Ah, February. The month of romance. Like it or hate it, Valentine’s day is just around the corner, and love is in the air. It’s the perfect time to sit down with a good romance book.

We all know how romantic stories go: the love at first sight, the flirting, the butterflies and rose petals, and the inevitable happily-ever-after…

At least, that’s how the typical fluffy, feel-good love story might go, but love isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes a disastrous first meeting or the tension of a forbidden romance can cast a cloud over the relationship that the couple must navigate before they can even think about finding their happy ending.

Much like a sunny day is appreciated more after the rain, and sweets are often better with a pinch of salt, many readers enjoy their romance with a dash of angst. If you’re one of those readers, the Library has plenty of books to scratch that itch. This list covers twelve titles from our catalog, ranging in setting from the realistic to the fantastic, which boast either the forbidden love trope or the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Indulge in a new title today!

Adult:

This is How You Lose the Time War – Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Two agents on opposite sides of a war across time and space strike up a rivalry as each seeks to best the other. As they continue to exchange treacherous notes hidden in unlikely ways, their rivalry slowly grows into something more.

Red, White, and Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston
The son of the American president and the Prince of England must put aside their disagreement and act like friends for the press–until the act doesn’t seem so much like an act anymore, and things start to get complicated.

Love, Theoretically – Ali Hazelwood
Balancing her work as a physicist with that as a fake girlfriend is a full-time commitment, but Elsie is managing–until she finds out that the brother of one of her clients both ruined her mentor’s career, and is also on the hiring committee for the job she wants. Will he block any chance she has of landing her dream job, or will things take a more unexpected turn instead?

Book Lovers – Emily Henry
Nora’s small-town getaway with her sister is shaping up to be anything but a storybook vacation. Instead of relaxing and enjoying time away from her job, she finds that a less-than-friendly acquaintance from work is also in town, and fate seems determined to make sure their paths keep crossing.

The Unhoneymooners – Christina Lauren
When her sister’s wedding party falls ill, Olive is offered the honeymoon trip that the newlyweds won’t get to take. The catch? She has to go with the only other member of the party who didn’t get sick–her nemesis, Ethan Thomas. But as time goes on, Olive begins to think a trip with him might not be such a bad thing after all.

Is She Really Going Out with Him? – Sophie Cousens
Recovering from a divorce and trying to keep her column from being snatched by another writer, Anna agrees to go on seven blind dates and write about the results. But out of all the potential romantic prospects she encounters, one in particular surprises her.

Young Adult:

Better Than the Movies – Lynn Painter
Rom-com enthusiast and hopeless romantic at heart, Liz Buxbaum knows it’s her destiny to date her childhood crush, Michael, after he unexpectedly reappears in her life. To that end, she strikes a deal with the vexing boy next door to make it happen, but things don’t always go as planned.

An Enchantment of Ravens – Margaret Rogerson
Isobel and the autumn prince of the fair folk are forced to travel together after Isobel makes a mistake that could upheave the prince’s court. Feelings begin to blossom between the two, but is there any room for such feelings to survive in a world where they’re forbidden?

Divine Rivals – Rebecca Ross
Linked by magical typewriters, Iris Winnow exchanges letters with a mysterious correspondent. Little does she know, the person reading her letters is none other than her workplace rival, Roman Kitt. As Iris searches for her missing brother and the truth about the ongoing war, the two start to form a connection.

Girls of Paper and Fire – Natasha Ngan
Lei is one of nine girls chosen to be a consort for her country’s king. Taken to the palace, she and the other girls undergo training for the role, but Lei is no perfect consort. She falls in love, and that forbidden love is just one more complication she has to navigate in a web of courtly plots.

The Merciful Crow – Margaret Owens
Fie is used to being an outcast, but when she sees an opportunity to pave a better future for herself and her people, she takes it, even if that means traveling with a clueless prince and his body double. As the danger of their journey mounts, Fie must also wrestle with the feelings growing within her towards the prince’s guard.

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe – Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Moon Fuentez is the unsung camerawoman behind her influencer sister’s career. She’s made peace with her place outside the spotlight, but when she takes a summer job helping a group of influencers and meets the prickly Santiago, she slowly discovers that she might not be destined to go unnoticed after all.