Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
There’s something thrilling about reading an amazing debut book and thinking about all the incredible books an author will write in the future. Debut books are special because they are often the books of an author’s heart. Most of the time, debut books aren’t written on a deadline or because of a contract. They are a story the author has to tell.
In romance, especially in the past, lots of writers really honed their storytelling skills by churning out mass market paperbacks. In looking for the best debut romance books, I discovered that a lot of the greatest writers have debuts that I found lackluster. But the debut romance novels below are dazzling diamonds in the rough. They range from a gothic romance in the 1960s to a queer sports romance from last year. But what they have in common is excellent writing, superior plotting, and a unique quality that adds something to the romance genre.
Night Song by Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins is known for writing beautiful historical romance novels about free Black communities after the Civil War. She has said this made getting published difficult because editors didn’t know what to do with a book about Black characters that didn’t involve slavery. In 1994, her first romance novel came out. Cara is a school teacher in Kansas with a deep mistrust of soldiers, even Union soldiers. Chase is a Sergeant from the Tenth Cavalry who has never imagined staying in one place or settling down. The attraction between them is instantaneous. But Cara knows getting together with Chase would risk her job, her reputation, and her heart. There are some trigger warnings to be aware of if you want to read this book, including racism, lynching, and pregnancy loss. But it’s amazing to me that Jenkins mixed a nuanced history lesson with a deep, emotional, and very sexy romance right from her debut onwards.
All Access members, read on for four more of the best debut romance books ever written.
Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
The Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt
Martha takes a new job as a governess for the only child of the wealthy widower Connan. She moves into his mansion in Cornwall and immediately struggles with her romantic feelings for her new employer. But the mysteries surrounding his wife’s death seem to haunt the estate. And Martha can’t help but try to investigate to find the truth, threatening more than just her burgeoning romance. This book mashed together storylines and themes from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, helping invent and popularize the modern gothic romance novel. It was an instant hit when it was published in 1960, and, while some aspects of the story feel outdated now, it stands out as one of Victoria Holt’s best books.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
I still remember the buzz of staying up late reading this book when it came out in 2016. The romance, the chemistry, and the banter (oh, the delicious banter) made finishing Sally Thorne’s debut book well worth the dark under-eye circles at work the next day. Lucy and Joshua are assistants to the two co-CEOs of a publishing house. And they aren’t just rivals, they’re enemies—with lots of little games they play to try to prove which one is superior. When a promotion opens up that only one of them can have, the competition is on. But what if Joshua and Lucy don’t really hate each other? Their story shows how the line between hate and love is quite thin. This book quickly became very popular, snd it still shocks me that it was Sally Thorne’s debut.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
The Kiss Quotient is not just one of the best debut romance novels I’ve read. It’s one of the best romance novels I’ve read, period. Stella is a successful actuary on the autism spectrum who has a lot of discomfort around romance and sex. That’s why she hires an escort named Michael and asks him to help her learn how to do everything on her checklist, from hand-holding to hand jobs. Michael reluctantly (but enthusiastically) enters a long-term arrangement with Stella to help her learn more about the relationship experience. They both develop real feelings and admiration for each other. But they both feel inferior to the other, which keeps them from seeing long-term potential. I’ve read it three times since it came out in 2018, and just writing this makes me want to find my copy and read it for a fourth time.
The Prospects by K.T. Hoffman
Gene loves baseball, especially his minor league team, the Beaverton Beavers. He is the first openly trans professional baseball player, and almost everything in his life is exactly the way he always dreamed it would be. Almost everything. His romantic life is the only thing lagging behind at this point. When his old teammate and rival, Luis, is traded to the Beavers, at first it seems like a threat to the strong team dynamics and friendships Gene loves so much. But as antagonism morphs into teamwork and then something more, Luis might be the final puzzle piece in all of Gene’s dreams coming true. This book is a cozy, joy-filled delight. There was so much love for this sports romance when it debuted in 2024. I can’t wait to see what K.T. Hoffman writes next!
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Picking only five debuts for this list was hard! But even though I had to leave some fantastic debut romance books out, I stand behind each book on this list being something very special. Happy reading!
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