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Can’t stop listening to The Tortured Poet’s Department? Here’s what to read next!

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Can’t stop listening to The Tortured Poet’s Department? Here’s what to read next!

I love you, it’s ruining my life.

I don’t know about you but I’ve had Taylor Swift’s new album The Tortured Poet’s Department on repeat for the last two weeks, and I’m not stopping anytime soon. From the angsty, devastating lows of “So Long London” and “loml”, to the sensual vibes of “Guilty As Sin”, and the wrath of “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” this album is definitely one of Taylor’s best!

To continue those vibes check out these TTPD inspired reading recs!

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“Fortnight” (featuring Post Malone)

The opening song of The Tortured Poets Department gives vibes of ‘right person, wrong time’. The perfect read to match? How about a rom-com where the lovers are roommates… who live seven years apart from one another?

An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

Six months ago, Clementine West had the worst day of her life. So, she came up with a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, take no risks. And it’s been working.

That is until one day she finds a strange man standing in her kitchen. A man with kind eyes, a crooked smile, and a recipe for the perfect lemon meringue pie. The kind of man that, before everything, she could have fallen for . . .

He’s perfect but for one thing: he lives in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact.

This should be impossible, but Clementine used to love impossible things. And maybe, just maybe, she will again. After all, love is never a matter of time – but a matter of timing.

Get the book here

“The Tortured Poets Department”

TBH this is not my favourite song on this album… but it seems to match a ‘books about book’s vibe!

I recommend: The Bookbinder’s Guide To Love!

A witchy, witty, wickedly sexy tale about love, books, friendship and the unexpected connections that bind us together…

Bookbinding (verb): the art of creating something magical out of fabric, leather and paper.

As a lonely foster kid, Serafina Conte sought refuge in handmaking journals — and writing her wishes within their pages. Now, in the quirky new age store she shares with her two best friends, Sera’s intentions have paid off. Her journals are in the spotlight — and rumoured to manifest great things. Whether it’s witchy skills, real magic or not, Sera’s finally ready to be the leading lady of her life story…

Until her plot hits a twist.

After the death of her mentor, Ford Sitwell, all the loneliness and insecurity of her past returns. The only balm is the box of antique books he left to her. But Ford’s suspicious brooding grandson, Wes, is ready to think the worst of her — and get his grandfather’s books back! The first part doesn’t bother her. The second? Forget it. Sera won’t give Wes the books so easily. But it’s clear he’s seeking something more, an emotional connection no book can replace. So she offers a deal — work in her store for six weeks, and in return, she’ll help him get closure by sharing memories of his late grandfather.

Yes, Wes seems grumpy, but actually he’s hot…and maybe kind? Deep down? And when desire and vulnerability work their charms, Sera begins to wonder if the best stories aren’t the ones you intend, but the ones that take you where you least expected…

Get the book here

“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys”

He’s a bad boy but she can’t help but fall for him… Read Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey!

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together Is this real life But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right

Get the book here

“Down Bad”

Now I’m down bad crying at the gym…

Looking for some romance that’ll have you down bad for someone you shouldn’t desire? Check out Body Check by Elle Kennedy!

After a childhood spent being dragged around the country by her hockey coach father, Hayden Houston intends to take some time to figure out her future. Whether that future will include her currently off-again boyfriend remains to be seen. What it certainly won’t include is the for-one-night-only guy she just met at a bar.

It seems hockey star Brody Croft did not get the memo about being temporary. Big, bold and driven, he’s dedicated in everything he does. Up till now, that’s been his team – the one owned by Hayden’s dad. But his night with Hayden has sparked something he didn’t expect. The two of them are good together. Really good. There’s a connection he’s never experienced before, one he knows they’d be wrong to ignore. Even with a game-fixing scandal testing both their loyalties – to teammates, to friends…to family.

Part of Hayden wants to turn tail and run. A complicated relationship with a bad boy hockey player is exactly what she never wanted. But when it comes to Brody, Hayden is realising that people can be so much more than what they seem.

