If you’re in need of a bit of reading inspiration then don’t miss this book list of the best Booktok recommendations in romance to read in 2022.
These are the new romance book releases of 2022 that took Tiktok (and #Booktok) by storm and encouraged a wealth of readers to add them to their TBR lists!
*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
2022 should be dubbed the year of the phrase “Tiktok made me buy it!”
Publishers are loving the rise of #Booktok and the power that it has to move romance books off the shelves, landing many on the best-seller lists this year.
When you find yourself looking for a new romance book to read, #Booktok books are definitely an option to check out as these are the books readers are talking about, obsessing over, and can’t get enough of.
Of course, Booktok recommendations are more than just spicy romance books but I’m partial to those ones 😊.
The list below includes many of the popular Booktok recommendations of 2022 in the romance genre.
Trust me when I say you’ll want to add these to your TBR list.
If you don’t have a TBR list, find one in the #Booktok Journal – the best place to note all the books you want to read so you don’t forget a single one. Plus, it comes with its own popular Booktok books list!
Have you read a new romance book this year because Tiktok made you buy it?
Share it below and tell us what you think of it.
The Best Booktok Recommendations of 2022
Things We Never Got Over
by Lucy Score
Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. He doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.
Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin only to have her evil twin steal Naomi’s car and cash, leaving Naomi with a niece she didn’t know she had.
Since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of Knox, the least he can do is help her out of her jam.
And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.
At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.
Booktok got it right with this one! I LOVED this book so much that it definitely landed on my best romance novels of 2022 list.
Lucy Score’s writing is flawless. I just loved the banter between Knox and Naomi so much and enjoyed every single side character.
This is a grumpy/sunshine love story with the heart of a small-town romance and the angst of an opposites attract romance all in one that I highly recommend. My Review of Things We Never Got Over.
Related: Things We Never Got Over Series
It Starts With Us
by Colleen Hoover
Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil co-parenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again.
After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.
But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life, and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.
It really isn’t a surprise that Colleen Hoover’s 2022 release, It Starts With Us, broke Simon and Shuster’s pre-order sales record considering the first book in the series, It Ends With Us, has been discussed non-stop on Tiktok and has become a Booktok recommendation you can’t ignore.
I found this to be a beautiful conclusion to a wonderful, friends to lovers story that hit me with all the feels. My Review of It Starts With Us.
Related: Colleen Hoover Books in Order
Book Lovers
by Emily Henry
Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and lands enormous deals for her clients as a cutthroat literary agent.
Now she’s off to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with her sister Libby who’s convinced she needs to become the heroine in her own story.
But instead of bumping into her own hero, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
Emily Henry’s books have consistently landed on the bestseller lists so it’s no surprise her 2022 release was all a much-talked-about Booktok recommendation this year.
I like how Henry purposefully created a strong, city-girl heroine who knows who she is and who she isn’t.
Related: Emily Henry Books in Order
Hook, Line and Sinker
by Tessa Bailey
King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a hot, carefree flirt who’s a guaranteed good time–in bed and out–and that’s exactly how he prefers it.
Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends?
Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She’s still nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead.
Baily’s prior release, It Happened One Summer has been a popular, spicy Booktok recommendation so it is no surprise that her follow-up romance is as well.
I absolutely loved this book and these characters, making it a fantastic, friends to lovers romance I couldn’t put down.
I adored Hannah’s strength and Fox’s wounded soul. It’s a must-read for sure. My Review of Hook, Line and Sinker.
Every Summer After
by Carley Fortune
Persephone Fraser hasn’t been home in a decade but one phone call has her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without.
For six summers, Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart.
When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been.
But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past.
This beach read seemed to be the most talked about Booktok book of the summer.
Told over the course of six summers and one weekend it delivers an epic love story that readers cannot stop talking about on Tiktok.
Electric Idol
by Katee Robert
Psyche knew she’d have to face Aphrodite’s ire eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake…or for Aphrodite’s gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the blow.
Eros has no problem getting his hands dirty. But when it comes time to take out his latest target, he can’t do it.
Confused by his reaction to Psyche, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he marries her.
As they try to find a way out of their mess, lines blur and loyalties shift and two hearts are at risk.
Leave it to Katee Robert to get people all aflutter on Booktok earlier this year talking about this steamy romance book.
