22 New Romance Books Coming in 2022 That You Can’t Miss
Queue up your reading list with these most anticipated, new romance books to read in 2022.
This book list gives you 22 must read new romance books releasing in 2022 that you cannot miss. I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on these new romance book releases for 2022 and I know you’ll love them too.
*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you love romance books as much as I do, you only want to read the best of the best.
After reading so many amazing books in 2021, I’m so excited to turn my sights to 2022 and all the new romance book releases that are to come.
The start of the year always brings with it a new sense of excitement in thinking about:
- Which books will stand out as the best romance novels of 2022?
- What new author will I discover this year?
- Who will become my new, favorite book boyfriends and how many will I meet?
But let’s be real. There are SO many romance books that release each and every year that it can also be a bit overwhelming.
I don’t want a single great read to pass me by which is why I’m always on top of upcoming new releases and publish my most anticipated new romance book releases posts each and every month.
But let’s take a closer look at 2022 as a whole and see which new romance book releases I consider to be THE best romance books to read this year that you cannot miss.
Several of the must read romance books on this list are from my most favorite authors or authors who have caught my eye in recent years with a new book that just knocked my socks off.
Genres and Tropes Highlighted in 2022’s Must Read Romance Books
While I do have my favorite romance book tropes and sub-categories of storylines, I am a true lover of all things romance.
This book list of new romance books to read in 2022 will appeal to many a romance book reader no matter your taste in the genre because there is so much variety to choose from.
Whether you like second chance romances, romance retellings, MM romance, romantic comedies, or enemies to lovers books to name a few, 2022’s new romance book releases have something for you!
One topic of interest that runs through several of these books is the theme of book lovers. I love when authors write about book editors or authors or fellow book lovers falling in love. If you do too, then there are several new releases you’re going to want to read in 2022.
Don’t Miss a Single 2022 New Romance Book Release
While I’ve given you 22 new romance books to read in 2022 (and even more in my list of upcoming new romance book releases), I want to make sure that you don’t forget them in the months ahead.
My solution? The Romance Book Reading Journal.
The Romance Book Reading Journal is the perfect place for you to keep track of all of the must read romance books you hope to devour this year.
This printable journal has so many options for you to track and plan the books you want to read in 2022, including:
- To Read List
- New Releases Not to Miss
- Book Recommendations Tracker,
- Monthly Reading Tracker,
- And over 75 more pages!
Grab your own copy of the Journal so you never miss an upcoming release.
Ready to dive in?
Get your TBR list ready to add 22 must read romance books releasing in 2022.
After checking out my list, be sure to let me know which romance book YOU are you most excited to read in 2022 in the comments below.
January’s Most Anticipated New Romance Book Releases
Electric Idol
by Katee Robert
A Modern, Greek Mythology Retelling
Releasing January 18
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.
I thoroughly enjoyed Robert’s Goodreads Choice Awards nominee, Neon Gods, and let me just say that this second book in the series is even better. This modern retelling of Psyche and Eros is H-O-T and sure to be one of the best romance books of 2022. I highly recommend this second book in the Neon Gods series.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
The Best Men
by Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely
An Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract, MM Romance
Releasing January 25
My sister is rushing into a marriage and instead of stopping it, I’m left to plan the wedding and share a too-small guesthouse in steamy Miami with the other best man. Three days in the sun with the charming former athlete who likes to push my buttons? Fine, two can play at that let’s-infuriate-each-other game.
Until Asher ups the stakes with one wild suggestion. A no-strings fling, then I go back to my single dad life in New York, and he returns to his star-studded one.
But the more nights I spend with the other best man, the more I want days too, and that just can’t happen. Especially when I find out the real reason why.
If these two ladies are teaming up for an MM romance, I am so there! I cannot wait to see what they have in store for these best men but I know it’s going to be steamy.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
Something Fabulous
by Alexis Hall
A Historical MM Romance
Releasing January 25
Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has twin problems: literally. It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, a marriage of convenience will not do for the romantic and she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on Valentine again.
Despite copious misgivings, Valentine finds himself on a pell-mell chase to Dover with Arabella’s twin brother, Bonny, by his side. But being with him makes Valentine question everything he thought he knew. About himself. About love. Even about which Tarleton he should be pursuing.
A historical MM romance by Hall? Yes, please! I cannot wait to see how the character arc of Valentine unfolds as his feelings for Bonny become apparent. Gah! It’s going to be so good. I have a feeling Hall is going to deliver one of the best romance novels of 2022.
Amazon | Goodreads
Running Wild
by K.A. Tucker
A Contemporary Romance Set in Alaska
Releasing January 25
Veterinarian Marie Lehr knows unrequited love all too well after pining for her best friend, only to watch him marry another woman. It’s a mistake she will never make again, especially not when she can practically hear the clock ticking on her childbearing years.
