Goodreads' Top 15 Most Read Romance Books Of 2026 (So Far), Ranked By Reviews

There's never been a better time to indulge in a romance novel, because they've never been more popular. Circana claimed romance book print sales rose 24% in the U.S. from June 2024 to June 2025, with an impressive 51 million romance novels sold in the 12 month period. And readers have shown no signs of breaking up with their love stories anytime soon. Peruse Goodreads' Most Read Books This Year and you'll see just how heavily invested the world is in steamy stories in 2026.

But with romance taking over bookshelves, knowing which one to add to your TBR list can feel as chaotic as a last minute speed dating session. So, to help you shoot your Cupid's arrow toward a dreamy tale you won't want to put down, we ranked Goodreads' 15 most read romance books of 2026 according to its Most Read Books This Year list. We used Goodreads reviews and reader ratings out of 5.0 and ranked our findings in descending order.

At the time of writing, Emily Henry's "People We Meet on Vacation" has a 3.84 score from over 1.9 million ratings. Our story follows Poppy and Alex, who have been best friends since college, despite being total opposites. They used to take a summer vacation together every year, but one trip two years ago saw them have a major fallout and they haven't been in contact since. When Poppy's life takes a sad turn though, she knows the only way she can move forward is if she reconnects with Alex and convinces him to take one last vacation with her. But her last-ditch attempt to save their friendship may just turn into something more... 

One reviewer underscored that the fictional tale is one of Henry's most iconic rom-com books by comparing it to classic movies like "When Harry Met Sally" and "One Day." Another wrote, "The romantic tension between Alex and Poppy was just so well done I was sold on them as a couple almost immediately." A third praised Henry's writing style, sharing, "Her writing is simple and captivating and there are no flowery euphemisms and still it made me feel every emotion."

"Great Big Beautiful Life," the second Emily Henry book on our ranking, scored just higher than "People We Meet on Vacation" with 3.95 from over 851,400 ratings at the time of writing. It introduces us to two writers with very different styles; Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson. They meet when they're asked to compete to write the life story of a woman claiming to be the famous heiress Margaret Ives, who hasn't been seen in public in years. Margaret drip feeds different parts of her life to the duo separately and tells them they can't converse about her story. But as the two start to question what's actually going on, it seems they're writing a story of their own — an epic romance.

"The writing style in is undeniably engaging, drawing the reader into the story with a seamless blend of wit, emotional depth, and vivid description," wrote one reader of one of the highest rated romance picks from Reese Witherspoon's Reese's Book Club. Another praised the entwined mystery and romance elements, while a third shared, "I really enjoyed the natural pacing of both the bond forming between alice and hayden and also of their own personal growth."

"Brimstone" by Callie Hart is the first romance story in our ranking to cross the 4.0 out of 5.0 threshold. It has a score of 4.03 from over 373,300 ratings at the time of writing. The vampire romanantisy (that's romance and fantasy) and second in Hart's "Fae and Alchemy" series continues Saeris Fane's story as she's crowned queen of the Blood Court. She knows she needs to return home to her family and her people, but she's not strong enough to make the treacherous journey. That's where Kingfisher comes in. He and Saeris have to team up to achieve their shared goal of taking care of their people — and their close proximity leads to some spicy scenes.

"Omg the romance. I love the chemistry between Kingfisher and Saeris," one reader wrote, while another gushed over how well Hart managed to balance bringing new characters and plotlines into the already established world. A third shared of the sizzling romance plot, "The tension between them is electric, from the teasing banter to the moments where his devotion seeps into every line, he's utterly hers, and he makes sure you know it."

"The Wedding People" by Alison Espach has a 4.06 score at the time of writing from more than 1.3 million ratings. The romantic fiction book is set in Rhode Island as a large wedding party rolls into town. Phoebe Stone finds herself in the midst of the happy couple's celebrations, only she's not a guest and is alone after a difficult split with her husband. Phoebe took the trip with less than with the best intentions amid her life implosion, but she soon develops an unexpected bond with the bride that makes her question her choices. The two swap stories about their lives and romances and develop a close bond as the bride prepares to tie the knot.

"I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a well written, fun and relatable novel with characters you can relate to," one reader shared of the Read With Jenna Book Club pick that's great on audio. "This is a carefully, tenderly drawn story with substance out the wazoo," a second reader wrote, while another reviewer highlighted how the novel helped them better understand their own love life.

