{"title":"RomCom 2026 Recommendations","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommendations from the 2026 Romance Festival at the Ashland Public Library\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" title=\"products.dating-dr-dil\" href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/dating-dr-dil\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eDating Dr. Dil\u003c\/i\u003e by Nisha Sharma\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/its-all-in-your-head\" title=\"products.its-all-in-your-head\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eIt's All in Your Head\u003c\/i\u003e by Sabina Nordqvist\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" title=\"products.kiss-an-angel\" href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/kiss-an-angel\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eKiss an Angel\u003c\/em\u003e by Susan Elizabeth Phillips\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/roomies\" title=\"products.roomies\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eRoomies\u003c\/em\u003e by Christina Lauren\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" title=\"products.destinys-captive\" href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/destinys-captive\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eDestiny's Captive\u003c\/em\u003e by Beverly Jenkins\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/10-things-that-never-happened\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"products.10-things-that-never-happened\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e10 Things that Never Happened\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/10-things-that-never-happened\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"products.10-things-that-never-happened\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e by Alexis Hall\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/by-a-thread\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"products.by-a-thread\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eBy a Thread\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/by-a-thread\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"products.by-a-thread\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e by Lucy Score\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/the-banned-bookshop-of-maggie-banks\" title=\"products.the-banned-bookshop-of-maggie-banks\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Banned Bookshop\u003c\/em\u003e by Maggie Banks\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/mountains-made-of-glass\" title=\"products.mountains-made-of-glass\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eMountains Made of Glass \u003c\/em\u003eby Scarlet St. Clair\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/just-for-the-summer\" title=\"products.just-for-the-summer\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eJust for the Summer \u003c\/em\u003eby Abby Jimenez\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/products\/the-bodyguard-a-novel\" title=\"products.the-bodyguard-a-novel\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Bodyguard \u003c\/em\u003eby Katherine Center\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou can pre-order books below. Just choose in-store pickup when checking out and we'll bring them to the event for you. Easy Peasy.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor more information and to register, click \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/ashlandmass.assabetinteractive.com\/calendar\/in-person-horror-festival-the-ashland-library\/\" title=\"https:\/\/ashlandmass.assabetinteractive.com\/calendar\/in-person-horror-festival-the-ashland-library\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"just-for-the-summer","title":"Just for the Summer","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJustin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEmma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePaperback:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 432 \u003c\/span\u003epages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Forever\u003c\/span\u003e (April 2, 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 978-1538704431\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Jimenez, Abby","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46001700077819,"sku":null,"price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0078\/1906\/7459\/files\/81tVBUv75vL._SL1500.jpg?v=1716214854"},{"product_id":"mountains-made-of-glass","title":"Mountains Made of Glass","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew from Scarlett St. Clair: a deliciously hot and wicked retelling of classic Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and Irish fairy tales, first in a series of seven entwined fairy tales.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Gesela unwillingly kills a toad that lives at the bottom of the town well, she is kidnapped by five Elven princes, her punishment: banishment to their brother, The Beast. Gesela expects to be the prisoner of a hideous monster, but the beast turns out to be exquisitely beautiful, and rather than lock her in a cell, he offers Gesela a deal. If she can guess his true name in seven days, she can go free. Gesela agrees, but there is a hidden catch—she must speak his name with love to free him, as well. Can either of them learn to love in time?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePaperback:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e240 pages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Bloom Books\u003c\/span\u003e (November 23, 2023)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 978-1728294865\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"St. Clair, Scarlett","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46001765744891,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0078\/1906\/7459\/files\/9781728294865_b0e18.jpg?v=1716215365"},{"product_id":"roomies","title":"Roomies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom subway to Broadway to happily ever after. Love in all its thrill, hilarity, and uncertainty has never been so compulsively readable as in this “fresh, modern” (\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e) romance from the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebestselling authors of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Unhoneymooners\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLove and Other Words\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarriages of convenience are so\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e...inconvenient.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor months Holland Bakker has invented excuses to descend into the subway station near her apartment, drawn to the captivating music performed by her street musician crush. Lacking the nerve to actually \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003etalk\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003eto the gorgeous stranger, fate steps in one night in the form of a drunken attacker. Calvin Mcloughlin rescues her, but quickly disappears when the police start asking questions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUsing the only resource she has to pay the brilliant musician back, Holland gets Calvin an audition with her uncle, Broadway’s hottest musical director. When the tryout goes better than even Holland could have imagined, Calvin is set for a great entry into Broadway—until his reason for disappearing earlier becomes clear: he’s in the country illegally, his student visa having expired years ago.