Each month, our team of book-selling experts hand-selects a small group of titles for special editorial recognition. This rare distinction is designed to increase visibility for independently published books and advocate for their readership.
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The romance titles featured below are this month's IngramSpark Editorial Selections, spanning small-town romance, dark romance, romantasy, rom-com, and more.
2026 indie editorial selections - romance
Doctor & Duelist
by Artemisia Clare
From debut author Artemisia Clare comes the first entry in a cloak and dagger romance x mystery series set during the Renaissance.
The trials and tribulations of 16th century France spare no one and no place, not even the City of Fountains…
It's 1567 in Aix-en-Provence. Oste Lézin, the scandalous leader of a local confraternity, the Order of Saint-Mitre, is a commissioned city doctor at long last. Dorotèa Galoup, a member of the order, carries the secret that she's the masked duelist who has playfully sparred with him for years. Their friendship and deceptions tarry without trouble until the times catch up with them and leave Oste severely wounded after taking a stand during Reformation conflict.
Though he's back to work come summer, Oste is displeased to find that his own confraternity sent Dorotèa to assist him with his duties, and even more displeased when he encounters her next to a murder victim her first day on the job. Dorotèa and Oste find themselves working together in a reluctant alliance not only in a desperate bid to get a killer off the Aixois streets, but to find peace in what it means to love and be loved in return.
Midnight Message
by Avina St Graves
Mina knows three things to be true.
1. She hates sports.
2. She's obsessed with an ice hockey player anyway.
3. Sliding into his DM's is the best and worst thing she's ever done
Dark Romance author Mina Mendoza has an obsession, and his name is Leo Duval. She knows everything about the star hockey player... like how many tattoos he has, where his aunt likes to holiday, the layout of his house and the date he bought it. But he doesn't know she exists. Or at least he didn't.
When Mina messages Leo in the middle of the night to say that he's exactly how she imagines the hero in her latest novel, she forgets that men can be cruel. One message turns into twenty screenshots, and a drunken group chat that alters the course of both their lives.
As it turns out, Leo knows some things about Mina too. Like the password to her phone, that her roommate sometimes forgets to lock their door at night, and that she sleeps like the dead.
Mina might have been stalking him first, but he can do it better.
Accounting for Love: A Spicy Gay Opposites-Attract Romance
by Bellamy West
Being stuck in LA traffic is the worst-until a handsome man in the next car over shows you that love is worth the detour.
Taylor Thomas, a vision in a business suit, is a gay accountant who takes everything too seriously. He doesn't depend on anyone, and there's a lot on his plate between tax season and helping plan his sister's wedding.
He needs more fun in his life, and Gabriel is the man for the job.
Gabriel Rivera is the good-time guy. A bisexual botanist who talks to his plants, has too many hobbies, and ditches work to hang with his queer rec volleyball team. Gabriel isn't looking for a serious relationship, but when he spots the hottie in the car beside him on the highway, he can't resist shooting his shot.
As things heat up between Taylor and Gabriel, their insecurities become relationship roadblocks. Will love become the liability they have always believed it to be, or can it become an asset?
This is the first book in the Ace of Baes series, following a queer found family to their happily-ever-afters. Accounting for Love can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. Be prepared for closed-door sports and open-door spice.
American Love Song
by Britt Middleton
Together, they'll save their reputations-if they can survive the scandal.
When her panic attack on the Grammys red carpet goes viral and obliterates her credibility, journalist Brinton Shaw must prove she's not a "diversity hire" at her prestigious (but pretentious) New York City magazine. She agrees to reunite with charismatic Jamie Crawford Jr. (a.k.a. The Heartbreak Prince), the country music legacy heartthrob she unintentionally dragged into her meltdown, for a new interview in his idyllic Tennessee hometown.
Nobody at work thinks Brinton will come out with a prize story angle, and neither does she...until Jamie reveals his career is a well-coordinated sham. Jamie needs Brinton's help to get his controlling, country-icon father off his back. Meanwhile, Brinton sees an opportunity to break the biggest music story of the decade.
Teaming up, they agree to help each other escape the complicated reputations they're desperate to shed. But as he shows her his world, Brinton is taken by Jamie's sincerity. He's compelled by her courage. Soon, their smoldering attraction threatens to two-step over their professional arrangement, jeopardizing Jamie's fresh start and Brinton's perfect cover story.
