“It won’t count tomorrow and it’ll be like I never said it, but on this Valentine’s Day, I fell in love with you.”
It’s safe to say Valentine’s Day can be a divisive holiday in our calendars. Whether you’ve sworn off heart-shaped chocolates and gas station roses or are still a lover of all things love, there’s no denying February 14th has made a significant impact on the films, shows, and books we consume. So, whichever side of the fence you fall on, we’ve rounded up some of the best Valentine’s Day books that capture the holiday in a myriad of different lights. From cutesy contemporary romance reads to gut-wrenching YA time-loops, check them all out here at What We Reading!
The Do-Over (The Do-Over #1) – Lynn Painter
First up on our list of the best Valentine’s Day books, The Do-Over is a 2022 romance book by Lynn Painter and is the perfect young adult romp for anyone looking to curl up with a cutesy contemporary read on February 14th.
After enduring a hellish Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby rushes away to her grandmother’s house to drown her sorrows in what feels like her body’s weight in ice cream. She passes out on the sofa; however, when she wakes, it’s Valentine’s Day again. And the next day? Another dreaded V-Day. Stuck in a strange time loop she can’t break out of, Emilie is forced to watch her boyfriend cheat on her day after day. She also finds herself constantly colliding with – sometimes literally – the alluring Nick. In The Do-Over, Lynn Painter asks how many times a woman can watch her life go up in flames and what happens when the universe stops doing do-overs when things finally start to look bright.
The Valentine’s Hate – Sidney Halston
Sidney Halston provides one of the best spicy enemy-to-lovers Valentine’s books in The Valentine’s Hate.
Ever since the most disastrous Valentine’s Day in history, Lissette Alonso has hated all things to do with the holiday. Nevertheless, she is committed to taking her duties as maid of honour seriously and commits to a week of pre-nuptial festivities leading up to her best friend’s big day on February 14th. Of course, the first person she comes across at the wedding would be Brian Anderson, the very individual responsible for her detesting of all things romance. Their bickering and verbal sparring are put on hold, however, when a sudden arrival leads to them having to pretend to be dating. Suddenly, all of the simmering anger between the pair threatens to lead to something far more sincere.
The Second You’re Single – Cara Tanamachi
Freelance writer Sora Reid is the odd one out in her family of go-getters. She is constantly being told by her Japanese-American mother to lose weight and get married, whilst her overachieving younger sister is always on hand to remind her that she still needs a date for the upcoming wedding. If there’s one thing that makes Sora unique, it’s her intense hatred for the commercial love machine that is Valentine’s Day.
Vowing to remain single throughout February, her #gosolo campaign proves to be a viral hit with her readers. Enter Jack Mann. This muscle-rich baker has a history with Sora that stretches back to elementary school, and one chance encounter at a grocery store soon leads to a mutual attraction that hits hard. But, in this cheerfully contemporary Valentine’s romance story by Cara Tanamachi, can Sora #gosolo and get the guy?
The Kissing Game (Marie Harte Seattle Contemporary Romance #1) – Marie Harte
Rena Jackson has pulled out all the stops to leave her job at the local dive bar and open up her hair salon. A die-hard romantic, she’s also had her eye on the brooding going big-time Axel Heller. The only problem? He’s renowned as the archetypal repressed Germanic ice-man. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Rena is just about ready to give up on the whole idea and find someone new.
Axel is well aware he intimidates most. While he has been crushing on the local waitress for some time now, he’s no romantic. In one of the best Valentine’s Day books from the past few years, Marie Harte takes readers on a whirlwind ride as he hatches a desperate, last-ditch plan to show Rena how he feels before she slips away from him for good.
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Exes And O’s (The Influencer #2) – Amy Lea
For another sweet romance story perfect for Valentine’s Day, look no further than Amy Lea’s Exes and O’s, her second entry in The Influencer series. Romance-novel connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten different times by ten different men, all of whom cited her ‘stage five clinger’ traits as their primary reason. Still determined to meet ‘the one’, she decides to revisit her exes in the hopes of bagging her own second-chance story.
Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe is the first to rush into a burning building, but he’s the last person to put himself out there for a relationship. Nevertheless, he reluctantly agrees to help his new roommate in her quest to revisit her past relationships. But, as they spend more and more time together, Tara soon begins to realize that Trevor is the only one who truly seems to appreciate her authentic, overly dramatic self. The question is, will they be able to read between the lines of their growing connection and forge a happily ever after?
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A Big Surprise For Valentine’s Day (Holidays With The Wongs #4) – Jackie Lau
After picking up her dream job at the Stratford Festival, Amber Wong’s life is starting to look good. Then, at the local grocery store, she runs into Dr. Sebastian Lam, the son of her parents’ close friends. She hasn’t seen the man for years, but the mutual attraction is more than apparent between the pair.
The casual fun fling that blossoms between the pair is the ideal situation for Amber, who has sworn off dating after a string of failed relationships. But, what happens when their parents start to realize they’ve been spending so much time together? Jackie Lau’s smutty Valentine’s Day short story follows Amber and Sebastian as they attempt to navigate the headaches that come with their meddling families and the worst-case scenario which is developing feelings when a relationship is the last thing they want.
Before I Fall – Lauren Oliver
Bestselling author Lauren Oliver introduces readers to high school student Samantha Kingston in her classic Valentine’s Day-themed book, Before I Fall. The popular senior is excited to see how many roses she will get on Cupid’s Day, a day full of valentines, roses, and privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid.
That is until her boyfriend decides to attend a party and their night ends in tragedy. The next day, Samantha is forced to relive the terrible events again. And again, and again. Caught in a never-ending cycle of her worst nightmare, she begins to make a series of small changes to her day that gradually reveal that she might hold more power than she first realized. It might not be as cutesy as other Valentine’s Day books on this list, but Before I Fall is a profound commentary on love and an exploration of how one person’s life can leave an imprint on so many others.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
