The best romance books to make you smile

Why am I passionate about this?

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.

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The books I picked & why

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

Barbara Elsborg 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.  

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…


Book cover of Welcome to Temptation

Barbara Elsborg 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. 

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.


Book cover of Cat. Freya North

Barbara Elsborg 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. 

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…


Book cover of How I Wonder What You Are

Barbara Elsborg 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.

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…


Book cover of The Rosie Project

Barbara Elsborg 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.  

By Graeme Simsion,

Why should I read it?

9 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…


You might also like...

Conditions are Different After Dark

By Owen W. Knight,

Book cover of Conditions are Different After Dark

Owen W. Knight Author Of The Visitors

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Visionary Compassionate Imaginative Conspiracist Apophenia (or apophenic)

Owen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

In 1662, a man is wrongly executed for signing the death warrant of Charles I. Awaiting execution, he asks to speak with a priest, to whom he declares a curse on the village that betrayed him. The priest responds with a counter-curse, leaving just one option to nullify it.

Over four centuries later, Faith and James move to the country to start a new life and a family. They discover their village lives under the curse uttered by the hanged man. Could their arrival be connected? They fear their choice of new home is no coincidence. Unexplained events hint at threats or warnings to leave. They become convinced the village remains cursed despite their friends’ denials. Who can they trust, and who are potential enemies?

Conditions are Different After Dark

By Owen W. Knight,

What is this book about?

In 1660, a man is wrongly executed for signing the death warrant of Charles I. While awaiting execution, he asks to speak with a priest, to whom he declares a curse on the village that betrayed him. The priest responds with a counter-curse, leaving just one option to nullify it.
Over four centuries later, Faith and James move to the country to start a new life and a family. They learn that their village lives under the curse uttered by the hanged man. Could their arrival be connected?
Faith and James fear that their choice of a new home is…


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