Jessica Joyce lives happily-ever-ongoing with her husband and son in the Bay Area.
When she’s not writing character-driven, realistic and relatable tales of millennials who are just Doing Their Best while falling in love, you can find her listening to one of her dozens of chaotically curated Spotify playlists, trying out a new skincare face mask, crying over cute animal TikToks, or watching the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice.
Leave and Come Back (2026) Lavanya Lakshmi "Leave & Come Back is the kind of book that stays with you forever. Lavanya Lakshmi has created characters who feel so real it's like you can hear their hearts beating through the page. A deeply moving, supremely witty, simply phenomenal debut."
The Book Tour (2026) Emily Ohanjanians "Reading Emily Ohanjanians's The Book Tour felt like sitting in a conversation with a close friend. It was at turns deliciously juicy and fun, with beautiful explorations of grief, the complexities of being a second-generation American, and muddling through how to live your life the way you truly want to."
Sunk in Love (2026) Heather McBreen "My absolute favorite kind of romance is second chance, and Heather McBreen delivers a delicious one with Sunk in Love. I rooted for Roslyn and Liam to find their way back to one another, savored every tender (and steamy!) moment between them, and then cheered out loud when they finally stepped into their beautifully earned happily ever after. Second chance lovers like me will devour this!"
Daddy Issues (2025) Kate Goldbeck "The kind of book I wish I could experience for the first time over and over again: it's honest and deeply romantic. Kate Goldbeck always tells the truth, even when it's messy and complicated. This book and its writer are absolute favorites of mine."
Never Over (2025) Clare Gilmore "Never Over combines three of my favorite things: music, men whose middle name is Yearn, and Clare Gilmore's gorgeous writing. I found myself reading slowly because, selfishly, I never wanted to get kicked out of Paige and Liam's world. This book is tender, intimate, and ridiculously engrossing, and with it, Clare shows why she's one of the most impressive voices in the romance genre."
Good Spirits (2025) (Ghosted , book 1) B K Borison "Good Spirits is holiday romance perfection, with BK Borison's trademark mix of witty banter, a cozy setting that feels like being wrapped up in the warmest blanket, and a love story that makes you want to scream into a pillow, all of it topped with a bow of pure, undiluted magic. Borison is a gift to romance readers, and fully in a league of her own."
The Heartbreak Hotel (2025) Ellen O'Clover "The Heartbreak Hotel is a perfect book. Ellen O'Clover is brilliant, writing tenderness, longing, and tension so viscerally that I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time I was reading. Lou and Henry have broken hearts whose edges match up perfectly, and the way they navigated their losses together was, quite simply, transformative. I'll be thinking about the last three words in this book for the rest of my life."
For the Record (2025) Emma Lord "At turns sharply funny and deeply affecting, with hope and healing serving as its emotional heartbeat, I blazed through The Break-Up Pact, a story about being brave enough to go after the life - and love - you truly want. Emma Lord's writing is effervescent and poignant, an addictive mix that made it hard to say goodbye when I got to the last page. I absolutely loved this book!"
Anywhere With You (2025) Ellie Palmer "Anywhere With You walks the perfect tightrope of wit, adventure, and emotional depth, with a tender, lived-in relationship serving as its beautifully beating heart. I love everything Ellie writes."
What Happens in Amsterdam (2025) Rachel Lynn Solomon "What Happens in Amsterdam is the second-chance, marriage-of-convenience romance of my DREAMS. Dani and Wouter's romance blooms with exquisite tension against the backdrop of a tenderly described Amsterdam, and I saw so much of myself in Dani's path to finding - and trusting - herself. Rachel Lynn Solomon is one of my very favorite authors out there, so it's no surprise that her latest easily takes its rightful place on my favorites shelf."
Left of Forever (2025) (Spunes, book 2) Tarah DeWitt "Left of Forever is a remarkable romance about grown-up love, about a love worth fighting for again and again, about hard-won love. It's a second chance story for the ages. Wren and Ellis's journey back to each other is written with incredible care, visceral tenderness, a depth that has no end, and melt-your-face off intimacy. I need a world-renowned scientist to study Tarah Dewitt's beautiful brain, because I'm not sure her talent is of this earth."
