A group of books on a pink background.

Need a date this Valentine’s Day? Pick up one of these Asian romance novels

From second-chance romances to enemies-to-lovers, these Asian-centered books will keep you company this holiday

There's nothing like a good romance book to warm your heart.

Covers courtesy of various publishers

Words by Aleenah Ansari

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, love is in the air, and on the bookshelf. Check out these romance books by Asian diasporic authors who center Asian characters as they explore identity, belonging, and how to evolve tradition.

Illustrated cover of Love in Focus by Lyla Lee, featuring two young women standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. One holds a camera and wears a white top, the other wears a pink dress.Love in Focus by Lyla Lee (2025)
Second-chance romance

This romance set in San Francisco follows relationship advice columnist Gemma and photographer Celeste, who are paired up to work on “Modern Love in Focus,” a piece about modern love through the stories of real couples. They are also trying to figure out if their inyeon, or the fated destiny, is to be together or stay as far apart as possible. They have a history that they’re still unpacking: Celeste broke Gemma’s heart in college, so they’re both learning about what love looks like to them. This book is also a love letter to the characters’ South Korean culture, usually in the form of conversations over the South Korean chatting app, KakaoTalk, and shared meals of beef galbi, japchae noodles, and pan-fried dumplings as a love language.

Illustrated book cover showing two people sitting at a cafe table, sharing bingsu dessert. One has green hair and glasses, the other brown hair. The cafe has pastel colors. Title: Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon.Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon (2025)
Enemies to lovers, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine

If you love coffee and bingsu with a side of enemies to lovers, this coming-of-age romance is the one for you. It follows River Langton-Lee, who recently quit his job at his parents’ café and starts working at the Korean café where Sarang works. What starts as a fun video of his coworkers in the café quickly goes viral after River accidentally posts it on his popular anonymous social media account. This quickly turns into the Internet shipping River and Sarang, a romance they keep alive for the cameras in the hopes of bringing more people into the café. Along the way, the characters are trying to make decisions for themselves and understand their own identities. It features extra-long chapter titles, cameos from local coffee shops in Seattle like Victrola and Coffeeholic House, and humor as a coping mechanism or simply a way to help process your feelings.

Book cover for In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander, featuring palm trees, a striped umbrella, and beach chairs against a yellow background with blue and pink accents.In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati-Alexander (2024)
Fake dating

If you love a vacation read, this one is perfect for you. Sloane is interviewing for a dream job as a designer at a video game company. She also recently went through a breakup, which means she’s ready to go all-in on preparing for the interview and focusing on her career. Things get shaken up when her neighbor Charlie invites her on an all-inclusive Caribbean vacation, a trip he originally planned for his ex, whom he’s hoping to make jealous and potentially win back.

Illustrated book cover showing a relaxed couple sitting on a pink couch in a cozy living room. The title “Make Room for Love” is above them, and the author’s name, Darcy Liao, is at the bottom.Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao (2024)
Slow burn, friends to lovers 

Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao follows Mira, a Desi trans woman who has recently gone through a breakup and is learning the art of starting over. Thankfully, she runs into Isabel, an electrician, during a night out, and she happens to have a spare room where Mira can stay. Over time, Mira and Isabel open up and care for each other, and Isabel advises Mira on how to organize a union at the university where she’s studying to get her doctorate. It will resonate with readers who are on the journey to understand their own queerness, and anyone who’s learning to believe that they can have it all and trust themselves when it comes to love.

Illustration of a woman sitting on brownstone steps with a coffee cup, and a man standing nearby with grocery bags. Autumn leaves frame the scene. The text reads: Its Different This Time, A Novel, Joss Richard.It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard (2025)
Second-chance romance, friends to lovers

If you’re ever searching for a romance book from coast to coast featuring a brownstone that just might be the place where love grew and was rekindled, It’s Different This Time is for you. Actress June finds herself lured back to New York, where she’s greeted with the news that she and her previous roommate Adam have inherited the multi-million dollar brownstone where they lived together years ago. It’s been five years since they last spoke, and now they must decide the future of this home, and their relationship. This book is especially heartwarming for those who have a soft spot for New York in the fall, best friends to lovers, and characters who are evolving but still finding common ground.

Illustrated book cover showing a woman in an orange top pouring tea, surrounded by flowers, against a blue tiled background with music notes. The title reads “Yin Yang Love Song” by Lauren Kung Jessen.Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen (2025)
Fake dating

Chinese herbalist Chryssy wants to find lasting love, but it doesn’t seem in the cards given her family curse of always getting your heart broken. In search of a potential cure, she attends a healing retreat to see if she can change her fate. She ends up meeting rock cellist Vin, and they strike a deal: They’ll pretend to date, and then he’ll break her heart and promote her business. It sounds like a win-win, but the waters get murky when their connection starts to feel more real. The book follows multiracial Chinese American characters who are finding love on their own terms.

Illustrated book cover of A Witchs Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna, showing a cozy house, pink trees, a woman holding a cat, and a man in a suit, with magical, whimsical elements throughout.A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (2025)
Found family

This book is a cozy romance read to a tee, and it would be best enjoyed with a blanket and a warm cup of tea. It follows Sera, one of the most powerful witches in Britain, who recently resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the dead, an act so powerful that it drained her of most of her magic and has her exiled from the Guild of Sorcery. She’s also running an enchanted inn, where tea occasionally rains from the ceiling and attracts guests who tend to stay a while. Enter Luke, a magical historian who agrees to help Sera get her magic back and break the spell. He might just find that he’s been drawn to Sera and her magical inn for a reason. Come for the magic, stay for Roo-Roo the zombie rooster, a witch trapped in the body of a fox, and the joys of found family.

Published on February 4, 2026

Words by Aleenah Ansari

Aleenah Ansari (she/her) is equal parts storyteller, creative problem solver, and journalist at heart who's rooted in the stories of people behind products, companies, and initiatives. She’s written about travel, entrepreneurship, mental health and wellness, and representation in media for Insider, CNBC, The Seattle Times, Kulfi, and more. You can usually find her searching for murals in Seattle and beyond, reading a book by a BIPOC author, and planning her next trip to New York. Learn more at www.aleenahansari.com.