Our series on the best books published in the 21st century rolls on with Romance! The Best Romance Books of the Century So Far aren’t just our personal favorites: these are the books that have pushed the limits of the genre.

Romance has changed a lot in the past 25 years, and we wanted our list to reflect the full breadth of that evolution. 

• First, our staff and contributors pitched their nominations.
• Then, through several rounds of heated romance reader arguments and negotiations, we managed to narrow it down to our final picks.

Ranging from sweeping historical romances and gothic tales to several flavors of romantasy, these love stories also run the gamut from sweet to spicy. Some were bestsellers, others sleeper hits.

• 🧵 The common thread here is impact: cultural, emotional, and in some of the best cases, both. 

❤️‍🔥 Just in time for Valentine’s Day, explore The Best Romance Books of the Century So Far —you might just find a new favorite to swoon over.

Here’s what some of the biggest book clubs are reading this month:

• Read With Jenna: One & Only by Maureen Goo — As her 40th birthday approaches, a successful matchmaker takes on her most challenging assignment to date: finding her own fated mate.
• Roxane Gay’s Audacious Book Club: The Age of Calamities by Seena Ahmad — A debut collection of short stories that remix historical events and figures in absurd and inventive situations
• The Late Show Book Club: Vigil by George Saunders — Saunders’s signature blend of wit, humanity, weirdness, and imagination is on full display in this novel that takes on life’s biggest questions. Listen to our book club convo about Vigil.
• GMA Book Club: The Exes by Leodora Darlington — A woman whose exes keep winding up dead thinks she’s finally met her perfect match.
• Reese’s Book Club: In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka — A beloved TV star accuses her daughter’s therapist of brainwashing, and the secrets that are exposed during the trial are wild and riveting.

See more of the month’s hottest book club picks.

Level up your reading life with Book Riot All Access! Unlock the industry’s best deep dives, join in with community features, and conquer the Read Harder Challenge alongside fellow bibliophiles. Start with a gift on us: The first 100 new annual members get a FREE copy of Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser. Experience the "evil" stepmother’s side of the story in this breathtaking feminist reimagining of Cinderella. Don’t miss your chance to grab this stunning debut and gain year-round access to the best of Book Riot. Join All Access today!

When I read Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams last year, I was struck by how much Black bookstores were—and continue to be—a crucial space for Black activism and antiracism work.

• This is an essential read for anyone interested in the cultural impact of books and how they shape our world. And since you’re reading this newsletter, I know you are!

Tucked away in the back of the book is a list of Black-owned bookstores currently in operation in the United States. I reached out to the publisher, and they kindly agreed to Book Riot hosting that list as an excerpt.

So, this Black History Month—and all year long—check out the hundreds of Black-owned bookstores in the U.S., compiled and updated by Char Adams. They’re sorted by state, but if you don’t live near one, you can also shop from them online.

Consider this your excuse for buying a few more books this month. —DE

⏪ Was 2016 the last great year in books?

Hop in the DeLorean and join us as we power rank the books of 2016. These aren’t necessarily the best books of the year—though some of them certainly are—but the ones that reflected the moment, changed the culture, and continue to influence what and how we read.

• Award winners and the year’s biggest debuts compete with a kids’ sensation, a self-help juggernaut, and a memoir that shaped the next decade in American politics.

There’s a 1-year subscription to Book of the Month on the line. And you can’t win it if you don’t enter.

Imagine getting a curated, brand-new hardcover delivered to your door every single month. Whether you’re hunting for the next big bestseller or a hidden gem, this is the ultimate treat for any book lover. For this giveaway, we’ve partnered with our friends at Spiegel & Grau, the powerhouse behind some of the most talked-about books on your nightstand. Enter for your chance to win!

Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which hits theaters tomorrow, has had tongues wagging for months. Here’s a look at the early reviews:

👍 See It

"Fennell surveys Brontë’s saga of doomed passion, obsession, and multigenerational resentment and sums it up as the story of two incredibly messy bitches who can’t stay away from one another. That she’s onto something in terms of the work’s essence makes the smooth-brained sensuality of her third feature even better." —Alison Willmore, Vulture

"With flair and bombast to spare, Fennell reaches such great “Heights” that this feels like the first must-see movie of 2026, an enthralling retelling of an all-time love story through an accessibly modern lens." — Brian Truitt, USA Today

👎 Skip It

"Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” is certainly something to behold. I’m less convinced, for all its frenzied emoting and rain-soaked rutting, that it’s something to feel." —Justin Chang, The New Yorker

"An emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire" — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

🏆 And the award for best headline goes to: "Emerald Fennell Knows to Leave Them Wanting Moor."

Need a refresher on the book? We’ve got you covered.

Claire Heywood is the author of The Wandering Queen, out now from Dutton.

When I started doing research for my novel, The Wandering Queen, I knew I had a lot to learn. My protagonist, the legendary queen Dido, was not from ancient Greece or Rome - the cultures I was familiar with from my study of classical civilisation - but from Tyre, in ancient Canaan or Phoenicia.

I spent months researching the particular culture, practices, and religious beliefs from this part of the ancient world. And one thing I found interesting was the methods of divination that were commonly used in the ancient Near East, some of which I had never encountered before.

The Greeks were known to use augury (interpreting the flight and behaviour of birds) and extispicy (examining the entrails of sacrificed animals), in their attempts to understand the will of the gods, or even to foresee the events of the future.

But thanks to my research, I now had some new and very specific words to add to my vocabulary: libanomancy (the interpretation of smoke when burning incense), lecanomancy (the study of liquids in a dish, such as the patterns made when oil is added to water), and belomancy (divination using the flight of arrows).

This final method, belomancy, intrigued me so much that I decided to include it in the plot of my novel. The idea is to ask the gods a question, and attach the possible answers to different arrows. Whichever answer flies the furthest indicates the gods’ favour. Archaeologists have actually found arrowheads at Near Eastern religious sites which are inscribed with holy symbols or writing, and were probably used for belomancy.

I love finding out about aspects of ancient culture like this, because I think they hold a beautiful blend of the foreign and the familiar. Ancient divination methods might feel alien to us today, but the basic human need behind them is one we can recognise. A need for knowledge, for certainty, for safety. A need to find pattern and order in a chaotic world. I think we can understand why these rituals were so popular, even if we won’t be flying ourown belomancy arrows any time soon.

Sometimes, the best remedy for a long week is a little bit of nonsense. Find something to smile about with the Ban.do Sweetheart Sale, and take 30% off select whimsical decor, books, and accessories. From a "Book Person" mug for your morning brew to a glittering disco ice cream cone, now is the time to treat yourself. Shop the sale today!

🍟 Tasty times await with Wirecutter’s top air fryer pick.*

😍 Get ready to swoon with the best new romantasy books out in 2026.

❗️Great news if you’ve been wishing for a sequel to The Time Traveler’s Wife.

💰 Debut authors have a shot at $15k from a new prize created by Bookshop.org and James Patterson, judged by indie booksellers.

🧙 A musical adaptation of Practical Magic is in development.

🤓 Learn about the ridiculously interesting history of weird English words.

_{** This is a product recommendation from the Book Riot team. When you buy through these links, we may earn a commission.}