AMERICAN LOVE SONG by Britt Middleton is a country music and rom-com retelling of Taylor Swift's "Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince" for fans of Talia Hibbert, Tia Williams, Abby Jimenez, Jasmine Guillory and Elisa Sussman.
Paper Rings
by Brittanée Nicole
From the bestselling author of the Boston Bolts Hockey Series comes a friends-to-strangers-to-lovers hockey romance featuring the next generation of Langfields.
There are only two things I've ever truly wanted in my life. To be a goalie in the NHL and JJ Hanson.
In a twisted way, both dreams have come true. Rather than a spot on the roster though, I'm now the first female goalie coach in the NHL. JJ Hanson's coach, specifically.
Not only is he one of my players-making him totally off limits-he's also a single dad and still technically married. Oh, and thanks to my father's meddling, he's now my roommate, along with his cousin and her three kids, my sister and her four-year-old twins, my cousin, and JJ''s daughter, who I unfortunately adore.
Yup, I'm living with six kids under the age of five, and the only man I've ever loved.
There was a time when JJ was my closest friend, and for one perfect moment, he was mine. Now we don't even talk. JJ is determined to change that, though, and when opportunity strikes and suddenly both of my dreams are within reach, I have to make a decision. Can I step out onto that ice as the first female goalie in the NHL and trust JJ with my heart?
I've never been one to walk away from a challenge. Maybe the only way JJ and I can move forward is to go back to the start.
Paper Rings is a friends-to-lovers, single-dad, second-chance hockey romance with dual POV and a dual timeline featuring a Brownstone like Mother Faker and many of your favorite characters from the Langfield Brothers' family. It is the first book in the New Romantics Series and a complete standalone.
Hold Me Like a Grudge
by Celine Ong
When a fierce rivalry between two professional wrestlers heats up beneath the spotlight, neither man can fight the attraction burning between them, in this steamy sports romance.
From death-defying stunts to campy character gimmicks, everything in the world of professional wrestling is an act. Asher Ross's hatred for Caleb Knight, however, is not. When Asher finally gets drafted to Global Elite Wrestling's main roster and is thrown into a feud with Caleb for the World Championship title, he's hell-bent on making Caleb's life a living nightmare. But as both men trade barbs and blows across arenas, they're each surprised to find their chemistry is so electric, it can't be just for show.
Through rehearsals, training sessions, and injuries, Caleb's icy walls begin to thaw, revealing the real man hidden behind the cruel person GEW has molded him into. An unlikely truce blossoms into feelings neither want to deny, but, set in old ways, the company won't let them be seen as anything more than bitter rivals, both in and out of the ring.
With the risk of their forbidden romance upending their lifelong dreams, Asher and Caleb grapple with what they truly want in an industry known to erase queerness from its history, and square up against the hardest challenge yet: how much of their hearts they are prepared to give up, and if they are willing to fight to leave a legacy of their own.
Down With The Ship
by Chloe Jory
'Pride and Prejudice meets Below Deck in this laugh-out-loud, enemies-to-lovers romance.
Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Katherine Center, Down With The Ship is a sharp, steamy romantic comedy for anyone who's ever felt out of their depth.
Act civil? That ship has sailed.
Stella Olsen doesn't hate rich people. She swears. But the idea of spending two weeks trapped at sea with her snooty, judgmental in-laws sounds about as appealing as walking the plank. Even worse, she's just been suspended from the PhD program she's built her entire life around, and for reasons unknown, the family's ultra-pretentious yacht captain seems intent on reminding her just how much she doesn't belong.
Captain Caleb is everything Stella hates about the elite-arrogant, stuck-up, and, worst of all, infuriatingly gorgeous. But if she wants to fit in with her sister's shiny new family, she'll have to learn to play nice. After all, she doesn't have to like him to be civil. Which she absolutely, definitely, does not.
Because falling for a crew member, especially one who sees right through her guarded façade, is a distraction she can't afford. Especially when it could ruin her sister's happily-ever-after-and Stella's carefully laid plans to get her life back on track.
50% of profits from the sale of this book are donated to Seatrees' Reef Restoration Project in Fiji.
Wish You Weren't Here
by Christy Schillig
Fans of Rebecca Serle and Christina Lauren will adore this immersive contemporary romance set in Italy.
Ava Graham's ducks are in a row as she heads off to Italy to complete her final law school credits and fulfill a promise she made to her late mother five years ago. Ava expects her long-term boyfriend to propose before her trip, but instead of giving her a ring, he suggests they use her time abroad as a "break" before settling down.
