February is the most romantic month, right? That means we’re especially excited to read some of the best romance books of February 2026! This month’s new releases include some sports romances perfect for post-Olympic reading (or if you’re still on a Heated Rivalry kick). We’ve also got plenty of your favorite tropes, from celebrity romance to fake dating, second chances, and more.
Whether you’re single and mingling, hanging with friends, or cozying up with a loved one this Valentine’s Day, you’ll find something to love among the best romance books of February 2026. Here are all our picks!
Skate It Till You Make It by Rufaro Faith Mazarura
Release date: February 3
Read it if: You want the best romance books of February 2026 to tap into that Olympics energy. An unexpected hockey captain and a photographer fake-date against the backdrop of the Winter Games.
Publisher’s synopsis: Ari Shumba never expected to make it to the Winter Games, let alone be the one to lead Great Britain’s women’s ice hockey team through the most important competition of their lives. When her teammate’s unexpected injury catapults her to the role of captain, Ari reluctantly shoulders the responsibility while trying to navigate family drama and dodge her toxic ex.
Drew Dlamini has always feared taking risks. After breaking up with his girlfriend and dropping out of college to handle a family crisis, he’s desperate for a fresh start. When he finds himself in London for the holidays, he rekindles his dream of becoming a professional photographer.
When Ari and Drew meet at a New Year’s Eve party, neither of them is looking for love. Though their chemistry is instant, they live on opposite sides of the Atlantic, so they spend the night revealing their glaring red flags, thinking they’ll never see each other again. But when they unexpectedly cross paths in the snowy Swiss Alps two months later, their feelings for each other rise to the surface.
As the competition heats up, the combination of complicated exes, overinvolved families, and stress-inducing teammates convinces them that the perfect solution to their problems is to fake-date their way through the Games. After all, there’s no risk of falling in love if it is doomed from the start . . . right?
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm
Release date: February 3
Read it if: You’re a fan of the modern academia/STEM romance trend. Academic rivals fake-date at a science conference organized by one’s ex.
Publisher’s synopsis: Neuroscientist Dr. Frances Silberstein has success on the brain. As a grad student, she was offered a job by her brilliant boyfriend. But determined to make it on her own, she turned it—and him—down. Now, stuck in postdoc purgatory with no job security and no personal life to speak of, Frances is desperate to make a breakthrough. Her best shot is a summer conference packed with her field’s leading scientists.
The only problem? It’s organized by her ex, who has found the success that’s eluded her. But backing out is not an option, because Frances desperately needs to network to save her career.
Enter Dr. Lewis North: her perceptive, meticulous, and inconveniently attractive rival. When their academic sniping gets mistaken for flirtatious chemistry, Frances doesn’t deny it—putting her integrity and career on the line. As soon as her prefrontal cortex is operational again, Frances realizes she needs to keep up the charade, or risk everything she’s worked for. Faking data is out of the question, but fake dating? That might just be the solution she needs.
But as Lewis starts to make her reward centers spark and a major setback has Frances questioning everything, she must confront what she’s willing to chase—for love, for science, and for the future she thought she wanted.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Game, Set, Match by Jennifer Iacopelli
Release date: February 3
Read it if: You’re here for some sports romance in the best romance books of February 2026. A rising tennis star comes face-to-face with the ex who broke her heart while training for an important match.
Publisher’s synopsis: All of Penny Harrison’s hard work is finally paying off. At 21 years old, she’s a tennis icon in-the-making, with massive sponsorship deals and legendary status on the horizon, if she can just nail the upcoming Grand Slam in Paris. Until then, there’s no room for mistakes.
When she returns to the prestigious Outer Banks Tennis Club to train, though, she comes face to face with the biggest mistake she ever made: Alex Russell. With piercing blue eyes and irresistible charm, the bad boy tennis star is the only guy who ever broke Penny’s heart.
To keep her head in the game—and her mind off Alex—Penny leans on two of the club’s other rising stars. Jasmine Randazzo and Indiana Gaffney are both balancing exploding careers with their own off-the-court romances, and their drama might be enough to keep Penny distracted.
But as days tick down to Paris, Penny seems to always find herself across the court from Alex. She knows that winning it all means laser focus. So why can’t Penny stay away from the one guy who ruins everything?
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake
Release date: February 3
Read it if: You’re already over winter and want a summery resort setting. When she takes a job at a resort, an artist finds herself rooming with the woman who “stole” her ex.
Publisher’s synopsis: April Evans’ life is in shambles. She’s had to close her tattoo shop in Clover Lake and she’s subletting her house to cover her mortgage. And her love life? Nonexistent ever since Elena, her ex-fiancée, left her for a younger woman three years ago. When she is asked to teach a summer art class at the town’s new resort called Cloverwild, April jumps at the opportunity, especially since the job comes with boarding. She’s sure that this is the silver lining she needs. Until she meets her cabinmate: Daphne Love, the woman who stole her ex-fiancée. And even worse, it’s clear Daphne has no idea who April is.
