On The Sunny Side #13 Confessions of a Reformed Rom-Com Cynic
The books that changed my mind
On The Sunny Side is a weekly round-up where I share a few sunny things that have brightened my days, what I’m reading, watching, and obsessing over too.
Alright the title of this post is mostly sass, but at the same time it’s not. Rom-com’s and I have had a turbulent relationship over the years. I went through long stretches of not picking up any rom-coms to devouring more than twenty-plus titles last year. My struggle to find “the-one(s)” that work for me stemmed from reading popular rom-com titles everyone told me I should be reading, and *shocker* not loving them. I finally found my perfect match. What works for me. And boy has it filled my reading life with the most wonderous giggles-slash-feet-kicking-endorphins.
Today, in honor of Valentine’s/Galentine’s weekend, I’m sharing the ten rom-com books that made me fall back in love with the genre.
Before that here is what I look for in a rom-com:
Closed-door or low to medium spice
Set in London, Chicago/Midwest (more books set in Chicago, pls!), or a small town
Witty banter + good writing
Great side characters
Strong found-family or familial ties
Themes of finding oneself; ‘coming of age’
Okay, now let’s get to the books!
The one that started it all: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
In my humble opinion this is Henry’s pièce de résistance. A book that flips the typical romance tropes on it’s head and has us rooting for an unlikely heroine. You add a small town setting in the summer, a sister-relationship, a brooding thick eyebrowed editor ala Roy Kent and there you have it. My perfect book. I reread it last year and loved it just as much as the first go around, if not more. Henry is known to blend the romance genre into more of the literary territory and it works so well!
A platonic friendship story: The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
Okay, this one is definitely better described as litfic, however the themes of love and platonic friend-love is so strong that I had to include on this list! We’ve got an Irish setting, a messy character finding her way in her early twenties. It reminded me of the friendships in my early twenties and how they were way more precious to me than any guy in my life! I’ve heard it’s fantastic on audio AND it’s just been picked up for an eight-part miniseries by the same producer as Normal People!
An unexcepted favorite: The Last Love Note by Emma Grey
I added this one to my Book of the Month box in late 2023 on a whim, and then it sat on my shelf untouched for three months. It wasn’t until I saw a friend I trust on bookstagram, rave about the audiobook, that I decided I’d give it a listen. And OH MY GOD! This was such an easy five-star rating for me. Firstly (and most importantly): the narrator is Australian. Love. LOVE! The story itself, a recently widowed mother rediscovering herself and love again gave me such strong P.S. I Love You vibes. So immersive and heart-wrenching and heart-warming. The best combo.
A When Harry Met Sally type of romp: One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin
There are a couple of When Harry Met Sally like books out there, and this one, knocks it out of the park. It doesn’t try to redo the story, but follows similar beats any Ephron fan would recognize. The story spans a decade and follows our two leads who are thrust together due to their married best-friends major life milestones. Equal parts romance, discovering oneself, and friendship that gets better as you flip the page! By the end of this book I wasn’t ready to let the characters go.
Roadtrips, grief, finding oneself: You, with a View by Jessica Joyce
I picked this one up on a whim, and it really ended up being the right book at the right time situation for me. I had recently been laid off and our leading lady in this story is also grappling with funemployement/trying to find her passion in life. The adventure begins when Noelle discovers an old photograph of her recently deceased grandma with a man whom she wrote love letters to as a young adult. Noelle tracks down that man, and embarks on the honeymoon roadtrip the two intended to take getting in touch with a side of her beloved grandma and finding love of her own.
Finding Your ‘Happy’: In the Weeds by B.K. Borison
There is just something special about Borison’s writing and the world of Lovelight Farms. I would very much like to move in please! Beckett and Evie’s story is my favorite of this series (you can read them out of order). Borison knows how to write soft, vulnerable men and make them so damn sexy! The central theme of this book is finding your happy and I am a sucker for those books. If you love Gilmore Girls or the When in Rome series you should add this to your list.
The one you have to listen to the audiobook: Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
I have sung the praise of this book ad nauseum on this Substack, and it’s worth re-mentioning. Eve Hatch finds out she is unexpectedly, expecting from a one night stand and the book follows how the news cracks apart her well kept world; changing her relationships in more ways than one. I loved Eve! Sooo much. Such a positive, unique character with so much hope. It was infectious. I rooted for her from page one. Don’t even get me started on Shep! Holy swoon-adorable-book boyfriend! Everyone would be so lucky to have a Shep in their life. And I loved how each trimester of Eve’s pregnancy was a new act in the book. I highly recommend the audio.
A cozy British take that will give 13 Going On 30 Vibes: The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
My first Sophie Cousens book and it was such a delight! Lucy makes a wish to get to the good part of her life and the next morning wakes up in her fortysomething body in a life she doesn’t recognize. It depicts a relationship at it’s middle, although with the time change element, Lucy is experiencing it for the first time. I enjoyed reading a story not quite about falling in love, but falling-in-love-again. A book that reminds you to appreciate living in the moment even when that moment might feel like sh*t.
A literary kind-of-romance: Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Similar to The Rachel Incident this one skirts the line of being a rom-com. It’s more of what happens after the rom-com ends, and the relationship is over. Simply put, it’s a book about a breakup. It’s raw. It’s relatable. It’s f**king hilarious! It depicts a modern relationship and subsequently a modern break-up too a tee. If you want more of the ‘anti-valentine’ kind of book, I’d recommend this.
My favorite Dramione to ease you into fanfic: The Right Thing to Do by LovesBitca8
Okay, when I found out that this fanfic was written by mainstream published author Julie Soto, I knew I was in for a topnotch reading experience. However, I wasn’t prepared. This fanfic was so delicious! Everything I could’ve wished for in a fanfic. Best Draco and Hermione portrayals I’ve read yet. The banter and dialogue was enviable. The pining for one another…. perfection! This people, *this* is how you write a rom-com (and it was FANFIC!!!!)
Let’s close with a couple of extras:
So unbelievably thrilled I got an ARC of Promise Me Sunshine—one of my most anticipated reads this year. I shall be reporting back if it lives up to my Ready or Not hype. I also loved the BOP interview with Chelsea Handler.
Also wanted to give a shout to
interview with about no-buy years and clothing consumption in general. Fascinating! And if you’re looking for more rom-com recs, check out recent post!
We finished up Man on the Inside, and have moved onto Bad Sisters while we impatiently wait for our weekly Severance watches. How did I not know Bad Sisters take place in Ireland?! Would’ve bumped up on my list a while ago.
Any rom-coms you’re picking up for Valentine’s Day??? Any others you think I should add to my list? I have no idea what I’ll pick up after Promise Me Sunshine, so I’d love a good rec. As always, here’s wishing you a lovely Sunday and a wonderful week ahead.
Until the next one,
MacKenzie
I think you'd really love Lucy Vine! She's British, and some of her books aren't set in London but a bit all over the place, but they are fantastic. I also love Leeanne Slade (she's only Audible original for now) and Lindsey Kelk for British rom-coms!
Have you read The Wedding People? It’s wonderful and very in line with a lot of these!