Best Romances of June: 7 Top Picks

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Stella's social awkwardness causes her to freeze up in most social situations and definitely when she's in bed. The logical solution? Hire a gigolo to teach her precisely what to do between the sheets. Armed with a checklist and a formal feedback form, Stella thinks she's ready to learn a new skill, but part-time Romeo Michael Phan knows that checklists aren't the answer to finding a true connection. Sweet, funny, and heartfelt, this book will make you giggle even as it tackles tough topics.

The Prince by Katharine Ashe

Among a slew of comic historicals (which I do adore), Ashe's deeply passionate couples stand out. In her latest, Libby Shaw's singleminded desire is to be a surgeon—an impossibility in Scotland, because of her sex. When she enlists portrait artist Ziyaeddin to help her in her charade, each subconsciously knows that the other is their weakness and the most likely route to disaster. Deeply emotional with strong-willed characters you'll root for, The Prince will haunt you until you've finished it.

The Girl in the Moss by Loreth Anne White

White concludes her hard-hitting trilogy with Angie Pallorino out of the police force but unable to avoid murder—which is a good thing, because without an investigation to keep her focused, Pallorino knows she backslides toward self-sabotage and would screw up her perpetually-on-the-edge relationship with her fiance, one of the top cops in Victoria, Canada. A skeleton found by a remote river, a mysterious engagement ring, and an old judge's desire for the truth put Pallorino in the path of a killer who will silence anyone in the way. This is my favorite of White's three Pallorino books, and I can't wait for what she writes next.

The One You Can't Forget by Roni Loren

A school shooting several years ago continues to haunt the characters in Loren's ongoing series. This novel puts the spotlight on Rebecca, whose guilt over the shooting still rules her life. A chance encounter with someone she really shouldn't like—but somehow does—gives her the opening for rethinking what's possible and how she can move forward. Riveting and sometimes gutting, this book will burrow into your heart.

Vampire's Faith by Rebecca Zanetti

Book 8 in Zanetti's popular Dark Protectors series catapults vampire king Ronan into present day, where he discovers that the only human he ever loved still exists, and the danger that he thought he conquered in the past is alive and well in the present. Zanetti delivers another action-packed and sexy romance that will prompt newcomers to the series to go back to the beginning for more.

I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting

House flipping might look easy on TV, but Rian Sutter knows all too well how difficult it really is. When a charming newcomer to the Hamptons starts to buy the houses Rian wants, she has to figure out if her heart and life are ready for a romantic renovation, too. Laugh-out-loud funny and totally modern.

Too Wilde to Wed by Eloisa James

When Lord Roland returns home from war in the Americas, the last person he expects to see at his ancestral home is the woman who jilted him just before he departed...and a toddler who she's been passing off as his illegitimate son. Misunderstandings, PTSD, and rumors conspire to keep the lord and his former lady apart, but Eloisa James knows just the right way to bring them back together again.