Get the book here

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“So Long, London”

“So Long London” is a quintessential Taylor Swift Track 5: emotionally devastating, evocative and a total earworm! If it had you yearning for an angsty run along the Thames in the rain pining over lost lovers we recommend you check out I See London!

New York Times sensation Chanel Cleeton’s international, angst-fuelled romance is perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Lucy Score.

Maggie Carpenter is a small-town Southern girl who’s never been kissed. She’s ready for a change – and to leave her ordinary life and a failed attempt to get into Harvard behind. She accepts a scholarship to the International School in London, where she’s suddenly mingling with the privileged offspring of diplomats and world leaders.

When Maggie meets Hugh, a twentysomething British guy, she finds herself living the life she has always wanted. Suddenly she’s riding around the city in a Ferrari, wearing borrowed designer clothes and going to the hottest clubs. The only problem? There’s someone else, someone she can’t seem to keep her hands off of.

Half French, half Lebanese and impossibly rich, Samir Khouri has made it clear to Maggie that despite their intense attraction, he doesn’t do relationships. He’s the opposite of everything she thought she wanted – a player with no interest in commitments – but she just can’t keep away. Torn between her dream guy and the one haunting her thoughts, Maggie must fight for her own happy ending. But in a city like London, you never know where you stand, and everything can change in the blink of an eye.

Get the book here

“But Daddy I Love Him”

“But Daddy I Love Him” is (amongst other things) an ode to the passionate angst of a forbidden relationship. Love a romance where the lovers fight to be together in spite of a world against them? Check out One Night In Hartswood by Emma Denny!

When his sister’s betrothed vanishes the night before her politically arranged marriage, Raff Barden must track and return the elusive groom to restore his family’s honour.

William de Foucart — known to his friends as Penn — had no choice but to abandon his intended, and with it his own earldom, when he fled the night before his enforced marriage. But ill-equipped to survive on the run he must trust the kindness of a stranger, Raff, to help him escape.

Unaware their fates are already entwined, the men journey north. But amidst the snow-capped forests an unexpected bond deepens into a far more precious relationship, one that will test all that they hold dear. And when secrets are finally revealed, both men must decide what they will risk for the one they love…

For fans of Stephanie Garber, Freya Marske, TJ Klune

Get the book here

“Fresh Out the Slammer”

Fake Flame, Adele Buck’s fake dating romance, follows an English professor, fresh out of a bad relationship, using a hunky fire flighter to get over her ex. It’s the perfect accompaniment to Taylor’s post-breakup ode to rebound flings ‘Fresh Out The Slammer”

In this fun, fast-paced romantic comedy, a bookish firefighter who knows his Jane Austen suggests a little fake dating to fend off an ex. What’s a feminist English professor to do — except say yes…

You can’t fake heat like this…

To an observer, hauling a baby grand piano onto a college quad to publicly serenade an ex might seem like a romantic gesture. To literature professor Eva Campbell, it’s the latest manipulative move by a cheating jerk who won’t take a hint. Plus, she never liked that song anyway.

Setting the piano on fire might be an overreaction, but Eva’s at the end of her rope, at least until hot young firefighter Sean Hannigan talks her down. And that’s not all Sean does. Soon he’s offering to be Eva’s fake boyfriend to get her creepy ex off her back. Unexpected, maybe, but there’s something about Sean — beyond the angelic face and take-me-now body — that makes Eva say yes.

Sean battles infernos for a living, reads romance on the side and is a straight-up, family-loving good guy. Eva’s not sure she’s ready for the danger he poses to her jaded heart. Given their differences, a relationship can’t last, right? But the line between fake and real keeps blurring, daring her to take the biggest risk of all…

Get the book here

“Florida!!!” (featuring Florence and the Machine)

Love a manic, sun soaked, sexy holiday fling? A sensual story about a hot and heavy relationship that burns fast, but is tragically but inevitably short-lived? Check out Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham.

A.H. Cunningham dazzles in this sensual vacation romance exploring what happens when you step out of the office, take a chance on yourself — and discover your deepest desires.

