We all have our favorite tags attached to a book or two on reading apps! Chick lit is a common romance tag, but what does it really mean? At first, it was just “stories that appealed to women.” When it fell out of favor, we decided to bring it back in a way that talks about what it is to be female.
Now, these stories explore topics that hit a little closer to home by diving into women’s issues with a little bit of something sweet to soften the blow. Try something new and embrace the movement with these eight chick lit romance books!
Here are some amazing chick lit books to add to your TBR
Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane
Rated 1 (Extra Mild) on the OwlCrate Spice Meter
Content Warning (may contain spoiler):
As part of the exploration of real issues and to support elements of this story, there are several instances of gaslighting, infidelity, and toxic relationships throughout this book.
They say life imitates art, but what do you do when it turns out the reverse is coming true?
Roisin’s weekend started as a fantastic getaway to celebrate an engagement, a birthday, and the launch of Joe’s new show. Things quickly start going awry when tensions among her friend group come to light, and everything gets even worse when certain parts of Joe’s drama turn out to be all too real. The stories that were supposed to stay just between them are playing out on screen for the world to see in a realization of Roisin’s worst nightmares.
Already questioning her relationship, she can’t help but add in fears of what else the show might be revealing now that her personal life is public. Roisin’s only hope is to get her head and heart together by going home to help run her family’s pub. Luckily, she’s not going through this alone, as an old friend is determined to support her in ways she never thought she’d need.
For readers who love character-driven stories and analysis, Mhairi McFarlane is the queen. Her characters are so real, so heart-breaking, and the love story in Between Us is so delicately told and well done. All her books are a great way to explore the chick literature subgenre, but definitely check trigger warnings because they don’t shy away from hitting where it hurts.
Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voksuni
Rated 1 (Extra Mild) on the OwlCrate Spice Meter
Content Warning (may contain spoiler):
Some aspects of this rom-com get heavy with mentions of homophobia, racism, and genocide as part of the Armenian diaspora experience.
Nar’s boyfriend is proposing, and there’s nothing she wants less.
After a failed proposal in front of a room of tech bros, Nar’s mother thinks she can fix everything with a list of available Armenian bachelors and a push for Nar to attend a series of events to preserve the Armenian identity. Of course, her mother was right…in all the wrong ways.
Erebuni is gorgeous, witchy, and determined to be the best wingwoman while encouraging Nar to embrace their shared culture. Now, Nar has to decide if she’s going to be brave and embrace everything about who she is for the first time in her life with the woman who showed her it was possible.
We love that chick lit is getting less heteronormative one step at a time . Taleen Voksuni’s debut novel is a stunning combination of exploring culture, finding yourself, and celebrating love. The fact that she’s doing it while talking about the important issues and experiences for cultures around the world with sapphic characters is a beautiful bonus.
The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson
Rated 1 (Extra Mild) on the OwlCrate Spice Meter
Content Warning (may contain spoiler):
Shauna Robinson’s story addresses racism and infidelity.
Maggie Banks is doing her best.
When she arrived to help her best friend run her struggling bookshop, Maggie thought it’d be selling bestsellers and celebrating books in a way only a bookish town would know how. However, the society in charge of the town seems intent on keeping everyone stuck in the past.
After a series of mistakes, Maggie is determined to fix everything and bring the bookshop back from the brink. If that means breaking a few rules and starting an underground book-selling ring, then that’s what she’ll do.
That is, until she discovers a secret that could change everything everyone knows about the town. Now, she has to decide if she should tell the story that changes everything or lose it all and chalk this up as another in her long list of failures.
Shauna Robinson knows her way around a trope! Her romance is a gorgeous combination of feeling unmoored and incapable, sweet romance, and trying to make up for mistakes in a light-hearted and quick read .
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Rated 1 (Extra Mild) on the OwlCrate Spice Meter
Content Warning (may contain spoiler):
In this book, we explore themes of parental death, grief, and cancer alongside Katherine Center’s characters.
Emma Wheeler’s biggest dream is to be a screenwriter. She knows she can do it; her romantic comedies have won awards! This dream is just out of reach, though, as she’s her father’s only caretaker. However, when the opportunity of a lifetime arrives, there’s nothing she can do except let her sister step in and move to Los Angeles for six weeks.
The opportunity? Working with Charlie Yates to write a rom-com. His problem? He doesn’t believe in love, doesn’t want to work with a nobody writer, and really only wants this script approved so he can greenlight something else. Emma Wheeler isn’t letting this lie. If she does anything, it’s going to be proving to this grump that love stories matter, whether they’re real or fiction.
With so many ways to explore love, there’s almost no better way than by picking up one of Katherine Center’s steamy books. Her soft words embrace loving love, whether it’s for family, friends, or a significant other.
