17 Must-Read Romance Novels from the Last Decade by Latinas

Every culture is full of sweeping, exciting romance and love stories. But thanks to publishing, our stories are not always celebrated, heard, or seen. We make up less than 5 percent of the publishing industry in authorship, illustration, and translation, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office commissioned by Rep. Joaquin Castro in 2023. Progress remains slow which is why it’s so important to continue to highlight the authors and writers who continue to work in this space. That’s why we’ve decided to round up just some of the romance books by Latina authors that have truly touched our hearts throughout the years. From West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras, a Latinx retelling of Romeo and Juliet, to the steamy Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado, we’re so excited to see the love stories that were written by and for our community and that have endured in our collective memory and celebration. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but a select few Latina romance novels that have stayed with us since their original publication . Read on to learn more about 17 of the best romance novels from the last decade by Latina authors .

West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

Written by Puerto Rican-Mexican American author Priscilla Oliveras, West Side Love Story is the Romeo and Juliet retelling for fans of mariachi, sisterhood stories, and powerful Latinas. The novel follows the star-crossed love of Mariana Capuleta and Angelo Montero, who find themselves caught between their feuding families when both of their mariachi bands enter the same Battle of the Mariachi Bands competition. While the couple grows closer, going from enemies to passionate lovers, so do the stakes. Secrets, betrayals, rivalries, broken ties, sacrifices, misunderstandings, and, despite everything, attempts towards peace, abound in this moving, heart-wrenching story.

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

Telenovela fans, You Had Me at Hola by internationally best-selling author Alexis Daria is the read for you. This steamy romance novel follows Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, a telenovela starlet who undergoes a messy break-up that’s quickly splashed across every tabloid in the country. To repair her image, she returns to her NYC hometown to star in a new telenovela alongside leading man Ashton Suárez. While the two get off on the wrong foot during their first meeting, their on-screen chemistry slowly blossoms into a real-life romance. But not only is Jasmine’s career now at risk, but also Ashton’s deepest secret. Be sure to read the book before its sequel, A Lot Like Adiós, which was released last year.

Learn to Love You by Jade Hernandez

Learn to Love You by Jade Hernandez follows Damián “Junior” Águila-Gutierrez, who is trying his best to not think about his sister’s best friend Mayda Jiménez. As far as he knows, she’s off-limits, unattainable, and definitely not interested. He tries to turn his mind to other things like taking over his father’s ranch and family’s empire, Los Corazones. The truth is, Junior has other plans and desires in mind but if he doesn’t want to hurt the people he cares about the most, they cannot ever discover the truth. Meanwhile, Mayda has always lived on the outskirts of the Águila-Gutierrez family, loved by them by not one of them and constantly in fear they’ll discover her mother’s addictions. Still, she secretly pines for her best friend’s brother Junior, the one person in the world she believes she can never have. When their secret circumstances bring them together, their simple friendship quickly becomes something more passionate, which threatens to destroy the foundation of everything they’ve built.

A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña 

A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Puerto Rican-Dominican author Natalie Caña centers on a Puerto Rican family in Humboldt Park, Chicago. In Caña’s debut, chef Kamilah Vega is determined to update her family’s Puerto Rican restaurant, even if that means surrendering to their neighborhood’s gentrification. Meanwhile, Liam Kane, an Irish-American whiskey distiller, hopes to enter his family’s distillery into a national competition. The problem? They will each only get what they want if they obey their respective grandfathers and marry each other. The idea is ludicrous, absurd even, so Kamilah and Liam decide to fake the engagement to get what they want and their grandfathers off their backs—only to realize that maybe what they also want is each other.

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera

If you love historical fiction, be sure to pick up A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Caribbean author Adriana Herrera, following Luz Alana-Heigh Benzan, heiress to the Caña Brava rum empire in 1889. Before she sets sail from Santo Domingo and heads to Paris with hundreds of rum casks under her belt, she promises herself and her friends that she won’t, under any circumstances, fall in love. Between expanding her family-owned rum business and being denied her inheritance until marriage, she doesn’t have a lot of room in her life for much else besides her future. Until she meets James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, owner of a whiskey brand who thinks he’s got it all together, only to be challenged by Luz’s fierceness and passion for life. Falling in love isn’t what either of them expected but it might be the only thing to bring them together and save them both. 

After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez

After Hours on Milagro Street by Mexican American author Angelina M. Lopez is an enemies-to-lover romance story to remember. The story follows Alejandra “Alex” Torres, a bartender who’s frequently at odds with Professor Jeremiah Post, a tenant in the building. He’s earned the respect and admiration of Alex’s family and wants to protect them, their home, their community, and their matriarch’s bar. But in Alex’s eyes, he just stands in the way of her turning it into a successful business. When an old enemy returns to town and puts the bar in danger, Alex and Jeremiah are forced to work together to save everything they hold dear, and may finally act on the lust they have for each that they’ve denied for so long.

The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa

The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa follows Solange Perreira, who is forced to help her cousin, a wedding planner, with her latest clients’ wedding day. But when she finds out something that makes her suspect the couple isn’t marriage material, she decides to crash the ceremony and warn the groom, Dean Chapman. The discovery affects Dean in his professional life, who will lose a promotion at work unless he’s in a romantic relationship. Suddenly, Solange is roped into pretending to be Dean’s girlfriend as payback for ruining his big day. As opposites as they are, the fake couple finds themselves falling for each other for real, upending their entire lives and what they thought they wanted.

