Guest Post: Laura Piper Lee shares some Chucklesmut recs with us!

BookTok has really changed the game for romance books and authors which is why I had to feature this guest post from Laura Piper Lee.

Laura Piper Lee is the author of Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair and as her debut release, this one seems like an incredibly fun time. Plus the cover is just too adorable to resist.

Thankfully, Laura Piper Lee decided to write up a guest post for us and she's talking about some of her favorite "Chucklesmut" recs. If you haven't heard of that term, I'm sure you're not alone but it's basically a rom-com that is also steamy.

Given that real-life steamy moments can end up being funny, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I'd like to thank Laura Piper Lee for sharing this post with us and Union Square & Co. for setting all of this up because this list is honestly full of some of my faves.

Don't miss Laura Piper Lee's Chucklesmut post.

Chucklesmut: A Round-up of Hot and Hilarious Rom-Com Novels to Get You Through Hard Times

I don’t know about you, but when my day job has ravaged my soul, my child has rejected every food that isn’t shaped like a goldfish, and a stack of unopened mail threatens me with adult homework, I want to laugh. No, I need to laugh. If the romcom can get the lights turned back on downstairs, all the better. Here’s a round-up of the funniest novels to bring you back to life when life, well, sucks.

First off, the Steamy Section:

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti

From the moment I picked up this historical romance novella, I could not put it down—and I have absolutely raging attention deficit disorder, y’all. It’s that good. I laughed out loud; I swooned; I got the vapors from the steamy scenes. This is book one from the Halifax Hellions series, and I cannot recommend all three of them enough! Vasti’s also got her first full-length novel coming out in July 2024, Ne’er Duke Well, which is just as charming, funny, and hot. Get them all.

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

This book is so wry and clever, I thoroughly enjoyed the verbal sparring and hilarious observations that appear throughout the book. It also has the added benefit of being very hot. It’s a modern, gender-bent retelling of When Harry Met Sally. If you like your characters flawed as hell but destined for each other, you will love this one, too.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

The entire Brown Sisters’ series is full of laughs and swoons. I thoroughly love Talia Hibbert’s voice and humor. She’s one of those rare talents that regularly make you laugh while balancing a layered, emotional romantic experience on the page at the same time. Start with Chloe, a hilarious, chronically ill woman who makes a sort-of bucket list for getting a life—but plan on reading them all!

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

As a child of the 80s, I absolutely adored the movie High Spirits, so Do Your Worst is the fun, funny paranormal romance about a curse breaker, a skeptic, and a haunted castle that I’ve always wanted. The chemistry between these two main characters is palpable, and Rosie’s banter had me laughing over and over again. It’s also very hot. It’s physically painful for me not to recommend Rosie’s The Roommate, because that book is so funny and so hot (it’s damn near perfect), but Do Your Worst is a new favorite, too.

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

I’m going to make a very bold claim here—The True Love Experiment is the perfect romcom. I know, I know, how dare I, etc., but seriously… This book follows a jaded romance author who’s lost her faith in love and agrees to star in a reality TV dating show that happens to have a very sexy producer. The premise is gold, the laughs are bountiful, it is intensely charming, and the scenes are hot. It also made me think deep thoughts about love and romance and what we’re all here for.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Okay, if you read romcoms, and you haven’t read Ali Hazelwood’s debut yet, then you’re just being obstinate. Stop it. This book is so charming and laugh-out-loud funny—I still love it best of all of Hazelwood’s books. It turned me into an auto-buy fan for life. Give in to the hype—it’s real.

Two Houses by Suleena Bibra

This is a rivals-to-lovers romcom with fantastic banter set in the interesting world of art auctioneers. I love me a pairing with a testy history, and Bibra does such a great job bringing these two together in a forced proximity setting with legit heat.

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

I am a massive Rachel Lynn Solomon stan. She blends humor and kindness and heat just right in all her books, and this is the steamiest one yet. A ghostwriter has a hilariously awful one-night stand only to realize that her next project is writing the memoir of the same guy—a C-list actor who once starred on a werewolf show. There are sex lessons, y’all. You will laugh, you will cringe, and then, you will fall in love.

The Swoony, Less Explicit Section:

The Do-Over by Suzanne Park

Have you ever had that dream where you realize you forgot to go to class, and now it’s time to take the final exam, but you don’t even speak Italian? The Do-Over brings those vibes to life when Lily Lee realizes at the worst possible time that she never actually graduated college and now must return, ten years later, to finish the job. All of Suzanne’s books are laugh-out-loud funny and clever, and this one brings a healthy dose of heartfelt, wistful feelings, too.

The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

I’m not sure this is technically a romcom, but I also abuse power, so here we go. This delightful, hilarious queer fantasy with a strong romantic subplot is a true pleasure to read. It follows Delly Wells, a petty con artist and partly-educated fire witch as she takes a job guarding a wealthy gentlewoman. The invented Cockney fantasy-slang in this book had me in tears, y’all.

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

Alexis Hall is so incredibly funny, it’s not quite fair. I loved Boyfriend Material, but Mortal Follies is my jam. It’s a Victorian sapphic romance in an alternate London where magic exists narrated by the disgraced Hobgoblin from Oberon’s court. If you like audiobooks, I highly recommend the audio version. It’s perhaps the best comedic delivery for a book I’ve ever heard.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

This book is part fantasy, part historical romance, and all tittering, delighted laughter. Dashing pirates, flying houses, swoony kisses—I loved it! It’s the start of the series, so buckle up and read them all.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This, like The Love Hypothesis, should be required romcom reading. McQuiston’s voice is fresh and young and hilarious in this opposites-attract, prince meets a president’s son, romance. I laughed and laughed and laughed. Even if you watched the movie, you still need to read this book to get the full McQuiston experience.

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle

This Christmas romcom where a down-on-her-luck, materialistic influencer accidentally summons the Holiday Spirit (and forces him to do her petty, hilarious bidding before that emotional growth arc hits) was one of my favorite reads in years. I am absolutely head over heels for Hall (the spirit), and frankly, I did not see that coming.

Last but not least, might I recommend my own debut adult romcom? Ahem?

Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair is the story of a messy, millennial mom who renovates her country parents’ nightmare cabin to rent out as an Airbnb with the help of a hot, hippie carpenter who lives in the treehouse next door. If you like to laugh about motherhood, bad taxidermy, and small mountain town antics, then go pick up a copy! I like to think of it as Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Steel Magnolias—if Steel Magnolias was 90% less traumatic and primarily about Ouiser.

Now, get to laughing!

I don't know about you, but Laura Piper Lee somehow managed to feature some of my favorite books on this list. Honestly if you haven't picked up any of the books from this list, get to reading. It is truly top-tier and features some amazing romance books you either need to read or plan a re-read for.

Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee is out now where books are sold.