The trouble is, she can’t seem to find anyone who appeals to her even a fraction as much as that burly bush pilot did. And yet, competitive musher Tyler Brady seems to spark feelings beyond annoyance after their initial, heated meeting.
While volunteering at the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Marie discovers that first impressions may have been false, and her attraction to Tyler is very real. But his heart belongs to someone else, leaving him with nothing to offer but friendship. Marie’s been down this road before and knows how that ends. Yet, no matter how hard she works to keep from falling for Tyler, it seems she’s doomed to follow her own trail once again.
All I had to hear was that there was another book coming in the Wild series and I’m sold. The fact that we get Marie’s love story and see her finally get a happy-ever-after? I’m in heaven and counting down the days for this new romance book of 2022!
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
The Roughest Draft
by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
An Enemies to Lovers Romance
Releasing January 25
Three years ago, Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen were the brightest literary stars on the horizon, their cowritten books topping bestseller lists. But on the heels of their greatest success, they ended their partnership on bad terms, for reasons neither would divulge to the public. They haven’t spoken since, and never planned to, except they have one final book due on contract.
Forced to reunite, they’re holed up in the tiny Florida town where they wrote their previous book, trying to finish a new manuscript quickly and painlessly. Working through the reasons they’ve hated each other for the past three years isn’t easy, especially not while writing a romantic novel.
I just love romance books about writers and this one sounds so compelling. I do love a good enemies to lovers book, especially one that also draws on the forced proximity trope. This will be my first read by these authors and I cannot wait to read this new release in 2022.
Amazon | Goodreads
February’s Most Anticipated New Romance Book Releases
Group Therapy
by B.B. Easton
A Forbidden Romance, Romantic Comedy
Releasing February 1
I amso close to finally becoming a full-fledged psychologist, but my supervisor is holding out on my letter of recommendation. I’m tasked with curing our most-prized client’s writer’s block in time for him to meet his insane deadline. Only said client just so happens to be Thomas O’Reardon, the wickedly brilliant, achingly beautiful, devastatingly British best-selling author I may have a slight crush on.
So, when Thomas casually asks me out at the end of a therapy session, I’m forced to make an impossible choice: say yes and risk losing my dream job, or say no and risk losing my dream guy. In a panic, I blurt out a third option—group therapy.
OMG this book sounds hilarious. And the fact that BB Easton is writing it, I know it will be. It’s been too long since she released a new romance book, and I can only imagine what aspects from her own life as a psychologist will make it into the pages. This is a must read for 2022!
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
Count Your Lucky Stars
by Alexandria Bellefleur
A LGBTQ, Friends to Lovers Rom-Com
Releasing February 1
Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. But when she comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything, she’s not so sure about that stance.
Olivia must be hallucinating. Never in a million years did the wedding planner expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.
When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. But will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?
Bellefleur wrote one of my most favorite lesbian romance books in Written in the Stars, and I hope she delivers another with this one. I love a good second chance romance and Margot deserves a happily-ever-after in this must read romance of 2022.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
Meet Me in the Margins
by Melissa Ferguson
A Contemporary Romance
Releasing February 15
Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at Pennington Publishing, but she has two secrets she’s hiding. One: She’s writing a romance novel. Two: She’s discovered the Book Nook—a secret room in the publishing house where she finds inspiration for her “lowbrow” hobby.
After leaving her manuscript behind one afternoon, she returns to the nook only to discover someone has written notes in the margins. Savannah’s first response to the criticism is defensive, but events transpire that force her to admit that she needs the help of this shadowy editor after all.
As the notes take a turn for the romantic, and as Savannah’s madcap life gets more complicated than ever, she uses the process of elimination to identify her mysterious editor—only to discover that what she truly wants and what she should want just might not be the same.
Oh, I love a romance where the identity of one character is unknown but they fall in love anyway. This is also another book about a romance writer which is such a popular topic for 2022.
This will be my first book by Ferguson and I have high hopes it will be one of the best romance novels of the year.
Amazon | Goodreads
The Reunion
by Meghan Quinn
A Contemporary Romance with 6 Points of View
Releasing February 22
Martin and Peggy Chance believe love should last a lifetime. With their fiftieth wedding anniversary on the horizon, they’ve modeled a beautiful relationship for their three grown children. But to their dismay, that lesson hasn’t quite caught on—the three siblings just can’t seem to take a chance and find love in their own lives.
There’s Ford, the eldest, devoted to his work and resistant to romance…or so he claims. Cooper, the middle child, can’t get past his divorce—until he reconnects with a feisty baker from his past. And Palmer, the baby of the family, is the free-spirited world traveler who always pictured herself with someone other than a handsome small-town family doctor.
