unusual for professors to organize shows, but I liked that access to the public, that kind of conversation. When I grow up as an academic, I want to be more like Charlotte!
How did you decide upon Madrid as a setting? Have you traveled there yourself? What appeals to you about that city in particular? A mí me encanta Madrid! I was a Fulbright scholar in Madrid and lived and researched there for about a year and a half. It’s a wonderful, complicated, austerely gorgeous place. The Prado is, to my mind, the best European museum. And Madrid is captivating: The wine is lovely. The terrace bar culture is addictive. And it’s very queer!
“As the book and the romance itself evolved, I tried to show the ways Charlotte and Adrianna become stronger together.”
Which of the marvelous meals that Adrianna and Charlotte share would you most like to enjoy yourself? Each meal in the book demonstrates care, emotional connection and delight in life’s sensual pleasures. Cooking and entertaining are definitely some of the ways I express my feelings for people. I’ve traveled to the American South fairly regularly, and I make shrimp and grits all the time! But I also do a pretty decent tortilla de patatas.
I also absolutely love a great restaurant experience. Madrid is fascinating in many ways, but to me, it’s got nothing on the other cities in the book—L.A., New York, Chicago and New Orleans—in terms of diverse and creative food culture.
As a devoted summer person, this book really made me reconsider winter as a romantic season. Is it your personal favorite, or was it more that it made sense for Adrianna and Charlotte’s love story? My work is done! I grew up in the Rockies and love a good blizzard. Also, the academic life is such a cyclical one. It felt important to take Adrianna and Charlotte’s relationship through several seasons. I do think cold winter nights are wonderfully conducive to getting on with the coziness though!
Clothing plays a large role in Charlotte’s and Adrianna’s lives. “They were both women who loved to dress,” as you very elegantly put it. Did you have any specific inspirations for either character’s personal style? Were there any outfits on the page that you’d love to have in real life? So happy that came across. Clothing is definitely a facet of identity to me. I saw both characters as worldly, sophisticated queer women who understand how fashion communicates their gender and power and sexuality. I’m a big fan of the late, great and impressively diverse shows “Suits” and “Pearson,” and I will say, Gina Torres performs clothes like nobody else—and I think Adrianna would agree. Charlotte’s wardrobe is loosely based on a lovely, stylish young woman I once knew, whose name will remain a secret. As to the outfits—who says I don’t have some of those in my closet already?
Charlotte and Adrianna’s geographic distance from each other, individual career goals and age difference all put strain on their relationship in ways that felt incredibly believable and organic. How did you balance all of these factors? Were any present right from the beginning, and did any arise later in the writing process? That framing captures so much of what I was aiming for: a sexy, plausible-feeling contemporary romance in which real-life circumstances—and overcoming a variety of obstacles—make the ending feel earned in a love-conquers-all kind of way. Present for me from the start was the desire to be candid about the challenges of being a lesbian of color in the professional world. I think romance as a genre has room for that kind of honesty. I also wanted to write tender but tenacious main characters who would find support and humor among their excellent friends. As the book and the romance itself evolved, I tried to show the ways Charlotte and Adrianna become stronger together, each learning from the other, each giving some things up, bridging all sorts of distances until they both land in the same happily-ever-after place.
What’s next for you? Writing my debut romance has been a fantastic and fulfilling adventure so far! Now I’m just eager to see how it resonates with readers. Going forward, I have a few balls in the air, one of which is another contemporary romance between two very different, ambitious and complex women in a very different setting—but that’s all I can say about that!
We talked to Verity Lowell about the joys of gorgeous clothes and good food, and why the art world is a perfect setting for a romance.
Three heroines weather tremendously difficult circumstances, uncovering and navigating unsettling details about their families’ histories with admirable grace.
