Rom-coms reinvented Archives

Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy Book 1)

by Kevin Kwan

When Economics professor Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend Nicholas Young, she has no idea his family is worth billions. Instead of the lovely vacation she imagined, she spends her days navigating the complicated and perilous world of three mega rich Chinese families, as Nick's mom schemes to drive the couple apart. This is an insider look at wealthy Singapore society that toes the line between fun romp and over the top parody. It'll have you laughing out loud and gasping at the characters' antics!

What If It’s Us

by Adam Silvera, Becky Albertalli

Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera teamed up to give us this fun, light-hearted read. When Arthur and Ben meet at the post office right before a flash mob breaks out, Arthur is convinced the Universe brought them together. Even if he doesn’t know Ben’s name. Arthur decides he’s going to help the Universe bring their paths back together. You’ll love watching Ben and Arthur find their way to one another and what happens once they do.

Dating You / Hating You

by Christina Lauren

Fans of Sally Thorne's The Hating Game will enjoy this fun office romance! Carter and Evie meet at a Halloween party and start to date, only to evolve into office enemies when a corporate merger has them vying for the same position. They take pranks to a whole new level. Add in witty banter and this one will have you laughing out loud for sure as Carter and Evie figure out the thin line between love and hate.

One Plus One

by Jojo Moyes

A road-trip-from-hell as a romantic comedy? Yep. Moyes’s latest novel is a departure from her previous works, this time focusing on a single mom, her weird kids, and a geeky tech guy. Financially strapped Jess can’t afford to send her math whiz daughter to a decent school, but then a scholarship opportunity arises—in Scotland, and she can’t afford to drive there. Enter Geeky Ed, who owes her a favor, but mostly wants a chance to think about anything besides the insider trader scandal he’s embroiled in. The story is told from four different points of view, with different voices for each, which makes the audio version great. Quirky and endearing.

Attachments

by Rainbow Rowell

Can you fall in love with someone just by reading their email? For Lincoln O’Neill, the answer is YES. When he takes a new job as an “internet security officer” he doesn’t realize that means he’ll be reading people’s emails. But it’s the company's policy, and besides, all the employees know their emails are being monitored—at least in theory. Before long Lincoln has pored over countless personal emails between Jennifer and Beth, and he's sure of two things: he's in too deep, and it's too late to confess. It’s not as good as Eleanor & Park, but you couldn’t ask for a better beach read.

The Rosie Project

by Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman can count his friends on one hand, has never been on a second date, and is clearly (to the reader, at least) on the autism spectrum. When a colleague surprises him by remarking he would make a wonderful husband, Don creates "the Wife Project," and embarks on a search to find his perfect partner. (To Don, that means creating the perfect questionnaire.) But when he meets a woman that's all wrong for him—at least on paper—he's forced to reconsider what he really wants, and what love really looks like (all while his scientific, orderly approach to life is getting wrecked). Fast, fun, and smart. Heads up for a few f-bombs and racy scenes.

Act Like It

by Lucy Parker

I just blew through this series (again) on vacation and it was good for my reading life. Richard and Lainie are actors in London's West End. Though talented, Richard's cranky off-stage antics are turning his fans against him, and the theater is worried they won't be able to sell tickets. Fan favorite Lanie is already stuck working with her cheating ex-boyfriend, and then it gets worse: she's asked to pose as his new girlfriend to help Richard clean up his reputation. And fans love nothing more than an on-stage/off-stage romance, so soon they're packing in the crowds. But then the lines between on-stage and off begin to blur. A fast, fun contemporary romance with a keen sense of humor.

Chirp

Now a Major Motion Picture

by Cori McCarthy

Iris’s grandmother wrote the famous high-fantasy Elementia series but Iris wants nothing to do with it. She’s never read the books and she barely even met her grandmother but that doesn’t stop the trilogy’s fans from wanting a piece of her and her family. Iris fears what the fandom is capable of—and that’s before the movie adaptation begins filming. But when Iris tries to shut down the production, she learns she doesn’t have the story quite right. A fun light-hearted read!

Ayesha At Last

by Uzma Jalaluddin

"Because while it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single, Muslim man must be in want of a wife, there’s an even greater truth: To his Indian mother, his own inclinations were of secondary importance." In this P&P-inspired retelling, set in contemporary Toronto, Darcy becomes Khalid, a devout Muslim man whose mother is trying to marry him off. Elizabeth becomes Ayesha, a teacher who'd much prefer to be a poet. When they first meet, it's utter disaster: she thinks he's rigid and judgmental; he thinks she's not a good Muslim because she's holding a drink (virgin) and cigarette (not hers). But circumstances bring them together again, of course. I loved the supporting cast featuring good friends, a cousin dreaming of a Bollywood-inspired wedding, an embarrassing mother, and a Shakespeare-quoting grandpa. If you're a P&P devotee, this is a delight. If you've never read the original, you can still enjoy this story about love, family, obligation, and romance.

Waiting for Tom Hanks

by Kerry Winfrey

Annie Cassidy is a Nora Ephron-obsessed writer who dreams of both writing a rom com and finding a Tom Hanks of her own to love. Those dreams begin to come true when a Hollywood film crew invades her Columbus neighborhood to shoot a new romantic comedy featuring the handsome Drew Danforth … who Annie believes to be an overgrown manchild who cares more about on-set pranks than acting the part of a serious film star. But as Annie gets to know the people on set better, her life starts to take on an eerie resemblance to some of her favorite movies. This familiar story feels fresh and fun in Winfrey’s hands, and absolutely oozes charm. (In this closed-door romance, the sexy stuff is present, but happens offscreen.)

Rom-coms reinvented

Buckle Up!

summer reading starts May 16th