When James Massini arrives-late-to the airport to pick up Ava as a favor to his aunt and uncle, he's surprised to find that she's not a young co-ed, but a fascinating woman approaching thirty with a serious superiority complex and a habit of underestimating him. When she's assigned to his class as a TA, he becomes determined to prove to her that there is more to life than plans and lists, no matter how hard she fights with him-or how annoyingly charming he finds their banter.
Despite the sudden disaster of her life, type A Ava might actually enjoy Italy-if only annoyingly carefree James wasn't there, too. As Ava reluctantly lets James try to show her a different way of life in Italy, she begins to find beauty in the chaos. Of course, it's when things begin to make sense again that her past comes storming back.
With a humorously relatable protagonist and a rich Italian setting, this debut novel is an escapist treat and a necessary reminder that life doesn't always care about the plans we've made for ourselves.
Girlfriend Goals
by Clare Lydon
Managing a team? Easy. Managing what's between them? Impossible…
Amy O'Donnell and Jen Campbell were once team-mates who spent hours debating tactics and dreaming big. Then Jen dropped out of Amy's life like a lost connection, and Amy's spent the last two decades wondering what the hell happened.
Now coaching the Ireland and England women's football teams, they're thrown together for a documentary in the run-up to the Euros, forced to play nice for the cameras. But Amy's just released a book dredging up their shared past, and Jen is unravelling because she's been keeping a secret. One that could explain everything. One she's guarded for over 20 years.
Jen just has to hold it together until the Euros is over. Six months. But that's impossible when Amy's right there, making her feel things she swore she'd never feel again…
From the author of bestselling football romances Hotshot and The Princess Match comes a rivals-to-lovers story about the secrets we keep, the ones we shouldn't, and falling for the one that got away...
Rears & Vices
by E M Caro
HE THOUGHT HE'D BE A HERO BY NOW-AND THAT IT WOULD MEAN SOMETHING.
It's 1816. The wars with France and America are over. Royal Navy career man Everard Anderson de Anglada sails the peacetime Great Lakes, demoted to captain of a tiny ten-gun schooner. When Preston D'Arcy, Everard's former lieutenant and too-handsome ex-flame, forewarns him about a court-martial they must judge, Everard is begrudgingly grateful.
HE'S RADICAL, RESPECTED, UNFORGETTABLE-AND A PIRATE.
On the docket, however, is Vitaliy "Vitya" Gray, infamous pirate captain and anti-colonial weapons smuggler. Everard has crossed paths with him before-not strictly as enemies.
TOGETHER, THEY COULD BE LEGENDARY...
After a hasty jailbreak, philosophical debates, and proposals-pirate marriage, no strings-Everard finds himself, his heart, and even D'Arcy commandeered: to the Gulf of México. There, piracy is nothing like he imagined, and Vitya is everything Everard ever truly wished to be
...SO LONG AS LEGEND DOESN'T GET IN THE WAY OF LOVE.
The Spanish crown looms. Dangerous secrets and betrayals come to light. Then Everard is offered a position with the revolutionary Galveston navy. Everard must decide: fulfill his desire for legacy... or stay beside the men with whom he's fallen in love and make a legacy of their own.
Thighs and Prayers
by Kat Blackthorne
An instant #1 Bestseller about finding refuge in the forbidden.
Beneath the vibrant colors of stained glass, the small hillside convent of Howl Moor is on its knees for a different kind of prayer and worship.
The Altar Church of Lost Souls houses nuns, good works for the community, and secrets woven within dark halls and twisted sermons. Sister Jezebella is happy serving under her Reverend Mother and attending to her every desire. However, when newcomer Sister Lilith visits from a neighboring convent, Jezebella finds herself drawn to a different holy calling, one in the form of long blond hair and stolen glances.
But as Jezebella navigates her passionate relationships with her fellow nuns and her draw to the new girl, a bigger mystery is at play in Howl Moor. People turn up missing, wives are widowed, and someone-- or something-- is targeting church members. As the newest nuns at The Altar Church of Lost Souls, Jezebella and Lilith seek to uncover the answers behind the screams in the night and the howls in the forest-- all while facing their growing feelings and fervent passion for each other.
Church bells are ringing, these robes are tight, and holy hands are ready to be laid upon pure and perfect bodies.
The Close-Up
by Kennedy Ryan
Set in the dynamic worlds of professional basketball and entertainment, two of Kennedy Ryan's most critically-acclaimed series-Hollywood Renaissance and HOOPs-collide in this tale of forbidden romance.
