100 books like Heartless

You will fall in love with Stella. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it. If there was any way to dive into the mind of a person with autism, to witness the social struggles they face in a way that leaves you wanting to know more, this book takes a step in that much-needed direction.

But this book isn’t just about Stella’s character exploration or growth; it’s also about the fun and sexy deal she makes with an escort. Michael is the kind of guy who is good right down to his core and is just doing whatever he can to support his family. Having his perspective adds so many layers to this incredibly fun, endearing read.

This book is a must for any rom-com lover.

One common theme with the books I love is that the characters are amazing. They’re funny, endearing, thoughtful, and fiery. When my fave writing duo came out with this stunning novel, I was hard-pressed to put it down. I loved Fizzy, and I have absolutely no doubt you’ll love her too.

Add in a hot British producer, a romance-based reality show, so much angst you could light a match against it, and the sweetest will-I-make-a-good-step-mom subplot, and you have a comfort read that’ll leave you wishing the show they aired was real.

This book broke my heart and stitched it back together. Abby Jimenez's writing style is magnetic, and her characters make me laugh and cry in equal amounts. Every time I need a pick-me-up, I pull out this book.

There are few perfect romantic comedies out there. Some have third-act breakups that don’t make sense. Some are riddled with miscommunication or surprise baby tropes that have a person feeling all the ick. This is not that book. Does it have miscommunication? Yes, in a reasonable, wonderful kind of way. Does it have a surprise baby? Yes! In a way that deepens the two main character’s connection.

The fact that this writer can take my two most disliked tropes and make them entertaining shows just how incredible this author is at her craft. Most importantly, it made me giggle my ass off, and if that is a requirement for you, then this… show more.

This book, oh gosh, this book! Firstly, we have an incredibly funny and endearing protagonist. Bee stole my heart from the first page, and if she were a real person, I’d want to be her best friend. Secondly, the male main character is so swoon-worthy in the most unexpected ways. When he finally comes around to confess his love for Bee, he doesn’t even know he’s confessing to her!

And if those two points aren’t enough, there’s some miscommunication, some mistaken identity, a plot that’ll have you turning the page, and side characters that’ll keep you laughing so much that you’ll root for them as much as you will the romance.

I read this book at least three times in the space of four months, and it’s become one of my favorite books of all time. You’ll have to read it to find out why.

I am a sucker for lifelong friends to lovers with a bit of the taboo, and this book delivered!

Our hero is a sexy hockey player with a dark past, and our heroine is a dancer with an overprotective and controlling family. When, on her wedding day, she learns the jerk she’s being forced to marry has been cheating on her, she runs right into the arms of her childhood crush and friend Jasper, who offers to whisk her away so she can figure out what to do and how to face her parents.

Jasper and Sloane were made for each other from page one, and I loved rooting for them! Add in the delightful small-town vibes, the belonging that comes from being part of an amazing, tight-knit family, and some steamy times, and it’s a recipe for an all-nighter (reading, that is).

Though this story is part of a… show more.

I love this book because, in true Crystal Maldonado fashion, it’s funny and heartfelt and full of immaculate vibes AND tackles big topics like fatphobia and living with chronic illness in frank, relatable ways.

Whit leaps off the page and felt instantly recognizable to me as a fat person who has been there. And then there’s the absolutely swoony romance—I was hooked right away!

I was drawn to this book by the cover. Set in New York, famous erotica writer Eva Mercy is a single mom with a depilating auto-immune disease. Eva’s experiences of the writing life as a Black woman and how she managed her health drew me to her.

However, the unexpected connection between Eva and Shane, the award-winning literary writer she reunites with during a literary event, was my favorite part of this book. I loved how each writer’s trauma-informed the stories they told. I found myself encouraged to write about my own traumas in my stories. But what I loved the most about this book is how the sensual scenes between Eva and Shane were more about connection than sex.

I was inspired by Eva’s resoluteness in making a life for herself and being the mother she never had for herself and her daughter.

As a person with strong ties to biology, I love that in this book, vampires and werewolves are no more magical or supernatural (and therefore also no more immortal) than any human; they just came from different branches down the evolutionary tree.

What I really liked were the dialogues–the sarcasm, verbal power games, and dry humor. And the character development, where an isolated person learns that opening up and accepting friendship and the feeling of belonging requires courage because it also makes one more vulnerable.

My sister has always teased me about my love of men in dark capes (Darth Vader and the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera especially). Combine that—shall we say—preference with my fascination with the tarot, courtly intrigue, and a young woman’s quest to embrace her inner darkness while determining her own destiny and bam! You have Rachel Gillig’s One Dark Window.

One of my favorite things about this novel is that it surprised me, which doesn’t happen easily. From the first embedded fairy tale rhyme, Gillig sweeps her readers away into a mist-cloaked kingdom struggling for its very survival, both desperate for and hidden by the magic of the forest that looms beyond its misty borders.

Not strictly a book about talking animals, in that the animal that talks is actually a human when the story begins. Lewis and Wren are going about their unassuming married life when Lewis is told by a doctor that he has one year until he turns into a great white shark.

A wacky premise that delivers so much more than expected, this beautiful, tender fable about love and mortality is packed with lovesick ocean creatures and mothers masquerading as Komodo dragons.