You Between the Lines (2025) Katie Naymon "You Between the Lines is almost indescribably good: fresh and smart and tender, with not just some of the most gorgeously crisp prose out there, but poetry I'd pin to every one of my Pinterest boards if I could. It's the characters that make this an all-timer for me, though: Leigh is my soulmate and Will is the gold standard for book boyfriends. Katie Naymon has a forever fan in me."
Unromance (2025) Erin Connor "Erin Connor delivers sharp wit, deliciously steamy moments, and so much charm in Unromance that I was kicking my feet from the first page to the very last. I loved every second of this book!"
Prime Time Romance (2024) (Dial Delights) Kate Robb "With Prime Time Romance, Kate Robb whips up a magical story that feels both gleefully nostalgic and completely fresh. Anyone who's ever spent hours watching their favorite TV couple's best moments on a loop (spoiler alert: it's all of us) will be all-in on Brynn and Josh's love story - it's fun and witty and full of such swoony moments, I had no choice but to devour it in one sitting."
One on One (2024) Jamie Harrow "Forgive me in advance, because I will be shouting about my love for One on One until my voice gives out. In her stunning debut, Jamie Harrow paints the game of basketball in a way that feels like life and love itself - in moments of struggle and perseverance, in breathtaking joy and heartbreak that gets beautifully repaired. Ben and Annie are so fully explored that they are now real people to me, and their love story unfolds with perfect tension and tenderness. A new all-time favorite."
Rules for Second Chances (2024) Maggie North "Rules for Second Chances is a breathtaking, deeply romantic story about the second chances we give to love, each other, and most importantly, ourselves. Maggie North has the singular ability to hit you with truths that are at once hilarious and aching, stark and soft, painful and necessary, and she writes Liz and Tobin's journey with an obliterating tenderness I felt in every corner of my heart. This book and its author land effortlessly among my all-time favorites."
A Love Like the Sun (2024) Riss M Neilson "Riss M. Neilson paints a poetic, sexy, and intimate portrait of falling in love in A Love Like the Sun. I absolutely devoured the best friends-to-lovers dynamic between Laniah and Issac, and cheered (yes, out loud!) when they finally gave in to their inevitable fall. Neilson's prose is as warm and effortless as the love story that unfolded, and just as compelling. A stunning read."
Birding with Benefits (2024) Sarah T Dubb "Read Birding with Benefits at your own risk - once you're immersed in Sarah T. Dubb's gorgeously drawn world, you'll never want to leave...This will stay at the top of my all-time favorite list forever."
The Art of Catching Feelings (2024) Alicia Thompson "I'm an Alicia Thompson fan first and a human second, and The Art of Catching Feelings is a shining example of why. Chris and Daphne's achingly vulnerable, hot slide into love was so masterfully crafted with intimacy and care that I was tempted to go right back to the first page once I finished (fine, and maybe I did). With her signature effortless prose and deeply insightful musings on life and love, this is Alicia Thompson at the top of her already spectacular game."
Kilt Trip (2024) Alexandra Kiley "As soon as Addie and Logan step onto the page in Kilt Trip, you're in every moment with them. Set in the atmospheric Scottish highlands, it's impossible not to get swept away. You'll lose your heart to Alexandra Kiley's stunning prose, breathless banter, and atmospheric descriptions just as readily as Addie and Logan lose their hearts to one another."
In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation (2024) (Halifax Hellions, book 1) Alexandra Vasti "The Halifax Hellions series is everything you want a historical romance to be: emotional and sexy and full of thrilling hijinks, with jaw-dropping prose that transports you in every possible way. Each sibling and their partner has a unique journey, but there's an undeniable thread of finding radical acceptance in love that ties the three together beautifully. Alexandra Vasti has easily secured her place as a superstar in the genre."
The Breakup Tour (2024) Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley "With prose that sings, The Breakup Tour is an utterly romantic second chance story that will have you running for your closest Taylor Swift playlist as soon as Riley and Max reach their swoon-worthy HEA. Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka write with deep, nuanced emotion, and the poignant original lyrics they weave throughout the story only amplifies the characters' journey. This is an absolute hit!"