Daphne Love is cursed in, well, love. She thought she’d found the unconditional love she craved in her girlfriend, Elena. But now she’s single again and utterly brokenhearted. When her friend hooks her up with a summer gig as an art instructor at a swanky resort in New Hampshire, Daphne feels optimistic for once. If only she had a roommate and coworker who didn’t seem to hate her on sight.
Their already-tense relationship gets even shakier when April and Daphne find themselves competing for a rare opportunity to showcase their art in a London museum. But slowly, barriers begin to fall, and an inexplicable allure keeps drawing them closer, leaving them to wonder if the perfect picture they’re looking for can only be made with each other.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Still Into You by Erin Connor
Release date: February 10
Read it if: You love behind-the-music scandal and want some juicy drama in the best romance books of February 2026. A journalist interviews her rockstar ex, only for professional and personal priorities to clash.
Publisher’s synopsis: Sloane Donavan dreamed of being a rock journalist ever since she posted her first MySpace blog. Now, one journalism degree, a failed internship, and dozens of backstage passes later, she’s struggling to land a full-time staff position. So when punk rock’s most notorious and elusive frontman offers her his first interview in eight years, Sloane should be jumping at the opportunity. But taking it would mean reconnecting with the only guy she’s ever loved (and lost), Dax Nakamura.
Unable to pass up a shot at making her name—and helping Dax clear the reputation that’s plagued his—Sloane agrees. It’s only a conflict of interest if anyone finds out. But the article Dax wants and the salacious tell-all Sloane’s editor is expecting are two completely different stories. And as old feelings resurface, Sloane’s journalistic integrity hangs in the balance. This is the career-making piece she’s been waiting for. But it comes with a price: the chance to rewrite the ending with her first and only love.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Honey Bee Mine by Sarah T. Dubb
Release date: February 10
Read it if: You love second chances and single-parent romances. As she tries to save her family farm, a beekeeper reconnects with the now-divorced guy next door.
Publisher’s synopsis: Like the bees she keeps, Penny Becker lives by a golden rule: never stop working. That mantra kept Becker Farms running when her grandfather, dad, and ex all left for greener pastures. But after taking out a loan for an expansion plan that crashed and burned, Penny has to find a way to pay or risk losing it all. She’s betting everything on the Sullivan’s Glen Honey Festival. To save the farm, she has to make the festival bigger, better, and more successful than ever before. And she plans to do it all on her own.
Reformed bad boy turned restaurateur Zander Bouras left Sullivan’s Glen in a blaze of glory and vowed to never return. But when his ex-wife wants to go back for the summer, Zander grudgingly follows. He refuses to miss time with his son, and figures it’s finally time to deal with the farmhouse his grandfather left, for some reason, to him.
His first day in town brings Zander face to face with Penny, the girl whose perfect life mocked him from next door. It’s just his luck that his son loves her and her bees. Before he knows it he’s been volunteered to help plan a honey festival with the sexy, stubborn beekeeper whose braid he just wants to tug. As they learn to work together, Zander faces his demons and learns to see Sullivan’s Glen in a new light as Penny realizes that accepting help isn’t so bad—especially from the right person. But as the festival day and Zander’s departure draw near, they’ll have to decide if the romance buzzing between them can last past the sweet days of summer.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
It’s All In Your Head by Sabina Nyquist
Release date: February 10
Read it if: You’d like disability rep plus swoony fake-dating in the best romance books of February 2026. A woman with a rare neurological condition fake-dates the former Olympian in her support group.
Publisher’s synopsis: Skylar is done with offline relationships—especially romantic ones. Living with chronic illness means she’s heard it all before: unreliable, high-maintenance, too much. She’d rather spend her free time in her online chronic pain support group, and lately, she can’t help but notice Pike, the hot new guy with a penchant for broody poetry. When a chaotic night in the group forces her to pose as his girlfriend, she reluctantly agrees to keep up the charade in real life. Surprisingly, he’s thoughtful, sweet, and—most importantly—doesn’t flinch at the things that have scared others away.
Fake dating gets a lot more complicated when she discovers Pike isn’t just some guy. He’s a professional snowboarder whose career-ending injury is as infamous as his playboy past. He won’t talk about that, though. He’s fine. Really. But pretending to be in love with Skylar turns out to be the least depressing thing he’s done in months. As they spend more time together, she starts to notice the cracks in his carefully crafted image, and for once, he doesn’t mind being seen.
After all the bed-sharing and late-night talks, it becomes harder for both of them to pretend. But just as things start turning real, the paparazzi catch on, wanting the scoop on how everyone’s favorite Olympic medalist is doing post-accident. Dating while disabled comes with challenges of its own, but public speculation and invasive questions are something else entirely. If their newfound feelings can’t survive the spotlight, their not-so-fake relationship may be over before it ever truly begins.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Release date: February 10
Read it if: You want the best romance books of February 2026 to combine celebrity romance with second-chance tropes. A scandal-plagued actress seeks refuge with her high school sweetheart, now a football superstar.
