The best romance books to make you smile

Barbara Elsborg Author Of Strangers
By Barbara Elsborg

Who am I?

I read lots of different genres, but my greatest passion in both writing and reading is romance. Though I am picky! I need humour in the stories. They don’t have to be funny on every page but I do like to smile occasionally when I’m reading. The ability to weave a plot, create interesting characters, and include humour is something I admire greatly. Even in the thrillers and suspense novels I read, it’s those touches of humour that bring the story to life for me. In the 50+ books I’ve written, none are without that spark of fun. Throw in a happy ever after – and you have a perfect romance, guaranteed to brighten the darkest of days. 

I wrote...

Strangers

By Barbara Elsborg,

Book cover of Strangers

What is my book about?

Kate Snow’s had enough of bad boys until a swim out to sea puts her on a collision course with Mr. Irresistible. Charlie Storm’s a famous pop star, and mega-success in the movie business beckons until his inner demons send him spiralling.

As Kate and Charlie’s worlds collide, their lives take an upward twist. They can’t stand to be apart, in or out of bed. Kate seizes a chance for happiness, and Charlie can’t let go of Kate because she’s the only woman able to see the man he wants to be. But the price of fame is high and when the world seeks to drive them apart, life only seems safe in Kate’s arms.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

The Hitman's Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love

By Alice Winters,

Book cover of The Hitman's Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love

Why did I love this book?

This book was the first I read by Alice Winters and it is laugh-out-loud funny. I see a lot of books that claim to be that, but this one really is. Alice has a great turn of phrase and you can’t help but fall in love with her characters. Leland is truly one of a kind. I went on to read every book she has ever written! That doesn’t happen very often for me.  

The Hitman's Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love

By Alice Winters,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Hitman's Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What happens when a snarky hitman and a by-the-book PI cross paths? Leland Being a hitman has its perks, but I never thought getting an accidental mooning by an attractive PI while he’s caught on a fence would be one of them. While it’s not exactly love at first sight, he’s captured my interest and won’t let go.Suddenly, I find myself caught in a game of cat and mouse, determined to attract the attention of Jackson, the PI who should be my enemy. He pretends like he’s not flattered by my flowers and the mentions of my totally-not-fictitious blow-up doll…

Explore
Topics
Genres

Welcome to Temptation

By Jennifer Crusie,

Book cover of Welcome to Temptation

Why did I love this book?

I’ve read this book three times over the years. It has everything I’m looking for in a romance. Strong characters, humour, a proper plot, and a bit of a mystery. As with my first book choice, I’ve read everything that Jennifer Crusie has written. She is reliably good! A flawed hero and heroine but always a happy ever after. It’s a feel-good read. 

Welcome to Temptation

By Jennifer Crusie,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Welcome to Temptation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sophie came to Temptation, a small town in Ohio, to help her sister make a movie. Now she's making trouble for the town council, love with the mayor and lemonade for a murderer. Welcome to Temptation - population 2158. And falling. This is a humorous tale of scandal, gossip and murder.

Explore
Topics
Genres

Cat. Freya North

By Freya North,

Book cover of Cat. Freya North

Why did I love this book?

A romantic romp set in the Tour de France. I quite fancied writing a book about the Tour myself but I don’t think this book can be bettered. Cat, the heroine, is part of a male press corps and has to fight not only for space but for her stories. I learnt a lot about this cycling race from this book and I like the fact that Freya North has books linked through families. 

Cat. Freya North

By Freya North,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cat. Freya North as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She's in for the ride of her life.

Her career is stuck in a rut.

Her love life has been a tangle.

But fortune favours the brave...

When journalist Cat McCabe lands a job reporting on the Tour de France she's confident it might give her stuttering career the boost it needs and provide a welcome distraction from a messy break-up. Or so she hopes.

She quickly realizes Le Tour is not just all about the bikes. Large bulges, huge egos, lashings of Lycra and plenty of sexy shenanigans play their part and, soon enough, her own life starts to…

Explore
Topics
Genres

How I Wonder What You Are

By Jane Lovering,

Book cover of How I Wonder What You Are

Why did I love this book?

This book has great warmth and humour. The characters feel so real. It’s set in Yorkshire in the UK, which happens to be where I spent most of my life, so that made it extra enjoyable. I feel not enough people know about Jane Lovering and her books deserve more readers. This is not just another romance, but a romance with heart and depth. I defy anyone not to fall in love with Phinn.

How I Wonder What You Are

By Jane Lovering,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How I Wonder What You Are as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Maybe he wasn't there because of the lights - maybe they were there because of him..." It's been over eighteen months since Molly Gilchrist has had a man (as her best friend, Caro, is so fond of reminding her), so when she as good as stumbles upon one, lying comatose, on the moors one bitterly cold morning, it seems like the Universe is having a laugh at her expense. But Phinn Baxter, (that's Doctor Phinneas Baxter) is no drunken layabout, as Molly is soon to discover; with a PhD in astrophysics and a tortured past that is a match for…

Explore
Topics
Genres

The Rosie Project

By Graeme Simsion,

Book cover of The Rosie Project

Why did I love this book?

Written from the male point of view – which makes a change! Don’s attempts to find a wife are both funny and poignant. The hero is on the autistic spectrum and I think Simsion deals delicately and sensitively with the difficulties faced by the hero. That the author can make the reader smile and cry at the same time, is a triumph. The difficulties of finding love! But it can be found.  

The Rosie Project

By Graeme Simsion,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Rosie Project as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The international bestselling romantic comedy “bursting with warmth, emotional depth, and…humor,” (Entertainment Weekly) featuring the oddly charming, socially challenged genetics professor, Don, as he seeks true love.

The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.

Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her…

Explore
Topics
Genres

You might also like...

The Rosewood Penny

By J.S. Fields,

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

J.S. Fields

New book alert!

Sponsored by J.S. Fields Author

What is my book about?

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction. 

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band, they rob the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive pegasus. Thanks to Marani’s mysterious invulnerability, this mostly works out well…until Marani and her quirky band of outlaws plunder the carriage of the very bossy princess Nuria.

The princess’s carriage contains not just gold, but a dragonscale comb that belonged to Marani’s murdered mother. Worse yet, Princess Nuria seems to know exactly who Marani is, maybe more than Marani herself.

The Rosewood Penny

By J.S. Fields,

What is this book about?

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive pegasus. Thanks to Marani’s mysterious invulnerability, this mostly works out well…until Marani and her quirky band of outlaws plunder the carriage of the very bossy princess Nuria.

The princess’s carriage contains not just gold, but a dragonscale comb that belonged to Marani’s murdered mother. Worse yet, Princess Nuria seems to know exactly who Marani is,…

Topics
Genres

5 book lists we think you will like!

The best uplifting novels that mix humor with poignancy
The best romance books with the hottest sex scenes of all time
The best upbeat books for tough times
The best romance novels that stay with you long after the book has closed
The best books to read to make you cherish and enjoy your neurodivergent child

Interested in movie stars, romantic love, and contract killing?

9,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about movie stars, romantic love, and contract killing.

Movie Stars Explore 38 books about movie stars
Romantic Love Explore 735 books about romantic love
Contract Killing Explore 22 books about contract killing