Seven romance books to get you through February’s grey days

Seven romance books to get you through February’s grey days,Forget beach reads. February is the best month of the year to escape into a bit of happily-ever-after

Seven romance books to get you through February’s grey days

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Forget beach reads. February, a month so frigid and grim even Cupid must trade his chic toga for a depressingly utilitarian puffer jacket, is the best month of the year to escape into a bit of happily-ever-after (with a side of hot-and-heavy, if that’s your thing).

Rather than fight the subliminal messaging of Valentine’s Day, surrender to it by falling head-over-heels into a romance-read love spiral, where thoughts of icy sidewalks and slush puddles only enter your consciousness as set ups for a meet cute.

Behold, a curated selection of the best new and forthcoming romantically-inclined releases, celebrating love in all its many splendours, certain to chase away the doldrums of the dead of winter – or, you know, just provide a little pleasant distraction as you scrape your frozen windshield for the 99th time this week.

Georgie, All Along, Kate Clayborn (Kensington; January)

In Hallmark movies, going back to your small hometown usually means a warm welcome, the keys to running the local bakery and reuniting with the flannel-clad one that got away. For Georgie Mulcahy, however, going back – having driven cross-country after getting laid off as a celebrity personal assistant – looks more like moving in with her parents and feeling just as lost as she did in high school. That’s until she meets Levi Fanning, the town bad boy of her youth, the older brother of her teenage crush and dog dad to the adorable rescue Hank. This one’s got real emotional heft, packing satisfying profundity, wrapped up in oodles of chemistry, naturally.

Hex Appeal, Kate Johnson (HarperCollins, January)

There’s an entire sub-genre of witchy romance novels – double the magic, you might say – and this clever, imaginative addition to the canon is a particularly enchanting one. Essie Winterscale, a witch whose one job is to cast the spell that ensures her Essex village sees snow every winter, has been plodding along just fine, living alongside her sisters-in-Wiccan-pursuits at the aptly named, utterly bonkers Beldam House. Then, after hundreds of years of never paying rent, along comes their landlord – a newly arrived American named Josh – demanding thousands of pounds in arrears. Worst of all? Their magic doesn’t seem to work properly on him. To say more would be to ruin the spell this romp of a read casts, but suffice to say: It all ends much more happily than the real-life history of witches in Essex.

Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (Penguin; February)

Lord Alan De’Ath and Nina Finch are both really into art. This shared interest, however, is a tricky matter: Alan’s is a pre-eminent critic whose pen makes or breaks careers, and Nina … well, she’s a forger whose brush creates fakes that fool most dealers (despite the fact that all she really wants is a quiet life, running a country bakery). Another complication: Nina knows De’Ath is on her trail, and gets a job as his assistant in the spirit of “keep your enemies close.” Until, of course, their magnetic attraction brings them altogether too close. This one’s a smart, effervescent caper with some fascinating tidbits about London’s art scene during Victoria’s reign.

Isha Unscripted, Sajni Patel (Penguin; February)

Isha’s having a very, very bad day: She bombed her last chance to present her script to potential producers, her agent dropped her and now her parents (because, yeah, she moved back home to pursue her writing dream) are on her to get a “real” job. The only bright spark is the very sexy bartender who’s mixing the drinks that are drowning her sorrows, and seems strangely charmed by what an utter screw-up she is. The real love story here? The very sweet relationship between Isha and her stalwart cousin, Rohan, who’s hatched a plan (Matthew McConaughey is involved) to help her dreams come true.

The Neighbor Favor, Kristina Forest (Penguin; February)

A few years ago, Lily stumbled across a book that changed her life: An obscure children’s science fiction novel from a defunct press, it set her imagination alight, and inspired her to pursue a career in children’s publishing. On whim, she e-mails the author and is astonished when he replies, a correspondence that eventually turns friendly, and then flirty and then … abruptly stops. Fast forward a few months, and a handsome stranger moves in across the hall from Lily. No points for guessing that it’s (surprise!) the elusive author himself, although quite how that untangles itself is half the pleasure of this endearing, enchanting tale.

Love and Other Flight Delays, Denise Williams (Penguin; March)

This series of three interlinking novellas makes a strong case that love can be found in one of the most stressful places on earth: the airport. (Hands up if your experience is usually less that scene in Love Actually and more Snakes On A Plane?) Whether it’s the dog groomer who falls for the risk analyst (who moonlights as a romance novelist) or the strangers who have a one night tryst and latterly discover they’re going to have to spend a business trip together, these breezy tales take classic tropes (missed connections, work rivals to lovers) and remix them for the ultimate case of wanderlust.

Two For The Road, Chantel Guertin (Doubleday Canada; April)

We’ve all nursed crushes from afar, but Gigi’s is particularly niche: The mellifluously-voiced narrator of her favourite audiobook, Zane Wilkenson. Zane also happens to work for his family’s tour company in England, so naturally Gigi’s friends surprise her with a ticket to ride his bus. (Minds out of the gutter.) The only hiccup to this transatlantic meet-cute? Zane’s a no-show, and instead, Gigi’s greeted by replacement guide Angus (voluble, dad jokes, not for her) and bus driver Taj (mysterious, great hair, maybe for her until Zane does arrive and confuses it all?). This endearing tale by a Toronto author is a two-fer: A charming love story, and a whistle stop tour of England, too.

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