Silvana Reyes is a Mexican book blogger. She enjoys all types of sub-genres, but loves a good love story. Romance fiction is her heart and joy and you might find her screaming about book releases on her Twitter account.
I’m sorry, I can’t go out right now: I’m too busy buying romance books this summer. Because publishers are releasing not just paperbacks and hardcovers, oh no — they’re also coming out with beautiful special and deluxe editions of our favorite romance books.
These special editions are easy to obtain — you don’t have to sign up for a waitlist or wake up at five a.m. to not miss out on a sale. They can be found at your nearest retail store, online shop, or favorite indie bookstore: just one click or visit away. If you love collecting your favorite romance book in different formats, editions, and versions, you’ll want to know about these special edition romance books.
Where Are the Special Edition Romance Books by Authors of Color?
As much as I would have loved for this list to be filled with authors of color, the reality is that authors of color are not getting the same opportunities as white authors. It’s as simple as that. There’s clearly a low quantity of special edition romance books written by authors of color coming out this year. Some of them are first-time releases like Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan and Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi, while others are popular titles that, years later, have gotten a deluxe edition re-release, like the books I’m mentioning below. Ask me how many white authors are getting either a special edition or a re-release edition of their viral book with beautiful endpapers and sprayed edges. Yeah.
In the end, it’s the job of the publisher to acquire the books, who then has to give them publicity to sell them. In the era of Instagram and TikTok, a lovely special edition is a good marketing strategy to do that. Let’s hope that in 2026, we see this number go up for authors of color.
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Stunning Special Edition Romance Books to Add to Your Collection
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Now, I’m sure you’re familiar with this name, because hello? She’s one of the biggest names in romance. This year, we not only have two new Ali Hazelwood novels coming out, Problematic Summer Romance and Mate, but Hazelwood also has her New York Times bestselling novel, The Love Hypothesis, getting a brand-new collector’s edition. If you’ve been wanting to own a special edition of this title, let it be this one. It has stunning endpapers with art from Lilith Saur, a new chapter from Adam’s point of view, and so much more. 2025 is really Ali Hazelwood’s year.
The Love Hypothesis tells the story of Olive, who must convince her friend that she’s dating… by kissing Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant. Surprisingly, Adam agrees to fake date her.
The Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole
Viral hit sensation The Book of Azrael is getting a deluxe edition this fall, and you can pre-order it now! This special edition not only has beautiful stenciled edges and a foiled-stamped hardcover, but it also features character art insert, illustrated endpapers, and an exclusive bonus scene. For the Gods and Monsters series superfans, this edition is everything you have been wishing for.
The Book of Azrael is the first book in Amber V. Nicole’s Gods and Monsters series, where you meet Dianna, who, once upon a time, gave up her life to save her dying sister. Now, it belongs to a monster, and anything he asks of her, she does, even if it means searching for an ancient relic powerful enough to end the world. But she’s not the only one looking for it. An ancient being has awakened, and he would do anything to protect his people.
The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
Another lovely must-have special edition romance book is The Fine Print by Lauren Asher. Experience once again how the Dreamland Billionaires started— with Zahra and Rowan’s story! In this collector’s edition, you’ll find a specially designed case, exclusive full-color art, and foiled endsheets. This is what collectors’ dreams are made of, am I right?
The Fine Print follows Rowan Kane as he learns he must renovate Dreamland, his family’s amusement park, in order to get his inheritance.
Learn My Lesson by Katee Robert
Finally, calling all Disney villains fans! If you have space for one more special edition romance book to pre-order this summer, run and add Learn My Lesson by Katee Robert to your list. This delightful edition is going to be the prettiest book on your shelf, I promise! It features stained edges, character art, black and white interior art, and even author annotations. If you’ve already read it and are on the fence about getting it, let me tell you that this edition will have additional scenes, too. Run and pre-order it, because it’s only for the first print run.
In Learn My Lesson, Hades knows he and Meg have been drifting apart. To prevent this from getting worse, he devises a little game for them to play while also getting revenge on an enemy at the same time. They never expected Hercules to be what they both needed.
Want to know why most special editions are hardcover and not paperback? Give this article a read and find out!
English (US) · 