Romances that focus on birthdays. Birthdays that are cursed, mistakes made on birthdays, and about old reliable — I’m turning thirty, better get rid of this pesky virginity! Also, who don't heroes seem to have birthdays?

Whether you love or hate it, or believe it simply doesn’t exist, you can’t deny the fact that amnesia has kept a battalion of romance readers in books for nigh on forty years.

It’s time to fill those TBR piles again! April means the start of Spring and also another quarterly upcoming romance episode! We’re talking about romances hitting shelves and ereaders during April, May & June 2026! Whether historical, paranormal, contemporary or Romantasy, we’ve got something for everyone in fifty or so recs across every single genre. As a reminder, we haven’t read most of these, but we have big plans!

You’ve heated and reheated the rivalry, and now it’s time for us to talk about what you should read between now and Season 2. This isn't just about reading more hockey romance! W'ere filling your TBR pile with books that deliver the same kind of emotions.

This weekend, the world is celebrating the second most important romance holiday in February (see last week’s episode for the most important)—Valentine’s Day! To lean into the traditions of the day, we thought we’d offer you a dozen roses this week, in the form of books! We’re taking the topic broadly—from character names, to author names, to rose scented things, to roses on the page — historical, contemporary, mafia and more…there’s something in here for everyone. 🌹

Why do we love a casino so much? Why are we so into ladies being wagered by the idiot men in their lives? What makes these places that are so not sexy in real life so incredibly hot in a) James Bond movies, b) heist movies, and c) historical romances? We’re getting to the bottom of it.

We’re talking books that start with a bang — and we mean literally. It's hard to thread the needle on romance that starts with sex, but there are tropes that lend themselves to this particular theme. Enjoy!