Seven Fake Dating Romance Novels to Read for Valentine’s Day

Reading romance novels in February has been my personal ritual for the past few years; I like having these stories to think more deeply about modern romance. What do I want in a partner? What do I want in my own love story? Obviously, readers might see romance novels as unrealistic, the men too perfect, the endings too ideal. However, I believe that there is a love story worthy of a romance novel that is in store for me.

And you? Are you single on Valentine’s Day? Dealing with prying relatives or well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) smug married friends? If you’re looking for a way to keep the uncomfortable questions of the outside world at bay, might I suggest a fake relationship? Perhaps it sounds extreme, but fictional history has shown us that, in fact, fake dating is a great fix for the pesky problems of singledom, albeit a temporary one. (Or, if you’re anything like the characters in these books, a not-so-temporary one).

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Emily Henry, Funny Story (Berkley)

Daphne recently got dumped by her fiancé Peter after he realized, at his bachelor party, that he was in love with his childhood best friend Petra. Now, Daphne is living with Petra’s ex Miles, both wallowing in their own breakup hell. When the wedding invitation from Peter & Petra arrives, Miles and Daphne drunkenly decide to RSVP yes as each other’s dates to prove how happy they both are without their horrible exes. What could go wrong?

Talia Hibbert, Take a Hint, Dani Brown (Avon Books)

Dani, a PhD student, and Zaf, a brooding security guard, get caught on video when he rescues her from getting trapped in the elevator during a workplace fire drill. When that video goes viral, Zaf, also a former rugby player in need of good PR, proposes a fake relationship. Dani thinks this is her chance to pounce on Zaf as a friends-with-benefits situation, but will she also catch feelings? Read it and see!

Abby Jimenez, Just for the Summer (Forever)

Justin posts on Reddit that he has a curse where his exes find the loves of their lives as soon as they break up. Emma, a travel nurse, reaches out to him to say she thinks that she has the same curse. They decide to date each other for a time to see if their respective curses will cancel each other out once they break up. But what if they’re the ones that are actually meant to be together? If you have a weakness for golden retriever heroes, this one’s for you.

Jasmine Guillory, The Wedding Date (Berkley)

The night before his ex’s wedding, unhappily dateless Drew meets a perfect option when he’s stuck in the elevator at a San Francisco hotel. Though Alexa is not usually spontaneous, something about him makes her say yes. Soon, Alexa and Drew will discover that they actually like like each other, but there’s still the problem of distance, and each of their high-powered careers. This one reads like a warm hug.

Jen DeLuca, Well Matched (Berkley)

When single mother, April, is about to become an empty nester, decides to fix up her house to get ready to sell it. Her longtime friend, Mitch, agrees to help exchange for a favor of his own: he needs April to be his girlfriend at a family dinner to prove that he is settling down and getting serious. But as April and Mitch start seeing each other more and more, the line between what’s real and what’s fake starts to blur.

Naina Kumar, Say You’ll Be Mine (Dell)

Meghna has been in love with her best friend since college. When he announces that he’s engaged and asks her to be his best man, Meghna is determined to move on even if it’s Karthik, the boring matchmaking prospect her parents set her up with. But Karthik and Meghna have much to discover about each other during their fake engagement. This one is a slow burn and has an unexpected villain!

Lynn Painter, Better than the Movies (Simon & Schuster BFYR)

Romantic comedy-obsessed Liz has been fantasizing about the perfect romance with her dream guy, Michael, who just moved back to town. But Michael is also friends with Liz’s next door neighbor (and nemesis), Wes. Naturally, Liz decides to create her own rom-com HAE and rope Wes into helping her win Michael’s heart by pretending to fake date each other. Will Liz’s romantic notions help her win Michael or Wes? Despite its screwball plot, this book will have you in a puddle of tears!