5 Romance Books About Writers To Read ASAP

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In the wonderful world of romance novels, there's a special niche of romances about writers themselves. These delightful treasures provide a glimpse into the careers of authors while offering all of the other savory tidbits that make romance novels so addictive. There's the developing attraction, conflict, the overcoming of obstacles, and the final coming together in love. When one or both characters are writers, the plot thickens in deliciously literary ways. There are the tensions and anguish of the writer's life. There are rich elements of storytelling that get embedded into the book itself. The characters tend to be brainier, since they're writers, adding that romantic element of a meeting of the minds. 

For those devoted to certain authors, the good news is that many of these cult-favorites use the writer's trope again and again. For instance, Jasmine Guillory's "By the Book" is part of the series "Meant To Be," so for those who fall in love with that story, there's more where that came from. The writing factor is just one example of why we love this genre so much. It contains multitudes. There are romance books set in the fall to give you all the cozy feels. There are witchy romance books perfect for your fall TBR list. And there are the best contemporary romance books of the 2020s for those who don't like historical romances. There's truly something for everyone, and for those who love characters wielding a wordsword, there are romance novels to scratch that itch.      

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegmund-Broka's co-written romance novel "The Roughest Draft" is a unique approach to a story about writers. Rich with alternating points of view, the novel moves back and forth between protagonists Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen. Both are working writers who'd collaborated in the past but had a falling out. However, Freeling and Van Huysen are forced to work together one more time, on a fated and as-of-yet incomplete manuscript, thrusting them back into each other's orbit.

"The Roughest Draft" is a fun play on literary rivalries diffused by love. The novel is full of elements writers will recognize: literary angst, writer's block, publishing deadlines, and more. These key components are what made it so enjoyable for readers. "I love reading about writers or anything connected to books and reading," one reviewer wrote on Goodreads. "[I] don't know what it is, but there is something about romance stories about authors using their writing as an outlet/parallel for their feelings," another added. "[It's] such a niche trope, but man, it gets me every time." In fact, the literary themes were so strong that another reader warned future readers about them. "You absolutely MUST be interested in the ART of writing to enjoy this one," a third chimed in. Clearly, the fact that "The Roughest Draft" was a romance between two writers only amplified the story. 

"Meet Me in the Margins" is a sweet romance by Melissa Ferguson, all about Savannah Cade, who is secretly writing a romance novel while working as an editor for a publishing house that frowns on the genre, especially the CEO's handsome son, William. Savannah brings her manuscript to work and has to hide it in a secret room at her office to avoid getting caught. When Savannah returns for her manuscript later, she discovers that the margins are full of editorial notes. Another publishing house expresses interest in her work, and Savannah soon becomes dependent on the critically smart feedback from this mysterious reader. Sure enough, it's a love match waiting to happen. 

What makes "Meet Me in the Margins" so compelling is its dual tropes of a workplace love story while being a book about books. This is precisely what people loved about Ferguson's story. "I FLEW through the pages, soaking up every little bit of publishing/bookish magic that was presented!" a happy reader wrote on Goodreads. People particularly loved the writerly character working in publishing, and how it was layered with details for bibliophiles. "Sooo the book revolves around books ... books ... books ... WINNING! How could I not love this?!" another commented. "I didn't know what to expect of this book, but come on. Books? Publishing? Editing? Margins??? Yes, please!" a third noted. Clearly, it was super special to dive into all of those fun, writerly details. 

Tia Williams's novel "Seven Days in June" has it all going on. The love story features two writers, Eva Mercy and Shane Hall, where Eva writes erotica while Shane is a literary star. They connect at an event as adults, but their secret is that back when they were teenagers, the two spent a passionate week together, and then never saw each other again. Best of all, the two have been pining for this romance for decades, expressing their yearning through their writing over the years. 

Williams's novel is deeply compelling for those who love to read about writers. The romance of the story is literally embedded in their literary work, so the layering is rich and deep. It was so good that Reese's Book Club chose the novel as its June 2021 book of the month, and Reese herself raved about the novel in a video. "I think what is so amazing is that it's about having a second chance at your first love," Witherspoon said. The story is messy, heartbreaking, healing, and romantic all at once. And the fact that it's two writers weaving their broken hearts into their writing makes it that much more compelling.

Jasmine Guillory's "By the Book" is a romantic story of Isabelle, who works at a publishing house, and famed author Beau Towers. Isabelle is disillusioned with her career and uninspired by the realities of the publishing world, until she overhears at work one day that the legendary Beau Towers hasn't turned in his latest manuscript. She concocts a plan to show up at his home in Santa Barbara to encourage him to finish it and do what she can to help move it along. Unexpectedly, Beau is much more brooding and complicated than Isabelle imagined, and the two find themselves needing each other in unexpected ways.

The best news is that "By the Book" is part of the "Meant To Be" series, so readers who love Guillory's writing can immerse themselves in more of these stories. This is certainly a comfort for the world of BookTok, a community that became absolutely obsessed with "By the Book." One fan explained that the novel is a recreation of "Beauty and the Beast," except it's about a writer and a publishing assistant. Still, the magic of writerly characters gets wrapped up in a fairytale.  

Staci Hart's "Work in Progress" is a marriage of convenience story between avid reader and book blogger Amelia and legendary author Thomas Bane. Thomas needs help with his new book, and when Amelia meets him at a book signing, they connect over his writer's block and her love of literature. He needs a brutal critic and editor, and Amelia takes on that role. Their slow-burning love story is built on a writerly narrative, so for book lovers, this novel is everything. 

Readers on Goodreads were wild for Hart's romance novel. "'Work in Progress' is a sweet, swoony, smile-inducing escape from reality. I mean, a sudden marriage to a wealthy, infamous, sexy-as-sin writer who desperately needs you for his muse??" one reader wrote. "'Work in Progress' was poetic and beautiful. It was funny, heartfelt and sexy. Everything that Staci is known for," another added. Best of all, people loved the fact that Thomas was a writer. "Thomas Bane may seem a notorious bad boy but damn. That couldn't be more wrong. He is the goodest, most caring man you'll read. And he freaking writes," a third commented. "Work in Progress" is the third book in Hart's "Red Lipstick Coalition" series, so there's more where this came from. 

This collection of romance novels about writers was carefully chosen through several different criteria. We chose this list by gathering romance novels where at least one of the lead characters was a writer. In cases like "Seven Days in June" and "The Roughest Draft," both main characters were writers. In this way, the plights and struggles of the writer came to the forefront of the story, enriching the romance and adding juicy details to the plot. But each romance novel about writers on our list is different; some feature a heroine writer. Others tell the story of a hero writer who falls in love with an avid reader. In some cases, both characters write. The bottom line is that writing is a central theme. 

We also chose novels that made a bit of a splash, so that readers can add these to their TBR list and know that the books will be worth the time it takes to get through them. "Seven Days in June" was a Reese's Book Club pick, while Staci Hart's "Work in Progress" was part of a beloved series of romance novels. Meanwhile, "Meet Me in the Margins" had the excitement of a heroine who had to write in secret. Each book offers something unique.