Did you know that romance novels generate over $1.4 billion in revenue--making romance the highest earning genre of fiction?  Romance novels sold more than 39 million print copies in 2023, which represents a 52% increase over the previous year.  Sales of romance novels MORE THAN DOUBLED over 2021 sales, and last year was the third consecutive year of increasing romance sales.  Meaning: romance readers, we know you're out there, and we've got the book club for you!

Join Julie Iatron, Reference and Readers Services' Librarian AND romance devotee, for "Between the Sheets: A Romance Book Group."  We'll gather on Tuesday, December 10th at 6:30 PM in the conference room to discuss "Three Holidays and a Wedding" by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley.

Uzma Jalaluddin grew up in a diverse suburb of Toronto, but her favourite place in the world is the nearest bookstore or library. She is the author of MUCH ADO ABOUT NADA (2023), a second-chance romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and THREE HOLIDAYS AND A WEDDING (2023), a multi-faith holiday romcom co-written with Marissa Stapley.  Her debut novel, AYESHA AT LAST (2019), was a Goodreads Choice Award Finalist, Cosmopolitan UK Book of the Year and Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2019. Her second novel, HANA KHAN CARRIES ON (2021) was an instant Canadian bestseller, and named a Best Romance Novel by the Washington Post.  It is currently in development for film by Amazon Studios and Mindy Kaling.  Uzma is a former contributor to The Toronto Star, and has written for The Atlantic. She lives near Toronto, Canada, with her husband and two sons, where she also teaches high school.

MARISSA STAPLEY is the New York Times bestselling author of Lucky, which was the first-ever Canadian Reese’s Book Club pick (December 2021), as well as bestsellers Mating for Life, Things to Do When It’s Raining, and The Last Resort. Her next novel, The Lightning Bottles, a story of nineties rock and star-crossed love, will be published by Simon & Schuster in Fall 2024. She has also co-written the bestselling holiday rom-coms The Holiday Swap (a Book of the Month pick) and All I Want for Christmas under the pen name Maggie Knox. Her next rom-com, Three Holidays and a Wedding (September 26, 2023), is a collaboration with bestselling author and playwright Uzma Jalauddin. Many of her novels have been optioned for television and her journalism has appeared in publications across North America. She has also worked as a sports reporter, cemetery gardener, bartender, destination travel rep, stable hand, and magazine editor — but becoming an author is a dream she has harboured since the age of seven, when she decided she was going to be the next L.M. Montgomery. She lives in Toronto with her husband, two children and the best cat in the world — and is happiest while lakeside in Northern Ontario, a good novel or notebook and pen in hand.

"As strangers and seatmates Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson fly to Toronto over the holidays--Maryam to her sister's impromptu wedding, and Anna to meet her boyfriend's wealthy family for the first time--neither expect that severe turbulence will scare them into confessing their deepest hopes and fears to one another. At least they'll never see each other again. And the love of Maryam's life, Saif, wasn't sitting two rows behind them hearing it all. Oops. An emergency landing finds Anna, Saif, Maryam, and her sister's entire bridal party snowbound at the quirky Snow Falls Inn in a picture-perfect town, where fate has Anna's actor-crush filming a holiday romance. As Maryam finds the courage to open her heart to Saif, and Anna feels the magic of being snowbound with an unexpected new love--both women soon realize there's no place they'd rather be for the holidays."

Join Julie to unpack this swoonworthy seasonal pick and talk characters, happily ever afters (or happily for now), and alllllll the romance tropes!  Copies of "Three Holidays and a Wedding" are available at the Borrower Services desk.  For more information or questions, email jiatron@chelmsfordlibrary.org.  See you on December 10th at 6:30 PM!