The Library Vault

By Briana G, Your Romance Loving Librarian Bestie

Happy February y’all! We made it through January, so we should all give ourselves a big pat on the back. I read so much in January and cannot wait to see what February holds. We have so much to look forward to in February: Black History Month, the Super Bowl (go Eagles), President’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and of course, Library Lovers Month!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the month of February than coming to the library and borrowing some books (we love library love). That, and getting a lot of discounted candy on February 15th (if you see me in CVS with five bags of Reese’s in my arms, no you didn’t).

All kidding (not kidding though) aside, I love the Russell Library and am a huge proponent of giving your library love every chance you can. Borrowing books is a great way to do that. Speaking of love, I’m a huge romance girlie as well, and I’m packing my TBR with a ton of romance books this month. I’ve been purchasing books for our Adult Romance collection for about two years now, so I’d like to think I know a thing or two about this genre. I tend to read across genres and subjects overall, but romance books hold a special spot in my heart. If you want to add a splash of romance to your TBR, then keep on reading for some recommendations!

First Time Caller by B.K. Borison
I have been seeing multiple reviews on social media praising this book, which publishes February 11th. This is inspired by Sleepless in Seattle and I am here for it. A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio show host. I know Lovelight Farms is a favorite of many of my bookstagrammer friends, so I think this is going to be a five star read.

French Pressed Love by MC Hutton
This cover is everything! Goodreads describes this book as a “rollercoaster ride of jealousy, angst and messiness… French Pressed Love is a slow burn romance that will have you sipping up all the drama well past your bedtime. Strap up for a sexy, intense and emotional experience.” Sign me up for all the feels!  

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver
The Ruinous Love Trilogy definitely is NOT for the faint of heart. It’s a dark romance series, so please be aware of that if you choose to read it. Scythe & Sparrow is the third and final book in this series and is highly anticipated by readers everywhere. I enjoyed the first book in this series but realized it just wasn’t for me. Circus motorcycle performer Rose meets lonely small-town doctor Fionn after a night of murderous adventure goes awry.

Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar
She needs a divorce from her husband—but a hurricane threatens to dredge up their stormy, passionate past in this sizzling reimagining of Sweet Home Alabama. Come hell or high water, things will be reckoned with in this romance!

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonham-Young
I am super excited for this book (just look at how sweet the cover looks)! Out on a Limb was a super successful book from what I’ve seen and heard so I’m excited for what Out of the Woods has in store for readers. In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is near breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches. What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots.

Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
This one is for all my cowboy loving romance lovers. There are a few books out in the Rebel Blue Ranch series so far and it’s super popular. This book gives us a hot cowboy who happens to be the best friend of the female main character’s brother. Our female main character is back in her small town in Wyoming from the big city after an accident causes her career with horseback riding to end. It’s going to get hot and heavy between these two, so buckle up y’all.

Unromance by Erin Connor
This was one of my favorite romance books I’ve read in a while. It’s such a fun, new play on romance tropes commonly found throughout the genre. When a recently-dumped actor gets stuck in an elevator with a jaded romance novelist, he enlists her to ruin romance for him—one rom-com trope at a time—so he never gets swept off his feet and into the tabloids ever again. Because that’s going to work just as they plan!

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters
If you listen to our February podcast episode (Middletown Strong is the name of our podcast) when it drops midmonth, one of our staff members mentions this book! She is another person who has a great eye for romance, particularly queer romances, so I will be reading this due to her recommendation. In Julian Winters’s I Think They Love You, sometimes fake dating your way to success can mean finding the second chance at love you’ve needed all along.

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
A reclusive earl’s life is turned upside down when a stranger shows up on his doorstep with an astonishing proposal—and an inconvenient connection to espionage. This was such a fun romance, especially coming from someone who loves a regency romance. Alexandra Vasti is a such a fresh voice in this subgenre and I am obsessed with her. Oh, and I am still very obsessed with the Earl.

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen
Anything by Lauren Kung Jessen is an insta read for me. Her books are some of my favorites. In this charming rom-com filled with Chinese traditions and a family curse, an herbalist fake dates a star musician. Obsessed is an understatement and I haven’t even read this yet. The incorporation of Chinese culture in all of her books is one of my favorite aspects. In each of her previous books I’ve learned something new and fell head over heels for every male main character.