14 Canadian books about love to read this Valentine's Day

Warm your heart with this list of swoon-worthy stories, featuring books ranging from fiction topoetry tononfiction to young adult!

• Calling all writers! The 2024 CBC Nonfiction Prize is now open

Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue

Learned by Heartis a riveting account of the boarding school romance between Anne Lister, a brilliant and headstrong troublemaker, and Eliza Raine, an orphanedheiress banished from India to England. The novel draws on Lister'ssecret journal and extensive research to craft the two womens'long-buried stories.

• Emma Donoghue'sLearned by Heartis a historical queer romance novel about forbidden young love

Donoghue is an Irish Canadian writer known for her novelsLanding,Room,Frog Music,The Wonder,The Pull of the Starsand the children's bookThe Lotterys Plus One.Roomwas adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring Brie Larson.

LISTEN |Emma Donoghue onAnne Lister, young queer loveandLearned By Heart:

Q23:39Emma Donoghue: Anne Lister, young queer love, and her new novel Learned By Heart

Emma Donoghues new novel has been decades in the making. Learned by Heart tells the story of two young teenagers, Anne Lister and Eliza Raine, who fall in love at their boarding school in England in 1805. Except these characters arent that of fiction they actually existed. Emma tells Tom about when she first discovered the story, how Anne Lister changed her life, and how it feels to finally finish this novel.

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

In the romance novel,Meet Me at the Lake, Fern Brookbanks is constantly reliving the one perfect day she spent in her 20s with the charming Will Baxter. Now, as a 32-year-old, Fern manages her mother's Muskoka resort by the lake. Disillusioned with her life, Fern is shocked when Will shows up at her door, suitcase in hand, asking to help. Why is he here after all this time and more importantly, can she trust him to stay?Meet Me at the Lakeis a heartwarming second chance love story which explores mental health and family relationships.

Meet Me at the Lakewill be championed by fashion influencer Mirian Njoh onCanada Reads2024.

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Carley Fortuneis a Toronto-based journalist and writer who has worked as an editor for Refinery29, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Toronto Life. She is also the author ofEvery Summer After.

LISTEN | Romance onCanada Reads? Yes please, says panellist Mirian Njoh and author Carley Fortune:

The Next Chapter17:47Canada Reads panellist Mirian Njoh and Meet Me At The Lake author Carley Fortune meet for the first time

The designer and fashion influencer talks about why she wants to champion Carley Fortunes novel, the first ever romance title to grace the Canada Reads round table. Carley Fortune weighs in on the power of love and why stories about love are stories about living.

Missed Connections by Brian Francis

Missed Connectionsis a memoir told through letters written 30 years after author Brian Francis put a personal ad in the newspaper. In 1992, as a university student, Francis was still in the closet and decided to write a personal dating ad into a local paper 13 of 25 letters were never answered. In writing his responses now, Francis reflects on how his experiences as a gay man have changed over time, as well as examining a generation of queer people just after the height of the AIDS epidemic.

• Brian Francis's nonfiction bookMissed Connectionsexplores body image, desire and the price of secrecy

Brian Francis is the author of novelsFruit,Natural OrderandBreak in Case of Emergency. He is a writer and columnist forThe Next Chapteron CBC Radio and currently lives in Toronto.

LISTEN | Brian Francis recommends 3 fashion books for style-conscious men:

The Next Chapter14:54Mens style books to elevate your fashion game with Brian Francis

The Next Chapter columnist recommends three style and fashion books for men looking to take their look to the next level: Naturally Tan by Tan France, Ten Garments Every Man Should Own by Pedro Mendes, and Caps: One Size Fits All by Steven Bryden.

The Haunting of Adrian Yates by Markus Harwood-Jones

In the queer YA romance novelThe Haunting of Adrian Yates, Adrian's summer takes an unexpected turn when he meets a ghost namedSorel in the graveyard near the apartment he lives in with his dads. Adrian's best friend Zoomer is worried that Sorel, who becomesAdrian's boyfriend, might be keeping secrets from him. Adrian begins to meet with Sorel in secret andthey start experimenting withconsensual possession, which doesn't go according to plan.

The Haunting of Adrian Yatesis for ages 13 and up.

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Markus Harwood-Jones isa writer, artist and academic living in Toronto. His previous YA novels includeIn a Heartbeat,We ThreeandConfessions of a Teenage Drag King, which was named one of the best books of 2020 byCBC Books.

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron

Jana Goes Wildis a romantic comedy about a woman named Jana who finds herself in an unideal situation she is attending a destination wedding that her ex Anil is also at. However, although they had broken up on not-so-nice terms, Jana soon realizes that she might be falling for Anil again. With the backdrop of the Serengeti and wandering safari animals, hilarious chaos ensues as Jana tries to make it seem like she's got it all together.

• Why Farah Heron adores Jane Austen'sPride and Prejudice

Farah Heron is a writer based in Toronto. She is also the author of the booksThe Chai Factor,Accidentally EngagedandTahira in Bloom.

Love Language by Nasser Hussain

Experimenting with the idea of modern love poems,Love Languageis a collection that was written during pandemic lockdowns as a way of escapism. Nasser Hussain plays with the forms and conventions of the English language while tackling complicated feelings of love and tenderness.

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Hussain is a teacher, academic and writer currently based in England. He serves on the editorial board for Coach House Books in Toronto. He is also the author of the poetry collectionSKY WRI TEI NGS.

Where We End and Begin by Jane Igharo

InWhere We End & Begin,two star-crossed lovers named Obinna and Dunni reunite at a wedding, rekindling their old high school romance. They had broken up when Dunni left Nigeria to go to college in America. While things have changed, they are still drawn to each other. However, as they rediscover each otherbringing up secrets, and incidents from the past, Dunni must figure out if their love from their younger days is enough to keep them together.

