Star-Studded Romances

For a delightful romance kicked off by an interrupted one-night stand, a viral confrontation on a talk show, and meddling aunties, pick up Dating Dr. Dil. Full of swoons, pseudo-fake dating, and two people trying to pursue their dreams, it’s the story of Kareena and Prem and their growing attraction despite a rocky start and their wildly different views on love and romance.

If you’re into reality dating tv shows like The Bachelor, then The Charm Offensive is the perfect read. With a budding romance between Dev, the producer of reality dating show Ever After, and Charlie, the season’s “Prince Charming,” this compulsively readable romance will keep you absolutely captivated. As Charlie bumbles his way through trying to date 20 women on national television, Dev works hard to try to help him connect with the contestants, and in the process, they begin to open up to each other. A must-read, this book will have you swooning from start to finish! 

This one is famous-adjacent with the son of an A-list actor and socialite mother, and it’s ready to make you swlaugh (that’s swoon and laugh together)! Dreamy is working hard to finish her bachelor’s degree while she works as a secretary. She won’t be deterred from pursuing her dreams so that she can someday be her own boss, but that becomes harder when she catches the eye of Karter, a venture capitalist with famous parents who spends his time helping start-up companies and investing in great ideas/visions. A fun read, this romance is the perfect investment for your summer reading pleasure! 

Do yourself a favor and go ahead and hit the preorder button for this amazing book! I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of this debut adult romance by one of my favorite YA authors, Erin Hahn, and Built to Last is unputdownable! It’s a second-chance romance between Shelby and Cameron, childhood sweethearts and co-stars on a tv-show. When the two get roped into a home renovation show put on by none other than their co-star (and Shelby’s ex whom she had a very public break up with), it’s no surprise that the sparks fly and Shelby and Cameron find themselves renovating more than just an old house.  

While you wait for your preorder of the last book to come in, we have another home renovation book that will present you with all the wonderful swoons! While reading, you’ll be wondering if it’s the summer temperatures, home renovation projects, or the passion of a romance that’s heating you up (spoiler alert: when reading this book, it’s all three)! This rom-com centering around a home renovation is a great read for anyone who loves HGTV, and readers will be delighted by Silas and Maggie, Silas’s service dog Dropout, and a lovable, grumpy, elderly man who holds a deep love and respect for all the history behind the house Maggie is renovating. Fast-paced and full of determined and stubborn characters, this romance will drill its way into your heart. 

If you liked The Royals Next Door but want the romance to actually involve a royal this time, then you should pick up American Royalty. When a prince avoiding the public eye is put in charge of a tribute concert in the Queen’s late husband’s honor, he accidentally hires Duchess (Dani Nelson), an American rapper who is working on improving her image and to gain control over her life. The two find that there’s an undeniable attraction between them, but with an intense limelight and interfering outside forces, will the two be able to make it, or will it be a cacophony of mistakes? 

Speaking of royals in love, this delightful romance will hit you both in your royal feels AND make your mouth salivate over delicious cakes! Not only do you get royals, but you also get rival bakers, co-judges on a baking show, and their opportunity to bake the wedding cake for the princess’s upcoming wedding. As the two get to know the princess and her fiancé, they also find themselves competing to be the bakery that bakes the cake for the royal wedding. The quintessential sunshine and grump romance, Battle Royal will let readers have their cake and eat it too.  

From one set of co-hosts to another, we head across the pond to America where we have Nina and Leo, hosts of the series, The Next Cooking Champ! Chef Nina wants nothing more than to make a name for herself in the culinary world and pave a path for other young women wanting to do the same. As co-host of the TV series, she has a shot at succeeding … if it weren’t for her co-host, Leo. While it’s never his intention to get under Nina’s skin, he’s always stumbling into it, and when a joke goes a bit too far and Nina quits while on air, nothing prepared him for the fallout. When the pair are caught in what looks like an intimate situation by paparazzi, the two are suddenly thrown into a fake dating scheme as fans go wild over their “secret romance.” 

Now that we’ve mentioned fake dating, baking and romance, we would be remiss to not mention Fake It Till You Bake It! This delightful novel is perfect for anyone who adored Zeke in High School Musical, except instead of Crème Brulé and basketball, it’s cupcakes and football. When Jada Townsend-Matthews finds herself scorned by the country for turning down a proposal on a reality dating show, she returns home to recover and starts working at San Diego’s newest cupcake bakery where she meets Donovan Dell. A reporter thinks they are an item, and the two decide to fake a relationship to help Jada and the struggling bakery, and, to their surprise, they find that love is the cherry on top of it all.  

Really all three of Kerry Winfrey’s last books fit into this category (or are adjacent to this category), and her upcoming release, Just Another Love Song, is no exception. Her books are hugs that will envelop you in their warmth and love, and this one does it through a second-chance romance between high-school sweethearts. With a famous alt-country singer single-dad and a greenhouse owner who also helps her parents with their bed and breakfast, this book hits all my favorite things: music, a celebrity, and romance!  

Perfect for fans of While We Were Dating, this debut promises lots of fun and romance for readers. Carli is a musician and songwriter full of big dreams, a family legacy, and ambition. Unfortunately, those things by themselves won’t help her make rent, so she works as a junior account manager at a big-name media company, trying to juggle it all. When her world collides with rising star Tau Anderson, it throws everything into question, especially as the lines between her business and personal life are blurred. A fresh story perfect for those who love music and romance, you won’t want to miss this brilliant book! 

Jasmine Guillory was one of the first to the rom-com market and continues to build on her world of young professionals looking for love — and laughs. It is our not-so-secret hope that she writes us one of her spectacular meet-cutes every year! Believe the hype and fall head over heels with While We Were Dating which was simply meant for this list. This romance between an actress and her ad campaign manager will heat up the pages as their light banter grows into something more. This romance in the pressure cooker of the Hollywood spotlight is an absolute must-read! 

Something to Talk About is the perfect read in which the tabloids turn something that didn’t actually happen into something bigger. Jo and her assistant Emma are declared a couple when Jo makes her laugh, and as the gossip starts to affect all areas of their lives, the two begin to spend more time together, prepping for the launch of Jo’s next film project. Suddenly, the rumor doesn’t seem quite so off-base, and they must figure out whether it’s worth confirming the rumors and fall in love. 

When Grey Brooks is presented with an opportunity to get a life-changing role, she finds herself just desperate enough to agree to fake date the reclusive and disgraced heartthrob, Ethan Atkins. All Ethan wants is to be left alone. After a rocky road triggered by grief, Ethan only agrees to the ploy to clean up his image so that the last movie he ever worked on with his best friend can be made. With a behind-the-scenes look at their scheme, How to Fake It in Hollywood will have you rooting for this celebrity couple and their fake dating shenanigans! 

When Sloane Ford loses her TV gig, she gets roped into her famous family’s newest romance film, and they conveniently left out that Joseph Donovan, her least favorite co-star EVER, was the star of the film. While he claims to be different now, Sloane is unconvinced. When the lead actress is suddenly fired, Sloane steps in, playing Joseph’s love interest. The more time they spend honing their characters behind the scenes and with their sizzling chemistry on-screen, the harder it is to tell if what’s between them is real or just an act.  

Okay, since we are clearly here for the drama that comes with acting, romances, and the stage (or screen), this book is the perfect ending for this post. Here for the Drama has a secret romance, a rambunctious (but sweet) rescue dog, and the drama that comes along with a director and playwright constantly bumping heads. Throw in the playwright’s devastatingly smart, handsome and British nephew who catches the eye of the playwright’s assistant, and you get the theatrical romance you’ve been waiting for!