Cute, Cozy, Readable Rom-Coms

All photos courtesy of M.A. McCuen.

When I think of an ideal February day, I imagine myself tucked into my favorite, white fluffy duvet. I have a warm beverage in hand, my favorite candle burning, and I’m watching the snow fall gently outside the window. Getting snowed-in is one of the small joys of February. It’s a chance to hibernate, to embrace all things hygge and cozy. It’s the ideal time to indulge in comforting movies and books. In February, I love the spark of Valentine’s magic in the air. I fill my Netflix queue with the sweetest rom-coms. When it comes to fiction, I live for light, happy love stories. I’ve compiled a few of my favorites below. I’ve compiled a few of my favorite cute and cozy reads.

• The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary – This is a novel full of optimism and healing, two of my favorite things to find in a love story. Tiffy is a DIY book editor and Leon is an overnight nurse- and both of them are in need of a roommate. The two of them end up sharing a one bedroom apartment, alternating hours so they never see each other. However, we all know that can only last so long and eventually the narrative turns into a gentle romance between the two. The novel does a great job handling the trauma that the characters endure.

• Dangerous Alliance by Jennieke Cohen – If you are longing for a little more Regency romance in your life, this Historical YA is adorable and perfect. It’s the story of Lady Victoria who must marry in order to protect her sister who is fleeing an abusive husband. She’s deciding between her childhood best friend and newly rich scoundrel, while also dodging some mysterious and devious figures set on taking her family down. This novel also involves some characters handling difficult trauma in a thoughtful way.

• Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – Holy Cute! This novel is the perfect concoction of tropes as it tells the story of the first son of the United States who falls in love with the Prince of England. Full of secrets, forbidden love, and self-discovery, McQuiston’s novel has all the elements for a compelling and un-put-down-able love story. It also helps that the characters are so endearing, so smart, and so funny. It was an absolute treat and left me with one of the worst book hangovers I’ve had in awhile.

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – When I gave this book to my roommate last Christmas, she was really worried that she’d hate it (she has absolutely no interest in fandom at all). By the time she finished, she declared Levi her new ideal book boyfriend. It’s the story of Cath, a famous fanfiction writer  who is struggling to thrive as a college freshmen in real life. Cath gets supported by Levi, a cute but illiterate boy, who helps her adjust and find herself in college. Cath’s awkwardness at the beginning of college was so relatable and her relationship with Levi so tender and genuine. This book ended up getting passed around our friends and has become a beloved house favorite. Inspired by the book,  my friends and I took a trip this fall to Lincoln, Nebraska to visit locations from the novel.

• Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli – If a YA protagonist was to become an Attic writer, it just might be Leah. Vaguely angsty and frustrated with most things, Leah is just trying to get through senior year. Between deciding where to go to college, what to do about prom, and all of the usual stress of senior year – Leah is also trying to figure out how to tell her friend group that she’s bisexual, especially because she has a crush on Abby, a member of their close-knit friend group. This book has a special place in my heart because Leah endorses Oh Wonder as her favorite band. If you haven’t read a Becky Albertalli novel, I recommend everything she’s written. She writes really authentic and adorable YA. When I called my sister to ask if she had recommendations for cute reads, she just listed off Becky Albertalli books. I read an ARC of her newest novel Yes, No, Maybe So and I can’t recommend it enough.

• Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin – I read a Pride and Prejudice adaptation every February. Last year, I read Booklyn-set YA Pride by Ibi Zoboi and this year, I’m reading Ayesha at Last. Set in Toronto, it tells the story of teacher and wanna-be-poet Ayesha who gets a horrible first impression of Khalid, a conservative, coding expert. Between balancing planning a Muslims for Action conference, helping her Lydia-esque cousin Hafsa escape disaster, and taking care of her best friend Clara- love isn’t Ayesha’s first priority. But, well, we all know how Pride and Prejudice goes! Some of the most adorable scenes of this book take place during cooking lessons, so this book will definitely make you hungry. 

• The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon – If you haven’t read this gem of story yet, you are truly missing out. It’s the story of Natasha, an undocumented Jamaican girl raised in America, who meets Korean-American Daniel on the day of her deportation. Daniel is determined that it is love at first sight and the pair of them answer the “36 Questions that Lead to Love” together as they walk around New York City together. The most beautiful strand of the book is a third narrator, the Universe, who weaves her way into the tale, revealing the significant lives of background characters and also the way she brings people together. Determinedly hopeful, this novel truly believes in love.

While I’ll always be one for reading literary fiction and the classics, there is nothing like a cozy afternoon with snowfall and soft stories. It’s probably for the best if you begin building your stack now so that when you inevitably get snowed in, you are fully stocked with the best books.

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M. A. McCuen is a secondary English literature teacher based in Omaha, Nebraska. Originally from Michigan, she has a BA in English and French from University of Notre Dame and a M.Ed from Creighton University. Having previously lived in France and Ireland, she spends her scant free time plotting ways to travel the world on her teachers salary.