Welcome to The Velvet Pages
We read 1,000s of romance novels and catalog the good ones.
And here’s the stuff you didn’t you know you needed, but now you can’t live without.
ON THE NIGHTSTAND
Currently Reading
Obsessively Vetted Book Recs
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![A couple smiling and embracing on a Christmas decorated street at night, with festive lights and holiday decorations. It says holiday romance recommendations]()
Our Ho-Ho-Hoe Book Holiday TBR
IT’S HOLIDAY ROMANCE SEASON! We’ve been aching to make this list and and heroically waited the socially acceptable amount of time after Halloween to mention Christmas. That time? Exactly one day. Celebrate our restraint.
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![A couple hugging and kissing on a tree-lined street during autumn, with fallen leaves and warm sunlight filtering through the trees. Cozy fall romance novel recommendations.]()
Boxed Wine Romance Recs
Perfect for pairing with your favorite boxed wine. Easy, straightforward, satisfying. These comfy, Fall recs are good for your soul.
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Bridgerton is Back January 2026
You’d better believe we’re excited about this. A completed historical romance series that has come to life in front of our very eyes? You’re a real Smythe-Smith if you don’t celebrate this musicale.
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![A pink and purple bokeh background with open books and a butterfly illustration, overlaid with purple text that reads 'Top Ten Romance Releases of 2025... So Far.']()
This Year's Top 10 New Romance
New releases from 2025 that we loved. A self gift we can vouch for.
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![Illustration of a couple in vintage Halloween costumes, a man in a dark suit with slicked-back hair and a woman with curly hair and a red dress, romantic pose with foreheads touching under a full moon promoting Halloween romance novel reading list.]()
We're Reading These Halloween Romance This Season
Ghosts, witches, vampires, monsters, and even some cozy stuff.
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![Illustration of a man and woman facing each other, with a text overlay that reads "Best Inner Monologue Romance RECs" in the center, on an orange background.]()
Recs for Wittiest Inner Monologues
Do you like clever literary mechanics paired with great writing? Do you enjoy laughing out loud? Us, too. Read these. They’re the best of MC inner monologues that are witty, quippy, snappy, and oh so very human.
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![A romantic illustration of a man and woman in Halloween-themed costumes against a moonlit background with trees and graves, promoting Halloween recommended romance novel reading.]()
See These Halloween Romance We've Read and Rated
Give any of these six books a chance. We’ve read them. Pick one, you can’t go wrong.
WHO WE ARE
Galvanizing Romance Books and Penning Reviews You Can Trust
Penelope Black & Cardigan B
1,000s
That’s how many romance books we’ve read. Seriously. This is literally all we consume so when you’re looking for experts, we’re it. And, bonus, we’re humans.
94%
That’s our success rate. When we recommend a book, we guarantee that we read it with human eyes and/or ears (how dare you forget about audiobooks). And we probably gave it a ⭐ 3.5 or above.
400
The average number of romance books we read per year. Do the math: that’s one every couple of days. “Moderately obsessed” is probably an understatement.
There’s a newsletter.
The ‘Buy Now’ buttons include affiliate links that lead to Amazon to purchase. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
The prices you see for each book are based on Amazon prices at a point in time. If you choose a different format of book, the price will likely change. Be sure to review your order before you checkout on Amazon.
Sizzle Scale
HOT
(Blazing & Explicit): This is the full five-alarm fire. Bedroom doors are flung wide open, and the scenes are DETAILED, EXPLICIT, and SCORCHING HOT. No fading to black here.
MEDIUM
(Simmering & Steamy): Expect passionate kisses that don't always fade to black. Could be graphic, but probably one scene that goes full throttle. Things get steamy, and the chemistry is sparking. You’ll blush, but you won’t need a fire extinguisher... yet.
MILD
(Sweet & Tender): Expect sweet sighs, maybe a stolen, chaste kiss or two, and plenty of heartwarming moments that make you go "awww." If things get more intimate, the bedroom door gently clicks shut (fade-to-black).
FLOUR
(Platonic, if anything): Rare to find around here. This is a book that has…no romance at all. We probably read this by accident.
FAQs
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A guide to romance novels of all heats and sizes. We’re recommending books we’ve read (we’ve read 1,000s) and telling you what to expect. We’ll help you do your research - your time and money will be happy.
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We recommend starting with Historical Romance, Fantasy Romance, or Sports Romance. They’re the most popular and you’ll find recognizable tropes.
Start with Mild to Medium heat and definitely choose an HEA.
If you’re still stuck, email us and we can give you some recs!
Heyyyvelvetpages@gmail.com
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‘Happily Ever After’ - nearly every book you find on The Velvet Pages has an ‘HEA’. It means that the story reached a satisfying conclusion. It might say “To Be Continued” which means there’s probably an HEA in the series, but that particular title didn’t resolve the relationship.
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MMC is Male Main Character. FMC is female main character.
There are typically one of each, but there can be multiple in genres like Omegaverse or Reverse Harem.
Or, like in the case of Court of Thorns and Roses, the MMC could be one person in one book and another person in another book.
Don’t come at me about ‘spoilers’ - these books were published in 2015.
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This is how sexual or sexy a book is. There’s a range: Hot, Medium, Mild, and Flour.
Hot is ‘“holy Hell I’m sweating.”
Medium is steamy.
Mild is tender and sweet.
Flour means there’s nothing romantic here.
We label each book so you know what to expect and you can choose what you’re comfortable reading.
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They link directly to Amazon where the book is available to buy. If you buy from a button click on the site, we might earn a commission. You’re not paying more for the product, though. We’re all about ‘pay less for smut’ around here. The prices are checked monthly but they might be slightly different when you go shop. They reflect the lowest price, regardless of format, that we found in our research.
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