I personally think she outdoes herself with Psyche in this one, giving readers a strong heroine who doesn’t fit society or Olympus’ mold but who is the perfect mate for Eros.
I loved it and highly recommend it and the entire Neon God series. My Review of Electric Idol.
Pin This for Later:
The War of Two Queens
by Jennifer Armentrout
Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for.
With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to fight her way.
But battle is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago.
To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.
If you’re a fantasy romance reader who has been sucked into Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash series, then you were counting down until this new release earlier this year.
Tiktokers can’t get enough of Poppy and Casteel’s love story and their epic journey continues in this fourth book in the series.
I anticipate her upcoming release, A Light in the Flame, will be a 2022 Booktok recommendation as well!
Husband Material
by Alexis Hall
Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends…and somehow figured out a way to make it work.
Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose.
But it’ll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from I don’t know what I’m doing to I do.
Husband Material is an MM romance that Booktok lovers are falling for in 2022. It is the sequel to his first hit, Boyfriend Material which is an opposites attract romance.
This book was a delight and cemented Alexis Hall as a must-read author! My Review of Husband Material.
American Royalty
by Tracey Livesay
Rapper Danielle “Duchess” Nelson is on the verge of signing a deal that’ll make her one of the richest women in hip hop.
But an incident with a rising pop star has gone viral, unfairly putting her deal in jeopardy.
A brilliant professor and reclusive royal, Prince Jameson prefers life out of the spotlight.
But with the Queen’s children involved in one scandal after another, she puts Jameson in charge of a tribute concert in her late husband’s honor.
Out of his depth, he takes the advice of a student and signs “Duchess” for the gig who’s anxious for the good publicity.
Too late, Jameson discovers the American rapper is popular, raunchy and not what the Queen wanted, although he’s having an entirely different reaction.
Thrown together, they give in to the attraction flaring between them. But as the glare of the limelight intensifies and outside forces try to interfere, will the Prince and Duchess be a fairy tale romance for the ages or a disaster of palatial proportions?
It’s no surprise that a romance book inspired by the real-life romance between Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle would become a popular Booktok recommendation in 2022.
This book will appeal to fans of opposites attract romance, royal romance books, and books featuring musicians. My Review of American Royalty.
Reverse
by Kate Stewart
Thirty years ago, my father became the other half of a broken love story. A relationship he’s kept hidden for decades.
Haunted by my father’s love story, and in my quest for answers, I never imagined I would discover a love of my own.
Or that my love for Easton Crowne would be key in discovering the reason behind what split our parents up.
Doomed from the start and knowing the havoc our relationship would inevitably wreak on our families, I could never have prepared for the toll it would take or the cost of the truth.
But in order to find our ending, we had to go back to their beginning.
Kate Stewart had Booktok all atwitter with this much-anticipated follow-up to her hit romance book, Drive.
Only read this Booktok recommendation if you want your heart to be ripped out but mended in the best way.
Tiktok fans also enjoyed her epic Spotify playlist of songs that are meant to be listened to with each chapter.
It’s definitely one of the best books of 2022. My Review of Reverse.
Good Girl Complex
by Elle Kennedy
Mackenzie Cabot is a people pleaser, which is exhausting, when all she wants to do is focus on growing her internet business.
First, she must get a college degree at her parents’ insistence which means mingling with the wealthy students of Garnet College.
Twenty-year-old Mac has had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested.
But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home.
New adult romance fans are singing the praises of Kennedy’s latest book which kicks off a brand-new series, Avalon Bay.
This Booktok recommendation is great for Kennedy fans and those who like romances set during the college years.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler
by Casey McQuiston
After Chloe Green’s moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and the puritanical administration of Willowgrove Christian Academy.
The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny.
But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.
On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush.
The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her.
Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too.
Casey McQuiston’s debut novel, Red, White and Royal Blue is still a popular Booktok recommendation, but her 2022 release is also making the rounds.
While still exploring LGBTQ+ characters, McQuiston’s new release is a young adult romance that is funny, frank and about finding love in unexpected places.
Part of Your World
by Abby Jimenez
After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down.
The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.
While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis is fine with being a “mere” ER doctor.
Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.
Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either.
With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?
