Valentine’s Day offers a great opportunity to immerse yourself in stories that tug at the heartstrings. This February, why not swap the traditional bouquet of roses for the sweet words of a good book?
Whether you’re single, coupled up, or revelling in the warmth of self-love, these five captivating reads are sure to infuse your Valentine’s Day with a touch of literary romance.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Kick-starting our literary love affair is Book Lovers by Emily Henry, a delightful novel about an enemies-to-lovers romance.
The story follows Nora Stephens, a literary agent, who swaps her city desk for a month-long holiday in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with her sister. It’s a small town straight out of a romance novel, but instead of meeting handsome doctors or cute bartenders, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie. He’s an editor renowned for creating bestselling novels, and he’s Nora’s nemesis.
With a charming mix of humour and familial struggles, this novel is about more than just a romance.
Book Lovers is a love letter to literature and the unpredictable twists of the heart.
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Dolly Alderton’s Good Material takes readers on a journey through the complexities of modern love, all from the perspective of Andy.
Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy. And he can’t work out why she stopped loving him.
Their break-up means Andy is now without a home, and he’s waiting for his stand-up comedy career to take off. As his life is falling apart, he notices how everyone around him seems to have grown up, all while he obsesses over solving the puzzle of his broken relationship.
From the bestselling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About Love, Alderton shares a witty and sharply funny yet relatable story about heartbreak and friendship, and how to survive both.
8 Rules of Love by Jay Shetty
In 8 Rules of Love, Jay Shetty transcends traditional boundaries to explore the profound principles that guide our quest for a meaningful connection.
Blending spirituality and practical wisdom, Shetty offers a revelatory guide to every stage of romance, with actionable steps to help you develop skills to practice and nurture love better than before.
In a world dominated by romance films and pop culture yet no teachings on how to love, Shetty cuts through with insights on how to win or lose together, how to define love, and why you don’t break in a break-up.
He tackles the entire relationship cycle – from first dates to moving in together to breaking up and starting over – and shows us how to avoid falling for false promises and unfulfilling partners.
8 Rules of Love is a heartfelt roadmap to a more fulfilling and connected life.
Love Match by Clare Fletcher
For those who revel in the thrill of a good romantic comedy, Love Match by Clare Fletcher is a delightful choice.
The novel follows Sarah Child, who would happily keep to herself and stay on her family property Dunromin for the rest of her days, but her parents refuse to put her in charge until she spends a year getting more involved in the local community.
She reconnects with old friends, throws herself into the dating scene, joins a women’s rugby team, and even becomes the town’s new policewoman.
When Sarah moves in with Mabel and helps to rearrange her wardrobe, vintage fashion might not be all that comes out of the closet.
Described as “wonderfully funny” and “very Australian”, Love Match serves up a story about learning a new game, discovering who you are, and possibly even finding real love.
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
Closing our Valentine’s Day reading list is the thought-provoking Atlas of the Heart by the renowned Brene Brown.
In this transformative guide, Brown explores 87 of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she details the required skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she provides us with the language and tools to access a world of new choices and second chances.
Atlas of the Heart draws on Brown’s extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are and what makes us courageous, giving us the power of understanding, meaning and choice.
“If we want to find the way back to ourselves and each other, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories, and to be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection,” Brown writes.
Purchase a copy of Atlas of the Heart here.
Books to warm your heart this Valentine’s Day
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, these five books offer a diverse array of stories that will warm your heart and stir your soul.
Whether you’re in the mood for a light-hearted romantic novel or a profound non-fiction exploration, these reads are sure to add a touch of literary love to your February. Happy reading!