Genevieve Raymond was born an overachiever. After opening a hot new hotel chain location in Panama, she’s on track for a major promotion. But first, she desperately needs a break, even if her overbearing mother doesn’t approve. For two glorious weeks, Gen’s giving herself permission to explore the beautiful beaches of Colón — and the stimulating attraction she shares with her sexy-as-hell driver, Adrián Nicolas.

After a family tragedy, Adrián’s recently shifted his own focus to prioritising the life part of a healthy work-life balance. To workaholic Gen, Adrián’s laid-back devotion to his family’s hometown hostel couldn’t be more appealing. Their long-term goals might not align, but two weeks in paradise only calls for seductive physical chemistry, and Gen and Adrián have got that, without a doubt.

But when their intimate connection flourishes beyond sunsets and spice, Gen finds herself questioning whether the career path she’s been on is even where she wants to be. With continents between them, a real relationship doesn’t feel possible. Until fate reveals their futures might be more closely woven than they thought, leaving them wondering whether a two-week fling might have what it takes to last forever.

Get the book here

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“Guilty as Sin?”

What if he’s written ‘Mine’ on my upper thigh only in my mind…

In the mood for a pining romance? Check out The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley!

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident — and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping ‘for now’ from turning into ‘forever’ isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

Get the book here

“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”

“Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?” gives HUGE ‘badass assassin heroine in a fantasy novel’ vibes. The perfect reading accompaniment would be…

An inter-connected romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas

To save my kingdom, someone must die…

Every hundred years, a curse descends on Faerie. For the last two millennia, the Summer Court princess has ended it. She has travelled to the mirror realm, found an Ethereum Lord, and returned with his magical heart.

Now it’s my turn.

I have trained to become the perfect assassin so I can retrieve my prize. But when I step through the portal, I’m immediately taken captive by Zander, a handsome royal guard.

To reach my target, I’m forced to play by his rules. Fail my task and everyone I’ve ever known and loved perishes. But Zander has secrets, and they call into question everything I have been taught my entire life…

Get the book here

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”

Taylor’s twang is out in full force on this Western-inspired track. In the mood for a cowboy romance? Check out The Devil In Blue Jeans by Stacey Kennedy.

A sharp, emotional novel about a tough-minded bar owner who makes a deal with a devil of a cowboy – and might just get burned…

Moving to Montana to buy a dive bar with her two best friends sounds like a can’t-miss idea to Charly Henwood. The scenery is breathtaking, and the cowboys even more so. Not that Charly’s interested. Her heart is as unmovable as the surrounding mountains, thanks to her cheating ex.

Making her bar, The Naked Moose, a success is Charly’s only priority. But it turns out the regulars don’t take kindly to outsiders swapping their craft beer for an extensive cocktail menu. One regular in particular is not happy – The Naked Moose’s previous owner, Jaxon Reed. The last thing Charly needs is a cocky cowboy telling her how to run her bar, or her life. But maybe she can use Jaxon to her advantage. If he’ll agree to be the prize in a charity auction, Charly will make the bar a little more cowboy-friendly.

When that plan backfires, Charly finds herself doing battle with the biggest temptation in Timber Falls. A man who has made it his mission to win her, using every infernal means at his disposal. And if her resolve goes up in flames, her heart is sure to follow.

Get the book here

“loml”

“loml” conveys the tragedy of the ‘love of my life’ becoming the ‘loss of my life’, it’s the saddest song on the album and a heartwrenching listen. For a rom-com where the ‘loss of my life’ gets a second chance with her OTP check out Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead!

In this fierce and funny battle of the exes, Ashley Winstead’s Fool Me Once explores the chaos of wanting something you used to have.

Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century woman: she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company (that’s better than Tesla, thank you), and after work she is ‘Stoner,’ drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed…

That’s because Lee’s learned one big lesson: never trust love. Four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school — who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind.

Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated — and competitive — as Lee and Ben are forced to work together. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.

Get the book here

“I Can Do It with a Broken Heart”

I cry a lot but I am so productive. It’s an art.

Looking for a heroine who pushes through the devastation and comes out stronger? Check out The Witch Is Back by Sophie H. Morgan!