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
Rated 2 (Mild) on the OwlCrate Spice Meter
Content Warning (may contain spoiler):
A key element to the premise of this book is character death; other trigger warnings include car accidents and bullying.
Delphie’s lucky she’s dead because if choking on a microwave burger hadn’t killed her, sitting in the waiting room of her afterlife in her nightgown while the hottest man ever smiles at her would have killed her, for sure. As they seem to be hitting it off, someone comes in to fix their mistake and–just like that–Delphie is watching Hottie McHotterson head back to Earth.
Now, the powers that be like to think they’re fair beings. Delphie has been offered a deal: she can return to Earth and life if she can find the love of her afterlife. All she has to do is find him in a city with millions of people.
Sometimes you just want fluffy reads that talk about heavy things . Kirsty Greenwood excellently balances the dark with the delightful throughout. This feels exactly like the fluffy kind of romance while still confronting characters with the heavy and realistic themes and events without getting too intense.
The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren
Rated 2 (Mild) on the OwlCrate Spice Meter
Content Warning (may contain spoiler):
Ami’s story arc discusses infidelity, but Christina Lauren also incorporates discussions on death and toxic relationships in this sequel to The Unhoneymooners.
One man’s trash is another’s treasure when a wedding goes wrong and a honeymoon goes so right.
Ami’s excited for her sister, Olive, to get married, but she’s also determined for everything to go exactly right because if Olive can’t break the Torres family wedding curse, it’s likely nobody can. Determined to give her sister the best wedding ever, Ami has less than two weeks to organize everything, thousands of miles away from home, while also processing her own divorce. There’s no one better equipped to help her than the best man, Brody, who already lives in Maui.
When it comes down to details, will he be a better help, or will he hinder all her best-laid plans by being everything she didn’t know she needed?
Fans of Christina Lauren rejoiced when news of this novella sequel was released and were definitely not disappointed. Not only did these two wrap up loose ends with Olive and Ethan, but they also dived wholeheartedly into what happens in the aftermath of infidelity. This is closure in the best sense.
The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi
Rated 2 (Mild) on the OwlCrate Spice Meter
Content Warning (may contain spoiler):
While not explored in great detail, Tanamachi does discuss infidelity and parental death in this book.
There’s a fine line between love and hate.
Nami’s 30th birthday serves to highlight that she’s not exactly happy where she is. Everything she’s worked for is on the precipice, and the one person who can help her fix it is also her nemesis. That's why, when she makes the wish for her soulmate, the universe decides to deliver that nemesis right into her lap.
Jae Lee is still the same effortlessly cool, charming, and successful guy he seemed to be in high school. Only now, his goal isn’t beating her out for valedictorian; it’s to take over her tech startup. As things continue to heat up between them, they realize there might be more than just ambition brewing.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to work in a high-stakes tech startup. Cara Tanamachi delivers this inside peek and more! She’s raising the stakes wonderfully and giving girlboss vibes that make reading this feel fun while also exploring the difficulties of being the boss of a company that also hasn’t come into its own.
Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
Rated 4 (Hot) on the OwlCrate Spice Meter
Content Warning (may contain spoiler):
This book has gun violence, death of a parent, kidnapping, and domestic abuse.
Naomi is running away from her wedding, but it’s for a good cause. She’s running to her twin sister’s rescue! Unfortunately, her twin is still the same as she’s always been, and as Naomi tries to help, her sister steals her car and all her cash before leaving her daughter in Naomi’s care.
Now, Naomi’s left high and dry, stuck in town trying to figure out how to handle an eleven-year-old without a plan or even a job in a city that thinks conflict resolution is a beatdown and a beer.
Knox would usually stay far away from this kind of situation, but it’s kind of the least he can do after watching it all hit the fan. His game plan is to help her through this and then wash his hands of them both, but when trouble turns to legitimate danger, he realizes he might have bitten off more than he can chew.
When it comes to the darker side of chick lit, Lucy Score has your back. No one in this book is perfect, but they’re all perfect in their own ways. Fans find her characters relatable, resilient, and real in every way.
A problem shared is a problem halved, and books are one of the best ways to halve our heaviest issues. Whether you like steamy, sensual, or all-out spicy books, chick lit makes sure there’s a rating for everyone because, at the end of the day, these books are here for readers to enjoy and to help them feel more seen.
Want to read more books in this genre? Join the waitlist for OwlCrate’s new quarterly Romance subscription, coming in Spring 2025!
Every 3 months, subscribers will get an OwlCrate exclusive edition of a signed, newly released hardcover Romance novel with incredible design elements. Plus, as a subscriber, you will get first access to beautiful limited editions of popular Romance books.
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