Publisher’s synopsis: After a mortifying—and very public—humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn’t seen in almost twenty years?
But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he’s a gridiron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods…and out of his sight.
Except Dancy’s not good at staying invisible. Her efforts to rebuild her career clash with Clint’s desperation to regain his focus, all made more challenging by a rescue dog, a local woman in trouble, a meddling mother, an ex with an agenda…and the sizzle of rekindled emotions.
As Dancy attempts to get her life on track and Clint tries to get his groove back, can these two one-time lovers navigate their rocky pasts and complicated present to find themselves…and each other?
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
The Ex-Perimento by Maria J. Morillo
Release date: February 17
Read it if: You like your romances with delightfully goofy premises. Seeking personal and professional redemption, a journalist makes a deal with a music star that goes off the rails.
Publisher’s synopsis: Maria “Marianto” Camacho is a planner. At twenty-seven, she has her life perfectly mapped out. Her long-term boyfriend, Alejandro, is perfect on paper, and she’s expecting a proposal any day now. She has a stable job as a lifestyle columnist at Ellas, one of Latin America’s biggest digital magazines. Her future is set; she’s sure of it.
Until everything falls apart overnight: Marianto loses her boyfriend and her job. But she’s determined to get them both back with an idea that is either delusional or ingenious—a juicy new article for Ellas that documents a series of romantic experiments to get her ex back. Thus begins The Ex-Perimento. With her bank account dwindling, however, Marianto lands a temporary gig on Venezuela’s hottest new singing competition show. Her job? Personal assistant to Simón Arreaza, the lead singer of her favorite indie band.
It’s only her second day on the job when Simón discovers Marianto’s list of romantic experiments, striking her ideas and replacing them with his own better ones. Out of desperation, she offers a proposition. Help her win back Alejandro, and she’ll give Simón’s band a profile in the magazine once she returns to Ellas. But between the close quarters on set and the blurred lines of a budding friendship, Marianto and Simón find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other, caught in a whirlwind of unexpected romance.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
If Only You Knew by Ellie K. Wilde
Release date: February 17
Read it if: You want the best romance books of February 2026 to include charmingly oblivious leads. Two longtime friends try to matchmake each other (and ignore their own feelings).
Publisher’s synopsis: Summer Prescott and Parker Woods have been best friends since they were three years old. Now thirty, neither of them feels like they have a good handle on adulthood. While their friends are coupled up and thriving, they’re struggling through career crises and disastrous dates, and frequenting the same old bars and surf spots they’ve been going to for years. Until, on a whim, Summer decides to hand over her love life to Parker. After all, who better to help find her soulmate than the person who knows her best?
But when the date Parker introduces her to goes from husband material to dead end in one publicly humiliating swoop, Summer is so devastated that she breaks up with both men. And she decides to embrace a fresh start away from home by entering a surf competition that’ll have her chasing waves around the world.
Parker soon realizes the troubling truth. He’s spent nearly thirty years by Summer’s side and has only just realized that he’s in love with her. Now he’s on a mission to win back not just her trust but her heart, before she slips away for good.
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison
Release date: February 24
Read it if: You’re here for ’90s-inspired romance in the best romance books of February 2026. With inspiration from When Harry Met Sally, two polar opposites form an unexpectedly emotional partnership.
Publisher’s synopsis: Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.
Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal. If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With unexplored chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.
But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains stay in the mountains?
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
In Her Spotlight by Amy Spalding
Release date: February 24
Read it if: You want a buzzy showbiz romance in the best romance books of February 2026. Burnt out from her starmaking role, an actress ventures into theater, where her sort-of-ex from a decade ago is directing.
Publisher’s synopsis: Hollywood actor Tess Gardner is not the kind of famous she set out to be. She’s ready to show she’s more than Princess Platinum of the Vindicators series, a pretty face with CGI superpowers that literally sparkle. Tess wants to prove herself as an actor and that means theatre—the true calling of her thespian heart. But just when Tess lands a part working with an acclaimed stage director, a brewing scandal forces him out. His replacement? None other than hip, buzzy director Rebecca Frisch. The same Rebecca Frisch whose heart a firmly closeted Tess broke over a decade ago during summer stock.
As Tess wrestles with her lingering guilt and attraction to Rebecca, she also finds herself struggling to rein in her superstar status backstage. When things unexpectedly reignite with Rebecca, Tess bristles even more against the walls of her A-list life. Since the industry’s made it clear that girl-next-door superheroes can’t also be gay, coming out isn’t realistic for Tess. And ultimately, Rebecca will head back to New York and likely seek out a less complicated relationship anyway.
Will the curtain close on her chance for happiness or will Tess finally take a leading role in her own life?
Get it on Amazon or support local bookstores through Bookshop.org.