When the Chance siblings come together to plan the ultimate anniversary party for their parents, they’ll have to navigate romantic entanglements, sibling rivalries, and the definitive end of their childhood.
If Quinn is writing it, I’m reading it but I think she may outdo herself with this romance book that promises to give six points of view. Wow! That’s quite a few characters to fuel her hilarious banter that I’ve come to love in her books. She never fails to deliver one of the best romance books of the year.
Amazon | Goodreads
March’s Most Anticipated New Romance Book Releases
Hook, Line and Sinker
by Tessa Bailey
A Friends to Lovers Romance
Releasing March 1
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.
Bailey’s first book in this series, It Happened One Summer, was one of my favorite romance books of 2021 so I jumped at the chance to read an early, advanced reader copy of this one.
It did not disappoint and will definitely be one of my favorite romance novels of 2022. Hannah and Fox’s love story is wonderfully sweet and emotional. A must read for all romance readers this year!
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
The War of Two Queens
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A Fantasy Romance
Releasing March 15
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.
This book needs no blurb for it to be added to my most anticipated list because I’ve been waiting for it as soon as I finished Armentrout’s latest in the series. The Crown of Gilded Bones ended on quite a cliffhanger and I am just itching to get back to Casteel and Poppy’s fantastical world!
The books in this series consistently make the best romance books of the year lists and I’m sure this fantasy romance will too.
Amazon | Goodreads
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In a New York Minute
by Kate Spencer
An Opposites Attract Romance
Releasing March 15
Franny Doyle is having the worst day. She’s been laid off from her job, the subway doors ripped her favorite silk dress to ruins, and now she’s flashed her unmentionables to half of lower Manhattan. On the plus side, a dashing stranger came to her rescue with his suit jacket.
Now Franny and her knight-in-couture, Hayes Montgomery III, are the newest social media sensation despite being a disastrous match. Only the more they keep running into each other, the more they like each other’s company.
I find opposites attract romances adorable and this one sounds too cute to pass up. I hope to be shipping this couple so hard after reading this romance book!
Amazon | Goodreads
Beauty and the Baller
by Ilsa Madden-Mills
A Fake Relationship, Sports Romance
Releasing March 29
After losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident, NFL quarterback Ronan Smith falls into a pit of grief and bad choices. When a mysterious girl shows up to his party, he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night.
Fast-forward two years when Nova Morgan returns home to Blue Belle, Texas, and finds her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan, the shiny new football coach everyone adores. Her disastrous one-night stand.
The two begin fake dating to hold off those hoping to fix them up, but things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away.
It’s been way too long since I read a new Madden-Mills book so I’m counting down to this 2022 new release. She writes the best college sports romance books and second chance romances so this is sure to hit the spot.
Amazon | Goodreads
May’s Most Anticipated New Romance Book Releases
Book Lovers
by Emily Henry
A Contemporary Romance
Releasing May 3
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.
One of my most favorite romance books of 2021 was People We Meet on Vacation by Henry, so I cannot wait to read her latest release this year.
Her writing is just so, so good and I love her characters so I can’t wait to see what comes of these two book editors! Can she top last year and write another best romance book of 2022? I hope so!
Amazon | Goodreads
Never Been Kissed
by Timothy Janovsky
A New Adult, LGBTQIA+ Rom Com
Releasing May 3
Wren Roland has never been kissed, but he wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything. Feeling nostalgic on the eve of his birthday, he sends emails to all the boys he (ahem) loved before he came out. Morning brings the inevitable Oh God What Did I Do?, but he brushes that panic aside. Why stress about it? None of his could-have-beens are actually going to read the emails, much less respond. Right?
Enter Derick Haverford, Wren’s #1 pre-coming-out-crush and his drive-in theater’s new social media intern. Too bad he doesn’t feel the same way about the infamous almost-kiss that once rocked Wren’s world.
But as their hazy summer becomes consumed with a special project that may just save the struggling drive-in for good, Wren and Derick are drawn ever-closer…and maybe, finally, Wren’s dream of a perfect-kiss-before-the-credits is within reach.
I admit I’ve never read To All the Boys I Love Before, but I love the premise to this LBGTQIA+ romance that I’m sure will be a big hit this summer. I’m hoping it’s going to be a stand out MM romance for 2022.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
By the Book
by Jasmine Guillory
A Contemporary Romance
Releasing May 3
When she first began her career in publishing right out of college, Isabelle did not expect to be twenty-five, living at home, still an editorial assistant, and the only Black employee at her publishing house. So when she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to finally get the promotion she deserves.
But Izzy quickly finds out she is in over her head. Beau Towers is jaded and withdrawn and—it turns out—just as lost as Izzy. But despite his standoffishness, Izzy needs Beau to deliver, and with her encouragement, his story begins to spill onto the page.
They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected, and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn’t there before.
