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2021 was rough, but romance books gave us life. Here are 13 favorites from this year

Books We Love, formerly known as NPR's Book Concierge, is back for 2021. Here are a handful of romance novels that NPR staffers and independent critics named as some of their favorites of the year.
Source: Noa Denmon for NPR

Who doesn't love a good, well, love story? Whether it's the meet cutes, the crossed stars or the sheer passion, we're big fans. And let's be honest: the sappier the story, the better.

Books We Love, NPR's list of best reads from 2021, has hundreds of recommendations: 369 of them, to be exact. With that kind of lengthy list, it can be hard to know exactly where to start. So here are 13 suggestions from our colleagues and independent critics for what to read if you want a good love story.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown: A Novel by Talia Hibbert

"Has there ever been a better time to read about a charming, hilarious young woman who just can't seem to get it together? This book follows Eve Brown – a talented cook, phenomenal singer, devoted sister and, at the start of the story, a notorious ne'er-do-well. As her story unspools, Eve winds, supervising editor,

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