As an avid and somewhat of a self-certified romance expert, I can say that this year's romance releases so far have been a trail mix of hit or miss. Nonetheless, they all stand true to why romance books are mainly read in the first place—for the "feel-good vibes". Here's a look at some of them.

Funny Story
Emily Henry
Berkley, 2024

If you want a book that makes you laugh out loud while also making your stomach go woosh with butterflies, you can always count on Emily Henry. Although, this book in particular was less about the laughs and more about the feels—which I was slightly disappointed at. It highlights tropes typically seen in contemporary romance, such as roommates-to-lovers and fake dating.

The female protagonist Daphne's fiancé, Peter, has left her for his childhood best friend, Petra. On the other hand, Petra breaks Miles', the male protagonist, heart to be with Peter. After agreeing to be roommates, Daphne and Peter go from avoiding each other to plotting schemes to make their exes jealous. 

The synopsis had won me over the minute Henry announced her new book; I spent a whole day binge-reading it. However, the lack of banter and snarky remarks between the characters compared to her previous books I found to be truly disappointing. 

This book was 3 stars for me.

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5 "own voices" romance books that will warm your heart

How to End a Love Story
Yulin Kuang
Avon, 2024

Now this—this book changed my whole opinion that this year's romance releases are subpar. How to End a Love story is far from subpar. It is superb. Kuang's debut novel is an enemies-to-lovers romance. However, it is not like your typical enemies to lovers. A dark tragedy connects Helen and Grant, our protagonists, but they go their separate ways. 13 years later, Helen and Grant meet again when now, as a bestselling author, Helen's book has been picked up to be turned into a screenplay. And among the screenwriters working on this project is Grant. 

What I love about the book is not only the romance but also the layers in the story. The part about adapting a book into a screenplay in a novel was very interesting to read as I got to see what happens behind the scenes. Furthermore, it also explores the complex relationships one can have with their parents, as well as grief, and love. No wonder Kuang's writing felt like home.

This book was a solid 4 stars for me.

This Summer Will Be Different
Carley Fortune
Berkley, 2024

If you are looking for summer flings, small-town romance, or falling for best friend's brother trope—this book is for you. Lucy, our female protagonist, lives in Toronto and goes to vacation on Prince Edward Island every year with her best friend, Bridget. Bridget's family lives on that island and this is where Lucy meets Felix, our male protagonist. The first time they meet and connect, however, is without knowing they both share a relationship with Bridget. Thus, starts the push and pull between the two characters for years to come.

Personally, I enjoyed Fortune's last two books—Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake. However, this book was slightly lacklustre. One thing I love about Fortune is that she takes her readers on a trip to places her books are based on. This book, for example, is predominantly based on Prince Edward Island and Fortune has shared with the readers the specific spots and locations she has been to which inspired this and that scene. It's a wonderful experience to envision a fully painted scene rather than a mere outline of it.

However, instead of flaming my excitement I only found it getting dimmed with each chapter I read. There was only a buildup but never a climax. The characters felt too shallow and at the same time, the plot felt very cliched.

This book was 2 stars for me.

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Romance novels for those who aren’t in love

Just for the Summer
Abby Jimenez
Forever, 2024

Now, I have a love-hate relationship with Jimenez's books. When I picked this book up, I did not know which of those two categories it would fall into.

Just for the Summer is about two people, Justin and Emma, who share a curse. The people they date find their soulmates immediately after they break up. Finding out about their unique but similar curse through Reddit, they befriend each other. Eventually, they come to the conclusion to date each other in the hopes of breaking this curse and finally finding their soulmate. However, plans start taking a different shape when they start to develop feelings for each other and life starts to get serious for both of them.

The premise of the book is quite intriguing, and this is what roped me into binge reading it on its release day. Not to mention, there is banter between the characters which I greatly appreciated. Another element that earned this book a plus point was that it explores Emma's complicated relationship with her mother and Justin's relationship with his family. It shows us what needs to be prioritised during crucial moments instead of being blindsided by love. However, this book could have been better in some aspects, such as Jimenez's writing, which seemed to take a hit in this book as well as the execution of the plot.

Overall, I give this book 3 stars.

Rubina Nusrat Puspa is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts from BRAC University. Reach her at rubinanusratpuspa@gmail.com.