8 Unputdownable Authors Like Ali Hazelwood

The sequel to Herrera’s stunning A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, this story follows artist Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan, who is invited to showcase her paintings at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Manuela is about to resign herself to a loveless marriage when she meets Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge. Cora and Manuela agree to a trade: Manuela will part with a parcel of land for Cora if Cora agrees to spend the summer entertaining Manuela in Paris. Neither is prepared for the passion and emotions that ignite between them.

Chess! I think Ali screamed this on Instagram, too. Chess scenes in romance are *chef’s kiss*. This YA romance follows Lady Ela Dalvi, who is set on reaping revenge on the only boy she’s ever loved. After being brought up in isolation and disgrace, Lady Ela re-enters society in disguise as an heiress and is hellbent on taking down the son of a duke. What happens is a romp of a romance, a chess game of wills, in which Lady Ela must decide if she’s willing to risk her heart again. I have read most of Amalie Howard’s work, and each book is a winner.

Like Ali’s other recommendations, this story has immense emotion mixed with amazing banter and the yearning, y’all. Whew. This story follows Noelle — recently unemployed and uninspired by corporate life — still coping with the intense grief of losing her grandmother. After finding old love letters from her grandmother’s past, Noelle posts a TikTok looking for answers and meets her grandmother’s first love…who also happens to be the grandfather of her high school nemesis, Theo Spencer. Now, Theo has a successful startup business, complete with a Forbes profile, and Noelle is both inspired and bitter over his success. But nothing is as it seems in this heartwarming road trip romance. This book is about rediscovering yourself and finding your way through grief as much as love.

Sharma does it again, following her successful Dating Dr. Dil with another spicy, brilliant romance. Bobbi Kaur takes the helm of planning her best friend’s wedding, but she has to deal with the super sexy chef, Benjamin “Bunty” Padda. That, and someone is trying to sabotage the wedding. The two must work together to ensure the wedding goes off without a hitch, all while navigating the intense chemistry between them. Honestly, who doesn’t love a romance where the hero just wants to feed and take care of the heroine? Plus, meddling aunties!

This is one of my favorite reads of the year. I was hesitant to read a second-chance romance; it’s not usually my favorite trope. But Soto artfully navigates a tale of love lost and found, grief, and the complexities of working in the wedding industry. This story follows Ama Torres, a hardworking up-and-coming wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage. Because marriages end, and Ama insists on protecting herself from that inevitable heartbreak. Planning a wedding that may be her big break is a hard enough job, then pair it with having to work with her ex: grumpy florist Elliot Bloom. I will say this: the story of the tattoos alone made me want to fall out of my chair, swooning.

I’ve raved about this book before, and I’ll do it again. This fantasy romance follows Elle Jiang, an immensely talented and powerful descendant of the Chinese god of medicine. But Elle is in hiding, disguising herself as a mediocre magical calligrapher at a fairy temp agency. Elle gets little joy out of her job, but she always looks forward to seeing half-elf Luc, a top security expert who seeks out her business. Luc knows Elle is more talented than she lets on, and when one of her glyphs saves Luc’s life, they begin a dangerous partnership. They’ve always been attracted to each other, but Luc is bound by his true name to his boss and is also recovering from immense past trauma. The trauma both have experienced brings them together and now they have a path of healing through each other. This story will tear your heart apart and glue it back together. I promise you: It’s worth it.

May I tempt you with a story about translating an astronomy text while falling in love? Lucy Muchelney finds a letter from the Countess of Moth, seeking assistance in translating a complex French astronomy text. Lucy is still recovering from heartbreak, and she takes on the job in hopes of a distraction. She did not anticipate Catherine St Day taking her breath away. Catherine, meanwhile, thinks she can spend widowhood in quiet seclusion, but fate has other plans. Lucy arrives at Catherine’s door begging for work, and Catherine takes her in. After days spent poring over the French text, they spend nights falling in love. Whew, the longing between them.

If you like reading about romance and STEM, I give you: Victorian romance and STEM! Elizabeth Everett has written three books centered on a secret retreat of women scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and architects in Victorian England. I’ve enjoyed the whole series, so let’s start at the beginning. The first book follows Lady Violet, the founder and secret keeper of this sanctuary of women geniuses. Violet is a genius herself, and she’s enlisted to help in a confidential mission for the Crown. Enter Arthur Kneland, Violet’s new bodyguard. Grumpy Arthur (I live for grumpy-sunshine dynamics, in case that’s not already apparent) wants to put duty first, but the attraction between him and Violet puts him to his knees. Everett tackles the oppression of women in Victorian England while building a fantastic romance.