If you’re looking for an age gap romance on Booktok, then you’ve found your perfect recommendation.
Plus, it’s a great opposites attract story between this surgeon and carpenter, country boy and city girl that honestly had me at baby goat. 😊
Weather Girl
by Rachel Lynn Soloman
Ari Abrams loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist.
Only her boss is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants.
The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer.
In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues.
Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.
This Booktok recommendation reminds me of the movie, Set It Up which is also about two colleagues trying to deal with their boss’s relationship problems.
Soloman wowed me with her previous office romance, The Ex Talk, so I can only imagine that she brings the same great writing to this romance set in a TV (versus radio) world.
A Brush With Love
by Mazey Eddings
Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan.
A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does.
Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules and be “just friends.”
But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can’t risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.
I love the diversity of this Booktok recommendation for 2022 where love is found between dental students.
I admit that this setting will be a first for me as I don’t think I’ve read a romance with oral surgeons but I’m down.
A Perfect Equation
by Elizabeth Everett
Six years ago, Miss Letitia Fenley made a mistake, and she’s lived with the consequences ever since.
Readying herself to compete for the prestigious Rosewood Prize for Mathematics, she is suddenly asked to take on another responsibility—managing Athena’s Retreat, a secret haven for England’s women scientists.
Lord William Hughes, the Viscount Greycliff cannot afford to make any mistakes. His lifelong dream of becoming the director of a powerful clandestine agency is within his grasp.
As Grey and Letty are forced to work together, their mutual dislike turns to admiration and eventually to something… magnetic.
When faced with the possibility that Athena’s Retreat will close forever, they must make a choice.
Will Grey turn down a chance to change history, or can Letty get to the root of the problem and prove that love is the ultimate answer?
I love how historical romance is getting some love on Booktok this year. Especially one that highlights women scientists at a time that they couldn’t freely complete their work.
Make sure to add this 2022 Booktok recommendation to your TBR list and check out the previous book in The Secret Scientists of London series.
The American Roommate Experience
by Elena Armas
Rosie Graham has a few problems. Her secret new career as a romance writer has stalled and the ceiling of her apartment just collapsed.
At least one problem can be solved by using her friend Lina’s spare key, unaware that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas.
Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue, offering to let Rosie stay with him and then proposing a series of experimental dates meant to jump-start her romantic inspiration.
Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly, online crush is totally under control—but Lucas’s time in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough, for either her or her deadline.
With Armas’ runaway hit from 2021 still making the rounds on Booktok, it’s no surprise that her second novel would become another must-read Booktok recommendation this year.
This book has it all – from romance writer, secret crush, experimental dates, forced proximity, and some cameos from our favorite characters in The Spanish Love Deception!
Love on the Brain
by Ali Hazelwood
Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do?
If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project, Marie would accept without hesitation.
But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way.
But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle.
But now she seems to see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes.
But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
Booktok readers are definite fans of STEM-focused romance books which is why Hazelwood’s second novel has become a Booktok recommendation for 2022.
If you have a hankering for romance books with smart, witty heroines, then this is a must-read as are all of Ali Hazelwood’s books.
Wicked Beauty
by Katee Robert
Achilles Kallis may have been born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into Olympus’ inner circle.
Now that a coveted role has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it, he and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning.
Neither expect infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize, or for the complicated fire that burns the moment she looks their way.
Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition effectively vying for her own hand in marriage.
Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her disposed of than lead the city.
The only people she can trust are the ones she can’t keep her hands off—Achilles and Patroclus.
But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield?
Robert’s third book in her Neon Gods series is now a Booktok favorite, just like the first two in the series.
If you love poly romances with great character development, then you’ll love this story of Helen, Achilles and Patroclus. My Review of Wicked Beauty.
So This is Ever After
by F.T. Lukens
Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler.
With the king gone, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower – only she is gone too.
Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.
With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions.
But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.
This is another popular MM romance that Booktok readers are fanning over this year.
If you’re looking for a fun, cute, queer romcom then this young adult romance is the choice for you.
Related Book Lists:
Grab Your Copy of the Booktok Journal
Every #Booktok fan needs the Booktok Journal which is part reading tracker, reading planner, and reading journal in one! Plus, it comes with a list of popular books on Booktok.
