Kissing Books

14 New Romances To Read in February

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Jessica Pryde

Contributing Editor

Jessica Pryde is a member of that rare breed that grew up in Washington, DC, but is happily enjoying the warmer weather of the desert Southwest. While she is still working on what she wants to be when she grows up, she’s enjoying dabbling in librarianship and writing all the things. She's the editor of Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters, and her fiction has been published by Generous Press. She can be found drowning in her ever-growing TBR and exclaiming about romance on When in Romance, as well as on social media. Find her exclamations about books and internet ridiculousness on BlueSky (JessIsReading) and instagram/threads (jess_is_reading).

How’s 2025 treating you, romance readers? We’ve had quite the first month (at least in the US)! Record-breaking weather, devastating fires, the continuing downward turn into fascism—we could all use a break. Here’s hoping we’re all taking care of ourselves and using romance as our necessary balm.

Once again, I had a lot of trouble culling this list down to the recommended length for this sort of thing, so sorry to my editors (insert Keke Palmer voice). Romance continues to thrive, and we’ve got a lot of stories to choose from! Some are continuing or concluding series, while others are starting brand new series, even if they’re by authors we are (or should be) familiar with. I also dug around and pulled out some books by new authors that sound really interesting, so I want folks to read them and let me know what they think!

But yeah, here’s the rundown of notable romance books coming out this month. This time, we’ve got 14 in honor of that special day in February (that leads to questionable choices by outlets that don’t respect romance—sit down and read one of these instead).

cover of I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

I would not be me if this weren’t the first February book I mentioned. You would have to ask if I was the one who was kidnapped by aliens if I didn’t. This one sounds very much like a sci-fi version of the irreverence we were able to laugh through in Lemming’s Mead Mishaps series, and I am here for it. In the wildest what-in-the-Wizard-of-Oz abduction story, wildlife biologist Dorothy is being chased by a lion when she (and the lion) get abducted by aliens, as it says. They manage to escape, only to end up with different aliens, both of whom would make excellent love interests. They are also dinosaurs? I think? There’s a lot going on, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

cover of Losing Sight by Tati Richardson

Losing Sight by Tati Richardson

If you’d rather stay on earth but still want to cackle your head off, Tati Richardson’s first novel with Generous Press promises to be a great addition to the fabulist romance world. 

Nikki is a sports reporter who is starting to see signs of her age—literally, her eyesight is starting to go. When she goes to her (very handsome) optometrist to potentially get some glasses, the pair she ends up with turn out to be a little magical. (Transparency note: I have also published with Generous Press and am friendly with Tati on the socials.)

While the Duke Was Sleeping by Samara Parish

Did someone say Regency retelling of While You Were Sleeping

Adelaide is impersonating her mistress while waiting for the woman’s fiance to wake up from a coma, all for the sake of breaking up with him for her. But when the duke’s brother arrives, he’s curious about the very mysterious woman and we all know what happens next. I have been meaning to pick up a book by Samara Parish for a while, and this one might be the one that draws me in!

Break Point by Yahrah St. John

Black. Tennis. Romance. Sign me up.

Teagan and Dominic were once the hottest thing on the court and off, but betrayal led them to be nothing but a blip on each other’s radar. So when they’re both asked to play in a charity tournament, the sparks are ready to fly in every way. Yahrah St. John has been writing some super-interesting takes on sports romance for Afterglow over the past couple of years, and this one is going to be just as great as the others have been. 

cover of Can't Help Faking in Love

Can’t Help Faking In Love by Swati Hegde

What happens when you’re back home in Bangalore and have to go to your cousin’s wedding, but you don’t have a date? You use your trust fund to hire your favorite barista, apparently. Harsha and Veer both have their own issues, and they’re able to help each other in ways only they can. In Harsha’s instance, she has plenty of money set aside in a trust fund that she would rather not use in everyday life, while Veer took a barista job instead of going for his big Bollywood break, but needs more money to help pay for his brother’s schooling. This wedding deal is great for both of them, but what happens when real chemistry gets in the way?