"A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas narrowly missed out on the top 10 in our ranking due to its 4.15 score from more than 4.5 million ratings. The first book in the romantasy series of the same name (also known as "ACOTAR"), introduces us to Feyre, who gets captured in a magical land by a faerie named Tamlin. Though the twosome's relationship starts with contempt, as they spend more time together, Feyre comes to realize the things she's been told about the faerie people may not be true. But, as serious feelings develop between the two, their love story is hindered by the fact that time is running out to save Tamlin and his people.

"The romance was borderline new adult which I loved but it was also greatly paced. The plot was so well thought out and executed as well," one reader wrote of the "Beauty and the Beast"-esque novel. "I loved the world, the politics, the romance, and all the characters. The ending had me on the edge of my seat," shared a second. It's no surprise then that readers can't stop buying this book series on Amazon.

"The Deal" by Elle Kennedy is the first in the "Off Campus" book series (which became a popular TV show) and follows Hannah Wells' love life. Determined to get the attention of her crush, she makes a deal with her school's handsome hockey player Garrett Graham. The two agree to fake a romance on the condition that Hannah (or Wellsy as he calls her) tutors him. But what starts as a transactional showmance soon gets very real. The YA romance landed just inside the top 10 thanks to its 4.18 score from over 1.3 million ratings at the time of writing.

"The highlight of this story is definitely the interactions and chemistry between hannah and garrett. their banter is relatable and i actually believed the feelings between them," one reader shared. Another compared one of the best sports romance books for your next read to 2000s rom-coms, while a third wrote that they enjoyed the plot even though it wasn't the most original concept. "Their slow-build relationship was very well done in my opinion. I just loved how everything progressed between them," they wrote.

Sarah J. Maas' second entry on our ranking is "Throne of Glass," the first in her series of the same name. It has amassed more than 2.6 million ratings for a 4.18 score at the time of writing. The young adult romantasy introduces us to assassin Celaena Sardothien, who is determined to fight for her freedom to become the king's champion. She's given the option to fight by Dorian, The Crown Prince, and his Captain of the Guard, Chaol, and their involvement in her life makes for one steamy love triangle. 

One reader highlighted the fantasy novel's deep suspense while noting, "The romance and the action collide beautifully together, and the writing style is also perfect." Another shared praise for the book's rollercoaster romance and wrote, "There is love interest in a most delicate and innocent way. I highly recommend [...] if you like magic, love interests, mystery and a strong female lead."

Lily King's "Heart the Lover" has been rated more than 411,700 times for its 4.19 score. The story is told via a narrator known only as Jordan, who dives into an epic love story. They recall meeting two classmates, Sam and Yash, who start their relationship as friends before young love blossoms. The book then jumps forward in time by several decades when the unnamed narrator is married and has children, only for someone to walk back into their life and change everything.

"This story is raw, tender, and honest and takes us through three decades of the narrator's life," wrote one reader. "What stands out most is how honestly the book handles the long shadow of early relationships," another shared, pointing out the book delves into how deeply romantic relationships, both old and new, affect our lives.

Rebecca Yarros' "Onyx Storm" amassed a 4.21 score from over 1.88 million ratings at the time of writing. The book is the third from Yarros' "The Empyrean" series and one of Yarros' best books (so far) when ranked by reviews. It focuses on Violet Sorrengail as she continues her time at Basgiath War College. Amid her latest adventure to protect the mythical city of Navarre and find people willing to fight for her home, it becomes increasingly clear that her steamy love story with fellow dragon rider Xaden Riorson can't be tamed.

"SO much expansion on the world building and lore of the continents, so many answered questions, the banter was TOP NOTCH, as was the romance," wrote one reader. A second also complimented Yarros' ability to further flesh out world she created while sharing their lust for Xadan. "There was so much happening and it had me stressing, screaming, crying, giggling. The angst, the romance, the dragons and the plot were all on the mark for me," they wrote.

"Heated Rivalry" from Rachel Reid has seen renewed success thanks to the hugely popular TV adaptation. Shane Hollander is a keen hockey player who is determined to win on the ice, but he finds himself distracted by his arch rival Ilya Rozanov. There's a thin line between love and hate though, and the two can't help but give into their burning sexual tension. They know coming clean about their romance could have a detrimental impact on their sporting careers though, so they decide to keep things underwraps. But, there comes a point where they have no choice but to come clean. The book has a 4.25 score from more than 441,700 ratings at the time of writing.

One reader praised how well Reid played on the enemies to lovers trope. Another shared, "The writing style was fantastic. I had to re-read some dialogues, they were so delicious." A third touched on how steamy some of the romance scenes were, writing, "I loved their slow emotional progress, their backstory and the way their relationship was built."