Love is a hex of a thing.

There’s nothing wrong with being a wallflower. Not to Emmaline Bluewater, anyway. Emma may have been born into witch society, but her days of trying to fit in where she doesn’t belong are over — they ended seven years ago, when the man she’d hoped to marry left town without a word. She’s much happier now, living a delightfully mundane human life in Chicago and running her bar, Toil and Trouble.

Until Bastian Truenote walks through the door and announces that he wants her back.

Bastian had his reasons for leaving — even if he can’t tell Emma what they are. Now, to win Emma’s heart, he’s got to face down an adorably goofy dog familiar, a best friend who’s all too eager to hit him with a carefully aimed hex, and a woman who’s far from the meek witch he remembers.

Magical contracts aren’t easily broken, but as far as Emma’s concerned, not even a marriage of convenience will have her falling under Bastian’s spell again…

Get the book here

“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”

Mr favourite genre of Taylor Swift songs is the revenge anthem. And “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” is a searing portrait of rage against someone who she felt played with her emotions. If you’re looking for a complex, dark, story and a heroine who gets her own back check out Rush.

THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE: A twisted story of obsession and female desire, Rush explores the dark and toxic side of the world’s sexiest sport.
His desire will consume her. And all she can do is surrender.

Lena Aden came to Los Angeles to make it big as a writer. Five years later, she’s still chasing the dream and wondering if it’s time to start over.

Nico Laurent is the Formula 1 World Champion – and the most desirable bachelor in the world. He’s used to getting any woman he wants, and he’s decided he wants Lena.

After their first night together, Lena can’t get Nico out of her head. She engineers a second meeting and suddenly Lena is pulled into a heady world of fast cars, parties, and money. Lena has never been so reckless – and she likes it.

It’s clear that Lena and Nico’s passion can’t be denied. But with a heat like this, someone is going to get burned . . .

Get the book here

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“The Alchemy”

“The Alchemy” Taylor’s ode to her new NFL beau Travis Kelce gives HUGE football romance vibes, the perfect read to match is Kristin Callihan’s The Hook Up!

SpicyTok sensation and New York Times bestselling author Kristen Callihan’s beloved steamy sports romance series – first time in print and with exclusive bonus content.

In GAME ON book one, everyone adores Drew Baylor, star quarterback and golden boy on campus, except Anna Jones, who won’t give him the time of day – even after the most unforgettable hook up.

Praise for Kristen Callihan’s Game On series:
“One of my all-time faves. Love this hero so much!” – ELLE KENNEDY, New York Times bestselling author

“I fell in love with the hero by chapter one, straight into all-out lust by chapter two.” – TESSA BAILEY, No.1 New York Times bestselling author (on The Game Plan)

“Drew Baylor is that delicious mixture of sweet and hot. I dare you not to fall in love with him…” – MONICA MURPHYNew York Times bestselling author

“An exquisite, delicious cupcake of a book.” – SARINA BOWENNew York Times bestselling author (on The Friend Zone)

“This is seriously one of the best new adult contemporary romances I have ever, ever, EVER read. I absolutely loved it.” – ELYSSA PATRICK, author of the With Me series

Get the book here

“Clara Bow”

“Clara Bow” explores the pressure to stay in the limelight, to be the ‘It Girl’, and the transient nature of fame and success. If you want a story that explores the pressures of the spotlight, and the darker side of fame check out First Position, a dark ballet romance by Melanie Hamrick!

Dance was my obsession.

Desire was my undoing.
***
As a young dancer, Sylvie Carter has a list of rules for making it big in the ballet world. Avoid drama. Don’t do drugs. Skip dessert. And of course, never sleep with another dancer. Ballet is a cutthroat profession, and she can’t afford a scandal.

Not again…

But when she meets renowned Italian dancer Alessandro Russo, an electrifying encounter has her throwing out the rulebook. And as he tempts her into the darkness she swore she’d left behind, she wonders if this relationship will be the making of her… or if it will cost her everything.

Get the book here

Want recs to match The Anthology tracklist? Drop us a message and we will write a Part 2!

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