Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. These are all things I can wholeheartedly get behind.

This week’s topic is a Love Freebie for Valentine’s Day. When I saw this week’s prompt was a freebie for Valentine’s Day, I knew I wanted to talk about my favorite romances in the books I’ve read. While I read a lot of romances and books with romantic subplots, I never make the time to talk about all of them.

So, here we go! The first half of these books are either actual romances or romance-heavy, while the other half are books with great romantic subplots. At least five of these are ones I’ve read over and over, so these are tried and true favorites.

1. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

If you like a brother’s best friend trope, there is no better historical romance than this book. Fun fact: it’s the Julia Quinn book where the “I burn for you” line actually comes from not any of the Bridgerton books. I’ve read this a gazillion times.

2. The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

If you love Jane Austen, this book is a must-read. All the Austen heroines and heroes are together for a house party at the Knightley’s house. When Wickham shows up and then dies, the Tilneys’ daughter and the Darcys’ son try to solve the mystery themselves.

3. Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Can you tell I love Julia Quinn? Because of Miss Bridgerton is such a great Georgian romance with tropes of childhood neighbors and rivals to lovers. The main female character is a bit of a tomboy, and both she and the love interest are super smart. I love this one.

4. A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

This is a recent read for me, but I loved the heck out of it. It’s a regency-adjacent fantasy with a Whistledown-like gossip paper. It’s got magic, chronic illness representation, and diverse characters. So much to love.

5. The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

I promise this is the last one by Julia Quinn, but this is probably my favorite one of hers. It has enemies to lovers, a ridiculously smart hero, an injured hero, house parties, and carriage rides. This one is spectacular. I’ve read it a gazillion and one times, and it always gets me out of a reading slump.

6. Some Shall Break (None Shall Sleep #2) by Ellie Marney

This is hands down my favorite YA mystery series. It’s set in the 80s with two young adults recruited as interns with the fledgling profiling unit at the FBI. It’s so good. You’ll want to read the first book in the series before this one, but the romance doesn’t pick up until this second book.

7. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Yes, this is the second Claudia Gray book on this list. She’s ridiculously underrated as an author. This YA series is a very-near-future sci-fi series that features inter-dimensional time travel and a girl avenging her father’s death. This series will never leave my bookshelf. I read it at least once a year.

8. Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Upright Women Wanted is a weird West, dystopian novella featuring a band of librarians who aren’t quite what they seem. The queer romance in this is lovely, and there’s also a surprising amount of action for a novella! I adored this when I read it a few years ago and keep meaning to return to it.

9. The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

The Phoenix King is an epic fantasy with the best bodyguard romance subplot ever. The romance between the heir to the kingdom, Elena, and the deadly assassin/bodyguard, Yassen, was achingly slow-burn but worth the wait. I can’t wait for more entries in this series.

10. The Red Palace by June Hur

The Red Palace is set in Korea in 1758 and is primarily an intense serial murder mystery full of palace intrigue. A young police inspector and a palace nurse work together to solve the mystery. This is a pretty intense book, but the romance adds much-needed levity. I adore this book, especially the ending.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Please let me know some of your favorite romances!

Be sure to share your TTT in the comments below so I can check it out!