In Clare Leslie Hall's "Broken Country," happily married couple Beth and Frank seem to have the perfect life. But things start to unravel when Gabriel Wolfe, Beth's teenage boyfriend, comes back into the picture. Beth and Gabriel have to learn how to be around each other again as they discover they live in very close proximity. This forces Beth to analyze her life and the decisions she's made since she and her ex-boyfriend parted ways all those years ago. The fictional release, one of the most heartbreaking reads from Reese Witherspoon's Reese's Book Club, has a 4.27 score from more than 684,300 ratings at the time of writing.

One reviewer was full of praise for the romance novel's storytelling and themes. "Gripping and atmospheric, with a perfect mix of love, mystery, and tension," they wrote. "This evocative and heartbreaking story is layered with two timelines and themes of love, loss, and the consequences of choices made," another shared, while pointing out how much they enjoyed the shorter chapters that kept the story moving.

"One Golden Summer" by Carley Fortune has a 4.28 score from over 579,600 ratings at the time of writing. The beach read focuses on Alice's special summer with her grandmother. Alice has planned for some quiet downtime as her grandmother recovers from a fall, but that plan is ruined when Charlie Florek comes into her life. Soon, the protagonist finds herself falling for the guy she had a chance encounter with two years earlier, even though she'd prefer not to give in to his charms.

The second novel in the "Barry's Bay" series and one of the best fiction books of 2025 was compared to the TV show and Jenny Han book series "The Summer I Turned Pretty" by one reviewer. Another reader wrote, "It's very readable, very atmospheric, and hits that balance between light and reflective without getting too heavy." A second shared, "I adored their intense friends-to-lovers romance so much that I'm rounding my 4.5 stars up to a full 5."

"Quicksilver" by Callie Hart is the first in the "Fae and Alchemy" collection and took silver in our ranking. It pulls us into Saeris Fane's world as she discovers she has magical powers. While dealing with the life changing revelation, she finds herself connected to a Fae warrior named Kingfisher, who's desperate to use Saeris' powers to save his people. The two don't get along at first but they know they're each other's only hope for survival, and romance soon blossoms under the darkest of circumstances. The fantasy love story with a little action has a 4.30 score at the time of writing from more than 985,900 ratings.

"THE ROMANCE!!!! You can feel the chemistry oozing out of the pages. The banter between Saeris and Fisher is chefs f**king kiss, the tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife," wrote one reader. Another drew attention to the protagonists' intense chemistry and wrote, "The love story is a slow burn, and I get the feeling that we only just get a taste of the epicness to come for these two, but I loved watching them come together."

"Atmosphere" by Taylor Jenkins Reid tells the story of Joan Goodwin, a woman determined to become an astronaut. She joins a NASA program alongside a group of similar minded people with the same big goal. Amongst her newfound work friendships, she finds herself deeply attracted to Vanessa and the two embark on a secret love story while working side by side. At the time of writing, the book has been rated more than 976,300 times and boasts an average score of 4.32.

One reviewer wrote of Joan and Vanessa, "Their love story was so beautiful, full of heart and hope. They were perfect together, they understood and complimented each other so well." Others were complimentary of the fictional novel's pacing, while another Goodreads user stated, "The love story, the talk of the galaxy, the relationship between Frances & Joan — it was beautiful. This book made me feel SO MUCH."

"Iron Flame" by Rebecca Yarros, the second "The Empyrean" book, has officially bested its fellow romance novels in 2026. In this sequel, protagonist Violet Sorrengail is back, and so is her deep-rooted passion for Xanden Riorson. As Violet continues her dragon rider training, she's put in a heart-wrenching position when the brutal new vice commandant at the school seems determined to tear her and Xanden apart. Can their romance survive outside interference? The gripping tale has captivated readers, with a 4.36 score on GoodReads and over 2.8 million ratings at the time of writing.

"The romance. The spice. The action. The plot twists. The drama. The reveals. The writing. PERFECT," wrote one impressed reader. A second claimed this installment made them fall more in love with Violet and Xanden than the first book, while a third noted, "The push and pull of Violet and Xaden's relationship is the main focus of a lot of this book, which left me both frustrated and captivated."

To curate this list, we looked to Goodreads' Most Read Books This Year at the time of writing. We narrowed our selection to novels that had a love story as a central theme and romance listed as its primary genre. We then ranked each release according to its Goodreads rating out of 5.0, with the larger scores ranking higher. In instances where two books had the same score, the book with more ratings got the higher position. If you're looking for even more books on love, check out our roundup of the best romance book for you based on your zodiac sign.