Considering how many funny, sweet romantic comedies Reese Witherspoon has been in (Sweet Home Alabama, This Means War, Your Place or Mine, to name a few), it's no surprise the star has selected some pretty fabulous rom-com books for her eponymous book club. Here, three of my favorites.
The 3 Best Rom-Coms Reese's Book Club Has Ever Recommended
Prepare to be charmed
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Published Aug 21, 2024
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1. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
If you've yet to read one of Jasmine Guillory’s smart, sweet and feminist romances (I love The Wedding Date), please remedy that immediately and get into The Proposal. When freelance writer Nik goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, whom she’s only been dating for five months, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. But saying no isn't the hard part—it’s having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans. Luckily, Carlos, a handsome doctor who’s also at the game, comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. The two then embark on a whirlwind rebound, but when their situationship starts to get messier, will one of them be smart enough to know when enough is enough?
2. The Cactus by Sarah Haywood
Of this 2019 pick, Witherspoon exclaimed, "I found myself laughing out loud!" In it, Susan is like the titular cactus: You can't get too close to her. Like Eleanor Oliphant (another Reese's Book Club fave), she likes things perfectly ordered and predictable. But when she's suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother—and the unexpected news that she's about to become a mother herself—her greatest fear is realized: She's losing control. Then she meets Rob, a friend of her brother. As her due date gets closer and closer, Susan finds an unlikely ally in Rob, realizing she might have a chance at finding real love and learning to love herself...if she can figure out how to let go.
3. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
A book called Romantic Comedy on a list about romantic comedies? Groundbreaking. But seriously, this one is a must-read. In this modern, compulsively readable take on a rom-com, Sally is a 30-something who’s a writer at a weekly sketch comedy show a la Saturday Night Live. She’s working on a sketch based on her officemate, a funny and smart but aesthetically average guy who’s somehow gotten engaged to a gorgeous actress. Her argument is that the reverse would never happen. Enter Noah, an ultra-popular—and handsome—musician who’s serving as host and musical guest on the show and quickly proves himself to be smart, sensitive and suspiciously interested in spending one-on-one time with Sally. For fans of Nora Ephron and 30 Rock, Romantic Comedy is deliciously charming and whip-smart.
