Jessica Joyce lives happily-ever-ongoing with her husband and son in the Bay Area.
When she’s not writing character-driven, realistic and relatable tales of millennials who are just Doing Their Best while falling in love, you can find her listening to one of her dozens of chaotically curated Spotify playlists, trying out a new skincare face mask, crying over cute animal TikToks, or watching the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice.
Left of Forever (2025) (Spunes, book 2) Tarah DeWitt "Left of Forever is a remarkable romance about grown-up love, about a love worth fighting for again and again, about hard-won love. It's a second chance story for the ages. Wren and Ellis's journey back to each other is written with incredible care, visceral tenderness, a depth that has no end, and melt-your-face off intimacy. I need a world-renowned scientist to study Tarah Dewitt's beautiful brain, because I'm not sure her talent is of this earth."
You Between the Lines (2025) Katie Naymon "You Between the Lines is almost indescribably good: fresh and smart and tender, with not just some of the most gorgeously crisp prose out there, but poetry I'd pin to every one of my Pinterest boards if I could. It's the characters that make this an all-timer for me, though: Leigh is my soulmate and Will is the gold standard for book boyfriends. Katie Naymon has a forever fan in me."
First Time Caller (2025) (Heartstrings , book 1) B K Borison "First-Time Caller is everything: tender, sexy, stuffed with flirty banter that had me screaming into my pillow. Full of characters who feel real, like family. A beautiful love letter to love and the movie that made me believe in it. Infused with the kind of magic I can't properly put into words, because B.K. Borison took all the prettiest ones for this book. It's B.K. at her very best, a reminder that it's her world and we're the lucky readers who get to live in it. Hang this one in the Louvre."
Unromance (2025) Erin Connor "Erin Connor delivers sharp wit, deliciously steamy moments, and so much charm in Unromance that I was kicking my feet from the first page to the very last. I loved every second of this book!"
Prime Time Romance (2024) (Dial Delights) Kate Robb "With Prime Time Romance, Kate Robb whips up a magical story that feels both gleefully nostalgic and completely fresh. Anyone who's ever spent hours watching their favorite TV couple's best moments on a loop (spoiler alert: it's all of us) will be all-in on Brynn and Josh's love story - it's fun and witty and full of such swoony moments, I had no choice but to devour it in one sitting."
One on One (2024) Jamie Harrow "Forgive me in advance, because I will be shouting about my love for One on One until my voice gives out. In her stunning debut, Jamie Harrow paints the game of basketball in a way that feels like life and love itself - in moments of struggle and perseverance, in breathtaking joy and heartbreak that gets beautifully repaired. Ben and Annie are so fully explored that they are now real people to me, and their love story unfolds with perfect tension and tenderness. A new all-time favorite."
Four Weekends and a Funeral (2024) Ellie Palmer "From the very first line, I knew Four Weekends and a Funeral was going to be one of my favorite books. Ellie Palmer has such a compelling voice--razor-sharp wit wrapped up in beautiful warmth--that every word she writes leaps off the page. The fresh take on fake dating hooked me from the start, and the perfectly balanced mix of serious topics and electric banter made it unputdownable. I'll devour anything Ellie Palmer writes."
Rules for Second Chances (2024) Maggie North "Rules for Second Chances is a breathtaking, deeply romantic story about the second chances we give to love, each other, and most importantly, ourselves. Maggie North has the singular ability to hit you with truths that are at once hilarious and aching, stark and soft, painful and necessary, and she writes Liz and Tobin's journey with an obliterating tenderness I felt in every corner of my heart. This book and its author land effortlessly among my all-time favorites."
A Love Like the Sun (2024) Riss M Neilson "Riss M. Neilson paints a poetic, sexy, and intimate portrait of falling in love in A Love Like the Sun. I absolutely devoured the best friends-to-lovers dynamic between Laniah and Issac, and cheered (yes, out loud!) when they finally gave in to their inevitable fall. Neilson's prose is as warm and effortless as the love story that unfolded, and just as compelling. A stunning read."
Birding with Benefits (2024) Sarah T Dubb "Read Birding with Benefits at your own risk - once you're immersed in Sarah T. Dubb's gorgeously drawn world, you'll never want to leave...This will stay at the top of my all-time favorite list forever."
The Art of Catching Feelings (2024) Alicia Thompson "I'm an Alicia Thompson fan first and a human second, and The Art of Catching Feelings is a shining example of why. Chris and Daphne's achingly vulnerable, hot slide into love was so masterfully crafted with intimacy and care that I was tempted to go right back to the first page once I finished (fine, and maybe I did). With her signature effortless prose and deeply insightful musings on life and love, this is Alicia Thompson at the top of her already spectacular game."
Kilt Trip (2024) Alexandra Kiley "As soon as Addie and Logan step onto the page in Kilt Trip, you're in every moment with them. Set in the atmospheric Scottish highlands, it's impossible not to get swept away. You'll lose your heart to Alexandra Kiley's stunning prose, breathless banter, and atmospheric descriptions just as readily as Addie and Logan lose their hearts to one another."
In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation (2024) (Halifax Hellions, book 1) Alexandra Vasti "The Halifax Hellions series is everything you want a historical romance to be: emotional and sexy and full of thrilling hijinks, with jaw-dropping prose that transports you in every possible way. Each sibling and their partner has a unique journey, but there's an undeniable thread of finding radical acceptance in love that ties the three together beautifully. Alexandra Vasti has easily secured her place as a superstar in the genre."
The Breakup Tour (2024) Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley "With prose that sings, The Breakup Tour is an utterly romantic second chance story that will have you running for your closest Taylor Swift playlist as soon as Riley and Max reach their swoon-worthy HEA. Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka write with deep, nuanced emotion, and the poignant original lyrics they weave throughout the story only amplifies the characters' journey. This is an absolute hit!"
