Spring is just around the corner, and my bedside table is stacked with fresh, swoony reads for the season ahead. Here are the books I adored this month — the ones that gave me happy vibes I couldn’t wait to curl up with, the ones that kept me warm even during the coldest days. I hope they find their way onto your TBR stack. Happy reading!

*****

Maurene Goo’s One & Only (Putnam) is a sparkling, fate-versus-choice romance with a touch of magic.

Cassia Park has built her life around love — specifically, other people’s. As the heir to a prestigious Los Angeles matchmaking firm run by generations of the women in her family, she uses a closely guarded family gift to identify each client’s destined partner. Approaching 40, the polished and self-assured Cass believes she already knows her own future: a man whose name was revealed to her years ago. She’s been patiently waiting for him to appear, determined not to derail the legacy she’s meant to uphold.

Then a chance encounter with Ellis — charming, younger, and entirely wrong for her — knocks her carefully ordered world sideways. What begins as a brief, exhilarating connection deepens into something harder to dismiss. Complications multiply when Ellis introduces Cass to his boss, Daniel…who happens to be the very man she’s been waiting for all these years. Torn between the certainty of prophecy and the thrill of genuine chemistry, Cass must decide whether she’s ready to rewrite her own destiny.

Goo delivers a fresh, grown-up romance anchored by a confident, mature heroine who has her life together and is just waiting for love. The novel beautifully weaves Korean-American heritage and matriarchal bonds into a contemporary L.A. backdrop, while its light magical realism adds texture. Smart, funny, and heartfelt, One & Only is one-of-a-kind.

*****

Honey Bee Mine (Gallery) by Sarah T. Dubb is a contemporary romance that truly deserves all the buzz.

Penny Becker has always been the dependable one: devoted daughter, hardworking beekeeper, and the steady heart of her family’s farm in Sullivan’s Glen. But loyalty doesn’t pay the bills. After a failed business venture leaves Becker Farms in jeopardy, Penny stakes everything on reviving the town’s Honey Festival. If it flops, she could lose the land that’s been in her family for generations. With a history of being let down by the men in her life, Penny trusts her bees more than people — and she’s determined to prove she can save the farm on her own.

Zander Bouras is the town’s former troublemaker turned big-city chef, back home for the summer with his young son. Zander wants to renovate his late grandfather’s house, spend time with his kid, and show everyone he’s not the reckless teen they remember. Helping Penny with the festival seems like a step in the right direction. But their dynamic — good girl meets reformed bad boy — comes with complications. Penny struggles to believe Zander will stick around, especially when he insists his return to Boston is inevitable. As sparks fly, both must confront old reputations, family baggage, and the risk of hoping for more.

Dubb shines in capturing both the warmth and drawbacks of small-town life and the way community can simultaneously lift you up and hold you back. A vibrant and diverse cast of secondary characters adds richness and humor, while the beekeeping details give the story a unique charm.

At its heart, Honey Bee Mine is about second chances — and becoming the person you want to be.

*****

The Ex-perimento (Berkley) by Maria J. Morillo is a vibrant Venezuelan romcom about losing the life you planned — and discovering the one you actually want.

Maria Antonieta “Marianto” Camacho has always believed that careful planning is the key to happiness. At 27, she’s mapped out her future with color-coded precision: stable career, dependable boyfriend, imminent marriage proposal. But when her doctor boyfriend asks for a break instead of offering a ring — and a humiliating mishap costs her her job as a lifestyle columnist — Marianto’s perfectly curated world implodes. Determined to restore order, she hatches a bold plan: document a series of romantic “experiments” designed to win her ex back and reclaim her career. If she can just follow the steps, she can fix everything. Right?

Simón Arreaza, the charismatic frontman of her favorite band, complicates that theory. Now working as his assistant on a glitzy televised singing competition, Marianto is mortified when Simón discovers her get-her-ex-back strategy and promptly revises it. What begins as a reluctant partnership turns into a slow-burn connection built on playful banter, late-night conversations, and unexpected vulnerability. As Simón challenges her need for control and encourages her to take emotional risks, Marianto must confront whether she truly wants her old relationship back — or if she’s clinging to a version of success that no longer fits.

Set against the electric backdrop of Caracas and the drama of reality TV, the novel brims with humor, heart, and telenovela-worthy twists. Fresh, funny, and ultimately empowering, The Ex-perimento is as much about self-reinvention as it is about romance.

*****

Anderson in Bloom (Avon) by Jennifer Dugan is a heartfelt second-chance sapphic romance about former teen stars daring to rewrite their story on their own terms.

Six years after walking away from Hollywood, Anderson “Andy” Ducharme has traded red carpets for roses and ranunculus, building a quiet, carefully tended life at a flower shop in coastal Maine. Once half of the wildly popular sitcom couple on “The Nikki and Andy Show” — a couple that secretly existed off-screen, too — Andy fled the spotlight due to burnout, betrayal, and industry pressure. Now she wants anonymity, stability, and zero drama. But then she learns her ex-co-star, Nikki, is writing a memoir about their rise and fall.

Andy has no interest in revisiting her rocky past, but Nikki’s unexpected arrival in town forces a reckoning. Sober, self-possessed, and determined to tell the truth about their shared history, she challenges Andy’s version of events — and the walls she’s built. Old chemistry reignites quickly, but so do unresolved hurts. The central question isn’t just whether they still love each other — they clearly do — but whether they can build something healthier than what they had before.

Dugan beautifully contrasts the gloss and chaos of Hollywood with the soft rhythms of a simpler life, and her former-child-star lens explores exploitation, identity, and the cost of growing up in public. With sharp humor and a lovable supporting cast, Anderson in Bloom delivers a hard-won happily ever after.

Kristina Wright lives in Virginia with her husband, their two sons, two Goldendoodles, and a ginger cat. She’s a regular contributor at BookBub and a lifelong fan of romance fiction. Find her on Bluesky at @kristinawright.