5 debut romance books to have on your spring TBR

Finding new romance books to read isn’t easy. There is always a plethora of new ones, so it can be tough to keep up. In particular, it’s especially daunting when it’s a debut romance author.

It can be a mixed bag when it comes to debut romances. Sometimes it is due to writing or pacing issues, while others just don’t find their groove. Then some romance authors come out of the gate doing amazing work.

Romance books are a huge part of popular culture so it’s only right to talk about some stellar debuts to have on your TBR. This list is going to be a mixed bag of some new 2022 releases and a few older ones.

These five debut romance books should be on your spring 2022 TBR.

Let’s start with some older romance debuts. While these books didn’t come out in 2022, they have been published within the last three years, so they should be easy to acquire. The first one is a personal favorite of mine! It is How To Fail At Flirting by Denise Williams. The story involves an adult interracial romance between a college professor and a guy she meets at a bar who eventually ends up deciding on her job.

How To Fail At Flirting is such an excellent debut. It focuses a lot on the romance, but also the growth of Naya and Jake as characters. This book does deal with a former abusive relationship and a toxic ex (if you’re sensitive to those topics). Either way, it’s a delightful story that was published at the end of 2020.

The next two books are both indie debuts featuring Black characters and good starting points for each of these authors. First is Sweethand by N.G. Peltier. It is a romance between two frenemies who are forced to be together as the maid of honor and best man at a wedding. Of course, sparks fly and the two can’t keep their hands off of each other.

What makes Sweethand so fun is both of the characters have incredible jobs, and they overlap in a lot of ways. Cherisse is a baker while Keiran works in music. It was published in 2021 and is a pretty low-angst fun read. The same can be said for Mimi Grace’s debut book, Along for the Ride.

Along for the Ride is an enemies-to-lovers story between Jolene and Jason, who are on a road trip to help her sister and his best friend who is recently married. This one is also pretty low-angst, but a lot of fun and features some classic tropes, such as “only one bed” and “forced proximity.” Released in 2019, it is an easy and breezy ride for when you’re lounging on the porch, or just want something to dive into.

Last but not least are the 2022 debuts. First is Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg. It is a Black Love romance between a baker and a paleontologist, who are both trying to chase their dreams while navigating a relationship. It’s an incredibly realistic and sweet romance that’s also fade-to-black. Lastly is a book I have yet to read but looks amazing, and that’s The Accidental Pinup by Danielle Jackson.

This book is pitched as a romance between two photographers competing for the same job and essentially falling for each other. Even though it isn’t set to come out until July 2022, early reviews look good. It was another 2022 debut that had to make the cut.

Do you have any debut romance books you love? Be sure to leave your recommendations in the comments.