Ana Maria and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa

Ana María and the Fox by Liana de la Rosa is the perfect blend of historical fiction and romance. Ana María Luna Valdés is the beloved heiress of her powerful Mexican family, a high-achiever who only desires their approval. Gideon Fox is a man of the streets turned member of Parliament, who hopes to abolish the Atlantic slave trade, especially as the descendant of former slaves. When Ana María is sent to London to evade French occupation of her home country and meets Fox, their destinies intertwine in the most unexpected of ways, though it may come at the cost of their own lives.

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado is a coming-of-age story following our titular character Charlotte “Charlie” Vega, who is struggling to live and thrive as a fat, brown girl in her predominantly white community in Connecticut. Her white mom definitely doesn’t help with her weight loss shakes and harmful opinions of how much better she could look if she was thinner and had straight-hair. Things start to change when she starts dating Brian, a cute classmate that actually makes her feel good about herself. But when she finds out that he asked her best friend Amelia out first, who’s more athletic, more popular, and thinner, she immediately starts spiraling feeling like she’s second-best. Ultimately, it will be up to her to rediscover her self-worth, inner power, and confidence.

Asiri and the Amaru by Natalia Hernandez

Based on Peruvian mythology, Asiri and the Amaru by Natalia Hernandez follows Asiri, a young woman who has the ability to speak to animals. But when she begins to feel that her talents are being abused in her home, she decides to leave for a coastal village where she can hide her gift and live a normal life. But it becomes increasingly difficult when she keeps meeting Dario, a charming and handsome animal healer and the person most likely to guess her secret.When they stumble across a mythical and injured Amaru, Asiri is determined to convince Dario to help heal it, protect it from the superstitious town people, keep her gift a secret, and not fall in love with Dario while doing so.

Love of My Lives by Yamile Saied Mendez

Love of My Lives by Yamile Saied Mendez follows Madi Ramírez, who is supposed to have it all: a career she loves, a successful boyfriend, and a wedding to plan. But she can’t help but feel like there’s something missing in her relationship. Even though Jayden appeared to her abuela in a dream, she wishes he could show a little more affection and prove that they really are meant to be. When she is offered the opportunity to take a business trip to Puerto Rico, she takes it, rationalizing that she can finally scatter her abuela’s ashes and take some time apart from Jayden to remind him how much she means to him. But when she arrives on the island, she finds a man who really makes her heart beat wildly and feels so right to her – and still, there’s something holding her back. A perfect summer beach read, this is a love story that transcends time and distance and shows the powerful magic we make for ourselves when we take charge of our own dreams.

Ramon and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson

Ramón and Julieta is the first in the wildly successfully “Love and Tacos” series from author Alana Quintana Albertson. This Romeo and Juliet retelling follows the seemingly doomed love between celebrity chef and failing seafood taqueria Julieta Campos, and Ramón Montez, the sole heir to his father’s fast food empire. After the two hook up on Día de los Muertos without knowing each other’s true identities, chaos ensues between the pair, their feuding families, and their San Diego community. Loyalties are tested, peace disturbed, and love somehow still surviving above it all.

Too Soon for Adiós by Annette Chavez Macias 

Too Soon for Adiós centers on a young woman named Gabby who meets her biological father for the first time on the day of her mother’s funeral, further complicating her grief. Featuring a whirlwind romance, Gabby’s love of cooking, and found family, it all comes to a head when she discovers she is a direct descendant of an Adelita—one of the female soldiers who fought in the Mexican Revolution and were an instrumental, yet little-known part of the war—finally allowing herself to embrace her Mexican roots and her family.

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

The Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey follows Lila Reyes, a Miami girl who dreams of inheriting her abuela’s panadería, moving in with her best friend after graduation, and living the post-grad happily ever after life. But those dreams suddenly fall apart, along with Lila, whose parents quickly ship her off to Winchester, England for rest and relaxation. It’s not until she meets and finds unexpected romance with Orion Maxwell, a charming teashop clerk, that she begins to dream of a different life for herself, even if that means leaving behind everything she’s ever known, wanted, and loved.

Viva Lola Espinoza by Ella Cerón

Viva Lola Espinoza by Ella Cerón tells the story of the titular character Lola, who is convinced that she’s cursed in love or at least a victim of magic. When she goes to spend the summer with her grandmother in Mexico City, she meets a handsome man named Rio, who shows her the unbelievable truth that not only is magic real, but she is actually under a curse. And if she ever wants to fall in love without consequences, she has to break it. To help, she finds an unlikely friend in Javi, a stoic boy she meets while working in her cousin’s restaurant. Over the course of a single summer of food, family, and boys, she ultimately learns more about herself, her heritage, and the true power of magic.

Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd

Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd follows Emilia Romero, who is living a double life. By day, she’s a field hockey star with a perfect report card. By night, she’s succeeding as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Up until recently, she’s been able to keep her two worlds separate and thriving, especially since girl gamers are often harassed. So when a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to her team and the male-dominated gaming community – that is until Jake Hooper, the member of a rival team, recognizes her. She’s been his crush since he was 10-years-old, and now he’s floored to discover she’s been leading a double life. But as they work to keep her secret, the pressures of the tournament and their non-gaming world threaten to pull everything apart.

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Juliet Takes a Breath by Puerto Rican author Gabby Rivera is a heartwarming queer love story that follows Juliet Palante, who experiences a whirlwind summer as she begins an internship with her favorite author. Between worrying if her Puerto Rican family will still love her when she comes out and wondering why her girlfriend won’t return her calls, she doesn’t think she has time for much else. It’s not until the queer dance parties, sexy flings with a motorcycling librarian, and scary but rewarding moments that she really discovers who she is, what she wants, and what it means to come out.