I met Nazareth Armstrong when I was eighteen years old. From the beginning, my brother warned me to stay away from him. Told Naz to stay away from me.
Our hearts didn't listen.
I shared one magical night under the stars with my brother's rival, thinking it was the start of a once-in-a-lifetime something.
But one awful moment ended it all.
Years later when we meet again, we've both pursued our dreams, lived a little, found success...but never found love. What began as a tiny flame when we were young now threatens to consume us. I'm more drawn to Naz than ever, but his complicated history with my brother makes whatever this could be...nearly impossible.
But Naz accepts impossible as a dare.
Through his clever maneuvering and dogged determination, I find myself on a yacht with him and his friends cruising through the Mediterranean. It's a whirlwind set ablaze. Away from reality, surrendering to the tender heat of his touch, I forget that everything could burn.
The Cabin In The Storm
by Lexie Axelson
I love art. I love the stories you can tell with imagery and color. I can lose myself in a world I create, evoking emotions that help others connect and be seen.
I'm full of ambition, stardust, and hope. These things drive me. Until one day, my entire life feels like it's crashing, and someone is after me.
Determined to keep going, I find myself in Sleepy Coldwater, a small town in Alaska, seeking healing and adventure. What I didn't expect was to be blindsided by a snowstorm in the mountains, leaving me desperately in need of a life-saving sanctuary.
Gavin Ariksen finds me.
Handsome. Tall. Mysterious.
With glowing blue eyes that hold a tortured past. There's an intoxicating connection between us, dripping with tension.
The thing is, we're both souls with warm, broken hearts.
As time passes, the snow keeps rolling in, and truths unfold. Suddenly, this may be a storm I cannot survive.
Highland Hideaway
by Lily Gold
One bubbly city girl lost in the Highlands.
Three rugged Scots determined to keep her there.
Yesterday, I was a fashion influencer on a trip to a luxurious Scottish spa. Today, I'm the internet's favourite trainwreck. All it took was one embarrassing viral video to end my career and leave me stranded in the Highlands.
I find shelter on Lochview Sheep Farm. It's certainly not a luxury vacation spot... unless you count the three huge Scots running the place.
There's Cameron, the grumpy shepherd who calls me 'princess' when my heels get stuck in the mud... before carrying me inside.
Fraser, the flirty rancher with the auburn hair, who promises to wear his kilt just for me.
And Alec, the commanding farm manager, who seems to hate me... until a sudden storm sends his protective streak into overdrive.
They all assume I'm just a clueless city girl. But when they find out what I'm hiding from, they swear to take care of me. Soon, I'm being kissed in freezing Scottish lochs, cuddled in front of the roaring fireplace, and being spoiled like the princess they once accused me of being.
And the best part?
My three handsome Highlanders are used to sharing everything...
And now they want to share me.
Highland Hideaway is a blistering standalone romance featuring three swoony heroes, grumpy-sunshine banter, and tons of found-family warmth. Cosy up and get ready for your next sweet-but-sizzling comfort read!
Fragile Hopes
by Lisina Coney
A spicy firefighter romance perfect for readers who love cozy small towns, age gaps, and slow-burning tension!
After three years in the city, Ivy Farnsworth never expected to return to Harmony Hills as her brother's guardian. At twenty-six, she suddenly finds herself raising sixteen-year-old Joe and juggling two jobs, determined to give him the chance to chase his dream of becoming a pilot-even if it means putting her own on hold.
The last thing Ivy needs is a distraction-especially Ford Hayes, the firefighter next door. Wary and closed off after a messy divorce, Ford has no interest in giving love a second chance... until Ivy's quick wit, quiet strength, and unwavering optimism begin to chip away at his walls.
Ivy has spent her life taking care of everyone else, but Ford is the first to truly show up for her. As their friendship slowly deepens into love, they must decide if they're willing to risk their hearts-or if the weight of their pasts will keep them apart.
Haunt: A Small Town Ghost Romance
by Meg Alivien
Kennedy Chesterfield is dead, yet she can't stop her spirit from popping up in random places among the living. Confused, frightened, and unable to stay in one place longer than a few minutes, Kennedy seeks help from the witches of Shadow Hills-the paranormal small town her mother grew up in. A seance is performed in the town's most notorious haunted house, and with success, Kennedy is anchored to the location. But there's a problem: the house is already occupied.
