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Happy New Year, friends! I read so many amazing romances this past year, some of which I already recommended this past summer, so it was a huge struggle to try and narrow down my top 10 but somehow, I managed. I’ll likely need to follow up with a post about my honorable mentions because there were just so many books that I wanted to feature. I even waded into the waters of reel-making and tried my hand at making a reel to showcase this list:
The following list is not in any particular order (I had a hard enough time narrowing down this list, I wouldn’t even know where to begin with ranking them), but here are my top 10 favorite romances I read in 2021:
1. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
A grumpy/sunshine (one of my favorite tropes), enemies-to-lovers, Schitt’s Creek-inspired romance, this is a must-read if you like dirty-talking heroes and great character development.
2. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Another grumpy/sunshine (are you noticing a pattern?), enemies-to-lovers romance with forced proximity and a whole lotta heart and depth. Find my full review here!
3. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Grumpy/sunshine, but make it academic, and add in a healthy dose of pining. Find my full review here!
4. The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle
Yep, you guessed it—grumpy/sunshine. But also really sweet and such an easy story to get wrapped up in. Find my full review here!
5. To Have and to Hate by R.S. Grey
Grumpy/sunshine (shocking, I know), with a marriage-of-convenience and age gap—so, basically, my dream book.
6. Isn’t it Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams
The Russian finally got his book! Truly the best in an already phenomenal series, this is a must-read for fans of the other books. Find my mini review here!
7. A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria
Second chance romance, bisexual representation, amazing steam—what more can you ask for? Find my full review here!
8. The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
I think this book taught me what love is. Find my full review here!
9. To Sir, with Love by Lauren Layne
This You’ve Got Mail retelling is as much a love letter to the original, as it is its own, sweet love story.
10. The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George
Pining and slow burn set against the gilded age—in short, perfection. Find my mini review here!
What were some of your favorite romances from 2021?
I received a review copy of The Charm Offensive from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has not impacted or influenced my opinions.
![SET ON YOU — ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
“[T]his book explores the nuance—the ‘in-between’—that ‘self-love’ is not a tangible thing you achieve and hold on to forever. Loving oneself all day, every day is an individual journey, with vastly different outcomes for everyone.”
As soon as I read that in @amyleabooks’s author’s note, I knew I was reading something special. And SET ON YOU was, in fact, incredibly special and I already know will be one of my favorites of 2022.
This book meant so much to me as someone who shared so many of the same characteristics (including the same mix of ethnicities) as Crystal, and so much of this book spoke to me on a level that I certainly never expected to find in a book. I never, in a thousand years, would've thought I'd one day get to read about someone like myself in a rom-com; see someone like myself as the main romantic interest and lead character.
And representation aside, this is just such a fantastic rom-com and romance. Amy managed to perfectly capture all the best parts about falling in love with someone who becomes your best friend—she perfectly captured that butterfly-inducing feeling of knowing a person and simultaneously thinking they’re the absolute best and funniest person and also being wildly attracted to them. The tenderness, the earnestness, but also the chemistry and fun—it’s all there. And if you’re wondering if it delivers in terms of steam? YUP. 🛁🛁🛁
Please do yourself a favor and pick up SET ON YOU immediately. I really can’t begin to articulate just how much this book meant to me and all of the ways that it was so fantastic, so I encourage all of you to read it and see for yourself.
Thank you @berkleyromance @berkeypub for the eARC!
[ID: Sarah holds up a paperback of Set On You, her arm resting on her jean-clad leg. In the background, you can see part of a grey couch, a cluttered, round coffee table, a pink floral living room rug, and some house plants, as well as a big living room window. The cover features the two main characters—Crystal and Scott—on either side of the cover in a cute illustration on a pink background]](https://thehireader.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)