cover of On Screen & Off Again

On Screen & Off Again by Caitlin Cross

Childhood sweethearts Dax and Wil were costars on a hit TV show before the show was canceled and Dax moved away for college. Now, both are in very different places in their lives, and Dax is preparing for a new movie but needs a costar. Wil, who gets into more trouble than movies, calls Dax when she gets arrested and somehow ends up cast in his new movie. But for her newest big break, she has to focus on the work, and not on the chemistry she and Dax still have. 

cover of A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera

The third and final book in the Las Leonas trilogy, Tropical Rebel brings us back to Paris, where Aurora is running an underground women’s clinic. When she finds herself in the protection of Duke Apollo César Sinclair Robles, the pair become unlikely confidantes. Unfortunately, neither is in a truly safe position in the city of Paris, so Apollo whisks Aurora off to the French Riviera, where they have nothing to focus on but each other. 

cover of The Love Lyric

The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest

Iris and Angel have liked each other since they briefly enjoyed each other’s company at Iris’s sister’s wedding. When Angel becomes a brand ambassador for the company Iris works for, they wind up on a campaign tour together, and that chemistry builds again. The third book in the Greene Sisters series, this one is full of heart and music, digging into what we have to do for the sake of our families and what truly makes us happy. 

Big Name Fan by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare

Reunion between costars is apparently a minor theme this winter, and this time around, we have former detective costars Sam and Bex, whose friendship dissolved with their show, even though their chemistry on and off screen was off the charts. When a show reunion is pulled together, Sam and Bex are asked to do a podcast revisiting favorite episodes. New information from a guest leads them down a path full of questions and mystery, and that chemistry? It’s hotter than ever.  

cover of Runnin No More

Runnin’ No More by G.T. Dípè

Ade and Stefan have come to London for their own reasons: Ade to escape trauma in Nigeria (and the whole thing where living his life was illegal), and Stefan to escape his past. When they run into each other at Heathrow, there is an instant connection, but each young man has difficulties in their past and present that could get in the way of finding true happiness.

cover of Love Letters from the Trail

Love Letters from the Trail by Tif Marcelo

Friends, it’s You’ve Got Mail with hiking! 

Eva, a military widow, runs a bed and breakfast along a Virginia hiking trail. When the wealthy Cruz upsets the natural rhythms of the business, neither is sure what to do about it besides express their frustrations to their trail pen pals, who they write to using fancy pen names. And when the chemistry in the B&B starts to melt the walls, well… maybe some things are starting to sound familiar. 

The Girl Most Likely To by Julie Tieu

Okay, this is an interesting concept: this book takes place over the course of a single night, mostly at a high school reunion. 

Rachel and Danny were often thrown together in high school, as teachers thought Rachel’s discipline might rub off on Danny. But they never particularly got along in the classroom, and most of their honest communication was through AIM (my heart). Now, it’s time for their 20th reunion. The two are reunited, and that’s just the beginning of a night of “mishaps and misadventure.”

Two Friends in Marriage by Jackie Lau

I’m always excited about a new Jackie Lau book, and this one has tons of promise. It’s not the first time she’s thrown two people together for convenience, but it is definitely a twist on the marriage of convenience trope that works well for modern day. Evan and Jane are two friends who made a marriage pact when they were lonely and have actually managed to go through with it. It was never meant to be a romantic thing, but Feelings, you know. 

Mine to Match by Yvette de Oro

In another “common historical plot” that has been dropped into modern day, with Mine to Match we have an ambitious matchmaker who has a tall order to fulfill. Senora has been hired to find a match for Enzo, a rising star in the music business. The two spend a lot of time together, which leads to lots of conversations and quiet moments. But they each have their own goals in life, and they can’t let their chemistry distract them from getting what they want. Yvette de Oro has been a favorite for a while, and more people should read her!


There are a couple of other books that have caught my eye that may or not be true romances—i.e. they end in an HEA. So if you get the chance to read Enemy of My Dreams or But Not Too Bold before I do, let me know what you discover! In the meantime, if you missed January’s new romances, check those out. And then catch this list of small-town romances!