January 29, 2025 in Library News

Celebrate love this Valentine’s Day with our curated list of romantic movies and books. From timeless classics to modern favorites, find the perfect love story at the library!

The Wedding Planner (2001)

by Columbia Pictures

A successful wedding planner, played by Jennifer Lopez, knows all the tricks and follows all the rules of the trade. But, watch this enjoyable romantic comedy as she breaks the main rule and falls in love with the groom (Matthew McConaughey). Scintillating interactions, witty repartee, and bouts of amorous activity makes this film one of my favorites!

– Janet Glatzhofer, Information Desk Assistant

Valentine's Day (2010)

by New Line Cinema Corporation

A star-studded cast led by Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner about how Valentine's Day looks different for people from different walks of life in New York City.

– Jennifer Griffin, Fiction Librarian

Same Time Next Summer (2023)

by Annabel Monaghan

This book is not specifically about Valentine's Day, but it is my favorite newer contemporary romance book. An engaged woman encounters her first love and reflects on her own values and choices. I found this well-written novel thought-provoking and compelling.

– Allison Bies, Hoffman Estates Assistant Manager

Brooklyn (2016)

by Inc Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

This film pieces together a warm love story through a collection of moments spent between an Irish immigrant and an Italian American plumber. Running tangential to the experience of growing into oneself in a new environment, the quick yet soft budding of their relationship makes their romance an enjoyable experience to watch unfold!

-Jenalyn Reyes, Information Desk Assistant

Star Wars : the Empire Stikes Back, Episode V (2000)

by Inc Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

He's a space pirate, but she's a princess. Will their love Force its way through their differences, or will her father freeze their relationship in the clouds, while deceiving her brother into the family business? Things really get out of hand.

-Victor Dixon, Genealogy Librarian

Us (2023)

by Sara Soler

This graphic memoir is Sara and Diana's love story, which includes the story of Diana's gender transition. Full of heart and honesty, it is a relatable story of the triumph and pain of figuring out one's truest identity.

-Emily Vinci, Fiction Manager

You Are Here (2024)

by David Nicholls

This humorous romance, set in the UK, is a great choice if you're looking for something light and not "steamy." Features likeable and relatable characters.

-Jean Dravet, Reference Librarian

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute (2023)

by Talia Hibbert

Valentine's Day celebrates love, and Talia Hibbert is one of the great writers of love. In her Young Adult debut novel, readers get a laugh-out-loud story as two very different teens test their abilities to survive in the great outdoors while rehashing their ex-friendship that could turn into a whole new kind of relationship.

-Abbey Pignatari, Teen Librarian

My Mechanical Romance (2022)

by Alexene Farol Follmuth

My Mechanical Romance is a story that brings together family, friendship, women in STEAM, and learning how to explore the future without fear. Told through a dual perspective, readers are immersed in the senior year of Bel and Teo, along with their friends, as they navigate friendship, college applications, and budding romances.


-Abbey Pignatari, Teen Librarian

Emma and the Love Spell (2024)

by Meredith Ireland

Twelve-year-old, Korean American adoptee Emma Davidson has a problem. Two problems. Okay, 1. She has a crush on her best friend, Avangeline, that she hasn't been able to share. 2. Avangeline now has to move out of their town because her parents are getting a divorce. 3. Oh, and Emma is a secret witch who can't really control her powers.

-Abbey Pignatari, Teen Librarian

The Prospects (2024)

by KT Hoffman

This LGBTQ+ romance, which I must note is also amazing on audio, is the charming rivals to lovers story of two players on a minor league baseball team.

-Allison Riggs, Teen Librarian

Flubby Does Not Like Valentine's Day (2023)

by J. E Morris

This delightful children's book follows Kami as she tries to give her aloof pet cat a valentine's gift.

-Allison Riggs

Splash (2004)

by Touchstone Pictures

A man gives up on love, but then a kind and fascinating woman comes into his life. Unbeknownst to him, she is a mermaid. Comedy is added by the man's goofy brother and a scientist who is trying to prove that mermaids exist.

-Victor Dixon, Genealogy Librarian

The Electric Horseman (2003)

by Universal Pictures

One of my personal faves, where Robert Redford stars as a former rodeo star who steals his company's horse for a righteous purpose of his own. Jane Fonda portrays a nosy reporter who tracks him down in the desert to get his story on why he stole the horse. A fantastic, sentimentally charged story with beautiful scenery, comedic action along with great repartee between these two brilliant actors!

-Janet Glatzhofer, Information Desk Assistant

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