Tucked within the forest outside of town, Theodore Vanderbilt has spent decades haunting his family's home. Alone, and perfectly content, Theo is happy to keep to himself, hidden away from the judgmental eyes of Shadow Hills, and the descendants of those his family hurt. But when his only friend approaches him about a lost ghost in need of a place to rest, he finds himself opening his home, as well as his heart, to a redhead who upends his entire afterlife.
Both Kennedy and Theo are holding on to guilt from the actions they took in life. Each has something to learn from the other, and with time-and a little forced proximity-they just might find they both have a second chance at happiness.
HAUNT is the third book in the Monster Boyfriends series, set in the paranormal small town of Shadow Hills. Perfect for fans of slow burn and cozy small town romance with a little bit of spice!
Pitcher Us
by Mollie Goins
Coming off a World Series win, one of the last things starting pitcher, Will Anderson anticipates is being traded to the Boston Blues.
That and the fact he isn't being traded alone. Over the past year, his catcher's little sister was simply that-his teammate's sister. She was never someone Will should have felt a need to take care of, but with her fiery personality, Will finds himself caught in her blaze.
When Callie Reyer showed up on her brother's doorstep, she promised herself no more baseball players. All season, she distanced herself from her brother's teammates. But now, not only is she the Blue's new team photographer, she's moved in next door to the team's pitcher.
When Callie and Will find themselves tiptoeing the line between being friends and wanting more, they must decide whether their relationship is worth risking the jobs they love.
Because as it turns out, dating your coworkers at the Boston Blues is strictly prohibited.
My Boyfriend Is a Swamp Monster
by Paige Lavoie
A struggling songwriter returns to her childhood summer camp and comes face-to-face with the imaginary boy from her past-and a second chance she never believed was real.
Marina is used to being overlooked. She works at her manipulative aunt's boutique, writing songs on a broken keyboard and spending her free time with her grandmother. Her last close friend was a boy from summer camp years ago, but he was imaginary, so he doesn't count. When Marina lands an audition that could change everything, her Grams pushes her to find inspiration where it all started. Armed with an old camp notebook, Marina returns to the now-abandoned campground, hoping to write one good song. Instead, she meets a handsome stranger.
Gil has never forgotten the girl who made his summers full of sunlight. He remembers the snacks she shared with him, the songs she wrote, and the promise he made to always come back for her. But he wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions he felt when she came back. Eager to keep his second chance from slipping away, Gil spends the weekend with Marina, hoping she'll realize he's the boy she imagined all those years ago.
Together, they return to a time where the summer is magic and the days are never ending. Marina can't help but wonder if Gil is real, then maybe happy endings are too.
The Hotshot
by Piper Rayne
Raising my cousin's three kids wasn't in my five-year plan.Actually, it wasn't in any plan.
One minute I'm a single labor and delivery nurse living a quiet life and the next, I'm navigating guardianship hearings, meltdowns, and homework I'm pretty sure requires a math degree.
Enter Hayes Carlisle.
My best friend's older brother.
Chicago Colts newest catcher.
And the man I once kissed and immediately pretended I didn't.
So, when the custody battle I've been dreading becomes a reality, I shouldn't be surprised that Hayes swoops in with a wild idea-a fake relationship. According to him, pretending we're together will polish his image and prove to the court I'm not taking on an instant family alone.
But pretending to be Hayes' girlfriend is a terrible idea.
Because he remembers how to make me laugh.
Because he looks at me like our kiss wasn't a one-time mistake.
Because the kids start asking him to read bedtime stories.
Because my heart starts wanting things my life doesn't have room for.
I can manage the chaos. I can fight for these kids.
But pretending not to fall for Hayes Carlisle?
That might be the one thing I can't do.
The Song of Salt and Shadow: A Slow-Burn Siren-Pirate Romantasy
by Seren Rose
The Song of Salt and Shadow is an atmospheric siren-pirate romantasy about lost identity, treacherous seas, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension.
A siren born without a tail.
A song meant to drown pirates.
A pirate ready to drown for her.
Hunted for her blood and the scales that grant humans magic they should never wield, Eryse flees the hunters and climbs aboard a vast black ship. The crew is cursed, and in the darkness, ghosts roam the deck. As she steps aboard, a silver thread of light appears - the Glim. Believing she may be the key to breaking the curse, the captain does not let her go.
Caught between a curse that tightens its grip and a sea that never forgives, Eryse cannot live in water and cannot live without it. To claim the tail she was never given, she is forced to confront her own voice and follow a path that leads straight through a pirate who may be just as dangerous as the sea itself.