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSeeing that her uncle needs Calvin as much as Calvin needs him, a wild idea takes hold of her. Impulsively, she marries the Irishman, her infatuation a secret only to him. As their relationship evolves and Calvin becomes the darling of Broadway—in the middle of the theatrics and the acting-not-acting—will Holland and Calvin to realize that they both stopped pretending a long time ago?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePaperback:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 384 \u003c\/span\u003epages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Gallery Books \u003c\/span\u003e(December 5, 2017)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 978-1501165832\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lauren, Christina","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48826939474171,"sku":null,"price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0078\/1906\/7459\/files\/9781501165832_a5487.jpg?v=1777639687"},{"product_id":"destinys-captive","title":"Destiny's Captive","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eIn national bestselling author Beverly Jenkins' Destiny series, the Yates men play hard and live hard. And when they find that special woman, they fall hard . . .\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNoah Yates fully believes in the joys of a happy family and a good wife. But that's not the life for him. No, he would much rather sail the wild seas in search of adventure, not tied down. But then the unthinkable happens . . . he finds himself literally tied down. To a bed. By a woman.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd Pilar isn't just an ordinary woman. She's descended from pirates. And after giving him one of the worst nights of his life, she steals his ship! Now Noah is on the hunt, and he'll stop at nothing to find this extraordinary woman . . . and make her his.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePaperback:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 384 \u003c\/span\u003epages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Avon \u003c\/span\u003e(October 1, 2002)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 978-0062231123\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Jenkins, Beverly","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48826940621051,"sku":null,"price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0078\/1906\/7459\/files\/9780062231123_ac3bd.jpg?v=1777639881"},{"product_id":"10-things-that-never-happened","title":"10 Things that Never Happened","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Alexis Hall’s breakout\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBoyfriend Material\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eexpanded universe comes a hilarious LGBTQIA+ romcom about identity, mistaken first impressions, and a serious case of (faux) amnesia.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSam Becker is the manager of the Leeds location of a bed and bath retailer. It's a pretty great job, all told; management suits him, and his staff adore him, not least because he places a high value on making the store a humane place to work. Too bad, then, that the owner is a thoroughly intimidating git.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJonathan Forest should never have hired Sam Becker in the first place. It was a sentimental decision—he saw something in the sunny young Northerner—and Jonathan did not get to where he is by following his heart. Trying to fix the situation, Jonathan orders Sam down to the Croydon branch for a difficult talk…only for Sam (panicked at the idea of a confrontation with the surly owner) to bump his head and, well, pretend he doesn’t remember anything?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaking amnesia seemed like a good idea in the heat of the moment, but now Sam has to deal with the very real reality of Jonathan’s guilt—and the unexpected new sides of the surly man he never thought he’d see. There’s an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impression…but as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePaperback:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 400 \u003c\/span\u003epages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Sourcebooks Casablanca \u003c\/span\u003e(October 17, 2023)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 978-1728245102\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Hall, Alexis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48862981161211,"sku":null,"price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0078\/1906\/7459\/files\/9781728245102_ced2c_1.jpg?v=1778855049"},{"product_id":"by-a-thread","title":"By a Thread","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eUSA Today\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ebestselling author Lucy Score delights readers with a steamy, swoony workplace romantic comedy with a grumpy boss hero determined to save the day and a plucky heroine who is starting to wonder if there might actually be a beating heart just beneath her boss’s sexy vests.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDominic was staring at me like he couldn’t decide whether he loathed me or wanted to French kiss me.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDominic\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI got her fired. Okay, so I’d had a bad day and took it out on a bystander in a pizza shop. But there’s nothing demure about Ally Morales. She proves that her first day of her new job…which just happens to be in my office….And I can’t fire her, because it’s my mother the CEO who hired her…technically, Ally doesn’t work for me, and she makes it clear she doesn’t have to listen to me either.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo maybe her colorful, annoying, inexplicably alluring personality brightens up the magazine’s offices that have felt like a prison for the past year. Maybe I like that she argues with me in front of the editorial staff. And maybe my after-hours fantasies are haunted by those brown eyes and that sharp tongue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the next Russo man to take advantage of his position. I might be a second-generation asshole, but I am not my father.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe’s working herself to death at half a dozen dead-end jobs for some secret reason she doesn’t feel like sharing with me. And I’m going to fix it all. Don’t accuse me of caring. She’s nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If I can get her to quit working here, I can finally peel away all those layers. Then I can go back to salvaging the family name and forget all about the dancing, beer-slinging brunette.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePaperback:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 560 \u003c\/span\u003epages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Bloom Books \u003c\/span\u003e(April 23, 2020)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 978-1945631610\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Score, Lucy","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48862982832379,"sku":null,"price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0078\/1906\/7459\/files\/9781945631610_d5b7a_1.jpg?v=1778855480"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0078\/1906\/7459\/collections\/RomCom26Recs.jpg?v=1777836418","url":"https:\/\/aesopsfable.com\/collections\/romcom-2026-recommendations.oembed","provider":"AESOP'S FABLE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}