This looks to be an adorable, modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I’m so there. It’s also another romance featuring a book editor and author which is quite the theme for 2022’s new romance books.
Hopefully 2022 is the year I finally read a Guillory romance!
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
The Emma Project
by Sonali Dev
A Modern Retelling Romance
Releasing May 17
Vansh Raje is California’s hottest single. Add to that a doting family and a contagiously sunny disposition and Vansh has made it halfway through his twenties without ever facing anything to throw him off his admittedly spectacular game.
A couple years from turning forty, Knightlina (Naina) Kohli has just gotten out of a ten-year-long fake relationship with Vansh’s brother and wants only two things. One, to have nothing to do with the unfairly blessed Raje family ever again. Two, to bring economic independence to millions of women in South Asia through her microfinance foundation and prove her father wrong about, well, everything.
Just when Naina’s dream is about to come to fruition, Vansh Raje shows up with his misguided Emma Project… And suddenly she’s fighting him for funding and wondering if a friends-with-benefits arrangement that’s as toe-curlingly hot as it is fun is worth risking her life’s work for.
Emma is one of my most favorite romantic stories so I have high expectations for this modern retelling of one of Jane Austen’s classics with a great diverse twist!
Plus, it looks to have an age gap romance that I can totally get on board with, making this a most anticipated romance book of 2022.
Amazon | Goodreads
Something Wilder
by Christina Lauren
A Contemporary Romance
Releasing May 17
Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah.
Now she’s forced to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Leo Grady wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.
But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together.
Wow, Christina Lauren are pulling out all the stops in this unique romantic tale that looks to bring a bit of adventure and romance this summer.
I find all of their stories to be unique and fresh, so I am excited to see what this new romance book release brings in 2022.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
June’s Most Anticipated New Romance Book Releases
American Royalty
by Tracey Livesay
A Royal Romance
Releasing June 28
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 their 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?
I LOVE how Livesay is using the real-life romance between Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle as inspiration for her 2022 new romance book release. The fact that her heroine is a daring American rapper is icing on the cake.
I cannot wait to check it out and hope it’s one of the best romance books of the summer and 2022.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
July’s Most Anticipated New Romance Book Releases
For You and No One Else
by Roni Loren
A Contemporary Romance
Releasing July 5
Eliza Catalano has the perfect life. So what if it actually looks nothing like the story she tells online? As a therapist, it’s part of her job to look like she has all the answers, right? But when Eliza ends up as a viral “Worst Date Ever” meme, everything in her Instagram-filtered world begins to crumble.
Enter the most obnoxiously attractive man she’s ever met, and a bet she can’t resist: if she swears off social media for six months, Beck Carter’ll teach her the wonders of surviving the “real world.” No technology, no dating apps, no pretty filters, no BS.
It seems like the perfect deal—but something about Beck’s raw honesty speaks to Eliza in ways she never expected. She knows he’s supposed to be completely hands-off…but as complex feelings grow and walls come tumbling down, rough-around-the-edges Beck may be exactly what Eliza needs to finally, truly face herself—and decide who she really wants to be.
I’ve loved each book in this romance series by Loren, including Yes & I Love You, so I cannot wait to read this next new release. Her characters always come across as real and authentic and deserving of the sweetest happily ever afters.
As soon as it was announced, this new romance book release was added to my TBR pile.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
August’s Most Anticipated New Romance Book Releases
Husband Material
by Alexis Hall
An MM Romance
Releasing August 2
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.
Oh man, I have a feeling this is going to be a big hit of the year given the success of Boyfriend Material. Luc and Oliver are complete opposites who found a way to be honest with one another and find love in the process.
But I love how this romance books follows the couple after they fall in love. Another most anticipated MM romance book of 2022.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
A Cosmic Kind of Love
by Samantha Young
A Contemporary Romance with an Astronaut
Releasing October 18
When event planner Hallie Goodman receives party-inspiration material from the bride of her latest wedding project, the last thing she expects to find in the files are digital videos from Darcy’s ex-boyfriend, an astronaut on the International Space Station.
She really shouldn’t watch them but it’s not long until she starts sending e-mails and video diaries to his discontinued NASA address. Since they’re bouncing back, there’s no way anyone will ever be able to see them…right?
Christopher Ortiz is readjusting to life on earth and being constantly in the shadow of his deceased older brother. When a friend from NASA’s IT department forwards him the e-mails and video messages Hallie has sent, he can’t help but notice how much her sense of humor and pink hair make his heart race.
Separated by screens, Hallie and Chris are falling in love with each other, one transmission at a time. But can they make their star-crossed romance work when they each learn the other’s baggage?
OMG this new romance book sounds SO cute. I love the unique story set up for these characters and I have a feeling Young is going to knock it out of the park with this one. I hope it turns out to be one of the best romance books of 2022 for me.
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