11 delightful British rom-com books

The best kind of rom-coms, in my opinion

In order to spread the love this month and celebrate one year of paid subscribers on Substack, I’m offering 25% off all subscriptions through Friday, February 16.

It's love month! While I read rom-coms all year long, it is especially delightful to read them during February, in my opinion. So, I'm sharing some of my favorite recommendations with you today.

One of the best things about reading romance novels is discovering what you love most in a romance novel. So many tropes, styles, and elements can draw you in. And once you nail down what makes your (reading) heart soar, it's a great feeling! And you can happily leave what you don’t love behind.

Last spring, I finally took the time to reflect on my rom-com reading and discovered what I love in a romance novel. One of my favorite things? British rom-coms! Give me a cozy English setting, a delightful group of characters, and maybe a bookshop, and I am sold. If that's your vibe, too, I have eleven recommendations for you.

Here are a few more things I love in a rom-com; I'd love to know if we have similar tastes.

• Main characters who are in their 30s, and have a creative career. I like a rom-com that paints the main character as a whole character, and reading about jobs that interest me is better than those that stress me out or don't interest me.

• A great cast of side characters with their own things going on, too, so they don't just serve the main character. A group of friends, close-knit siblings, quirky townspeople. I'll take 'em if they have a great dynamic.

• I don't enjoy enemies-to-lovers tropes or shitty exes who linger throughout the whole story.

Now, onto the recommendations!