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Jane Igharo immigrated to Canada from Nigeria when she was 12 years old. She currently lives in Toronto. She is also the author of thenovel wasTies That Tether.

Much Ado About Nadaby Uzma Jalaluddin

Much Ado About Nadais about Nada Syed, who is almost 30 and still living at home with her parents. She dreams of making her app Ask Apa into a tech success, but her parents are focused on her finding a partner and getting married. Her best friend Haleema wants things to turn around for Nada and thinks there's no better place to do that than at a large Muslim conference downtown. But when Nada finds out Haleema's fiance Zayn and his brother Baz will be there, she knows she can't go. No matter what. Why? Because her and Baz have history.

• Uzma Jalaluddin takes on Jane Austen'sPersuasionin her latest modern Muslim retelling of a rom-com classic

Uzma Jalaluddin is a teacher, parenting columnist and author based in Ontario. She is also the author ofAyesha At LastandHana Khan Carries On.

LISTEN | Why Uzma Jalaluddin writes contemporary rom-coms:

Q20:57Uzma Jalaluddin on her latest novel Much Ado About Nada

Uzma Jalaluddins latest novel, Much Ado About Nada, tells the story of Nada Syed, a young Muslim woman whos approaching 30 and being pressured to find a husband by her mother. When shes forced to attend a Muslim convention, she runs the risk of revealing a secret past shes kept buried for years. Uzma tells Tom how female ambition inspired the novel, how she goes about writing a great romantic story, and what its like having her books being optioned for film.

Who We Are in Real Life by Victoria Koops

Reality and imagination come together in theYA novel Who We Are in Real Life.Darcy has just moved to a small town with her two moms and misses her boyfriend and gaming friends. When Art invites her to join hisDungeons & Dragonsgame, they grow closer and he becomes conflicted. Can he stand up to his conservative father who's trying to put a stop to Darcy's queer-straight alliance club? Meanwhile, in the fantasy world of thegame, they fight alongside one another against corruption.

Who We Are in Real Life is for ages 13 and up.

Victoria Koops is a Saskatchewan-based author and practicing counsellor. Who We Are in Real Lifeis her debut novel.

LISTEN | Victoria Koops discusses her debut novel on The Morning Edition:

The Morning Edition - Sask8:37Sask. author releases debut novel: 'Who We Are in Real Life'

A new book written by Saskatchewan author, Victoria Koops, is hitting the shelves today. She shares how the book came to be.

Goddess Crownby Shade Lapite

Goddess Crownis a YA Afro-fantasy novel set in the kingdom of Galla.Kalothia was raised in secret in a woodland outside of the kingdom where she learned to fish and hunt and look after herself. Onher16th birthday, she is forced to flee her home after it is invaded by attackers and she ends up in the king's court, where she gets caught up in dangerous power struggles.

Goddess Crownis for ages 13 and up.

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Shade Lapiteis aBritish Nigerian writerliving in Toronto. She runs a blog called Coffee Bookshelves, which celebrates and promotes writingby authors of colour.Goddess Crownis Lapite's debut novel.

The Catch by Amy Lea

When influencer Melanie Karlsenfinds herself in a rural fishing village on Canada's east coast, she's taken aback by the burly and grumpy bed-and-breakfast owner Evan Whaler in the romance novel The Catch. Weren't Canadians supposed to be nice? After a boating accident sends Evan to the hospital, his family mistakes Melanie for hisfiance. The two strike up a deal:she'll fake their engagement for one week if Evan helps her create some social media content.

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Amy Lea is an Ottawa-based contemporary romance writer andCanadian bureaucrat. Her previous novels includeWoke Up Like This, which was on theCanada Reads2024 longlist,Exes and O'sandSet on You.

Time to Shineby Rachel Reid

InTime to Shine, hockey player Landon Stackhouse has just gotten his call up to the big leagues from the Calgary farm team, though he doesn't get to play much. When Calgary's star player Casey Hicks hit it off this bromance evolves into a romance between the two. But what will happen to the budding relationship when Landon's time in Calgary comes to an end?

Rachel Reid is a romance writer and die-hard hockey fan from Nova Scotia.

Secret Sex edited by Russell Smith

Secret Sexis an anthology of writing from 24 Canadian writers,all writing sex scenes anonymously. Withpiecesfrom Heather O'Neill, francesca ekwuyasi and Michael Winter among others, readers can guess who wrote what or simply enjoy the uncensored scenes veering from graphic to surreal.

• Russell Smith on the secrets we shouldn't share with anyone

Russell Smith is a Toronto-based novelist and acquiring editor at Dundurn Press.

Roamingby Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki

Set on a trip to New York City in 2009,Roamingis a graphic novel that follows best friends Zoe and Dani during their first year of college. As a queer romance blossoms between Zoe and Dani's classmate Fiona who tags along friendships get put to the test and all three girls learn more about who they are set against the backdrop of the big city.

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Mariko Tamaki is a writer based in California. Her other books include the YA novels(you) Set Me On FireandSaving Montgomery Sole. She's also the author of many superhero comics for DC Comics, Darkhorse and Marvel.

Jillian Tamaki is a Toronto-based cartoonist, illustrator and educator. With her cousin Mariko Tamaki, she co-created the YA graphic novelSkim, which was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a Governor General's Literary Award. Another collaboration,This One Summer, won the Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature illustration.

LISTEN | Mariko and Jillian Tamaki discuss the make-or-break experiences of travelling with friends:

The Next Chapter18:14Mariko and Jillian Tamaki on Roaming and exploring New York City with college friends

The Canadian cousins and creative collaborators' new graphic novel Roaming explores college friends getting a taste of adulthood in the Big Apple.