He Said, She Said: Romance Novels with Great Banter

There's nothing I love more than having a stack of books to read while the snow falls outside, especially when it's a stack of romance novels! There are so many tropes within the romance genre: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, forbidden love... the list goes on and on, and I love them all. No matter the trope you're most interested in, the one overarching element of a great romance novel is banter. Whether it's comedic, snarky, or romantic, well written banter between the love interests always makes for a thrilling read. If you're interested in reading a fun romance novel with fantastic wordplay, check out the list below.

In her mid-20s, Chani watched all her fellow MFA grads get book deals while she was sitting at a desk writing articles she didn't care too much about. But then she's asked to write a profile on superstar Gabe Parker, and what should have been a run-of-the-mill interview turns into a whirlwind weekend that goes viral. Now it's ten years later. She's recently divorced from her author husband and trying to figure out how to finally get some well-earned success of her own when Gabe's PR team asks if she can interview him again, hoping for the virality of the past. Chani is torn; the weekend they spent together meant a lot to her, more than she'd like to admit, and seeing him again might force her to acknowledge that it was all in her head or, even worse, that Gabe might feel the same way about her. Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman is a great novel set across two different time periods about two people who've got the talk but really need to figure out if they can walk the walk (aka fall in love).

Lily is stuck in the non-fiction division of the publishing house she works at, with dreams of becoming a children's editor. She's worried she can't live up to her family's expectations and, in a moment of loneliness, strikes up an email correspondence with her favorite fantasy author. He responds, and their correspondence feels like it could be something more until he completely ghosts her out of the blue. A few months later, a new neighbor, Nick, moves in, and Lily feels connected to him for reasons she can't explain. Lily invites Nick to be her date to her sister's wedding but Nick quickly figures out that Lily is the girl he was emailing back and forth with months earlier under his pen name. He can't date her but will do her a solid and find her a date. The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest is a lovely, You've Got Mail-inspired romance.

Would you want to argue with your ex on a morning radio show? Shay doesn't want to either, but when she puts forth the idea of exes providing relationship advice on the radio show she currently produces (and that is steadily losing listeners), the idea is green-lit with the caveat that Shay must pretend to be exes with her work arch-nemesis, the annoying Dominic. They may not have dated but they DO hate one another, and it's obvious in their show...which quickly becomes a Seattle sensation. As their show climbs the podcast charts, Shay and Dominic realize that what they're experiencing isn't severe hatred but actually love. The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a fun take on the forced dating (exes?!) trope with fantastic banter. 

We're going across the pond for this recommendation. In Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall, the famous Luc finds himself back in the spotlight for the most negative of reasons. He believes the only way to clean up his act is to date someone prim and proper with their life together - the complete opposite of Luc. Enter Oliver: he's a vegetarian, regularly wears suits, and best of all, has never appeared in a tabloid. Perfect (fake) boyfriend material! But what do they always say about opposites? They attract! Boyfriend Material is a laugh-out-loud take on the fake dating trope.

And how could we forget Tessa Bailey? Tessa Bailey is known for writing fantastic banter between all of her characters so you know whichever book you choose will be a hit! I recently read Fangirl Down and loved it. Josephine is obsessed (maybe a little too much) with professional bad-boy golfer Wells Whitaker. She shows up to all of his golf tournaments, loudly cheering from the sidelines while Wells continues his fall from grace. When he abruptly quits, Josephine is thrown for a loop until Wells shows up at her door, begging Josephine to be his golf caddy. If he wins an upcoming golf tournament, he promises that they'll split the prize. And Josephine really, really needs that money. Will Josephine's bubbly personality finally force a crack in Wells' grumpy exterior? Read Fangirl Down to find out.

What romance novels with great banter have you been reading lately? Let us know in the comments!